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brokebooklover 's review for:
The King in Yellow
by Robert W. Chambers
This collection was fine. My primary gripe is that almost every story needed just a little bit more. Not necessarily about the titular King in Yellow- I understand that a significant source of the horror is lack of knowledge about the plays content and machinations- but to the plots of the actual stories themselves. They all left me feeling something undefined was missing, not in a way that enhanced the horror, but in a way that annoyed me.
Having said that, the writing style was right up my alley, particularly in the last 3 stories, and I'd be interested in reading a full novel by Chambers. He does have some interesting ideas and some beautiful turns of phrase, and I can see why so many influential horror writers have built off of or referenced his mythology, it just feels like all the stories needed one more draft.
(As for some criticism that the first 3 stories are disconnected from the rest of the book, I have a vague feeling that they do connect through side characters and places, but I simply don't care enough to re-read and scour for proof)
Having said that, the writing style was right up my alley, particularly in the last 3 stories, and I'd be interested in reading a full novel by Chambers. He does have some interesting ideas and some beautiful turns of phrase, and I can see why so many influential horror writers have built off of or referenced his mythology, it just feels like all the stories needed one more draft.
(As for some criticism that the first 3 stories are disconnected from the rest of the book, I have a vague feeling that they do connect through side characters and places, but I simply don't care enough to re-read and scour for proof)