Ms. Hen reviews A Natural History of Hell

A Natural History of Hell

Jeffrey Ford

Small Beer Press

2016

Ms. Hen decided to read this collection of short stories because she wanted to read another book, and the library recommended reading this one while she waited. Ms. Hen liked the title of the book, and she thought it might be like the other fantasy books she's read recently, such as BOY, SNOW, BIRD and THE DOLL'S ALPHABET.

 "The Blameless" is a story about a couple who goes to a neighbor's house to watch their daughter's exorcism, much like a christening or a confirmation party. "A Natural History of Autumn," tells the tale of a Japanese man who finds a lady for hire, and takes her to an onsen, and monsters appear. "Rocket Ship to Hell," is a story within a story about a writer who was sent to space in order to write about it, and he tells the story years later in a bar near a science fiction convention.

Ms. Hen liked this book, but it wasn't quite what she wanted. She likes to read collections of short stories that are similar to each other. Some of these stories, such as "Spirits of Salt: Tale of the Coral Heart," about a character who has a coral heart, and is intent on killing a person made of coral, which Ms. Hen would consider fantasy, didn't gel with other stories that are more magic realism, such as "Blood Drive," about a high school in which seniors are required to carry guns to school, in a near future where conservatives have taken over.

Ms. Hen liked a lot of the stories in this collection, and she might prefer to read a novel by this author, because it could be more cohesive. She has read a few books lately that she's truly enjoyed, and she keeps reaching for that ideal, but this book didn't bring her there. 

Ms. Hen reviews Boy, Snow, Bird

 

Boy, Snow, Bird

Helen Oyeyemi

Riverhead Books 

2014

Ms. Hen decided to read this novel, because one of the books she read recently, THE DOLL'S ALPHABET, had a blurb written by this author. Ms. Hen thoroughly enjoyed that book, and she wanted to read more like that, so she got this one from her library. Ms. Hen is fascinated by fairy tales, and retellings of them in fiction. This seems to be fashionable in literature these days.

This novel is a reimagining of SNOW WHITE, but with a complete do-over. The novel starts with the story of Boy, a young woman who lives in New York with her abusive father. She runs away to a small town in Massachusetts and starts a new life. She lives in a boarding house, and goes on lots of double dates, and eventually ends up with Arturo Whitman, who has a daughter named Snow. They get married and have another daughter whom they name Bird. Bird is born, and she is black.

Boy learns that Arturo's family has been passing for white since they came to the north. Nobody in the town knows this, but they figure it out when they see Bird. Boy is distraught at first by Bird's appearance, but she learns to live with it. The second section of the novel is told by Bird as a thirteen-year old girl. Boy hasn't told anyone in her family much about her past.

Ms. Hen thinks this novel reminds her of other fairy tale inspired books she has read recently, SPINDLE SPLINTERED, and THE TEN THOUSAND DOORS OF JANUARY, by the same author, Alix E. Harrow. It also, of course, has remnants of THE DOLL'S ALPHABET, which Ms. Hen has already mentioned.

This novel is surreal, and disjointing. It makes Ms. Hen feel uncomfortable, but she thinks that is the intent. Many characters grace these pages, and Ms. Hen got them confused at times. This is a novel about how difficult it can be to be a woman, and how race is a factor, even when it is hidden.

Ms. Hen enjoyed this novel, and was sad when she finished it. It made her think that there can be more to people than what is known, and a person shouldn't always trust their instincts. Some people can be bad, but they could be more layers to them than what appears. Ms. Hen thinks that most people aren't truly evil, just complicated.

Ms. Hen reviews The Traveling Cat Chronicles

 

The Traveling Cat Chronicles

Hiro Arikawa

Berkley 

2015

Translated from the Japanese by Philip Gabriel

Ms. Hen decided to read this novel because she read about it in the library recommendations email. She loves books about Japanese culture, not just ones by Haruki Murakami. She also loves books that are about animals. This novel is from the point of view of a cat.

This novel is about a cat named Nana, which means seven in Japanese. He had been a stray, but was taken in by Satoru, who had owned a cat when he was young, but is now an adult. Saturo has to find a home for Nana, and he travels to places to visit his friends to see if they can take him. He visits his friend who owns a photography studio, his friend who works on a farm, and his friends who own a bed and breakfast that allows pets.

He reminisces about his past with his friends, but decides that none are suitable to take Nana. The cat loves traveling in the car seeing all the different places, but he is terrified of the sea. They go on a boat to an island to his aunt's house. She decides to take the cat. He lived with his aunt after his parents both died when he was in elementary school. 

This novel is sad and sweet. Ms. Hen thinks it is very Japanese. It's charming in a bittersweet way. The cat has an attitude, like all cats, but he has a good heart. Ms. Hen got emotional at the end, even though the ending seemed to drag on a little.

There aren't many books from the point of view of a cat, but Ms. Hen can remember a children's book like this, SOCKS, by Beverly Cleary, that she read as a child. Lots of books exist from the point of view of dogs, because Ms. Hen thinks that people understand dogs better. Cats are complicated, and somewhat indecipherable. People never know what to expect from cats.

Ms. Hen thinks this is a lovely novel, but if you read this, be prepared to be sad. Sometimes, life can be difficult, and everything can seem terrible. But the love of an animal can change someone's life. Animals are in touch with the world in the way we aren't, and they can teach us how to live better.

Ms. Hen and her cat