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A review by agn1kai
The Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Mariana Enríquez
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Coming off of Bora Chung's Cursed Bunny, I found Mariana Enriquez's The Dangers of Smoking in Bed, a good follow up in my streak of reading weird, absurd, and unsettling books.
Here are my thoughts on each one of the stories:
1.) Angelita Unearthed - I LOVE this story which features family ties and traditions (and absurd ending 😂).
2.) Our Lady of the Quarry - This story subverted my expectations. A bit different from the rest of the stories (petty characters).
3.) The Cart - I think this is based on a folk story in Argentina. It gives off a cautionary tale vibe too.
4.) The Well - I think the story is meant to be a metaphor to the crippling trauma our family can bring us with their betrayal and selfishness.
5.) Rambla Triste - This one gave a strong visual imagery of La Rambla, (which is an actual street in Barcelona, Spain) and actually reminded me of Jujutsu kaisen's cursed spirits, where the negative emotions in a place manifested into something powerful that affects the living.
6.) The Lookout - This one is a poignant story between a ghost and a depressed woman. I think the ending is both sad and horrifying if you look at it from different perspectives.
7.) Where Are You, Dear Heart? - This story is my favorite among the bunch. It's so detailed, intriguing, and almost too personal that I won't be surprised if the events in this turned out to be true.
8.) Meat - A straightforward dig on the extreme lengths people go to for fanaticism. Again, I won't be surprised if this happens irl 😂
9.) No Birthdays or Baptisms - TW: The story involves a pedophilia, voyeurism, self harm, and domestic abuse (the last two are my interpretations since the story is ambiguous about it).
10.) Kids Who Come Back - The longest and most detailed story in the book. I think this one blends the real life disappearance of troubled kids and ghost kids / doppelganger stories.
11.) The Dangers of Smoking in Bed - Less about supernatural horror and more about the depression, addiction, and decay.
12.) Back When We Talked To The Dead - Back to supernatural and doppelgangers again.
Here are my thoughts on each one of the stories:
1.) Angelita Unearthed - I LOVE this story which features family ties and traditions (and absurd ending 😂).
2.) Our Lady of the Quarry - This story subverted my expectations. A bit different from the rest of the stories (petty characters).
3.) The Cart - I think this is based on a folk story in Argentina. It gives off a cautionary tale vibe too.
4.) The Well - I think the story is meant to be a metaphor to the crippling trauma our family can bring us with their betrayal and selfishness.
5.) Rambla Triste - This one gave a strong visual imagery of La Rambla, (which is an actual street in Barcelona, Spain) and actually reminded me of Jujutsu kaisen's cursed spirits, where the negative emotions in a place manifested into something powerful that affects the living.
6.) The Lookout - This one is a poignant story between a ghost and a depressed woman. I think the ending is both sad and horrifying if you look at it from different perspectives.
7.) Where Are You, Dear Heart? - This story is my favorite among the bunch. It's so detailed, intriguing, and almost too personal that I won't be surprised if the events in this turned out to be true.
8.) Meat - A straightforward dig on the extreme lengths people go to for fanaticism. Again, I won't be surprised if this happens irl 😂
9.) No Birthdays or Baptisms - TW: The story involves a pedophilia, voyeurism, self harm, and domestic abuse (the last two are my interpretations since the story is ambiguous about it).
10.) Kids Who Come Back - The longest and most detailed story in the book. I think this one blends the real life disappearance of troubled kids and ghost kids / doppelganger stories.
11.) The Dangers of Smoking in Bed - Less about supernatural horror and more about the depression, addiction, and decay.
12.) Back When We Talked To The Dead - Back to supernatural and doppelgangers again.