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Desperate Remedies by Thomas Hardy, Fiction, Literary, Short Stories by Thomas Hardy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars "Desperate Remedies" is an unexpected romance story with an entirely different tone to Hardy's other works. To be sure, there is the traditional pastoral and romantic scenes of the rural countryside which is prevalent in Hardy's novels, but it is perfectly juxtaposed in this novel with the bustling- and almost sinful inhabitants of London. Cytherea Gray, a young beautiful woman, suddenly faces unexpected hardships in her life and is forced to relocate to a smaller town with her brother, Owen. She hopes to retain an occupation to help her brother pay off their father's long-standing debts. She is hired on as hand-maiden for a great lady, Miss Aldclyffe, but a sudden discovery forces the two women to form an uncommon bond between them, a secret that is known to no one else but themselves. All this time, Cytherea coaxes and fondly relishes in her romantic attachment with a burgeoning architect, Edward Springrove. In time her secret love for Edward eventually comes out to her bosom friend, Miss Aldclyffe. She could have never imagined the world of troubles that would fall upon her shoulders once this secret is revealed. Edward's poverty already places him in a predicament, but the meddlesome hand of Miss Aldclyffe and the emergence of a handsome new rival, Mr. Manston, undeniably forces Edward to withhold his secret love from all participants, including Cytherea. "Desperate Remedies" deals with issues of purity, love, justice and the desperation's of a man's heart to obtain his true object of desire. I specifically enjoyed the endless battle between the two rivals Mr. Edward Springrove and Mr. Manston. Both men had a profound passion for the fair maiden, Cytherea, but they went about it in different ways. Mr. Manston was a true villain in all respects. It was enjoyable to see the sheer levels of deceit and surreptitious actions that he conducted when pursuing his love interest, Cytherea. His actions were so stealth-like, it made the story feel more like a detective novel, especially when the reader had to make use of the subtle hints to determined the true guilt of Mr. Manston. I particularly liked the heavy use of poetry in this novel. There were fragments where Hardy implemented his own verses, or included famous ones to encapsulate the character's current mode of thinking. The heavy use of imagery, specifically the details of the landscape where the farmers worked and roamed added a certain level of depth to the novel. I could see that Hardy's experience as an architect came in handy when detailing the daily lives of the young architects: Owen Graye and his friend Edward Springrove. I sense, though I have no obvious proof, that some segments of this novel are autobiographical. The scenes are so vivid, and especially the details of a young architect's struggle to procure a job in the rural English countryside, it made me think of Hardy's own experiences when he met his first wife, while working as a young, self-accomplished architect. I suppose the only trifle I find with this novel is the descriptive headings of the day and times that certain events occurred. This novel was penned as a third-person romance story with a heavy narration that can only be described as a detective novel, so it makes sense why Hardy chose to break up the novel in dates and times. Yes, it was a little bothersome, but I totally understand Hardy's reading behind it. This is by far the best book I have read from this English author thus far, I look forward to reading the rest of his novels in the coming years. View all my reviews
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A Splash of Crimson: Strange and Scary Stories by Jackson Arthur
My rating: 4 of 5 stars "A Splash of Crimson" contains seven short scary stories. The genres are mostly paranormal, verging on mystery and suspenseful tales. The stories alternate from first person to third, and the characters vary vastly in ages and situations. Most of the stories have to deal with death, or at least the looming presence of death before they step into the unknown world that lies just beyond the grave. It is a truly physiological thriller, because it makes you as the reader start to fear death and the unknown world that awaits the main character's spirit after it departs from their body. My favourite story by far is "The Church at the Edge of Town." It strongly reminded me of something of a Twilight Zone episode or an unsolved mystery from the classic television show, X-Files. It was a short read, but a true chilling one. The ambiguous ending was truly satisfying, because it makes the reader want to learn more about the mysterious church and the great evil that lurks within it. Overall, I enjoyed these short collections of paranormal stories. I would not say they are scary, per say, but they are definitely a good read if you like stories that verge on the edge of disturbing and the paranormal. The writing style was a bit jarring at times, but I think it suits the author's stories. I think Jackson Arthur did a great job, and I look forward to reading more of his work. View all my reviews
The Doctor's Estate by Heather Quinto
My rating: 5 of 5 stars "You can’t have the light without the dark." Quinto's "The Doctor's Estate" was a thrilling read, a truly original story that will leave the reader pondering long after the final page. The main character, Ted, is devastated by his mother's dwindling illness of Alzheimer's disease. Unable to cope with her loss of memory and deteriorating health, he purchases a large estate in the hopes of building a perfect home for her. Despite of the incredibly lowered price and strange demeanour of the real estate agent, Ted purchases it and promptly renovates the house. Strange activities seemed to occur around him, especially when the sun sets and night floods over the entire household. What is causing the noises upstairs in the master bedroom? And why is Ted hearing sounds and strange visions when he tries to sleep? Is the house truly haunted, or is it all hallucinations? Ted believes it is all his imagination, but only time will tell whether he is able to come to grips with this horrifying reality. I found this horror story to be an enjoyable read. The characters were all likeable, especially Ted's mother as she displayed common symptoms of Alzheimer's. My great-grandmother suffered with dementia, so it was difficult to read passages at some points, but I can say without a doubt Ted's reaction to his mother's fading health was perfectly normal. Given the fact that he is an atheist and does not believe in the supernatural gave this story a certain irony. I believe people in most cases would have left the house right away, but Ted was so adamant that it was stress and hallucinations from lack of sleep which amused me greatly. There were many times when I yelled at the book with "Get out of there!" or "What are you doing?!" only to find Ted stumbling along in the darkness to encounter more of the haunting necromancer's powers that still held a firm grip upon the household. I enjoyed the deeply philosophical questions that this book brought about, especially in the final chapter. It does make you think about human suffering, and at what cost should we take to achieve our "life's mission." I believe the strange encounters in the house changed Ted, for better and for worse. "The Doctor's Estate" is recommended for readers that enjoyed horror novels with references to witchcraft or mystical powers that are beyond our realm. If you enjoy a good mystery, this might be a nice read in the late evenings as well. I look forward to reading more work by this author. View all my reviews
The Case of Charles Dexter Ward by H.P. Lovecraft
My rating: 5 of 5 stars "Do not call up that which you cannot put down." This story is a curious case involving a young man, Charles Dexter Ward. An inquisitive scholar and antiquarian, Charles is fascinated with the history of his small town especially when he stumbles upon a secret involving his great-grandfather and a man associated with witchcraft, Joseph Curwen. Curiosity gets the better of him, and soon enough Charles unearths horrifying secrets that should have been left in his ancestor's grave. As the mystery slowly unfolds, Charles begins to change, but to what extent can only be guessed by the citizens of the town. Over time the closest neighbours to Charles' experience a wave of suspicion and horror towards his ever changing character, and as his behaviours become more maddening it forces the people to accept that black magic has returned to Paxtuxet Village, and the spirit of the murdered Curwen has come to seek out his revenge. This is the first novel I have ever read from the author, H.P. Lovecraft. I have often heard his name closely associated with Edgar Allan Poe. Although there are no references to Poe, you can feel something of his spirit in the novel, as if greatly disturbed minds of macabre-like characters intrigue both authors thoroughly. I was not disappointed by this rather puzzling detective novel. It kept me on my toes the whole way through until I reached the final page. I had some suspicions as to the the mystery of Charles Dexter Ward, but I was not one hundred percent certain until the final reveal. It was a strange novel, to be sure. The allusions to vampire-like creatures, sacrificial animals (and humans), and the ever-growing forces of darkness certainly made this a memorable read. I enjoyed the amount of research Lovecraft used when detailing the historical past of Salem, and his creative thinking when describing spells and blasphemous depictions upon Curwen's personal belongings. The story was so dark at times that I had trouble sleeping, mostly because I continued to vividly imagine the horrifying things Curwen did to his subject's in order to gain further knowledge of "those other spheres." I confess, even now I am still scratching my head as I tried to come to grips with this story. There are so many layers to it, so much detail that I might have to read it again to fully appreciate this detective novel. I believe this is not a story for everyone, but if you enjoy anything that has to do with witchcraft or mystical ideologies then this might be the perfect read for you. Furthermore, if you enjoy detective novels with a touch of the paranormal and horror elements, I would suggest this mind-boggling case as well. All in all, it was a highly enjoyable read. If you do pick it up, I suggest you don't read it before bed. I had such weird nightmares, and though much of it escapes me I can still remember that chilling feeling upon waking. The novel itself isn't exactly scary, but the topics Lovecraft discusses will leave you with an unnerving feeling. Although it is fiction, a part of me wonders if this could ever be possible. I shudder at the thought of it! I suppose those haunting words to Joseph Curwen really do make sense once you finish this book: "Do not call up that which you cannot put down." View all my reviews |
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