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A review by bookandcoffeeaddict
The Monstrous by Peter Straub
5.0
This collection of stories is not for the faint of heart, nor, in some cases, the weak of stomach.
Within the pages of The Monstrous are monsters and men engaging in some truly monstrous acts; bestiality (non-explicit), creature rape (explicit), and body horror (explicit), to name a few that may be triggering for some readers.
It took me a while to get through these stories, and that had nothing to do with the writing – which is superb of course, Datlow knows what she’s doing when she pulls these collections together – it was the way these stories, these sometimes horrendously inhumane, monstrous stories, really left a lasting impression with me. Each dark tale stuck with me long after I closed the cover and set the book down. There’s that sense of trying to ground yourself in reality, of the goodness of reality, and the unsettling feeling of how these stories held up a warped mirror to reality, dark and depraved reflections, that in actuality rang a little too close for true peace of mind.
All in all, The Monstrous is a collection of some truly dark tales, but they’re not just tales of horror and depravity for the sake of shock value – these are stories that will stick with the reader and make them think, even though the thoughts conjured may not be truly comfortable to contemplate.
*I received a copy of this book to review. You can find this review and others like it at BookAndCoffeeAddict.com, along with recommendations for a fantastic cup of coffee.
Within the pages of The Monstrous are monsters and men engaging in some truly monstrous acts; bestiality (non-explicit), creature rape (explicit), and body horror (explicit), to name a few that may be triggering for some readers.
It took me a while to get through these stories, and that had nothing to do with the writing – which is superb of course, Datlow knows what she’s doing when she pulls these collections together – it was the way these stories, these sometimes horrendously inhumane, monstrous stories, really left a lasting impression with me. Each dark tale stuck with me long after I closed the cover and set the book down. There’s that sense of trying to ground yourself in reality, of the goodness of reality, and the unsettling feeling of how these stories held up a warped mirror to reality, dark and depraved reflections, that in actuality rang a little too close for true peace of mind.
All in all, The Monstrous is a collection of some truly dark tales, but they’re not just tales of horror and depravity for the sake of shock value – these are stories that will stick with the reader and make them think, even though the thoughts conjured may not be truly comfortable to contemplate.
*I received a copy of this book to review. You can find this review and others like it at BookAndCoffeeAddict.com, along with recommendations for a fantastic cup of coffee.