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.
No comments:
Post a Comment