Fantasy

Book Review: ‘Es wächst und wächst und wächst…’ by R. L. Stine

21st Nov 2024Leave a comment

R. L. Stine’s ‘Es wächst und wächst und wächst…’ is my penultimate read for my 2024 reading challenge.

I decided to pick up another after reading a few Goosebumps books in German to help me learn the language. I needed something easier after struggling with ‘Der kleine Prinz’ earlier in the year.

The book follows Evan, a boy whose parents left him with his old aunt as they leave town searching for a new house. Evan, who is very reluctant to do this, brings along his best pal, an old dog named Trigger. He soon meets a young girl of the same age named Andy, who shows him a dusty old toyshop with an irascible owner. The pair discover a strange tin with the word ‘Monsterblood’ (‘Monsterblut’) on the label. But, upon purchasing this treat, Evan learns it does not stop growing.

The story is classic Stine – fun, with likeable characters and easy-to-hate bullies. The book has plenty of peril, but you always know the heroes will get out of it (although, as a kid, I didn’t know this!). As my friend promised me upon gifting me ‘Der kleine Prinz’, I found the German in this book much more accessible. Some bits were tricky and required a dictionary, but I got through it. It’s getting more accessible – I’ll move on to the Fear Street novels in German soon.

‘Es wächst und wächst und wächst…’ is a great horror book for kids and is an excellent book to help adults learn a new language.

Book Review: ‘The Stand’ by Stephen King

16th Oct 2024Leave a comment

For my latest read of 2024, I dove back into Stephen King’s ‘The Stand’.

As with most of King’s work, ‘The Stand’ is something I read as a teen and wanted to revisit. A monster of a book, I began this while on holiday in Finland over the summer. It took me from mid-July to last week to finish. When I was a kid and had no commitments, I could burn through a tome like this in a week. But those days are long gone.

You might stick with a book this long for one of two reasons: either it drags, and you dread picking it up, or you love it so much that the length doesn’t matter. ‘The Stand’ definitely falls into the latter camp. It’s an absolute triumph and one of King’s best.

The book begins with a catastrophe at a military base. What follows is a pandemic that ends almost all human life. A few smatterings of survivors remain, left to rebuild how they see fit. Groups form around two individuals who the survivors dream about. Mother Abigail, a 108-year-old black woman, serves as a force for good. Randall Flagg, an evil figure with supernatural powers, is hellbent on destruction. King writes so many characters that it’s hard to pinpoint a single protagonist. But there are clear groups of ‘heroes’ and ‘villains’, and the large cast adds depth and complexity.

The intro is electric, with that cloying, inescapable destiny thing that King does so well. As soon as the wheels start to fall off – and the body count rises – King doesn’t let up. After this, the tempo slows, and we get to know our wide cast. The characterisation of this wide range of people, from good to evil, is astonishing. As things become more complex, you can’t help but feel their losses and celebrate their wins. Nobody does this like King. You’ll be so hooked when the magical elements – e.g. prophetic dreams – come in that you won’t mind the shift to fantasy. ‘The Stand’ is a glorious book from one of the best to do it.

It’s a long read, but every single page is worth it.

Book Review: ‘The Near Witch’ by V. E. Schwab

28th Jul 2024Leave a comment

For my next book of 2024, I read V. E. Schwab’s ‘The Near Witch’.

My wife gifted me this book (along with many others) for Christmas, and I’d wanted to read it for a while. It has a beautiful cover, and anything with ‘witch’ in the title always piques my interest.

The book follows Lexi, a young woman living in the town of Near with her mother and younger sister. In the neighbouring house resides the imposing figure of her overbearing uncle. Some witches live on the outskirts of town, but most people avoid them. There is also an old nursery rhyme about the Near Witch, but everyone thinks this is a fairytale. That is, until a mysterious stranger appears, and the children start to disappear.

I had a good time with ‘The Near Witch’. The pages flew by, and the simple story was engaging. I appreciated the family dynamics, with the friction between our hero and her uncle. But I adored Lexi’s relationship with the witches, who were the show’s true stars. While the budding teen romance didn’t resonate with me, I can see how it would captivate other readers. The creepiness of the titular witch was well executed, although the ending felt a bit rushed.

All in all, I enjoyed Schwab’s debut book. As an aspiring author, reading ‘The Near Witch’ was entertaining and inspiring. The book has its shortcomings, but these imperfections are manageable. It was a good story that shows you don’t need to be perfect to hold the readers’ attention; you only need to entertain.

The best part of ‘The Near Witch’ is that it shows an author with plenty of talent beginning to master her craft.

Book Review: ‘The Drawing of the Three (The Dark Tower, #2)’ by Stephen King

26th Jun 2024Leave a comment

I read Stephen King’s ‘The Drawing of the Three (The Dark Tower, #2)’ as my next book for 2024.

I’m continuing along with my revisit to the world of the Dark Tower. Book two, in my previous opinion, was where the series started in earnest. The first book was necessary to kickstart the story, but it always felt like the black sheep of the family to me. It wasn’t until I got to book two that I thought, ‘Yeah, I can see why this gets so much love.’

Does the book still stand up in my estimations?

If you know me, you can guess my answer: without a doubt.

The story follows Roland, the last gunslinger, as he reaches the coast, following the end of book one. An encounter with a sea creature leaves him wounded. Struggling with blood poisoning, staggering along the beach, he finds a door in the sand. From there, the story rockets off into the stratosphere. ‘The Drawing…’ is King in his prime, firing on all cylinders. The action gets so intense that it’s unbelievable. I won’t spoil the events, but if you struggled with ‘The Gunslinger’, your payoff begins here.

I first read ‘The Drawing…’ when I was a teen passionate about books. King spellbound me then. I have now reread the book as an adult who also writes as a hobby. King has me in awe – this is a master of his craft flexing his muscles.

Flawless.

Book Review: ‘Utopia Avenue’ by David Mitchell

3rd Jun 2024Leave a comment

David Mitchell’s ‘Utopia Avenue’ is my next ‘sort of’ read of the year.

I say ‘sort of’ because I couldn’t bring myself to finish the book. I got a few hundred pages into it and realised I wasn’t having a good time. It took me a while to understand that I was not fond of the book because I’ve enjoyed Mitchell’s stuff before. I loved ‘The Bone Clocks’ and ‘Slade House’. Also, the book is set in the sixties, with which I have a semi-obsession. Enigmatic characters, such as Pink Floyd’s Syd Barrett, fascinate me. On paper, I ought to love ‘Utopia Avenue’.

And yet I didn’t.

It’s difficult to pinpoint why I wouldn’t say I liked the book. There are too many ‘main’ characters introduced in such a short time frame that you struggle to care for any of them. The book makes the swinging sixties – the hippie era – colourless and dull. There’s no straightforward story besides these folks coming together and making music. There’s no hook established in the chunk of the book I read. The name drops and cameos of famous bands and gigs feel goofy. And not in a good way.

I found the book rather exasperating because I could have loved it. I should have loved it.

Or, instead, Mitchell should have made me love it.

Book Review: ‘The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower, #1)’ by Stephen King

18th May 2024Leave a comment

Stephen King’s ‘The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower, #1)’ was my next read of 2024.

I’ve read the entire ‘The Dark Tower’ novels, including ‘The Wind Through the Keyhole’. To say that I love these books is an understatement. But it has been a while since I finished the last book, and I was itching to read through the series again. I wanted to see if it still holds up to my older eyes.

In case you don’t know, the book follows Roland, the last gunslinger, on his quest for the Dark Tower. He also wants to catch the enigmatic man in black. Hence the famous opener: ‘The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed.’ Who or what a gunslinger is and why he wants to catch this man and reach this location are complete mysteries.

Rereading ‘The Gunslinger’ reminded me of why I fell in love with these books in the first place. The world is bleak and apocalyptic, yet it is colourful and exciting. King created a beautiful combination of futuristic and medieval atmospheres in these books. The characters are all intriguing, with some being downright bizarre. You can’t help but want to know more about them and their stories.

Yet, this book is my least favourite in the saga. I know I’m not alone in this thinking, either. Steve himself echoes my sentiments, as do other fans of the series. Compared to other DT books, ‘The Gunslinger’ is slow and difficult to read. This moment was a period in Mr King’s career when he did not pursue the arty accessibility he perfected. Despite this, I recommend the book because it is the necessary intro to a fantastic tale. The fact that it’s short also works in its favour.

And remember this if you are having difficulty with it:

Steve corrected his course with the next book and adopted a better approach to this story.

Book Review: ‘Fairy Tale’ by Stephen King

28th Mar 2024Leave a comment

For book five of 2024, I read Stephen King’s ‘Fairy Tale’.

My wife bought me this for Christmas, and I’ve been making my way through it at an unhurried pace. I’ve been enjoying the ride, soaking in the magic. But, having had nasal surgery last week (it all went fine), I’ve had a lot of time on my hands. Thus, I’ve ploughed through the remaining pages of ‘Fairy Tale’. Alas, my time in Empis has come to an end.

The novel follows Charlie Reade, a high school kid who rescues an injured older man. The old man is grumpy and reclusive, but he has a great dog and a secret that leads to another world.

All I can say is: goddamnit, Steve. Seventy-six years young and still knocking out classics with the ease of a man a third of his age. To call it action-packed is an understatement. In less experienced hands, ‘Fairy Tale’ would have been a trilogy. But for Mr King, it’s another day at the office. The book is under 600 pages, but it could have been triple that with all the events crammed between the covers. There is so much life in this book that it’s bursting from the pages. I wanted more of the characters – both good and evil. I wanted more of the world of Empis. And, of course, I wanted more of Radar.

I adored this book.

If you like King or fantasy, you will have a good time too.

Book Review: ‘Piranesi’ by Susanna Clarke

12th Mar 2024Leave a comment

Book four of 2024 is a book I read for my book club: ‘Piranesi’ by Susanna Clarke.

I’d heard a lot of hype surrounding this book, and its Goodreads score is awe-inspiring. People from a few different circles have suggested this novel to me. It’s won awards.

First of all, the good. I loved the character of Piranesi. He’s adorable and heartfelt, like a lost puppy. The other characters were also super interesting. The story was great, and learning about the house and its circumstances was fun. The very idea of the house is fascinating. The initial mental images of the place were vibrant and grounded.

So, I must have loved the book. Right?

Well, no. And why not? There are endless hallways and vestibules—on and on and on for 250 pages or so. At some point, I began to get irritated. Immersing yourself in these sorts of books is a delight for many readers. But it’s not for me. I need more direction and urgency.

It’s an excellent book that will appeal to many. But if you’re like me and get annoyed by unhurried prose and somnolent storytelling, it might not be for you.

And that’s okay.

Book Review: ‘A Night in the Lonesome October’ by Roger Zelazny

31st Oct 2023Leave a comment

Roger Zelazny’s ‘A Night in the Lonesome October’ is my thirty-sixth read of 2023.

People in the horror book communities had recommended Zelazny’s book a few times. Several people read ‘A Night…’ every October. Zelazny has divided the book into day-by-day diary entries leading up to Halloween. The idea is to read a chapter every day in the countdown to Halloween.

‘A Night…’ gives the reader excellent autumn vibes. The book follows Snuff, a dog who belongs to Jack the Ripper. Along the way, we meet all the classic monsters, such as vampires, werewolves, etc. We also meet their familiars—other animals with whom Snuff converses. We keep hearing about “openers” and “closers”, but Zelazny holds his cards to his chest. He drip-feeds us information in a way that is intriguing without being frustrating. All becomes clear by the time that final dawn comes to pass.

I won’t spoil much here, but I loved this story. It’s horror, sure. But it’s also wholesome. It’s not scary, per se. It’s more akin to a cosy murder mystery. Most chapters are short (the book is under 300 pages), so it’s easy to read. If you have less time to read than you’d like, ‘A Night…’ might be the perfect book.

I can see why ‘A Night…’ has such a cult following, and I imagine that I will reread it one Halloween in the future.

Book Review: ‘Equal Rites’ by Terry Pratchett

15th Oct 2023Leave a comment

For my thirty-fifth book of 2023, I picked up Terry Pratchett’s ‘Equal Rites’.

My wife is a huge Pratchett fan and has encouraged me to read his witch series (a part of the Discworld series) for a while. I’ve always loved what I’ve read of Pratchett and decided that autumn and Halloween would be as good a time as any. You can read the Discworld books in any order, but I decided to start with the start.

‘Equal Rites’ follows Esk. Esk is a girl whom a wizard—in his dying moment—betroths a magical staff. This act means that Esk is to be the wizard’s replacement in the world. One problem with that, though. Women can’t be wizards. Witches, sure. Wizards? Not a chance. Hence, the fabulous title.

As I’ve come to expect from Pratchett’s work, his writing is hilarious and wonderful. The book whizzes past, always staying within its welcome. Pratchett shows other fantasy novelists that you don’t need a series of 600-page tomes to tell a tale. His imagination crackles with the colour of magic. And, of course, he was lightyears ahead of the rest of us. Pratchett tackles complex issues such as institutionalised sexism and gets it bang on. And this was back in the eighties.

Delightful, creative, philosophical—’Equal Rites’ more than stands up today.