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ainsleyexe 's review for:
The October Country
by Ray Bradbury
4.25.
It feels like a bit of a scam that I didn't read this in October, but whatever the case, it was still excellent. Too often now, I see horror just for the sake of horror, gore for the sake of gore. It is disappointing when people, even if they are fictional, die just because and not for a great point to be made or a greater purpose to be proven. That was not the case with this book. Horror is an excellent vessel for thematic exploration, and it is utilized to its fullest extent in this short story anthology. All the themes and ideas are clear, coherent, and well-explored within each story, though some of the plots and character's I enjoyed more than others. As well, the writing style was intriguing in some places and weird and awkward in other places, and the writer's craft could be improved in some places as well- in cases I found myself re-reading certain parts. It is difficult to rate short stories as a collective, so I am ranking each story individually and the overall score will be the average.
The Dwarf- 3.00
This one was probably one of my least favourites. The premise was interesting, but I felt that some parts were slightly unclear and the story did not go anywhere or make any clear and meaningful points.
The Next in Line- 4.50
I really liked this story. The exploration of the all-consuming nature of fear, how we cling to familiarity and how we fear the unfamiliar was very interesting. The setting was very effective, and the mexican-gothic feel of it was so amazing. However, some parts were a little unclear.
The Watchful Poker Chip of H. Matisse-3.50
Again, the premise was interesting but themes were meagrely explored and the story did not go very far. However, I did really like the satirical study of "quirky culture" and how they mock and ridicule the "mainstream" like they do not also borrow from it.
Skeleton-4.60
I really enjoyed this. The dark comedy elements were really effective; I imagined this as almost Burtonesque animation and it was so good. The twist was well written, and the character study and development was excellent.
The Jar-3.70
This one was middle-of-the-road for me. I enjoyed the study of the subjectivity of fear and guilt, and how we project it onto the unknown, but the portrayal of the only black character explicitly mentioned in the book was incredibly racist, and put a pretty bad taste in my mouth.
The Lake-4.90
This was probably one of my favourite stories in the collection. The imagery was rich and beautiful, the writer's craft was well-executed and it was the perfect blend of melancholia and hope, loss and renewal, and memory of those we love.
The Emissary-4.00
This one was alright; the imagery and descriptions were excellent but the story was awkwardly paced and the twist was a little slow. I also wished that Allhallow's Eve was utilized more.
Touched With Fire-2.50
I didn't like this one. The premise was very vague, the way it was written was choppy and awkward, and I found myself re-reading parts to try and figure out what was going on. It sort of felt like he just started writing without planning and figured the story would go where it goes.
The Small Assassin-4.95
I really, really liked this one. It had these amazing Rosemary's-baby vibes; it was fascinatingly subversive and sucked you deeper and deeper, and created incredible suspense. I also loved the ideas of postpartum paranoia and the idea of an infant being a murderer- the premise was genius as well.
The Crowd-3.00
Again, not my favourite. The premise was unclear, the exploration was messy, and it was choppy and difficult to understand. However, I did enjoy the exploration of the theme of people being fascinated by morbidity and gore.
Jack-In-The-Box-4.50
The best way I can describe this one is "much to think about". The high-fantasy elements were a nice departure from the other macabre stories, and they were used very effectively. The use of the metaphor of a jack-in-the-box was also interesting. However, some of the parts were a little slow and difficult to understand. I also don't have a full grasp on the themes, but that's kind of my fault.
The Scythe-4.30
This one was really interesting. I liked the unique way the concept of the Grim Reaper was approached and explored; I also really enjoyed the southern-gothic vibes and the way themes of loss and duty were explored.
Uncle Einar-3.00
I liked the premise, but the execution was a little bit clumsy and it felt as though the story did not go very far, and that the themes of fulfillment and bitterness could be explored further. I also felt that it could have benefited from further description.
The Wind-3.90
This one was alright as well. I liked the Man vs. Nature style horror-conflict, and to hear the horror completely through a telephone was a really interesting device that I really enjoyed, and thought was well-employed. However, it lagged in a few places, and I wished that certain parts were delved into more.
The Man Upstairs-3.90
I liked this one more than i though I would. This take on vampire-fiction was really unique and interesting, and I appreciated that. I also enjoyed the more comedic elements of it- it was nice relief of what could have been a really heavy story. I also liked that the POV was the boy, though I found that some of the elements of the story were a little "out of nowhere".
There Was An Old Woman-4.45
I enjoyed this dark comedy a lot. I feel like I know this woman, and hell, I might grow up to be this woman. It was a good break from some of the heavier stories, and honestly, I just really, really enjoyed the protagonist. It was almost campy, and I really liked that.
The Cistern-4.90
This story was melancholy and beautiful and tragic, and I loved it. I am a sucker for gorgeous imagery, lost love and dead girls, and this was no exception. The way the themes of lost love, death and fulfillment were explored was painful and heartbreaking but still hopeful and light. It was almost a sort of goth-virgin-suicides, and I really enjoyed it.
Homecoming-4.20
This one was slightly above average. I really liked the Addams Family Values vibes that it emitted, and I enjoyed how it explored themes of acceptance and differentness, and their interplay. I also really liked how the character of Uncle Einar was expanded on. However, it felt a little longer than it needed to be.
The Wonderful Death of Dudley Stone-4.80
This one really stuck with me, and I don't know why. It could be that I am a writer, and it makes me wonder whether I would stake my life on my art, or whether it is just because it is the last story and it is the one I remember the best. Whatever the case, the themes explored are intriguing and insightful, the writer's craft is evident and the imagery is rich and interesting.
It feels like a bit of a scam that I didn't read this in October, but whatever the case, it was still excellent. Too often now, I see horror just for the sake of horror, gore for the sake of gore. It is disappointing when people, even if they are fictional, die just because and not for a great point to be made or a greater purpose to be proven. That was not the case with this book. Horror is an excellent vessel for thematic exploration, and it is utilized to its fullest extent in this short story anthology. All the themes and ideas are clear, coherent, and well-explored within each story, though some of the plots and character's I enjoyed more than others. As well, the writing style was intriguing in some places and weird and awkward in other places, and the writer's craft could be improved in some places as well- in cases I found myself re-reading certain parts. It is difficult to rate short stories as a collective, so I am ranking each story individually and the overall score will be the average.
The Dwarf- 3.00
This one was probably one of my least favourites. The premise was interesting, but I felt that some parts were slightly unclear and the story did not go anywhere or make any clear and meaningful points.
The Next in Line- 4.50
I really liked this story. The exploration of the all-consuming nature of fear, how we cling to familiarity and how we fear the unfamiliar was very interesting. The setting was very effective, and the mexican-gothic feel of it was so amazing. However, some parts were a little unclear.
The Watchful Poker Chip of H. Matisse-3.50
Again, the premise was interesting but themes were meagrely explored and the story did not go very far. However, I did really like the satirical study of "quirky culture" and how they mock and ridicule the "mainstream" like they do not also borrow from it.
Skeleton-4.60
I really enjoyed this. The dark comedy elements were really effective; I imagined this as almost Burtonesque animation and it was so good. The twist was well written, and the character study and development was excellent
Spoiler
- the way the man became more and more convinced that his skeleton was out to get him was compelling to readThe Jar-3.70
This one was middle-of-the-road for me. I enjoyed the study of the subjectivity of fear and guilt, and how we project it onto the unknown, but the portrayal of the only black character explicitly mentioned in the book was incredibly racist, and put a pretty bad taste in my mouth.
The Lake-4.90
This was probably one of my favourite stories in the collection. The imagery was rich and beautiful, the writer's craft was well-executed and it was the perfect blend of melancholia and hope, loss and renewal, and memory of those we love.
The Emissary-4.00
This one was alright; the imagery and descriptions were excellent but the story was awkwardly paced and the twist was a little slow. I also wished that Allhallow's Eve was utilized more.
Touched With Fire-2.50
I didn't like this one. The premise was very vague, the way it was written was choppy and awkward, and I found myself re-reading parts to try and figure out what was going on. It sort of felt like he just started writing without planning and figured the story would go where it goes.
The Small Assassin-4.95
I really, really liked this one. It had these amazing Rosemary's-baby vibes; it was fascinatingly subversive and sucked you deeper and deeper, and created incredible suspense. I also loved the ideas of postpartum paranoia and the idea of an infant being a murderer- the premise was genius as well.
The Crowd-3.00
Again, not my favourite. The premise was unclear, the exploration was messy, and it was choppy and difficult to understand. However, I did enjoy the exploration of the theme of people being fascinated by morbidity and gore.
Jack-In-The-Box-4.50
The best way I can describe this one is "much to think about". The high-fantasy elements were a nice departure from the other macabre stories, and they were used very effectively. The use of the metaphor of a jack-in-the-box was also interesting. However, some of the parts were a little slow and difficult to understand. I also don't have a full grasp on the themes, but that's kind of my fault.
The Scythe-4.30
This one was really interesting. I liked the unique way the concept of the Grim Reaper was approached and explored; I also really enjoyed the southern-gothic vibes and the way themes of loss and duty were explored.
Uncle Einar-3.00
I liked the premise, but the execution was a little bit clumsy and it felt as though the story did not go very far, and that the themes of fulfillment and bitterness could be explored further. I also felt that it could have benefited from further description.
The Wind-3.90
This one was alright as well. I liked the Man vs. Nature style horror-conflict, and to hear the horror completely through a telephone was a really interesting device that I really enjoyed, and thought was well-employed. However, it lagged in a few places, and I wished that certain parts
Spoiler
like the part where Herb could hear the voices in the windThe Man Upstairs-3.90
I liked this one more than i though I would. This take on vampire-fiction was really unique and interesting, and I appreciated that. I also enjoyed the more comedic elements of it- it was nice relief of what could have been a really heavy story. I also liked that the POV was the boy, though I found that some of the elements of the story were a little "out of nowhere".
There Was An Old Woman-4.45
I enjoyed this dark comedy a lot. I feel like I know this woman, and hell, I might grow up to be this woman. It was a good break from some of the heavier stories, and honestly, I just really, really enjoyed the protagonist. It was almost campy, and I really liked that.
The Cistern-4.90
This story was melancholy and beautiful and tragic, and I loved it. I am a sucker for gorgeous imagery, lost love and dead girls, and this was no exception. The way the themes of lost love, death and fulfillment were explored was painful and heartbreaking but still hopeful and light. It was almost a sort of goth-virgin-suicides, and I really enjoyed it.
Homecoming-4.20
This one was slightly above average. I really liked the Addams Family Values vibes that it emitted, and I enjoyed how it explored themes of acceptance and differentness, and their interplay. I also really liked how the character of Uncle Einar was expanded on. However, it felt a little longer than it needed to be.
The Wonderful Death of Dudley Stone-4.80
This one really stuck with me, and I don't know why. It could be that I am a writer, and it makes me wonder whether I would stake my life on my art, or whether it is just because it is the last story and it is the one I remember the best. Whatever the case, the themes explored are intriguing and insightful, the writer's craft is evident and the imagery is rich and interesting.