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marshalls_library's reviews
178 reviews
The Houseguest: And Other Stories by Amparo Dávila
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Houseguest & Other Stories by Amparo Dávila is one of those books that doesn't get featured anywhere near the amount that it should. @coffeeandcuentos sang all the praises earlier this year, while @books_nooks_spooks and @rosedevoursbooks also recently read and loved it.
Where Dávila really excels with these stories is how deftly she dances around darkness and finds that sweet spot of ambiguity. Readers are free to draw their own answers in a lot of cases. Done carelessly, this is a disastrous flaw, but Dávila is masterful.
These stories remind me a lot of pre-Hill House Shirley Jackson in that the flawed characters are the driving force. The stories are succinct, and they pack a real punch. I have no doubt she could write longer shorts and still have a lot to say.
This is a quick, dark read, that's also quite short, which makes hitting those year end goals that much more attainable!
Highly recommended!
Where Dávila really excels with these stories is how deftly she dances around darkness and finds that sweet spot of ambiguity. Readers are free to draw their own answers in a lot of cases. Done carelessly, this is a disastrous flaw, but Dávila is masterful.
These stories remind me a lot of pre-Hill House Shirley Jackson in that the flawed characters are the driving force. The stories are succinct, and they pack a real punch. I have no doubt she could write longer shorts and still have a lot to say.
This is a quick, dark read, that's also quite short, which makes hitting those year end goals that much more attainable!
Highly recommended!
Death in Her Hands by Ottessa Moshfegh
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
This is a tough review to write, because this is my least favorite Moshfegh book so far. There is a lot of her in this book, and had I read it without knowing it was her, I'd have thought "hmm...this makes me think of Moshfegh."
What makes it clearly a Moshfegh book is the main character, Vesta. She's a darkly funny, oddball misanthrope, and who finds a note in the woods while walking her dog that claims the body of a murdered woman is nearby. Rather than reporting it, she then ruminates and obsesses over this alleged victim and her life story.
Death in Her Hands is meant to be a meta, satirical take down of a mystery novel, but it's wrapped up along with Vesta's state of mind at this point in her life.
This was an incredibly dense read, parts of which I think may have gone over my head. I think the reason for that is because the overwhelming majority of the book is told through Vesta's internal monologue. She's meant to be an unreliable narrator, but with so little context to judge against, it can be hard to sort out what is going on in her head.
If you haven't read any Moshfegh, this definitely shouldn't be your first book by her. And even for someone who considers himself a fan, at times I felt as though I was being dragged down into the disorienting minefield of Vesta's state of mind.
What makes it clearly a Moshfegh book is the main character, Vesta. She's a darkly funny, oddball misanthrope, and who finds a note in the woods while walking her dog that claims the body of a murdered woman is nearby. Rather than reporting it, she then ruminates and obsesses over this alleged victim and her life story.
Death in Her Hands is meant to be a meta, satirical take down of a mystery novel, but it's wrapped up along with Vesta's state of mind at this point in her life.
This was an incredibly dense read, parts of which I think may have gone over my head. I think the reason for that is because the overwhelming majority of the book is told through Vesta's internal monologue. She's meant to be an unreliable narrator, but with so little context to judge against, it can be hard to sort out what is going on in her head.
If you haven't read any Moshfegh, this definitely shouldn't be your first book by her. And even for someone who considers himself a fan, at times I felt as though I was being dragged down into the disorienting minefield of Vesta's state of mind.
The Vegetarian by Han Kang
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
First off, this book is intense, very well known, and a LOT has been written about it. I read some analysis after I finished just to see what else has been said, but I don't think it altered my initial reactions that much.
Something I definitely didn't know before I sat down to read this is that the novel is actually a collection of three separate but connected novelettes (published over the course of several years), each told from a different POV: Yeong-hye's husband, her sister's husband, and then finally her sister.
Yeong-hye (The Vegetarian referred to in the title) doesn't get her own section, and it becomes clear as you progress through the book why that is. While she does decide to become a vegetarian (vegan actually) after a dream, this decision is the starting point of a serious deterioration of her mental and then physical health.
The three novelettes in this collection cannot be told from her POV, because she's in no state to provide one. Rather, the book is actually about how Yeong-hye's conditions affect those around her. The husband and brother-in-law are absolutely despicable and selfish monsters, and the sister is left to pick up the wreckage of her sister's decline completely alone.
The book, despite the misconceptions I think surrounds it, is bleak, but beautifully written. It's definitely a hard book to read, but it's one that I suspect will stick with readers long after they finish it.
Something I definitely didn't know before I sat down to read this is that the novel is actually a collection of three separate but connected novelettes (published over the course of several years), each told from a different POV: Yeong-hye's husband, her sister's husband, and then finally her sister.
Yeong-hye (The Vegetarian referred to in the title) doesn't get her own section, and it becomes clear as you progress through the book why that is. While she does decide to become a vegetarian (vegan actually) after a dream, this decision is the starting point of a serious deterioration of her mental and then physical health.
The three novelettes in this collection cannot be told from her POV, because she's in no state to provide one. Rather, the book is actually about how Yeong-hye's conditions affect those around her. The husband and brother-in-law are absolutely despicable and selfish monsters, and the sister is left to pick up the wreckage of her sister's decline completely alone.
The book, despite the misconceptions I think surrounds it, is bleak, but beautifully written. It's definitely a hard book to read, but it's one that I suspect will stick with readers long after they finish it.
Butter by Asako Yuzuki
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Wow. I kind of don't know where to begin with this. Butter by Asako Yuzuki is a very different book for me in a year that was already marked by a big change in my reading tastes.
To briefly recap the plot, a journalist named Rika attempts to cozy up to an imprisoned woman named Manako Kajii, who is accused of seducing and then killing a number of older rich men. Kajii captures the public's imagination and draws intense scrutiny as she does not conform to society's standards of beauty or a woman's "place." Rika's life is fundamentally impacted by this project in ways she did not expect. Kajii is a fascinating and complex character who doesn't actually appear directly much at all, but she is nonetheless a dark shadow looming large over the entire book and in the lives of everyone she encounters.
I waited until finishing this book before I went looking online to read analysis and other reviews because I wanted to go in blind and form my own opinions. A lot of people felt the book was too long, but I didn't. There were times where I thought Yuzuki might have written herself into a corner, but she always managed to keep the story flowing in a way that felt true and natural for the characters.
I also think there are a LOT of people who take the themes and issues that Yuzuki addresses through her characters (like misogyny, feminism, and body shaming) and assume that she holds those same views. I may be new to this style of writing, but it never ceases to surprise me how often readers fall into this trap.
Butter is a deeply layered book that deals with the complexity of family, friendship, and romantic relationships, work/life balance, how women are viewed in society, as well as grief and loss.
I loved this book, and I can't help but feel like this will be the starting point for what I suspect will be a long love affair with Asian fiction. I don't do ratings for my reviews on bookstagram, but for what it's worth, I did give this 5 stars on StoryGraph with absolutely no hesitation.
To briefly recap the plot, a journalist named Rika attempts to cozy up to an imprisoned woman named Manako Kajii, who is accused of seducing and then killing a number of older rich men. Kajii captures the public's imagination and draws intense scrutiny as she does not conform to society's standards of beauty or a woman's "place." Rika's life is fundamentally impacted by this project in ways she did not expect. Kajii is a fascinating and complex character who doesn't actually appear directly much at all, but she is nonetheless a dark shadow looming large over the entire book and in the lives of everyone she encounters.
I waited until finishing this book before I went looking online to read analysis and other reviews because I wanted to go in blind and form my own opinions. A lot of people felt the book was too long, but I didn't. There were times where I thought Yuzuki might have written herself into a corner, but she always managed to keep the story flowing in a way that felt true and natural for the characters.
I also think there are a LOT of people who take the themes and issues that Yuzuki addresses through her characters (like misogyny, feminism, and body shaming) and assume that she holds those same views. I may be new to this style of writing, but it never ceases to surprise me how often readers fall into this trap.
Butter is a deeply layered book that deals with the complexity of family, friendship, and romantic relationships, work/life balance, how women are viewed in society, as well as grief and loss.
I loved this book, and I can't help but feel like this will be the starting point for what I suspect will be a long love affair with Asian fiction. I don't do ratings for my reviews on bookstagram, but for what it's worth, I did give this 5 stars on StoryGraph with absolutely no hesitation.
December Park by Ronald Malfi
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
It's no secret I've been on a big @ronaldmalfi kick this year. @books_nooks_spooks demanded I read Black Mouth, and after that there was no going back. December Park was my most recent Malfi book and if you're looking for a dark, coming of age book, look no further.
A small Maryland town is growing increasingly on edge after a succession of kids turns up missing, but things really start to boil over when the body of a missing girl is pulled from the woods. Local teen (and son of a police detective) Angelo Mazzone and his group of friends find themselves playing the part of amateur sleuths, chasing after the person believed to be responsible for it all, a figure the media calls "The Piper."
The story takes place over the course of a year, and hits hard with themes of friendship, family, small-town vibes, loss, and grief. Malfi is incredibly gifted when it comes to blending amazing characters with just enough dark ambiguity to keep you on your toes and invested. Also, the ending was AMAZING and I totally didn't see it coming. This one is definitely a must read.
I can't wait to keep working my way through his catalog, and I'm SUPER excited to read his new book, Senseless, which drops next spring. Malfi and I got to hang out in Annapolis one last time before I made the move to Scotland, and hearing him talk about this one, it was clear that he's got plenty of surprises in store for us!
A small Maryland town is growing increasingly on edge after a succession of kids turns up missing, but things really start to boil over when the body of a missing girl is pulled from the woods. Local teen (and son of a police detective) Angelo Mazzone and his group of friends find themselves playing the part of amateur sleuths, chasing after the person believed to be responsible for it all, a figure the media calls "The Piper."
The story takes place over the course of a year, and hits hard with themes of friendship, family, small-town vibes, loss, and grief. Malfi is incredibly gifted when it comes to blending amazing characters with just enough dark ambiguity to keep you on your toes and invested. Also, the ending was AMAZING and I totally didn't see it coming. This one is definitely a must read.
I can't wait to keep working my way through his catalog, and I'm SUPER excited to read his new book, Senseless, which drops next spring. Malfi and I got to hang out in Annapolis one last time before I made the move to Scotland, and hearing him talk about this one, it was clear that he's got plenty of surprises in store for us!
The Road Through the Wall by Shirley Jackson
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
For a debut novel, The Road Through the Wall is a fascinating and layered read that gives the reader a snapshot of suburban life just out of San Francisco during the summer in the 1930s.
This book is heavily character driven, and most of these characters are deeply flawed adults in the process of raising deeply flawed children who will no doubt be awful people as well.
It's clear that Jackson was possessed with a razor sharp sense of humor as dark as it was dry right from the start because you can practically feel the contempt she had for these characters as they talked down their noses to everyone else in the neighborhood despite the utter dysfunction they lived in behind closed doors.
The book culminates in a shocking way that I didn't see coming, which I think was probably a way for Jackson to drive home the commentary found throughout the book.
I highly recommend this if you're a fan of dark, transgressive lit fic because this is pretty far removed from The Haunting of Hill House.
This book is heavily character driven, and most of these characters are deeply flawed adults in the process of raising deeply flawed children who will no doubt be awful people as well.
It's clear that Jackson was possessed with a razor sharp sense of humor as dark as it was dry right from the start because you can practically feel the contempt she had for these characters as they talked down their noses to everyone else in the neighborhood despite the utter dysfunction they lived in behind closed doors.
The book culminates in a shocking way that I didn't see coming, which I think was probably a way for Jackson to drive home the commentary found throughout the book.
I highly recommend this if you're a fan of dark, transgressive lit fic because this is pretty far removed from The Haunting of Hill House.
Cockfight by María Fernanda Ampuero
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The last line of the blurb on the back of Cockfight by María Fernanda Ampuero is probably one of the most accurate descriptions of a book I've ever read:
"With violence masquerading as love, characters spend their lives trapped reenacting their past traumas."
Cockfight hits all the notes I think a successful collection should. The book isn't overly long, and neither are any of the stories. Ampuero keeps you guessing with what's coming next, but each story is undeniably her voice.
These stories are brutal and absolutely steeped in real life horror. There are no tropes or gimmicks here. It's all vibes.
This is not a book I would recommend lightly, especially if your taste in horror leans more mainstream. There's of course nothing wrong with that, but Ampuero's work isn't meant for everyone.
That being said, she's one of my favorite authors I've discovered this year and why I will keep seeking out translated Latin American fiction from women authors.
"With violence masquerading as love, characters spend their lives trapped reenacting their past traumas."
Cockfight hits all the notes I think a successful collection should. The book isn't overly long, and neither are any of the stories. Ampuero keeps you guessing with what's coming next, but each story is undeniably her voice.
These stories are brutal and absolutely steeped in real life horror. There are no tropes or gimmicks here. It's all vibes.
This is not a book I would recommend lightly, especially if your taste in horror leans more mainstream. There's of course nothing wrong with that, but Ampuero's work isn't meant for everyone.
That being said, she's one of my favorite authors I've discovered this year and why I will keep seeking out translated Latin American fiction from women authors.
Snow by Ronald Malfi
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
3.0
When a winter storm strands passengers in Chicago on xmas eve, Todd Curry and three other unlucky people with places to be hop on a car and head west. When they have to swerve to keep from hitting a man in the road in the middle of nowhere, they've no choice but to head to the nearest town in a car that can barely make it. That's when the bad things start happening...
Originally published in 2010, Snow is the earliest Malfi book I've read yet. What I've loved most about what I've read from him so far is that he really dives into the psychological aspect of the characters he creates and how he blends it with the darker, horror based elements of his books.
Snow doesn't hit those notes the way his later books do, but you can see he's headed in that direction. With The Narrows just two years later, you can see him coming into his own.
Even though Snow focuses more on the plot than the characters, it's still a great read, especially if you want some winter-based, creature feature horror (especially in an isolated location). The next time a winter storm is headed your way, make sure to pick this one up.
Originally published in 2010, Snow is the earliest Malfi book I've read yet. What I've loved most about what I've read from him so far is that he really dives into the psychological aspect of the characters he creates and how he blends it with the darker, horror based elements of his books.
Snow doesn't hit those notes the way his later books do, but you can see he's headed in that direction. With The Narrows just two years later, you can see him coming into his own.
Even though Snow focuses more on the plot than the characters, it's still a great read, especially if you want some winter-based, creature feature horror (especially in an isolated location). The next time a winter storm is headed your way, make sure to pick this one up.
She's Always Hungry by Eliza Clark
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Of Cattle and Men by Ana Paula Maia
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0