Down to a Sunless Sea...random thoughts

Down to a Sunless Sea by Mathias B. Freese.

Hmmmm. I really don't know where to begin with this one, as I just can't seem to get my thoughts into any sensible order here. If this collection of short stories could be said to have a theme, it would have to be individual pain and struggle. Each story introduces us into the mind of a troubled character, a person battling their own personal demons in one way or another. And yet though there is this sort of thread of commonality running through the stories, they really form quite an eclectic mix. I'm sure it can be said of nearly any short story collection, that some stories will speak more to an individual reader than others. But for me, that seemed exceedingly true of this collection.

A couple of stories, "Down to a Sunless Sea" and "For a While, Here, In this Moment," did very little for me. They almost made me wonder if I was simply missing something. And honestly, that may be the case. Or it may be that I'm simply the wrong reader for those particular stories.

But then there were stories that I loved. When I read "Alabaster," I was truly grateful that I didn't give up on this collection. A little boy finally talks to an old woman who often sits on a bench along the street where he plays. The tattooed number on her wrist tells the reader what the child in his innocence doesn't understand. I also enjoyed "Little Errands," which if you've ever seen OCD in action, you'll understand the veracity of this story. And another I particularly enjoyed was "Billy's Mirrored Walls," in which we again see a child's innocence played against an adult's pain, though not nearly as intensely as in "Alabaster."

The other story that made a real impression on me was "I'll Make It, I Think." As the story begins we meet a boy with CP, and one can't help but ache for him and the difficulties he must face just living his life. But I have to say that by the end of the story, I was left deeply unsettled...I couldn't help but feel I was witnessing the making of a rapist or a serial killer. Maybe that was the intent. Or maybe I've just watched too many true crime dramas. Oh, and the kid from "Mortise and Tenon"...yeah, I'm a little worried about his future as well.

Please don't ask me to sum up my feelings of this book overall, because honestly, I just can't quite get a handle on it. But if you haven't read it yourself, I've got two suggestions: a.) read some of the reviews below, and/or b.) leave me a comment saying you'd like to try the book yourself. (If more than one person would like it, I'll do the random.org thing later this week.)

*****

Other opinions:

Trish at Trish's Reading Nook
Bookfool at Bookfoolery and Babble
Bellezza at Dolce Bellezza
Melody at Melody's Reading Corner
Steve at J.Kaye's Book Blog

If you've reviewed this, please feel free to leave a link in the comments and I'll add it here. Thanks.

Sunday Salon...round 5 (a mini round)

Okay, most of you probably already know about this site (as I tend to live years behind everyone else), but just in case you don't, I thought I'd share. It's called Fifty-Two Stories. I'll bet you can guess what it's all about just from it's title, huh? Yep, each week they post another short story on-line for our reading pleasure. Pretty cool in my book.

is it still Sunday somewhere in the world?

Yes, as usual, I'm behind with the short story reviews. Oh well.

I am both happy and sad to say that I've finished up Daphne du Maurier's Classics of the Macabre. Happy because it's due back at the library today. But sad, because I am so sorry that I've no more of Ms. du Maurier's short stories on hand to read. I simply can't tell you how much I enjoyed this book! I only hope that I'll enjoy her novels half as much as her short stories.

First story of the week was "The Birds". Yes, the story that Hitchcock's thriller was based on. But frankly, while one can see the connection between the two, they are actually quite different from one another. While I fully admit that I've always loved the movie, it somehow just doesn't seem to stack up against the story. Maybe they're just too different to compare. Anyway, the story is far more frightening than the movie. It has such a personal feel. The terror is tangible. As I said when I wrote about the last story I reviewed ("The Blue Lenses"), it's all too easy to put yourself into the character's place. And then I can't help but wonder how long it will be before I've gone mad.

The next story in this collection, "The Alibi," didn't quite have that same feeling. I believe that's because in this story, our protagonist simply isn't the nicest of fellows to begin with. That doesn't not mean this isn't a great story though. As I know others have said, it can be very hard to talk about a short story for fear of giving too much away. So in general, I'll just say that this is a story of a mid-life crisis gone horribly wrong.

And finally, there is "Not After Midnight." While not my favorite of the lot, I still thoroughly enjoyed it. It is the story of a English teacher, who has taken his holiday in Greece. He wants nothing really to do with the historical sites, nor with his fellow vacationers. He simply wants to paint. But through simple misfortune, he ends up staying in the room of a man just recently found dead, and being drawn into some strange goings-on involving Greek mythology.

Thank you, Daphne du Maurier, for some deliciously eerie hours spent amongst the pages of your book!

it's not Sunday anymore, is it?

Well, I'd like to say that I'm just the rebellious sort who wanted to "break the rules" and post a short story Sunday type post on Tuesday, but frankly, that would be a big fat lie. I'm not rebellious. I'm disorganized. I should probably skip it altogether as I only got one short story under my belt last week anyway. But it was such a good one, that I just decided to throw together a short post.

I'm still reading my way through Daphne du Maurier's Classics of the Macabre. And I must say, I am going to be so heart-broken when I finish it. She has definitely taken over, after just three stories, the number one slot on my list of favorite short story writers. So of course it's quite exciting to think about her full-length books out there waiting for me.

Anyway, on to the story..."The Blue Lenses." Wow...I think it's my favorite yet! Marda West has undergone surgery on her eyes. She's been wrapped in bandages for quite some time while her eyes heal. We meet her shortly before the surgeon is to remove those bandages and insert a set of blue lenses. These lenses, which make everything appear blue, are to remain in her eyes for a few days before the permanent ones are inserted. Marda's sight is restored, but at what price? Sorry, but I just can't say more for fear of ruining the story. But this is definitely one very clever, very unsettling story.

You know what I think I love most about du Maurier's stories...the fact that she makes it impossible for one not to relate to the characters. I feel myself trapped in their circumstances, and wondering how I would react. And bottom line, I worry that I would simply go mad.

deliciously dark short stories

One of the many things I loved about R.I.P. last year was short story Sunday, though I did a less than stellar job of remembering to participate on a weekly basis. And while not an "official" part of this year's challenge, I know that at least a couple other people (Stephanie and Somer) are going to post about their creepy short reads...yeah! Though of course, it will be hell on the old wish list. Already added Nocturnes by John Connolly thanks to Somer's post. Anyway, I really do enjoy reading short stories, especially those of the dark variety, so I decided I would try to get a few in each week, too.

Up first were "Don't Look Now" and "The Apple Tree" by Daphne du Maurier. This is the first time I've read any of her work. I was really excited at the prospect of reading Rebecca after reading Chris's review last year. And then was really excited to give Jamaica Inn a go after reading Stephanie's review. But then, as I so often do, I went and scared myself out of actually trying either one of them. I have this thing about "classics"...I get all worried that I just won't "get" them. Despite the fact that I usually enjoy them when I do give them a go. My mind is not always a rational one. Anyway, I actually went to the library to pick up Jamaica Inn right after reading Stephanie's review, but while I was there I saw Daphne du Maurier's Classics of the Macabre. It was an easy decision to pick that one up instead...you know, an easy way to get my feet wet and see if I would really enjoy her writing.

Well, let me tell you, what an idiot I was for ever doubting! I LOVE these stories! Absolutely love them! They are on the longer end of "short stories," at around 50 pages each, but both that I have read so far have gone quickly because it's just very hard to set the book down.

"Don't Look Now" is the story of a British couple vacationing in Venice. They have recently lost their young daughter, and the husband is hoping this trip will help his wife overcome some of her terrible grief. While at a cafe one day, they meet twin sisters. One of the sisters is blind and claims to "see" the couple's dead daughter sitting with them at lunch. The mother is immediately drawn to the sisters, believing the claim. The husband is certain that these women are up to something, playing on his wife's grief. A series of events, some supernatural, some all too earthly, follow that lead the reader on a fast-paced, suspenseful journey to the truth.

"The Apple Tree" didn't have quite the suspenseful nature of the first story, but it was still an enjoyable read. It centers on a man who has recently lost his wife. But as opposed to grieving his loss, he now feels a new sense of freedom. Freedom from a wife he viewed as long-suffering. Though the reader senses some of the responsibility for his wife's demeanor lies directly at his feet. In his backyard, there is an apple tree. And the man begins projecting onto this tree the traits of his deceased wife. As the story progresses we watch his obsession with this tree grow. While the ending is a bit predictable, it is nonetheless a wonderful tale.

a book, a short story, and a pile of tiny stories

First up, The Missing Girl by Norma Fox Mazer. This is the only book I've finished in the past couple weeks, and it was a while back that I actually finished it. I've been working my way through The Stand and catching up on my major backlog of scrapbooking magazines, but not getting much other reading done.

Anyway, The Missing Girl is the story of five sisters, Beauty, Mim, Stevie (born Faithful), Fancy, and Autumn. In a way I hesitate to call their family dysfunctional, but I do think it an appropriate label. The girls' parents are not alcoholics or drug addicts, they don't physical or sexually abuse the girls. But nor are they truly there for the girls. The father had an accident and badly injured his back. He has not been able to work since this accident, so money has been extremely tight. He has also pulled away from family life in many ways since the accident. And the mother, well, she seems unwilling to even try to deal with the stresses of their lives these days. So it is left to Beauty, at age 17, to take care of her sisters in many respects.

Life isn't easy for the girls, and something they don't know will soon make their lives so much worse. For there is a man, a sick, depraved man, who watches them. And eventually he kidnaps one of the girls. I won't spoil the story by telling you who he kidnaps or what happens from there. But I will say that while the kidnapping and what follows is the suspenseful part of the book, it's not what truly made this book so worthwhile. No, that was the girls themselves. They got under my skin. Each one, so unique, so human. Each one with their own strengths and weaknesses. And the way they related to one another. They felt so incredibly real, so human, that you couldn't help but get attached to them.

***

Now, a short story. Now, I fully admit that I have a hard time reviewing books. And I have an even harder time reviewing short stories. People like Nymeth and Stephanie and Carl make it look so easy. Whether it really is easy for them, I don't know, but they sure make it look effortless. Case in point, yesterday Nymeth reviewed a few stories, including one titled "The evolution of trickster stories among the dogs of North Park after the Change". She left me so intrigued that I had to immediately use the link she provided and go read the story myself. And now here I am, stuck trying to put into words my feelings about this story. It's the story of what happens in one particular park after the Change...the Change being an event which gave all domesticated animals the ability to speak in the languages we humans use. This story depends on all the stories within the story, and it is both this concept and the stories themselves which really fascinate. I've only recently really gained an appreciation for folklore, and this was just a treat. I'm having a hard time putting my feelings into words here, but "The evolution of trickster stories among the dogs of North Park after the Change" may well be the most original story I've ever read. Seriously. It's entertaining. It's sad. It's uniquely written. But most of all, it is thought-provoking. Extremely thought-provoking.

(I actually read another fabulous short story recently, but I can't seem to remember to ask Jean where it is going to be published. See, it was written by her son. And of course, she did tell me already, but my darn brain won't hand over the information. Hopefully, she'll read this and fill us all in, because I most definitely highly recommend it.)

***

And now for the tiny stories. For those of you who don't know, a tiny story is a story 100 words in length. Exactly 100 words. With no word repeated. It doesn't sound all that difficult to do, right? Wrong! It is soooo hard! Well, I guess I can only speak for myself. Maybe it comes much easier to some. But for me, well, it took hours upon hours to put together my tiny story. I would find a repeated word and have to rewrite sections. Then find another repeated word, and so on, and so on, and so on... Anyway, my effort paid off. During RIP II, Carl ran a tiny stories contest, featuring stories of the dark and creepy vein. And he posted the stories here at the beginning of RIP III. Now, I truly don't believe I deserved to win, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't totally thrilled about it! Beyond it just feeling really good, as many of you already know, Carl gives out the most amazing prize packages in all of blogland! Seriously, this guy is nothing if not generous! Thank you, Carl! And I highly recommend going over and reading everyone's stories...they are absolutely fabulous!!!