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A review by starkiwi
Projections by S.E. Porter
5.0
Projections is a beautifully haunting anti-love story that includes many unconventional characters that match perfectly to the tune of the tale. A ghost, Catherine, who is woefully connected to her killer. A killer turned serial killer by a twisted view of unrequited love. One with magic at that. Through these characters' present and past views, the haunting and intellectually complex feminist novel explores women’s role of obedience and connection; real, imagined, and beyond death - somewhat to the extreme.
Full Review:
Porter continues with another feminist, dark fairy tale-esque novel.
Projections is a beautifully haunting anti-love story that leaves an intense impact on the reader. Set in the 19th century (at first), it includes many unconventional characters that match perfectly to the tune of the tale. A ghost, Catherine, who is woefully connected to her killer. A killer turned serial killer by a twisted view of unrequited love. One with magic at that. Through these characters' present and past views, the novel explores women’s role of obedience somewhat to the extreme.
I also enjoyed the way connection - forced and incidental - is explored. How that connection manifests, persists, or dies. Especially connection with the guise of communication and their relation.
Porter’s writing itself is whimsical in a similar way to Grimm’s fairy tales are; beautiful, poetic, and dark. Very dark. This one, written like a letter or diary, intimately connects you with Catherine in a way third-person would not. You can feel her pain and despair at the murderous events surrounding her very existence as a woman caught in a man’s gaze.
What I was not expecting was the slight hint of queer love that came up. I won’t spoil anything about it as I could never introduce it as well as it was done in the story. I will say, as I was reading I thought “this is a good book”. Then this little tidbit of hopeful, new love came up and that thought turned into “this book is amazing!”. It was such a wonderful, unexpected little addition.
I am not one who enjoys super fluffy books, so I really enjoyed the dark look at love found in this book. It was haunting and intellectually complex in a good way that was not too heavy to handle.
Full Review:
Porter continues with another feminist, dark fairy tale-esque novel.
Projections is a beautifully haunting anti-love story that leaves an intense impact on the reader. Set in the 19th century (at first), it includes many unconventional characters that match perfectly to the tune of the tale. A ghost, Catherine, who is woefully connected to her killer. A killer turned serial killer by a twisted view of unrequited love. One with magic at that. Through these characters' present and past views, the novel explores women’s role of obedience somewhat to the extreme.
I also enjoyed the way connection - forced and incidental - is explored. How that connection manifests, persists, or dies. Especially connection with the guise of communication and their relation.
Porter’s writing itself is whimsical in a similar way to Grimm’s fairy tales are; beautiful, poetic, and dark. Very dark. This one, written like a letter or diary, intimately connects you with Catherine in a way third-person would not. You can feel her pain and despair at the murderous events surrounding her very existence as a woman caught in a man’s gaze.
What I was not expecting was the slight hint of queer love that came up. I won’t spoil anything about it as I could never introduce it as well as it was done in the story. I will say, as I was reading I thought “this is a good book”. Then this little tidbit of hopeful, new love came up and that thought turned into “this book is amazing!”. It was such a wonderful, unexpected little addition.
I am not one who enjoys super fluffy books, so I really enjoyed the dark look at love found in this book. It was haunting and intellectually complex in a good way that was not too heavy to handle.