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bludgeoned_by_hail 's review for:
Un lugar soleado para gente sombría
by Mariana Enríquez
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
(Spanish follows English)
Hate to say that I was pretty disappointed by this one.
Each story is a little well of half-squandered potential in itself. The basic concept or synopsis of most is very intriguing and unsettling, and Enríquez does a fantastic job of immersing you in that. Her sources of horror are pretty unconventional (sickness, poverty, guilt, or twists on traditional horror narratives) and she comes at them from a grimy, unpoetic perspective that really sells them. Her great use of imagery and detail, simple but evocative language, and the way she weaves Argentinian elements (like political commentary or folkloric references) into the story, give the stories a very distinct, unique and creepy atmosphere.
However, once the scene is set, it is rare that anything is done with it. Most shorts just kinda flounder in the spooky scenario until they reach an anticlimactic, unceremonious end, but even when some sort of narrative arc or twist or something is attempted, it's usually so weirdly uninspired or senseless it might as well be a creepypasta or Ghost Whisperer episode. Some of them are even kinda tasteless, like the titular story (I hoped AHS Hotel had killed the Elisa Lam ghost stories for good but apparently not).
It's not that I think stories always have to have traditional narratives, but it rarely feels like these ones grow past the base ideas they sprout from.
The fact they're all so short is definitely a big factor in this. I would've loved for most to have been elaborated upon more, or allowed some extra time to let the dread sink in.
Anyway, not the worst I guess, but the wasted potential is kinda maddening.
PS. Loved her music recs at the end haha, of course she's into Lingua Ignota
......
Lamento decir que esta obra me ha decepcionado bastante.
Hate to say that I was pretty disappointed by this one.
Each story is a little well of half-squandered potential in itself. The basic concept or synopsis of most is very intriguing and unsettling, and Enríquez does a fantastic job of immersing you in that. Her sources of horror are pretty unconventional (sickness, poverty, guilt, or twists on traditional horror narratives) and she comes at them from a grimy, unpoetic perspective that really sells them. Her great use of imagery and detail, simple but evocative language, and the way she weaves Argentinian elements (like political commentary or folkloric references) into the story, give the stories a very distinct, unique and creepy atmosphere.
However, once the scene is set, it is rare that anything is done with it. Most shorts just kinda flounder in the spooky scenario until they reach an anticlimactic, unceremonious end, but even when some sort of narrative arc or twist or something is attempted, it's usually so weirdly uninspired or senseless it might as well be a creepypasta or Ghost Whisperer episode. Some of them are even kinda tasteless,
It's not that I think stories always have to have traditional narratives, but it rarely feels like these ones grow past the base ideas they sprout from.
The fact they're all so short is definitely a big factor in this. I would've loved for most to have been elaborated upon more, or allowed some extra time to let the dread sink in.
Anyway, not the worst I guess, but the wasted potential is kinda maddening.
PS. Loved her music recs at the end haha, of course she's into Lingua Ignota
......
Lamento decir que esta obra me ha decepcionado bastante.
Cada historia es un pequeño pozo de potencial medio desperdiciado en sí. Los conceptos básicos o sinopsis de la mayoría son muy intrigantes e inquietantes, y Enríquez hace un trabajo fantástico al sumergirte en ellos. Sus fuentes de terror son bastante poco convencionales (enfermedad, pobreza, sentimiento de culpa o narrativas de terror tradicionales puestas patas arriba) y las aborda desde una perspectiva sórdida y poco poética que realmente las vende. Su gran uso de imágenes y detalles, lenguaje sencillo pero evocador y la forma en que entreteje elementos argentinos en la historia (comentarios políticos o referencias folclóricas, por ejemplo) dan a los relatos una atmósfera muy distintiva, única y espeluznante.
Sin embargo, una vez que se establece la escena, es raro que se haga nada con ella. La mayoría de los relatos se limitan a nadar en círculos en el escenario hasta llegar a un final anticlimático y poco ceremonioso, pero incluso cuando se intenta algún tipo de arco narrativo, giro o algo por el estilo, suele ser tan extrañamente poco inspirado o sin sentido que bien podría ser un creepypasta o un episodio de Entre Fantasmas. Algunas de ellas son incluso de mal gusto, como la historia que da título al libro (esperaba que AHS Hotel hubiera acabado para siempre con las historias de fantasmas sobre Elisa Lam, pero al parecer no es así).
No es que crea que las historias siempre tengan que tener narrativas tradicionales, pero rara vez parece que estas vayan más allá de las ideas básicas de las que surgen.
El hecho de que sean tan cortas es sin duda un factor contribuyente. Me hubiera encantado que la mayoría se hubiera desarrollado más, o que se hubiera permitido algo más de tiempo a dejar que el terror calara hondo.
En fin, supongo que no es lo peor, pero el potencial desperdiciado es un poco exasperante.
PD: Me encantaron sus recomendaciones musicales al final, jajaj, claro que le gusta Lingua Ignota.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Cancer, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Rape, Blood, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail