Black Powder War by Naomi Novik

Black Powder War by Naomi Novik

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Yeah.. I'm glad I've been taking my time reading this series. The plots change but the plot layout is exactly the same. Always worst case scenarios and M. Night Shamylan plot twists. They're fun to read but getting steadily more predictable and with that, bit by bit more dull and unappealing.



I like this installment in the Temeraire series because more dragons were introduced, if only for a short part of the novel. Not so much the fact that the crew's trek across the desert read almost exactly like the voyage overseas to china in Throne of Jade.Oh, and surprise! Laurence confronts Tharkay about his being sneaky and suspicious, and they'll probably become best buddies. Sounds familiar. In fact, sounds exactly like his conflict and resolution with Granby in the first book, His Majesty's Dragon. Dammit, this book is lacking in originality :(



I must say though, the more I read this series, the more I wish Temeraire was real. He is fiercely protective of Laurence, and it's a lot of fun immersing myself into this fantasy world of dragons and imagining myself to have such a friend and guardian. (I'm a complete and total nerd, I know).



Liking the second half of the novel more than the second. Once Temeraire and his crew escape Turkey with the dragon eggs, they become involved in skirmishes and battles giants the French alongside the Prussians. The story gets a lot more original, and a lot more interesting from that point on, although I worry that it will end with a cliffhanger and I'll be too tempted to read the next installment immediately, regardless of the countless other books I have on my to-read list as well. You know, like reading more of the game of thrones books, as I've only read two so far..



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Song of Susannah by Stephen King

Not incredibly pleased with this book, but at least I'm now only one book away from FINALLY finishing this blasted series. This wasn't my favorite, it was definitely not the worst either.

Mia-Susannah are going into labor with their demon child, which of course means Mia took over and they're now stuck in an alternate New York. Roland and Eddie are back in the 70's, and Jake and Pere Callahan are right behind Mia-Susannah in 1999.

So. Damn. Confusing.

Multiple people in one mind, alternate times and places, the Dogan, the Dark Tower, and now vampires and even Stephen King as his own story's character?!?! My brain hurts. At this point, I'm still enjoying reading the books but I seriously cannot wait for all these confusing parts, and all the loose ends, to finally be tied up in the final installment of the series.

Oh, and I look forward to seeing more of the other characters. Obviously Susannah is important in their quest for the Dark Tower, but even her name in this title didn't prepare me for the lack of all other characters and plot lines besides hers. But I just don't think she's as interesting as the other members of the ka-tet.. Oh well, we'll see what the conclusion has in store for all of them!

-Justin

The Gambler by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

The Gambler by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


In all honesty, the only reason I picked this book up was because I had to read it for my 'psychology of addictive behavior' class. So naturally, I didn't analyze it as I normally do books, but rather I looked at it from a psychological perspective. Can't say I was the biggest fan of this story, but mostly because I was rather mandated to read it and I can't stand being told what to read.

Looking back, this was a pretty interesting story, delving into the gambling habits of a Russian family living in Germany during what I gather to be the 1800's or possibly early 1900's (when was roulette invented, exactly? Or, when did Dostoyevsky write this book again?) Image was everything, and even if the General and his family didn't actually have money, it was important that they appeared to still be wealthy, to maintain their position in society as well as to attract Mlle. de Cominges into marriage with the General, and to attract a potential suitor for Polina.

Oh, Polina. What a bitch. She outwardly tells our narrator Alexis Ivanovitch (almost exclusively referred to be his full name by the other characters) that while he is madly in love with her, to the point of obsession and submission to her every whim, that she hates him. And she basically gets him fired by the General for telling him to go insult a Baron and Baroness, which he of course does. Stupid arrogant girl.

Anyway, what was interesting to me was that while the 'gambler' referenced in the title is in fact Alexis, he does not really figure to be a gambling addict till closer to the end of the story. In the beginning, I thought it referred to Polina, who gave Alexis money to gamble with (because it was relatively frowned upon for women to get so drawn into the excitement of roulette). Or possibly Mlle. Blanche de Cominges, who is drawn to men for their money, from the Prince to the Baron to the General to Alexis himself, after his big winnings on the tables. Maybe even The Grandmother Antonida, who loses all her money (literally all of it) in a matter of 2 days in the casinos. No, Alexis was to me a smart gambler in the beginning, who was of course enthralled by the thrill of the casino, but cautious and too aware of himself to get too carried away (at least at first). He loses his small amount of money kinda quickly though, but by the end of the book still seems to me to be less of a gambling addict than the other gambling characters (still looking at you, Antonida.)

It was a relatively good book to read, especially for a classroom assignment. I like Dostoyevsky's style of writing slightly more than Dumas, almost wholly because Dostoyevsky pretty blatantly states what is happening at each point in The Gambler. In Dumas's works, it's a little more flowery descriptive writing, making it a little more difficult in some parts to ascertain what is happening plot-wise, and what is just metaphors and description. And this was a quick book, I read it in maybe 3 hours or so. Even if you read it and dislike it, it's not that much time that you've lost :P Oh, and this was more of a 2.30am rant than a book review, but I'm still pleased with how this rant came out, please post comments if you agree or disagree with anything I've said. I like having book discussions, I'm a nerd like that.

- Justin



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The Rules of Attraction by Bret Easton Ellis

The Rules of Attraction by Bret Easton Ellis

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This was a lot of fun to read, even though I'd already seen the movie multiple times (I never bothered seeing if it was based off a book, until I bought it on DVD, and was recommended the book by a friend. Otherwise I would've read the book first, of course). It was harder to keep track of all the characters, especially since the story is told from more points of view than the movie was. I thought it was really interesting that the characters were never really physically described, so it makes it easy for the reader to put him or herself into the different characters' shoes and feel what they were feeling, and experience what was happening to them.

This is a fairly accurate portrayal of the death of romanticism and love in the drug-infused 1980's. Kind of sad, in a realistic not-everyone-gets-a-happy-ending kinda way. Because let's be honest: does everyone find their one soulmate in life? No, not too frequently. Just look at that divorce rate. Anyway, I consider myself a romantic, and like to think that eventually I'll have that perfect life; wife, 2 kids, white picket fence, and a golden retriever. All the characters in this book want the exact same thing. They want to find their other half, and be happy. They want love and romance, but don't seem to find the right person. And don't seem to motivated to make the love and romance thing actually work out, they just want everything to work out on its own. Sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Shit happens. Deal with it.

While I like my happily-ever-after stories, I like the realism of this book. Things happen, good and bad, and you just have to deal with it. Nobody wins by the concluding pages of 'The Rules of Attraction', and that, in a cynical kind of way, makes it all the more realistic. Fun book to read, and I am really happy I was recommended this. Definitely recommend for pretty much all my friends, romantics or not.



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Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life by Bryan Lee O'Malley

Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life by Bryan Lee O'Malley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Quick blurb about Scott Pilgrim vol. 1...

I'm not the biggest graphic novel/manga reader, mostly because I feel like I fly through them and I don't feel like I get much out of them enjoyment-wise, but also because I don't feel like I appreciate the artwork and plot the way I really should. Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life was definitely a great move on my part (thanks, Sergio! Awesome recommendation). It was hilarious and easy to follow, although sometimes the characters blended together (especially the girls, I don't know why but sometimes I couldn't tell anyone apart). The style of illustration went along very well with the light and easy-going nature of the story, it was quick and energized and pretty much exactly what one would expect from the storyline itself. If you enjoyed the movie, i highly recommend picking up this manga. It's much, much better and much, much more involved and in-depth, which means a lot more jokes and a lot more fun.



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The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore

The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I didn't really have much interest in this book when I first picked it up, to be honest. I am Number Four was alright, but I wasn't really invested in the story and it seemed rather amateurishly written. Maybe I'm being a bit to hard on Pittacus Lore, but maybe not. He seems to know his writing style is so-so anyway, since that's a psuedonym. Definitely more pleased with this book than the first one, probably because a lot more happens (in my mind, anyway).

The first book was about Loric Number Four, John, discovering his Legacies and training to control his abilities for when the Mogadorians attacked him. Of course, half the book was also high school drama, his first (and apparently only) love Sarah, and it was not too amazing of a book. I only picked "The Power of Six" up because I hate leaving a book series unfinished. This second installment of the Lorien Legacies series is definitely an improvement over the first; a lot more about the Loriens and the Mogadorians is explained, the plot moves along quite well, and more characters are introduced (like Numbers Six, Seven and Nine). It was good to learn more about Number Six, who we do see in the final chapters of the first book, and I really enjoyed the back-and-forth between Four's adventures in America, and Seven's life in Spain and how she becomes involved in the fighting. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series, which hopefully comes out before too long.

One other problem I have with this book, is that the only reason it's a teen book and not a kid's book is that there is cursing. I feel like this is a rather childish teen book, and the cursing and the fact that the characters are teenaged are the only reasons that this is not in the kids' department of bookstores. Minor issue I have, and it's really only because I'm neurotic like that.

Happy reading!



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The Son of Neptune (Heroes of Olympus #2) by Rick Riordan

The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Well played, Mr. Riordan. You took Greek and Roman mythology, combined those two with today's modernized and technological society, and you did so with aplomb. Not many authors would be able to relate ancient mythology to today's average child, with iPads and HD TVs on their Christmas lists. But he is able to do so in such a manner that kids are left eagerly awaiting the next installment (no seriously. The next book in this series won't be out till fall 2012. Lame). I'm a huge fan of mythology, and these books appeal to both that side of me, as well as to the side of me that wants fast paced, easy to read books.

First and foremost, this is a children's book. No big words (besides in different languages), no cursing, and no inappropriate comments. It is fast paced and full of adventure, most likely to keep children's attention but also because there's no other way to write a story about gods and goddesses. This is the second book in the "Heroes of Olympus" series, a spin off of the hugely popular Percy Jackson series. And surprise! Percy shows up in this one! Except on the Roman side of life, at Camp Jupiter in California, and with no memory of his life. It's up to him to gain the Roman camp's trust, as well as help Frank and Hazel, two young Roman demigods, thwart the plans of Gaea (a very vengeful Mother Earth).

Like I said, there is a lot going on in this book. Lots of characters, lots of action, and a lot to keep track of. It helps a lot to have read the Percy Jackson series first, but I DEFINITELY recommend at least reading The Lost Hero, the first book in this series. Otherwise you'll be pretty lost. They are all very well written, both informative on mythology, and interesting and fun to read. I read this one in 3 sittings, and that was only because I forced myself to pace my reading. Goes quickly, and you'll be left waiting anxiously for the next Rick Riordan book.



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The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Overall, I thought this book was fantastic. That being said, I do have a few issues...
1. Who is Isobel, what's her real name, and how did she have so much power over the circus? Her story was never fully exposed, and that's something I would have liked to have learned more about.
2. I feel pretty bad for Bailey, who just wanted to go to the circus and be with Poppet, and ended up taking control of the circus from Celia and Marco. Kind of a sad future if you ask me.
3. I think it would be cool to learn more about the magic Celia and Marco were using to manipulate the circus, particularly toward the end. I got a little confused and lost at some parts.
4. Was Tsukiko good or bad or, like she said, completely indifferent? I don't get it. Was she jealous of Celia and Marco because of her lost love?
5. I'm not really sure I understand Tara's death, because she was more of a minor character until that chapter.. And the clockmaker was one of my favorite characters. Can books STOP killing off my favorite characters already?!
6. While this WAS an advanced copy I read, and not the final product, there were discrepancies with the verb tenses that I hope were smoothed out in the final edit. Almost completely present tense, with a few past tenses thrown in there.

I did like most of the story though, minus these few things. I really wish a circus like this existed.. The clock, the pool of tears, the illusionist.. this circus sounds incredible and amazing. Parts of it were a little cliched and romantic for my taste (re: Celia and Marco at the end of the book), but I think it was a very well put-together novel. I also was really happy that Celia had a better grasp of the magic that her father had failed in performing (kind of karma for him putting his own daughter in such a competition).

This book was extremely detailed and descriptive, and so much fun to envision. I had a lot of fun reading The Night Circus, and highly recommend this for anyone who enjoyed 'Water for Elephants', or just likes circus or magic stories in general.



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The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum

I gave myself nightmares reading this last night. Very psychologically disturbing to imagine anyone has the capacity to do in real life what Ruth and her sons did to Meg and Susan. And I mean in real life. This novel was based on a true story. The horrors that Meg and Susan endured actually happened to two young girls. I felt nothing but sadness for them, and for David who was just a kid thrown into what he thought was a game, only to realize how serious it was, and how severe the consequences would end up becoming.

It was also interesting to see how David grows and matures as the plot unfolds. At first, he has contempt for the two girls, knowing they must have done something really bad for Ruth to be so mean to them. By the end of the book, however, he's well aware that something is not right in Ruth's head, and Meg and Susan are to be empathized with, and helped in any way possible. Unfortunately for everyone involved, David realizes this just a little too late. And of course,
This was really well written, and I enjoyed the contrast between the casualness and the happiness displayed in the first part of the book, and the darkness and evil of the second part of the book. I also just really like books that make me think of my childhood, and the segments about playing outside from dawn till dusk, having a pact with all the neighborhood kids.. yeah, it stirred up good memories. And no, I wasn't part of any kind of crazy abuse scandal like in this book, I assure you.

By the time I finished The Girl Next Door, I was more disturbed than after some of what I've learned in my forensic psychology classes. Very well played, Jack Ketchum. I can't wait to read more of his work. Oh, and they made it into a movie apparently. I'm imagining "Hostel", only more disturbing because it's happening to a 9- and 14- year old. "The Night Circus" is a much more uplifting book; I don't recommend The Girl Next Door if you're easily squeamish or troubled.

- Justin

Halloween Reads: Warm Bodies, The Last Werewolf, and Virals

It's been a week since my last post, and for that I blame graduate school and their need to give me papers to write. In any case, I wanted to get out little blurbs about the books I read for the month of October- Isaac Marion's Warm Bodies, The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan, and Virals by Kathy Reichs. I'm going to post about Will Lavender's book Dominance later this week; I finished it the other day and need to digest what I've read before I post about it.

1. Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

This was a cheesy story about the power of love overcoming the zombie apocalypse. Literally, that's what happened. Apparently, when zombies eat someone's brain, they relive that person's life experiences (I imagine it's something like eating psychedelic mushrooms, but I really wouldn't know in either case). So this zombie, R, who's truly frustrated that in his undead state he cannot express his emotions and how he feels about that whole being dead thing, eats a young man's brain and falls in love (through his victim's memories) with his dinner's girlfriend. And, in true supernatural romance fashion, she falls for him. And this love manages to turn him from undead into un-undead. Or he comes back to life. I don't know, I was a little annoyed by it.

Really, it's a zombie version of Twilight, where instead of the vampire being abstinent and sparkly, this slightly rotting zombie experiences love again, and this reverses the 'rotting from the inside out' (yeah, Marion took a stab at making the zombie apocalypse into God punishing the world for their sins. People were so rotten on the inside that they became zombies. I don't really know..) I thought it was an inventive story, because I've never really seen a zombie apocalypse book from a zombie's point of view. Not that I thought they had a point of view, anyway. They're supposed to just be reanimated corpses, not creatures with thoughts and feelings. Sheesh. Points for creativity, but points lost for cheesy romantic crap.

2. The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan

This book, plus recommendations from my bookstore coworkers, really makes me want to pick up more of Duncan's books. I think this was a great book, about the existential crisis of the last werewolf on Earth, Jake Marlowe, and his encounters with werewolf hunters, and vampires, and lots of smoking and alcohol and promiscuous sex. Now THIS is what I expect from supernatural creatures. 200 years on Earth would make anyone nonchalant about everything going on in the world, and being a werewolf creates even more distance between Jake and the rest of society. The Last Werewolf was really well written, witty, and adventurous, and I could in no way have predicted any of this story. Way to keep me on my toes! It was a great time, and the same coworker who recommended Duncan's other books also burned me a copy of a soundtrack for this book, recorded by The Real Tuesday Weld. Seriously though, how many books are awesome enough to get their own soundtrack without being made into a movie in the process?!

3. Virals by Kathy Reichs

No. Just no. Group of teenagers rescue a half wolf, half dog puppy from a laboratory where he is being experimented on, and are exposed to a new strain of parvovirus that can spread from dog to person. And it mixes with their DNA and converts them into Virals, with powers that turn on under stress, and apparently only when they need their powers. Oh, and they're working on a Nancy Drew + Hardy Boys-esque mystery, trying to solve the murder of a young woman after discovering mysterious dog tags on the island that they're not supposed to be on in the first place. With high school romance and drama unfolding around them. Kim Possible meets Animorphs meets the Hardy Boys.

Really not pleased with this book. It was so weird, and nothing really happened in the first half of the book. I really thought there was going to be much more regarding the teens' powers, and it was mostly about this murder they were solving. From 40 years ago. And their powers kick on at the most convenient moments, which is complete crap. If you have mutated DNA, you either have your powers all the time, or they're under your control, or you have absolutely no control and they pop on and off whenever they choose to. In this book, they really only kicked on when they were needed, and that's just a little too convenient. Come on, Reichs, give your characters a little bit more of a challenge! I will not be picking up Seizure, the second adventure of the Virals. (also, stupid name for a group of part canine teenagers. but that's just me).

I really wasn't too pleased with the choices I made for October/Halloween, with the exception of The Last Werewolf. Dominance is also a good book, which I'll be reviewing on here in a few days hopefully. And for anyone interested, I HIGHLY recommend The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. I'm a little over halfway through it, and am completely hooked on it.

Happy reading!
- Justin

"The Outsider" by H. P. Lovecraft

Here it is, my last post for my October Horror Story Challenge!! I'm really pleased that I stuck it out, and although the last week I was in overtime to make up for the few posts that I missed, I'm happy I was able to see it through to completion.

So now onto Lovecraft's "The Outsider". I am very happy that the book ended with this story, what better way to end a collection of classic horror stories than with one of the best genre authors? After spending his life in isolation and darkness, a young man seeks out human company, and learns more about himself than he cared to ever know.. (And honestly if I said any more, it would pretty much give away the entire story).

Lovecraft has a way of making you sympathize with the protagonist of this story, and I felt quite sad for him, growing up away from human warmth and affection and instead given the company of darkness, bats, rats, and spiders. This is how monsters are created, don't they know psychology and criminology?! People need human attention to grow properly, whether or not they're 'normal'. Still though, it's the tragic plight of the narrator that causes you to just feel sorry for him, whether or not he's truly an outsider to mankind (nay, to the world as a whole).

Although, I have to admit a chill went up my spine when he was in the newly emptied room, after the entirety of the party guests fled from the castle. Every kind of monster ran through my head, and I think it was pretty clever of Lovecraft to not describe the figure itself, just the emotions of horror and despair felt after seeing it.

So, that does it for reviews for my October challenge. Happy Halloween!! Enjoy the reviews, and feel free to post your reactions to my posts or to the stories themselves if you've read them!

- Justin

"The Horror-Horn" by E. F. Benson

Not only does this prey on any person's fear of what may inhabit snowy mountains and woods, it also makes you feel significantly colder just through the language itself! I'm also rather amused that this was tonight's story, just after our little October snowfall yesterday and throughout last night. The literary powers out there have uncanny timing with that kind of stuff.

Who doesn't believe in the rumors of the Abominable Snowman? Whether it's belief in one being or a tribe, most people can rationally agree that there may in fact be some kind of human-like creature inhabiting whatever mountain range you choose to believe he lives in. This story takes place in the Swiss Alps, and also hints at potential Yeti-life on Mount Everest as well. Creepy.

Naturally, the story begins with a hard snowfall, and the sharing of stories by the fireplace in what I take to be a ski resort (early 20th century style, of course). The narrator listens to a tale of encountering a strange human-like beast, that makes the story-teller think of the un-beauty of life and the idea that such creatures could be crawling from the abyss from which we once crawled, only much less evolved than mankind. Sure enough, the narrator scoffs and only believes the 'intellectual' part of this story, but not so much the sheer animalistic horror felt by one who looks upon such a creature.

The narrator then journeys a few miles off to visit a friend at a separate ski resort (and skis there, rather than, you know, driving. Like a normal person who wouldn't want to be completely beat after such a journey), and gets lost in the clouds and coming snowfall of that evening. What does he come across when the clouds clear up slightly, BUT A SHE-YETI! OH MY GOD I HOPE HE DOESN'T GET RAPED BY IT! He naturally flees, and has to give a coherent, non-psychotic and non-drugged account of his story later for anyone to believe him, and a search party only turns up circumstantial evidence of his encounter with this monster. Surrrrrprise.

I kinda liked this story, because I for one do believe that Yeti might actually exist (make fun of me all you want, but I'm more willing to accept the existence of a species than to deny it simply because I haven't seen it). Also, the author did a great job instilling this pure horror in his readers. I wouldn't want to be eye to eye with such a beast, I happen to be optimistic and look on the bright side of everything. After this kind of encounter, it doesn't appear that anyone would be able to see the better side of life anymore. What kind of world do we live in when these unevolved monsters still exist? A terrifying one.

One more day in October, and one more horror story to go. And I'm very excited for it, as it's H. P. Lovecraft's "The Outsider". It's gotta be good. Right?

- Justin

"The Bad Lands" by John Metcalfe

It's always hard to discern when something strange or abnormal is occurring in a story, and especially so when the character begins the story moving to the country to cure his 'demon sickness'. I didn't know whether to think Brent was possessed/haunted before his move to Todd, or if the tower and the ominous lands surrounding it did the trick, and the details given in the story weren't really that helpful. After introducing Mr. Stanton-Boyle into the plot, I was more prone to believe that there was something truly abnormal or even supernatural about the land. Was it a tower, or was it 'old Hackney's farm?' Metcalfe may have been trying to create this question in his readers, or it may have just happened regardless. I myself don't think he tried to create this confusion, that the story created it of its own accord. Perhaps Brent brought the strangeness with him to Todd, and that Stanton-Boyle only began to feel its presence after Brent's arrival without knowing that he was the reason. There wasn't enough of a timeline in this story to really be able to pick apart such details. Or maybe that was the point? I'm not sure. Like I've said before, I'm a reader, not a writer. I don't know all their tricks. Yet..

I'm sorta ambivalent about the story; I feel like nothing really got resolved and I just feel bad for Stanton-Boyle now, who doesn't know what to believe. His own senses and memories of what he felt and saw? Or the plenty of passersby/police who claim that Brent was burning down and old barn, and there was nothing odd or out of place about it. So confusing.

Here's hoping tomorrow's story is a little more comprehensive, and hopefully a little creepier. I haven't been sufficiently scared since reading "The Willows", and I'm really hoping for some good Halloween reading.

- Justin

"Silent, White, and Beautiful" by Tod Robbins

Finally, my last post until I'm completely caught up from this weekend's shenanigans and non-literary enjoyment! Go me! Very pleased with myself for managing schoolwork, work, and illness to be able to get 2 stories read and reviewed daily this week, on top of *finally* starting Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus and Will Lavender's Dominance. Quite pleased, indeed.

So yes, Tod Robbins' tale of a madman. René Galien, the story's narrator, is clearly psychopathic and disturbed, and it's incredible that this writing was able to rile up so much emotion. Mostly of shock and horror at his callousness, and dedication to his artwork, but a little bit of pity for the unsuccessful artist he was, and the sad fate of all the characters in this story.

After apprenticing for four years in Paris, and losing his mentor to a suicide, René returns to New York, to the boarding home his father lived in before his death. After a month of unsuccessfully selling his sculptures of gargoyles, nymphs, and satyrs (of which I'm sure I would have bought at least one, they seem remarkable), he winds up married and settled down with the landlady's daughter, and resigned to a life of misery with these two women he whose company he can scarcely tolerate. Of course, there's got to be a bright side to everything, right? René conjures up in his mind images and ideas of an ideal family, his "Happy Family", that he seeks to sculpt and put into clay. And of course, he wants to use his wife and mother-in-law as.. models...

Like I said, René's callousness and insanity truly astonished me. He spoke so matter-of-factly that my psych training once again took control, and I found myself thinking of him as psychotic and psychopathic, with a hint of antisocial/narcissistic personality disorder. Not that that really means anything to the average reader, but I was intrigued. Also SPOILER ALERT I'm pretty sure this story has to be the basis for the original House of Wax story.. I mean, it just has to. He was so devoted to his craft, and sought so desperately to be successful in selling his work, that he was willing to change his subject into one more appealing to the 'stupid optimistic New York public'. Yeah, apparently they don't take to the macabre as well as Paris in this story.

This was a great story, and I think having my psych experience made it even more interesting, as I got a chance to think analytically and compare this character to violent and psychopathic criminals that I've heard about in class. Particularly that time I watched an interview with the Ice Man, Richard Kuklinski (Scared the crap out of me, he was so nonchalant about the hundred-plus murders that he confessed to). Scary how these kinds of people actually exist.

New post tomorrow! So happy to be back on track haha :)

- Justin

"The People of the Pit" by A. Merritt

Man, this story just jumped into the action. It's as if this collection of stories can actually hear what I'm thinking, and gives me what I want (that's what she said).

"The People of the Pit" starts with action, ends with action, and not once does it stop, hardly even to describe the settings in which the story takes place. While journeying to seek gold in the 'Hand Mountain', two companions notice a blue aura coming out of the mountain, accompanied by whispering that draws their dogs to the light, and almost seduces the two men as well. Soon, they notice a wreck of a man, with stumped hands and feet, crawling away from the mountain and seeking refuge from whatever horrors he encountered. After he awakes, he tells his story about climbing down a canyon, and discovering the people of the pit.

I really did enjoy "The People of the Pit" because it's pretty much everything you could want in a story. Granted, if I saw a mysterious blue light and heard disembodied whispering, I would stay as far away as possible whether or not a dying man appeared to warn me about it. There is a lot left unsaid, that opens the mind up to all sorts of ideas about who these people are, and who built the canyon stairs, and all the caves with the guardian carvings at the entrances. Also, why were the dogs not tied up, and allowed to bolt away to the mountain? That's just kinda sad and stupid of the adventurers in the first place. The dogs are the real victims in this story, at least in my animal-loving opinion.

Like I said though, I really did enjoy this story, especially when compared to a lot of other stories as of late. There's plenty of action, the narrator is kind of a part of this story, and there's no controlling wife involved. Also, half of the stories I've read this month have made it clear to me that being an explorer is fraught with all kinds of dangers, from physical and natural to supernatural and spiritual. Remind me not to go off on adventures by myself :P

- Justin

"The Music on the Hill" by Saki aka. Hector Hugh Monroe

Pen names confuse me when people finally realize who the author is. Especially when he's been dead for almost a hundred years. But, I'm a reader and not an author. So onto this 'uncommonly humorless' story. Because naturally, the editor of this collection WOULD choose this story to exemplify the author's works...

So I stopped reading after one paragraph just to write this: This woman sounds like she was only interested in marrying her husband to prove that she could. I need to quote almost this entire paragraph to show you how determined she is to have what she wants, even if he wasn't even interested at all..
"To have married Mortimer Seltoun, "Dead Mortimer" as his more intimate enemies called him, in the teeth of the cold hostility of his family, and in spite of his unaffected indifference to women, was indeed an achievement that had needed some determination and adroitness to carry through; yesterday she had brought her victory to its concluding stage by wrenching her husband away from Town and its group of satellite watering-places and 'settling him down', in the vocabulary of her kind, in this remote wood-girt manor farm which was his country house."

Wait, seriously? So his family hates you, he doesn't really give a damn either way, and you not only marry him in the face of all this, but then 'wrench' him away from the town to his country house? My god, I would have run screaming from this woman. Nobody is going to wrench me up and settle me down elsewhere, unless that someone is me. This woman is wearing her ovaries on the outside, and this man doesn't seem to have any testicles. Or is a zombie and doesn't have a brain. Either way, I'm already not pleased. But I'll finish reading the story and continue posting.

--- 5 minutes later ---

Hmm, I can't say I'm all that upset at Sylvia's demise. You don't taunt the gods, especially Pan. Especially when you live in the country now. And your husband told you to respect Pan whether or not you truly believe in him. Serves you right for being so snobby and selfish. "Oh, but I don't want to stay in the country anymore. I feel lonely and creeped out." Hey, it was your 'victory' after all.

I was SO ANNOYED by Sylvia. Getting married and moving to the country, even if your in-laws hate you, shouldn't be taken as a 'victory' for you. Especially if you likely bribed or somehow coerced your husband into marrying you, despite his 'indifference' of women. Stupid annoying woman. I'm all for women being strong and independent and all that, but Sylvia was just a pompous, self-righteous brat.

And on that note, I'll have two more posts tomorrow and I'll (FINALLY) be all caught up. Just a few more posts till this book is over, and then I'll get back to my book reviews. I have to give you guys reviews of my October reads: Warm Bodies, The Last Werewolf, and Virals. Potentially Dominance and The Night Circus if I manage to get those done soon too, but I've been a little more focused on the short stories (I don't want to fail this self-challenge!!) :)

Justin

"Rooum" by Oliver Onions

"Certificated" is apparently a word, something I didn't know. Although I liked it better thinking that it was a fake word. Additionally, the narrator is as afraid of spider as I am.

This was a decent story I suppose, and I'm not really sure what to make of the ending paragraph. The narrator, working for a construction firm, befriends a drifter who occasionally shows up and miraculously repairs or solves whatever problem is currently being faced during a construction task. However, he can't grasp simple concepts (in this story, biology and chemistry are apparently simple concepts). In addition, he's jumpy and anxiety-ridden, constantly looking behind him and avoiding any and all echo-y areas. Unless he goes through these areas slowly, listening intently, and keeping an eye and ear out for the person he always hears and feels running up to him, and then through him, and going on past him.

Yeah, in my opinion this guy was just insane, but the little preface before the story began stated that Onions was trying to tell a story about the presence of some kind of afterlife/alternate life, that only a few unfortunate few can see or feel. Still think that this drifter Rooum was just insane or on drugs, but I'm a psych major so I'm programmed to think that way.

Like I said, the concluding paragraphs confused the hell out of me. After Rooum loses it at a construction site and aggressively controls a crane in an attempt to run over the presence following him, the narrator loses consciousness/memory, and is told by another that he was on his knees in the crane cab 'jabbering away cheerfully to myself'. Is this supposed to mean that he's now able to feel/see the presence that Rooum was terrorized by? Did he just lose it after watching the events that had just unfolded? Was HE somehow this horrifying presence? I don't really know, and I don't really think I care to know, either. This story did have some creepy moments (sleep-talkers and echoes and that feeling of being followed are all a little unnerving), but was mostly kinda bland and uninteresting. Maybe, as I'm told about "Young Goodman Brown", it requires more than one read-through to get into it and see all the little nuances that get missed the first time around. But, unlike "Young Goodman Brown" I'm less inclined to give "Rooum" that chance.

- Justin

"The Grove of Ashtaroth" by John Buchan

Every once in a while, a story comes along that encompasses the supernatural, but in a much kinder and gentler way. This is one of those stories. I honestly don't really know what place it has in a collection of so called 'classic horror stories', but I'm not Michael Kelahan, and don't have the expertise (yet) to put myself in his shoes and make such assessments as to which stories belong and which don't. So after that little preamble, it's off to the races with Buchan's tale of mythology and nature.

Quite a nice little story; a man decides to leave the filth and politics of London behind him, and settle down in the country, surrounded by colors and nature. And on that note, I feel bad for London, always kinda bathed in a grey light. I'm sure it's not as bad a place as so many stories make it out to be. In any case, he builds a beautiful home surrounded by rolling greenlands and lush forests filled with wildlife and all the little glories that only nature can provide. Including a little grove, with a small tower in it, a shrine to some long ago forgotten nature goddess. It seems, however, that the goddess may still reside here, breathing her fresh breath into the lands and seeking peace and happiness in one of her last sanctuaries from her reign as a goddess of man.

Again, my love of mythology got a handful with this story; I love the introduction of a peaceful and non-evil or demonic presence in a story. What is the real harm that this presence has created, aside from driving a lone man crazy? I mean, it's his fault, for deciding to plop himself down right in her rightful place. Not that she was hostile and territorial or anything, it's just interesting is all. This is kind of an older version of the Lorax and other environmentally friendly books. Even throughout the climax/conclusion, the narrator was all too aware of the ultimate goodness and peace of this sanctuary and the goddess that inhabited it. And was overcome with guilt and sadness over what he was doing in order to 'cure' his friend. Why not just bring him away from the place, and back to London or somewhere else? It's always the violent destructive solution that the human mind jumps to first..

I think this was an excellent story in how unique and original it really was. Not a true horror story, but I was still really happy that I got to read it and reflect on all the monstrosities mankind has done to nature. After all, the world was here before us, and will be here after us.. Who are we to go about destroying things and claiming that the world is here for our kind, and for our use?

- Justin

"August Heat" by William Fryer Harvey

This was a quick, but very interesting and (dare I say it?!) realistic story. Any self-respecting criminal justice major knows that the number of violent crimes reaches its peak during the hot summer months. And any lay person knows that they're unquestionably and irrationally more cranky and prone to anger during the summer; it's just too hot to be able to think clearly and calmly. William Fryer Harvey takes advantage of this little nuance, and adds an aura of supernatural intervention, to get the adrenaline going.

A young artist named James Clarence Withencroft finds himself, after an afternoon devoted to sketching, drawing an image of an obsese gentleman just after a court trial, with an expression "not so much one of horror as of utter, absolute collapse". It's plain to surmise that this figure just suffered a loss in court, presumably to a serious charge. Upon going for a short walk, James finds himself outside a monumental mason's shop, and lets himself in to investigate what brought his feet to this shop of their own accord. Who does the mason happen to be, but the spitting image of his sketch! What's more, this mason, Atkinson, was just finishing up a headstone for a convention of gravestones (kinda creepy in its own right). Guess whose name and birthday are on that stone. SURPRISE! James Clarence Withencroft. And it appears that the date of death happens to be that next day. They plan for James to spend the night, to prevent any kind of accident occurring on the way back to his house that would cut his life short. But the heat is stifling, and there's no telling what it might do to the rationale and intellect of an otherwise sane man...

I like this story. While most of the horror of it is left up to the reader's imagination (just what happens when the story ends?), it successfully creates an air of tension and anticipation throughout the pages. I almost expected a climax where the conclusion happened to be. Very well done, and what's great is that while this story involves rather extreme and violent potential behavior, this idea of heat causing something bad to happen is more real than a lot of people would like to believe. Don't believe me? Go check some crime reports. I'm off to read some more short stories :)

- Justin

"The Snout" by Edward Lucas White

Anddd yet another story that is told to the narrator through the eyes of another. At least in this story, there's a story behind that rendezvous between narrator and story-teller. Even if it's confusing.

I liked the story itself though, especially because once the word 'mythological' was mentioned, I was racking my brains trying to figure out which god this creepy snouted human-oid was supposed to be (thanks to my love of mythology, and Rick Riordan's many book series, I almost got to the right answer). I was honestly very worried that there were going to be dwarves and midgets, however. I consider myself very open-minded, but putting them in a horror story is enough to make me sleep with my lights on. This fear does NOT extend to real people, and I am in no way discriminatory toward any group of people, but horror stories involving some sort of little people are terrifying to me.

Little off topic, but now you know what scares me. In any case, this was an interesting enough story, kind of an Ocean's Eleven meets the Wolfman, except a less humorous trio of criminals, and a much creepier creature than the Wolfman. I once again, didn't really like that the narrator and the storyteller weren't given names, but at least it made sense that the narrator wasn't personally involved in the 'horror' story. And he had a role in this story besides being told a story! SPOILER ALERT the storyteller was a drunkard, and that's how the narrator knew where the missing money went, and whether or not he was telling the truth about this story. If you haven't noticed, I'm very excited that the narrator has an actual role in this story besides being a third party simply being told a tale of horror from somebody else. I hope more stories include the narrator like this one did.

Okay, I have three stories to read tomorrow for me to be all caught up from this weekend: "August Heat", "The Grove of Ashtaroth", and "Rooum". This is happening, and I shall feel very accomplished. And hopefully you will all be oh so proud of me. :) Happy reading! Hope you all have a truly terrifying pick line up for the last week of October!

- Justin

"Thurnley Abbey" by Perceval Landon

Okay, it was an interesting weekend going back to my undergrad for homecoming, but I'm now several posts behind (obviously haven't posted since Thursday) and I'm determined to fix that immediately. This story was meant for Friday, and while I could just cut my losses and say I missed a few days of my challenge, where's the fun in that? I'm determined to catch up as soon as possible, and luckily these stories are a) short enough and b) interesting enough to do just that.

"Thurnley Abbey" kind of made me realize just what most of these authors are doing with their stories. Rather than have the narrator play a role in the actual story, they are having other characters recount terrifying experiences TO the narrator, and I'm not really sure how I feel about that. On the one hand, it's a good way to distance the reader from the actual scary parts of the stories, but on the other hand, that's not the point of a scary story. Even by putting yourself into the narrator's shoes, you're just being told a ghost story by somebody else who may or may not have experienced it. First person stories in which the narrator is a character in the 'actual' story is the way to get readers' blood pumping, and this second-person thing just isn't cutting it (also, I don't think it's actually called second-person, it's just an easy way of putting it).

So this story is about our narrator embarking on a long train/ship journey, and being asked by a fellow passenger if he would mind sharing his lodgings for the trip. Apparently, this other passenger suffered a traumatic experience while visiting an old friend, and doesn't want to be by himself. Anddd we're off into the ghost story, as told to our narrator by this other person.

The story itself was pretty interesting, although I'm very interested in finding out what happened to the Broughtons after this encounter. Did they ever find out what could possibly have happened in the house for there to have been a ghostly encounter? Everyone knows that ghosts are restricted to haunting a place of significance in their lives (or deaths), so something must have happened that this particular soul is tethered to the house. I feel like nothing really got explained in this story, and while it was sufficiently creepy and suspenseful (I especially liked them hiding in the bed when they hear the footsteps coming closer to the master bedroom), I would have been very pleased to learn more about the why behind this haunting.

Ah well, I suppose that would have made the story a little bit longer than a 'short story'. It still would have been nice. It was a good enough story though, I'm continuously more and more pleased that I decided to take on this challenge.

After watching American Horror Story and The Walking Dead tonight, I'm not sure if I'm going to sleep anytime soon.. If not, I'll take on another short story so I can be one more closer to being caught up. Happy reading!!

- Justin

"The Voice in the Night" by William Hope Hodgson

Aw, this was a sad story. Pretty good, even for people who aren't as familiar with maritime terminology (port and starboard and aye and all that).

The story opens with our narrator George looking out into the mist surrounding the ship he's currently on. All by himself, he hears a voice out in the darkness, but this disembodied voice is unwilling to come near the ship, and even more unwilling with a lantern present. After getting the ship's master Will to come out of his cabin, they convince the man to come closer, and learn of his and his fiancé's sad, sad plight.

I was particularly pleased with this story after reading The Count of Monte Cristo, because of the open-water adventures. I mean, I wouldn't want to be a character in this story per se, since it's kind of tragic what happened to the young(?) couple, and I wouldn't want to be Will or George and then have to worry about having somehow been infected with this odd malady. I just like the idea of sailing off and having a story-like adventure. Part of me thinks I live too much of my life in books' pages, but the other part of me doesn't really care anyway. Real life's kinda dull usually.

I mean, I don't really know if this was necessarily a horror story in the same way most of the others I've read so far have been, but it was original enough and I enjoyed myself regardless. Nice change of pace, being set in the ocean and all.

- Justin

"Huguenin's Wife" by M. P. Shiel

This story was much earlier in the collection I'm reading from, and I suppose I just managed to skip it by mistake. No matter, I got back to it and that's all that matters. And frankly, I wouldn't have really missed out by not reading this story.

Upon receiving an odd letter from his friend Huguenin, our narrator travels from London to Delos, Greece, to attempt to help his friend get back in touch with reality. He is truly out of it, speaking of the island in regard to ancient gods and basically pulling out Greek apocalypse stuff. Stuff about Delos sinking from sight, and other assorted things. Naturally, he got all this ideology from his deceased wife Andromeda, an eerie looking woman who was rather insane herself. They didn't even love each other. Sheesh.

I don't know, I really wasn't feeling this story for one reason or another.. It's not that it was poorly written; I just didn't feel like I could really relate to, or feel for, these characters. I liked the concept of 'bringing back the [Greek] gods', and it would have been cool for these mythological elements to have played a different role. A feathered cheetah is probably indicative of one of the gods, but I don't know which. And I didn't really understand most of this story. Did he kill his wife? Is that why he dies in the end? What's this nonsense with the animals? And the red silk that leads Huguenin throughout this house? I don't get it. There are still too many questions, and for all this religious and philosophical discussion I just wasn't feeling it.

Hopefully tomorrow's story is better. And also, hopefully I finish getting all my book reviews posted. I still have to write two for Warm Bodies and The Last Werewolf. And now, I finally have some free time to get those taken care of! Huzzah!

Justin

Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik (Temeraire Series #2)

I'm beginning to dislike book series, if only because the plot seems to dry up at some point after the first book (I'm looking at you, Sword of Truth series). Novik's second Temeraire novel has already begun to fall into the trap that seems to await book series, and I hesitate to continue reading the next 4 books.

The first book, His Majesty's Dragon was unlike anything I'd read before. A historical fiction, Novik almost seamlessly inserts dragons into the Napoleonic wars of the 19th century. No longer is the war simply on land or at sea, battles now rage in the air as well. Naturally, this book piqued my interest, partly because there was a dragon on the cover and partly because it was available for free for a time on my Nook. I was pretty pleased with the story line and the genre itself; I'd never been one for history but adding dragons pretty much guarantees my interest in it. Naturally, there are some discrepancies between her version of history and the 'facts' regarding dragons (as generally accepted, anyway. And yes, I'm racking up major nerd points right now).

This second book falls shy of my standard for it, however. I don't honestly know why I always hold books up to the same standard as their predecessor in the series; I'm not often pleased with this goal (Hunger Games, Eragon or so I hear...). It just seemed to me as though Novik was adding drama to the story line simply for the sake of adding pages. Sure, it's her fantasy to do whatever she pleases, but can't she give Captain Lawrence and his dragon Temeraire a break from battles and politics once in a while? There's always something new happening, and sometimes there is such a thing as too much plot.

Now don't get me wrong, I especially enjoyed their trip through China, and the plot twists and turns toward the end of this novel. I just feel like a lot of the actual journey to China was full of unnecessary strife. Sea serpents, attacks by the French, assassination attempts, storms.. I miss the good old days of character development in those plot lulls. Just look at Star Wars: A New Hope. Ben begins training Luke in the force aboard the Millennium Falcon, and those scenes are more for character development of these two important figures than they are for actual plot development. Novik should have attempted this in Throne of Jade, particularly in regard to Temeraire's crew, who I feel have not been given the attention that they deserve. Half the characters that died in this story were, to me, unemotional because they were never really given any attention by the author. Why even bother naming these characters?

Although, I guess being "Scared Inmate #2" is okay... ---->



I don't know, I think this is the inevitable pitfall of series (book or movie, it happens with any sequels and trilogies and so on). The first in the series is remarkable, original, and so fantastic that we as a consumer can't help but hold high expectations for the coming sequels, and are subsequently very let down when they don't live up to our abnormally high standards. It's really sad, honestly, because I'm sure if the first of Novik's books wasn't outstanding to me, I might have had lower goals for this second book, and therefore might have enjoyed it a little more.

Justin!

"The Willows" by Algernon Blackwood

Again, technically yesterday's short story, but once again midterms are getting the better of me. On the bright side, I'm really proud of myself for keeping up with my short stories, even if i miss the daily deadline by just a couple hours (usually, but the weekend was a studying-related fluke).

On to tonight's review, for Blackwood's "The Willows". By far the longest short story in this collection, weighing in at 40 pages. Hence another reason why it's well past the midnight deadline. ANYWAY.

Well done, Mr. Blackwood. Well done. I am sufficiently creeped out, and it's in large part due to the fact that I read a scary story at 4 in the morning. The two best parts about this story are a) the personification of the willows and the river, and b) the fact that you never truly know who or what the monster is. It just IS, and it's this non-description that truly sends a chill up my spine. Plus, apparently we were expecting a storm tonight, and the wind and rain began about halfway through this story. I still have goosebumps, and won't be going to sleep tonight.

Personifying inanimate objects always gives me a chill, and for Blackwood to do so in such a magnificent way really sends the message home that there is a separate entity on the island our narrator and his companion find themselves on. Whether it's an ancient god, or elemental spirits, they're there. And they're not happy at having human visitors.

Like I said though, I'm legitimately not sleeping tonight. Something about not ever reading a description of a monster in a story really gets to me (supposedly proof that I have a functional, and sometimes incredibly overactive, imagination), and there are just so many different terrifying monster/supernatural characteristics flying through my head. THAT'S what I was looking for with these scary stories. The adrenaline rush, the thrill of being scared.. that's what this month is all about. I highly recommend "The Willows", as well as a movie with similar characteristics (iconically, The Amityville Horror, famous for never revealing the demon/monster in the house). I'm going to attempt to calm myself, seeing as I have midterms in just about 11 hours.

- Justin

My Booky Wook by Russell Brand

Or more accurately, A Darker and More Realistic Version of Tucker Max Stories. This book was vulgar yet profound, funny yet poignant, and I'm quite mixed on how I feel about it. On the one hand, you can't help but appreciate his honesty and his ability to make light of even his darkest days of heroin addiction. On the other hand, he's sometimes just too ridiculous. I just shook my head at some of the parts in this book, thinking "Well of course you ended up in jail/hospital/rehab, you're a complete mess!" Plus, there's that whole British thing... my inner voice couldn't help but read this book in a British accent, which made it a hundred times more amusing to read.

So here we go. I'm not going to really bother with a summary of this book; it chronicles his life from birth to its publication in 2007 (well, really up until whenever the deadline for it was, pre-editing and publishing. But I digress). Basically he's a whoring, drug-using, raving lunatic and we just can't help but love him for it now, several years sober (and again, Americans love the British. Sometimes I wonder why we even fought for our independence if we all want their accents and lifestyles. Again, I digress). He's abused alcohol, marijuana, heroin, crack, amphetamines, practically any illicit substances you can put in your system, he's done it. And not surprisingly, he almost destroyed his comedic career before it really had a chance to take off. The ending of this book especially was mostly just a chapter devoted to thank yous and dedications. Not that I blame him, he'd be in jail, a hospital, or a cemetery by now if it weren't for these people that care so deeply for him.

<-- Yep, that's right, Stereotypical psychoanalytic couch reference.

As a psychologist, and especially as a psych student taking a class on addictive behaviors this semester, I couldn't help but make some connections between Brand's childhood and his behaviors later in life. I won't bore you with all the details and theories, but just take his relationship with his parents. He wanted to impress and be closer to his father, and sure enough ended up a hyper-heterosexual with the libido of a jackrabbit, engaging in all sorts of debauchery to make his father proud. Kind of sick and twisted, but again, we accept it. And then there's his early relationships with women: his mother, and his nan. He was coddled and given intense amounts of attention and unquestioned love, and he managed to become obsessed with women, constantly seeking love through one night stands and short-lived relationships. I'm not sure about the sex addiction thing, mostly because I'm still not sure I believe in its existence, but he was constantly seeking female affection. Let the Oedipal complex talk begin.

This booky wook had two disadvantages in my opinion, the first just being the format itself. I read this on my Nook, and while I do love the convenience of being able to carry and read it everywhere, it was difficult having to wait till the end of the chapter to see the footnotes for that chapter. The pictures were badly formatted as well, although e-readers were much less common back in 2007, and this was hardly an issue when the book was published. My fault for reading it on Nook, obviously.

Second disadvantage comes with reading an autobiography by a comedian with a tragic life; you see where all his inspiration comes from. After reading Brand's story, it's pretty clear to me that he doesn't really act in any of the movies he's in; he truly is a recently sober vegetarian comedian addicted to sex, and struggling to maintain self-control every day of his life. Where's the acting? He's not portraying any different characters, he's just himself, on screen. Isn't the whole point of acting being somebody else on screen?

Maybe I'm being slightly overcritical. After all, any artist draws on their real-life experiences for their craft, and actors are no exception. It just would be nice to see a little variation in his acting roles, especially now knowing the (E) true (Hollywood) story of his life.. It was an interesting read regardless, and I'm not really one for nonfiction and memoirs. This might be the beginning of a beautiful relationship with the other sections of a bookstore..

- Justin

"In the Light of the Red Lamp" by Maurice Level

Another story with an incredibly vague ending. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?! I'm rather annoyed, because while it's a good technique in horror stories, it doesn't work in a story like this, which lacks true horror qualities. Don't get me wrong, it is still a horror story, but more in how it hits your emotions.. I felt so very sad for this gentleman, having lost his wife so suddenly only 6 months before. And I felt even more sad for him by the end of the story :(

Maurice Level uses a lot of interesting literary techniques in this story, things that you don't see too often.. For starters, none of the characters had names, they were only referred to by pronouns. I liked it, I think that's a good way of making it more personal. These characters could be anyone you've known in your life, since there's no names already given to them. Kind of adds an edge of creepiness, depending on the content of the story.

Second, as I mentioned before, there's no real ending to the story, it just abruptly stops. What happened with this picture? What happened to the man's wife? There's no explicit reference to supernatural or other phenomena, and it's pretty unique of a story to be so vague and leave so much up to the reader's imagination. Not only can you give these characters any names you wish, but you also get to make up the ending however you see fit!

I'm liking reading short stories more and more, because there is so much left unsaid, that you get to use your imagination so much more than while reading a novel. What happened to get these characters to where they were in the beginning of the story? What happens to them after the text ends? I really like it, and I'm seriously considering continuing this short story challenge after the month ends.

- Justin

"The Screaming Skull" by F. Marion Crawford

*Shivers* this story was quite terrifying, and I have to say that I'm pretty sure it was a combination of leaving the story's action till the end, and also that this story was told in stream of consciousness. I could very clearly hear "The Screaming Skull" being read out loud to me as if I was speaking with Captain Braddock, our narrator. Very well done, and I had some high expectations for this story already! I mean, it IS the name of this collection of stories, after all.

I just couldn't help but feel sorry for Mrs. Pratt. Of course her soul would want to get revenge against her husband, and the man who planted the idea of her murder in his head. I'm sure boiling lead is not the most pleasant way to die, drugged or not. And while I could see this from her perspective, I also felt bad for Braddock, who unintentionally became involved in this woman's death, and therefore became the victim of supernatural harassment, being tormented by this screaming skull of Mrs. Pratt. It's not his fault, and I did feel kind of bad that his life was filled with this angry, vengeance-seeking soul.

Usually, I have at least one or two gripes with these stories, but I really don't think I have any for "The Screaming Skull". Not that it was the best written thing I've read my entire life, but I was really pleased with this story. Kind of a 'Tell-Tale Heart' with a little twist. Ooh, and maybe if I have time, I'll read some more Poe this month now that I'm thinking of it.. Decisions decisions :)

- Justin

"The White People" by Arthur Machen

Okay, finally caught up! This was a very long short story, considered all the other ones I've read so far have been less then 15 pages (this one was 30.. shockshock) but it was decent.

The prologue was a discussion regarding true and social sins, my gathering is that true sin is not comparable to mortal sins such adultery, murder, and theft, which are considered social sins. There is an evil that, if in a person, those around him would recoil with horror and awe. Creepy, I'm pretty sure I do know people like that. Or maybe they just smell really bad.

Anyway, the second part of the story is a diary, recounting a young girl's childhood and rocks and stuff. I don't really know, she went traveling through the woods and ended up being terrified by large rocks that reminded her of faces, and dead people, and animals. Isn't that why people just stare up at clouds once in a while though? This girl needs to be more creative, evidently. Then she recalls stories from her childhood, while worrying that she brought some mysterious curse/evil back with her from her walk.

I need to stop here; I got distracted in the story thinking about how the first reference to race in any of these stories involves a black man taking a woman away in one of this girl's childhood stories. Really? First reference in almost 200 pages, and it's mildly racist. Sheesh.

So anyway this story. I'm not sure how I feel about it, because it's another of those 'might have, might not have' stories. The stories told in the girl's journal may or may not be true, and the same may be said for her 'autobiographical' account and the details given in the prologue and epilogue. I think there was a little too much going on in this story for it to really be a good one; every page was a different childhood story, and it was difficult trying to keep track of what was going on in the girl's life without having her stories retold to me. They were interesting enough though, anyway.

So yeah, that's that. I've definitely read more interesting stories but that's life. Tomorrow, I get to read this anthology's namesake, "The Screaming Skull". I'm pretty excited for it, and I hope it lives up to my expectations!

- Justin

"The Monkey's Paw" by W. W. Jacobs

(Friday's post) at least I make up for not getting things done hahah.

This story was a little more sad than scary, but it was still creepy toward the end. If you had a magical talisman, what three wishes would you ask for? How do you think they would turn out if it was a cursed talisman?

This couple received a monkey's paw, with a supposed spell on it that would grant the owner three wishes. Against the advice of the talisman's previous owner, they take it and their first wish is for two hundred pounds (money, of course), just to see if it would even work. Sure enough it did, but in ways that they certainly wish hadn't, and in a more ironic, coincidental way than magic.

Like I said, this was more of a sad story than a scary one; I like how this monkey's paw clearly has either dark magic or is a talisman of the devil in that it grants wishes, but at a horrible price. Kind of like a sick and twisted gift of the Magi type story, if you will. I really enjoyed reading it though, and still got a kick out of the ending.

And yes, I plan on taking breaks from studying over the next few days so that I don't fall behind in my blog again :P

- Justin

"Marsyas in Flanders" by Vernon Lee

(Thursday, October 13)

Whoops, studying got the better of me... This is the review for the story I read on Thursday.

"Marsyas in Flanders" was a rather religious story, something I'm not usually a fan of, but the ending was quite a twist and I was sufficiently chilled. Might have been that I was reading this story at 2 in the morning, but you get the picture.

A little church, faced with 'miracles' of their crucifix continuously being thrown from the wall and broken into pieces by the stone figure of the Savior that had been found washed ashore centuries before. Frankly, I wouldn't call these miracles any more than I would call a poltergeist's activity miracles, but those religious-type folk.. :P not in an offensive way, of course.

What really got me was the description of what sailors claim to have seen and heard before, of mysterious instruments and howling coming from the church, and even a human figure appearing on the roof. Ooh, just thinking about this is sending a shiver up my spine.

I was pretty pleased with this story, because while there is obviously a religious aspect to it, there's no subtle tones to it regarding the existence of a God or one religion's superiority over another. The only religious aspects of this story involve there being a church, and supernatural activity being construed as miraculous. I still don't understand how you can possibly confuse the two, but there you have it. Silly 19th century people.

I'll have another two posts up later today, one for yesterday's short story, and one for today's. Again, sorry I got so held up with studying, I assure you I'd rather have been doing just about anything else.

- Justin

"The Striding Place" by Gertrude Atherton

Yet another story where I am not a fan of the ordinary story part.. I think I'm one of those people who just wants to jump right into the horror and the scary parts of the story, because these have been pretty well-written and I get annoyed by them regardless... So weird of me.

Anyway, Atherton opens up this story with a rather confusing intro paragraph describing how this gentleman Weigall (really?? I thought this was some old English word, not a person) disliked hunting when the game wasn't worth the pursuit. Fair enough statements, but it took a couple times reading it for me to realize that Weigall is the character's name, and for these run on and fragment sentences to finally make sense.

The rest of the story is significantly better, if not almost as vague and confusing as "Young Goodman Brown". Worried about the disappearance two days earlier of his best friend Wyatt Gifford, Weigall goes for a nighttime stroll along a nearby river and through the woods. He approaches what sounds to me like a waterfall, with dangerous slippery rocks that if you slipped on them, your life was essentially forfeit.. "countless others, more venturesome than wise, had gone down into that narrow boiling course, never to appear in the still pool a few yards beyond". Quite sad.. go for an adventurous hike, and end up falling and dying. Boo.

The ending of this story did confuse me quite a bit. Did Weigall actually attempt to help Gifford, just for Gifford to die anyway? Or, was he just interacting with his friend's soul, while his body was floating in the pool below? I think that Atherton does a good job leaving this so vague and unsolved; the reader's imagination really gets a role in determining what actually happened in this story.

So, my whole theory behind this story is that the hunting stuff in the beginning doesn't actually matter, except to give the story a place to start. And I plan on asserting this theory in other stories I'll be reading this month, so as not to allow myself to get bored and annoyed with these little backstories. Of course the authors won't just jump into the supernatural and horror parts without a little plot first! Someday, I'll actually get the hang of this literature review thing. Until then, you'll just have to bear with my nonsensical ramblings :)

Justin