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A review by sandytfrench
The Coiled Serpent by Camilla Grudova
3.5
The Coiled Serpent by Camilla Grudova
Publication date: 2 November 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Atlantic Books for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
~~~~~
A little girl throws up Gloria-Jean's teeth after an explosion at the custard factory. In a damp, putrid spa, the exploitative drudgery of work sparks revolt. In a Margate museum, the new Director curates a venomous garden for public consumption.
~~~~~
Book 100! 😊 And seeing as I'm in my short story collection era (Sandra's version), this was a very fitting 100th read of the year.
But oh boy, it was weird, and it was gross.
I will give the same warning here as I did for Grudova's Children of Paradise (which was longlisted for this year's Women's Prize) - if you are at all squeamish about bodily fluids, excretions and suspicious substances, stay away from this book!
There were some very salient points made about poverty, classism, the oppression of the working class but I kinda lost sight of them and got distracted by trying to keep a tally of whether fecal matter made an appearance in every story in this book (the answer, Dear Reader, is *almost* every story...)
And yet, I was fascinated! I read this book in pretty much one sitting; I could not put it down. It is macabre, grotesque, gross and WEIRD! But the weirdness and the writing really did it for me. This book will not be for everybody but I will brace myself (and my stomach 🤢), and I will definitely read more from this author.
My favourite stories were The Green Hat, where revenge is a dish best served cold and Hoo Hoo, a weird, and quite sad, dystopian little tale.
~~~~~
Publication date: 2 November 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Atlantic Books for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
~~~~~
A little girl throws up Gloria-Jean's teeth after an explosion at the custard factory. In a damp, putrid spa, the exploitative drudgery of work sparks revolt. In a Margate museum, the new Director curates a venomous garden for public consumption.
~~~~~
Book 100! 😊 And seeing as I'm in my short story collection era (Sandra's version), this was a very fitting 100th read of the year.
But oh boy, it was weird, and it was gross.
I will give the same warning here as I did for Grudova's Children of Paradise (which was longlisted for this year's Women's Prize) - if you are at all squeamish about bodily fluids, excretions and suspicious substances, stay away from this book!
There were some very salient points made about poverty, classism, the oppression of the working class but I kinda lost sight of them and got distracted by trying to keep a tally of whether fecal matter made an appearance in every story in this book (the answer, Dear Reader, is *almost* every story...)
And yet, I was fascinated! I read this book in pretty much one sitting; I could not put it down. It is macabre, grotesque, gross and WEIRD! But the weirdness and the writing really did it for me. This book will not be for everybody but I will brace myself (and my stomach 🤢), and I will definitely read more from this author.
My favourite stories were The Green Hat, where revenge is a dish best served cold and Hoo Hoo, a weird, and quite sad, dystopian little tale.
~~~~~