In this unique collection, discover diverse tales, laden with shades of mystery. Come into a dark, strange world, a hyper-reality where nearly everything is firmly rooted in the familiar—except for some quirky detail that twists the yarn, and takes it for a spin in an unexpected direction.
This is the reality you will see in hell, through the eyes of a ghost of a woman, trying to reclaim her … reclaim her name by appealing to the devil; the eyes of a clay figure of a woman, about to be fired in the kiln, longing for her Creator; the eyes of a woman in the midst of a free fall, about to become a ghost; and the eyes of a feline creature with cracked fangs, trying in vain to resign herself, by hook and by crook, to being locked. These characters explore their identity, and challenge their fate.
Inspired by her art and by literature, these tales come from different times and places. Yet all of them share one thing in common: an unusual mind, one that is twisted. So prepare yourself: keep the lights on.
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Definitely a unique perspective to these short stories. Extremely original. I received a free review copy of the audio version of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Poetic stories. Narrated by a soothing, yet mysterious voice. Deep feels.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book from Story Origin.
A Short And Eclectic Collection Of Poems And Short Stories!
This is a short and eclectic collection of poems and short stories – and two pictures. While all are serious in tone, the narrators are varied. They include Job’s wife, a widow, a slab of clay, a nameless ‘he’ and ‘she,’ and a cat. Each is beautifully worded and thoughtful in nature. See a description of each piece below. I rate this dark anthology four stars.
“I Am What I Am”:
This short story is inspired by the Book of Job, a poetical book from the Old Testament. The Book of Job is about justice and suffering. Here is a story about Job’s wife, who desperately wants her own place in history, which is a man’s world. She suffered alongside Job, losing her wealth and her children, and has finally been buried by Job. She meets Satin, who tempts her as he did her husband. The story is both smart and beautifully written. Great care is taken to paint the surroundings in vivid detail.
“The Hollow”:
This is the brief story of a widow who revisits the diary that stores her memories of her late husband David, and the hollow that appears to her.
“I, Woman”:
This rather creative short story is narrated by a has-been slab of clay. Shaped by her Creator – a sculptor – it traces the beginnings of consciousness, when the slab is chiseled into the shape of a woman, until she turns to ash.
“Dust”:
This is a poem about ‘he’ and ‘she’ that seams to continue the story of the statue in “I, Woman” and her male counterpart, Adam, after they have turned to dust.
“The Art of Dust I” and “The Art of Dust II”:
These are photographs.
“The One Who Never Leaves”:
Cat lovers will love this short story which is told from a cat’s point of view. This older cat has been domesticated most of his life and rules his home as well as his owner. The cat’s attitude is on the dark side, but it feels remarkably realistic for anyone that has spent some time around cats!
I have long been a fan of Uvi Poznansky’s thrillers and David Chronicles and was captivated by this title when I discovered it in her book lists. After the first few pages, I couldn’t help but think of the Monty Python catch phrase, “And now for something completely different!” But I couldn’t stop reading! We begin by exploring the thoughts of the unnamed “Job’s wife,” as she spars with Satan and a vain rival in a hell both have inherited through their vanity and selfishness. In another vignette, a sculpted Eve (or Woman) ponders the nature and purpose of her creation and that of her molded companion, Adam, at the hands of her creator and faces the prospect of a bronzed, but replicated immortality. The final segment takes us into the mind of an aging cat who considers her loathing for and dependence on an equally ancient woman with whom she is trapped indoors in the fading years of their lives. The writing is superb and provocative, with just enough “What the hell is going on here?” to have kept me thinking about these stories since. A 5-star journey into a world that is not quite dystopian and not exactly metaphysical, but completely absorbing!
The narration was so slow in the first story, I almost stopped listening to it. The stories were different and not too bad. They weren’t quite what I expected based on the book’s description. This narrator was far from my favorite.