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A review by chloesmusings
The Strange Casebook by Syd Moore
4.0
Actual rating: 3.8, rounded up to 4 stars.
The Strange Casebook caught my attention because it promised a collection of short stories that suited my fascinations well. Admittedly I yet to read the main Strange books, but these stories stand so perfectly alone that I didn’t have a worry about whether or not I would be missing something.
Short stories collections are an inherently hit-and-miss sort of thing; some are liked, others not so liked. The Strange Casebook is no different. Jocelyn’s Story was my least favourite; it felt wholly disjointed from the rest, focused on human vanity and obsession rather than what I had come to expect from the collection – the paranormal. Conversely, I enjoyed She Saw Three Ships supernatural and chilling aspects, but its length had my focus wavering.
Despite my differentiating opinions on the short stories, the one thing that they all have in common is that they are well-written. Indeed, they remain intriguing and the horror of the thriller lies within the suspense. Whilst I predicted the first twist of The House of Savage Lane quickly, the latter twist-come-cliffhanger caught me completely unawares. Yes, the stories are entrenched in the tropes of horror and thrillers, but those tropes do not weak these stories. Instead the tropes give the stories strength, as they play on our preconceived notions and fears.
Except, that is, for Snowy. This one is my favourite, and not merely because it includes cats. The second of the short stories, Snowy is perfectly placed to create a small break in the suspense and horror. Indeed, it exists without any of that and instead is a beautiful and gentle ode to love, loss and hope.
In all, The Strange Casebook is a perfectly spooky and quick short story collection to read on Halloween.
The Strange Casebook caught my attention because it promised a collection of short stories that suited my fascinations well. Admittedly I yet to read the main Strange books, but these stories stand so perfectly alone that I didn’t have a worry about whether or not I would be missing something.
Short stories collections are an inherently hit-and-miss sort of thing; some are liked, others not so liked. The Strange Casebook is no different. Jocelyn’s Story was my least favourite; it felt wholly disjointed from the rest, focused on human vanity and obsession rather than what I had come to expect from the collection – the paranormal. Conversely, I enjoyed She Saw Three Ships supernatural and chilling aspects, but its length had my focus wavering.
Despite my differentiating opinions on the short stories, the one thing that they all have in common is that they are well-written. Indeed, they remain intriguing and the horror of the thriller lies within the suspense. Whilst I predicted the first twist of The House of Savage Lane quickly, the latter twist-come-cliffhanger caught me completely unawares. Yes, the stories are entrenched in the tropes of horror and thrillers, but those tropes do not weak these stories. Instead the tropes give the stories strength, as they play on our preconceived notions and fears.
Except, that is, for Snowy. This one is my favourite, and not merely because it includes cats. The second of the short stories, Snowy is perfectly placed to create a small break in the suspense and horror. Indeed, it exists without any of that and instead is a beautiful and gentle ode to love, loss and hope.
In all, The Strange Casebook is a perfectly spooky and quick short story collection to read on Halloween.