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nigellicus's review
5.0
What Akira did for E*X*P*L*O*S*I*O*N*S, The Chuckling Whatsit does for murders. Hardly a page goes by without some character getting murdered horribly, usually by a man in a hideous mask with a grotesque knife. Murder, murder, murder. But why? Who is killing all the astrologers? Is it the Gull Street Ghoul back again? What is the secret society called GASH really all about? And why are they in fear of Ixnay? Will poor Mr Broom find his way through the grotesque and intricate murder labyrinth to the truth and survive? Horror and noir and German expressionism and surrealism and murder all mix it up in a ghastly and delightful entertainment of murder and psychosis and dark shadows and evil deeds. Bloody briliant.
tatidengo's review
4.0
This is the second book I've read by Richard Sala, and he is satisfying a craving I haven't been able to curb since becoming an adult and not having any new Scooby Doo cartoons or Addams Family stuff. As soon as you grow up, content that is spooky, creepy, crawly, but not nightmare-inducing is replaced by torture porn and horror movies. Why?!?
Anyway, The Chuckling Whatsit does contain gratuitous casual decapitations and stabbings, but because of the cartoony tone of the drawings, the lack of seriousness of the protagonist, and the melodramatic writing, it's easy to digest! I read this before bed and was creeped out many times, but I was able to sleep!
The story does jump all over the place, but that disorientation just seems to be his way of making the mood more unnerving.
I only didn't love how the female characters are rendered, especially in comparison to the males, but that's just me.
Anyway, The Chuckling Whatsit does contain gratuitous casual decapitations and stabbings, but because of the cartoony tone of the drawings, the lack of seriousness of the protagonist, and the melodramatic writing, it's easy to digest! I read this before bed and was creeped out many times, but I was able to sleep!
The story does jump all over the place, but that disorientation just seems to be his way of making the mood more unnerving.
I only didn't love how the female characters are rendered, especially in comparison to the males, but that's just me.
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