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Loading... Magic Terror (2000)by Peter Straub
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. http://bactra.org/weblog/algae-2016-11.html#straub ( ) Magic Terror is a short story collection from Peter Straub. I typically like his novels and thought I would give his short stories a try. Unfortunately, this collection did not measure up to what I typically expect from Straub. Most of these stories were not particularly interesting or well written. Of the seven stories, the ones that I did enjoy were “Porkpie Hat”, which is about an alcoholic saxophone players who had a childhood experience with witchcraft and murder. I also enjoyed “The Haunted Village”, which is linked to Straub’s novel Koko. The use of these familiar characters worked well in this story. All in all, this was a disappointing collection, and I would recommend skipping it. Carl Alves – author of Blood Street I've decided that I'm giving up on this one. Officially quitting. I've read three of the seven stories, and I can't say that I was impressed by any of them. The first story was just... weird. Like, "Let me think of as many weird things as possible and squeeze them into 18 pages with no connecting narrative and call it a story" weird. It was like a crazy dream that gives you an odd crawly feeling without knowing why. Creepy, yes. Story, no. OK I take that back... if you're adept at putting square pegs in round holes when reading, meaning if you can interpret your way through bunch of words and find a story, then there is one. But it's still not a GOOD one. The second story was... something, but not horror, not magic, but a weak espionage-like thriller with a predictable twist. Better than the first story, but not impressive. Third is a Vietnam story, and while it held my curiosity, I wasn't sure what the point was. *shrug* I read a page of the fourth story, and just... gave up. Other reviews seem to indicate that a reader who sticks with it would be rewarded at the end, but life is too short to waste time on something that I'm not enjoying. I gave this book three chances to grab me, and the most it did was lay a weak hand on my arm after about 3 weeks of trying. Not a great introduction to Peter Straub. I'd expected better, honestly. Moving on... no reviews | add a review
Contains
Fantasy.
Fiction.
Horror.
Short Stories.
HTML:No one tells a story like Peter Straub. He dazzles with the complexity of his plots. He delights with the sophistication and eloquence of his prose. He startles you into laughter in the face of events so dark you begin to question your own moral compass. Then he reduces you to jelly by spinning a tale so terrifying-and surprising-you wind up sleeping with the lights on. With Magic Terror, the bestselling author of Ghost Story and The Talisman (with Stephen King) has given us one of the most imaginatively unsettling collections in years. The terrain of these extraordinary stories is marked by brutality, heart-break, despair, wonder, and an unexpected humor that allows empathy to blossom within the most unlikely contexts. "Bunny Is Good Bread" takes us into the mind of a small boy trapped in grotesque circumstances to portray the creation of a serial killer in a manner that compels pity, sorrow, comprehension, and grief-as well as judgment. "Hunger, an Introduction," narrated by the ghost of a pompous, self-pitying murderer, evokes a profoundly beautiful vision of earthly life, one appreciated far more by the dead than the living. The award-winning novella "Mr. Clubb and Mr. Cuff," a masterpiece of black comedy, draws upon Melville's "Bartleby the Scrivener" to create a revenge tale in which torture is a moral art and the revenger undergoes a transforming, albeit painful, education. In the words of Mrs. Asch, the visionary narrator of "Ashputtle," "The main feature of adventure is that it goes forward into unknown country." Straub's devotees will be entranced by what their fearless guide has in store for them. Those as yet uninitiated are in for a harrowing literary journey. Enjoy the ride. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)813.54Literature English (North America) American fiction 20th Century 1945-1999LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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