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A review by itsonmytbr
Spin a Black Yarn by Josh Malerman
4.0
Spin A Black Yarn is a compilation of horror novellas, similar to the style of Malerman's previous collection Goblin. Each story is moody and unique. They are all set in Malerman's Samhattan, and many include references to the same possibly evil corporation. However, there's much less tying the stories in SABY together than there is in Goblin. This left me searching for reoccurring characters or plotlines where there weren't any, and now I am tired.
"Half the House is Haunted" is your traditional haunted house story, except only parts of the house are haunted. A brother and sister are the only ones who seem to notice. The sister, being older, uses the ghosts to torment her brother.
In "Argyle" a man on his deathbed confesses to all of the murders he wishes he had committed.
"The Jupiter Drop" follows a man on his vacation from Earth to the center of Jupiter, as he tries to sort out his guilt for what happened back on Earth. There's a lot of guilt in this book.
In "Doug and Judy Buy the House Washer," a monstrous couple are forced to confront the things they did to become rich and successful. The dialogue reminds me of a Hemingway short.
"Egorov" takes us back in time to when Samhattan had horses walking its streets. Two triplets get revenge on the man who tried to kill their third. This one was WAY too long. It had a great style, similar to "The Tell-Tale Heart", but it was so repetitive that it was hard to finish. A few chapters could have been cut out.
A few more connecting threads between the stories would have made "Spin a Black Yarn" a five star read, but four is good too.
"Half the House is Haunted" is your traditional haunted house story, except only parts of the house are haunted. A brother and sister are the only ones who seem to notice. The sister, being older, uses the ghosts to torment her brother.
In "Argyle" a man on his deathbed confesses to all of the murders he wishes he had committed.
"The Jupiter Drop" follows a man on his vacation from Earth to the center of Jupiter, as he tries to sort out his guilt for what happened back on Earth. There's a lot of guilt in this book.
In "Doug and Judy Buy the House Washer," a monstrous couple are forced to confront the things they did to become rich and successful. The dialogue reminds me of a Hemingway short.
"Egorov" takes us back in time to when Samhattan had horses walking its streets. Two triplets get revenge on the man who tried to kill their third. This one was WAY too long. It had a great style, similar to "The Tell-Tale Heart", but it was so repetitive that it was hard to finish. A few chapters could have been cut out.
A few more connecting threads between the stories would have made "Spin a Black Yarn" a five star read, but four is good too.