Seven “masterfully told” stories of suspense and nightmarish drama from the National Book Award–winning author of Them (The Guardian). With the novella and six stories collected here, Joyce Carol Oates reaffirms her singular reputation for portraying the dark complexities of the human psyche. The title novella tells the story of Marissa, an eleven-year-old girl with hair the color of corn silk. … with hair the color of corn silk. When she suddenly disappears, mounting evidence points to a local substitute teacher. Meanwhile, an older girl from Melissa’s school is giddy with her power to cause so much havoc unnoticed. And she intends to use that power to enact a terrifying ritual called The Corn Maiden.
In “Helping Hands,” published here for the first time, a widow meets an Iraq War veteran in a dingy charity shop, having no idea where the peculiar encounter is about to lead. In “Fossil-Figures,” a pair of twins—an artist and a congressman—never outgrow an ugly sibling rivalry. And in “A Hole in the Head,” a plastic surgeon gives in to an unusual and dangerous request.
Together, these seven tales offer “a virtuoso performance” of “probing, unsettling, intelligent” storytelling from one of the world’s greatest writers of suspense (The Guardian).
“The seven stories in this stellar collection from the prolific Oates may prompt the reader to turn on all the lights or jump at imagined noises. . . . This volume burnishes [her] reputation as a master of psychological dread.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
“For horror stories to be truly horrific, the reader has to care. Oates feels this deeply in her writing, and delivers with style.” —The Independent
“Further confirmation of a unique writer’s restless, preternatural brilliance.” —The Guardian
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The Corn Maiden is a riveting read and it’s a shocking idea to realise that three little girls are quite willing to sacrifice a fourth to some old forgotten gods in a strange ritual because it’s “a good idea at the time.” Things don’t turn out quite as planned.
Very twisted. One of the few books I’d read again.
I wanted to like this book because I love horror novels. I found this one hard to get into and predictable
The Corn Maiden: And Other NightmaresKindle Edition
by Joyce Carol Oates
There is nothing for a hot August day like the chilling stories of one of horror’s modern masters.
The first story, The Corn Maiden, fills that chilling description perfectly. It is the story of a kidnapping, told from the views of the kidnapper, the accused and the mother …
There is really no author quite like Joyce Carol Oats. This delightful, if in some cases, somewhat disturbing set of her short-stories is a real find at the price. I cannot recommend it enough for those who like psychological horror or just getting pushed a bit to look at things in a different way.
Not a fan of the author’s writing style, especially repetition of words, words, words, that doesn’t serve any purpose, purpose, purpose. I thought it was a character in one story, but continued on through other stories. A lot of typos, including the title of the book randomly appearing in the corn maiden and other stores some of the stories …
Proven again to jump start the imagination.
I found it sad as it could be so real. Typical mean girls !!!
I’ve only completed the title story thus far, but it captivated me! As I awoke, I began checking my emails & tried a sample of this book. I could not put it down! I didn’t have coffee. I hadn’t opened the blinds or tended to my cat. I just read until I could no longer go without coffee – so I also attended to the cat. Grrrr! It’s one of the best …
Definitely not magic realism, but that is as close as I can guess…confusing and therefore was not decipherable unless you plodded onward.