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johnreadsthings 's review for:

The Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Mariana Enríquez
3.0

2.5

Mariana Enriquez's stories are graphic, horrific, weird, and plain scary. I don't like most of these supernatural tales that at times felt like an ill-concealed commentary and/or metaphor about the city of Buenos Aires (maybe it is? I don't know. I honestly don't get this as much as I think I did.) A lot of weird shit happened in here, but I didn't find all of it entertaining.

One star each for the two stories that were really memorable: “Where Are You, Dear Heart?” and “Meat” and half a star for “The Lookout” which was a good one, as well, albeit a bit inferior than the earlier titles.

I do like how the book closed though: “And just like that, the time when we talked to the dead came to an end.” Perfect ending for a collection that felt like actually talking not just to the dead, but also to the depraved and the wicked.