Books I Read May 3rd, 2021

All that reading Leo Perutz led me to write about Leo Perutz over at the LA Review of Books. I cooked Paella for the first time, not entirely unsuccessfully. Did you know that in England, they call an elevator a lift? Madness. Just madness.

Peach by Emma Glass – The story of a young woman terrorized by an older man, her body, society, told in surrealist, food-influenced prose. It was a little bit too much of a final project for your MFA but it was effectively unpleasant and at 150 pages I can dig some adventurous prose.

Cold Hand in Mine by Robert Aickman – Horror stories in the 'there's a creepy house at the end of the lane don't go in there why would you go in there you went in there' sort. There's a deliberate attempt to forego the usual sting that lies at the ends of these type of stories, but honestly I found it only occasionally effective. The one about the clock wife was cool though.

The Treasure by Selma Lagerlof – A story of love and vengeance in the magical realist mold. I'm really digging the Lagerlof I've been reading, maybe I'll try and work something longer up about her.

Mythago Woods by Robert Holdstock – The woods behind a house are a primordial nexus of energy creating physical embodiments of the myths of the surrounding people. I liked it more in premise than execution.

The Harpy by Megan Hunter – A woman drives herself mad in the pursuit of vengeance against her philandering husband. Nasty, quick, well-written, I dug it.

Who Censored Roger Rabbit by Gary K. Wolfe – The basis for the beloved 80's movie is less charming than one would hope.

The Rice Mother by Rani Manicka – Several generations of a Malaysian family are destroyed by the things they love.