Margo Lanagan's electrifying stories take place in worlds not quite our own, and yet each one illuminates what it is to be human. They are stories ...
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Jan 01, 2012
Nancy
rated it: 
After being blown away by Black Juice, I was eager to read more of Margo Lanagan’s short story collections. So off I went to the library and found a lovely hardcover edition of Red Spikes, received by the library on October 16, 2008. It appeared to be untouched and I confirmed this by looking at the shiny cover free of finger smudges and listening to the crackling noises of its spine as I gently opened it, fanning its pages under my nose and sniffing so deeply it was almost a snort. Then I ha
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Aug 14, 2008
Crystal
rated it: 
Interesting fluidity. For most of the book I was left with this weird sensation, and it wasn't until the fourth or fifth story that I could pinpoint what it was: most of the stories felt like they had been lifted away from longer novels. But instead of it being an unpleasant realization, it rather enhanced the stories for me, as though they were shimmering up from a lakebed, only to fall away again as the current took them. I would be interesting to see some of these stories expanded, but as the
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Mar 05, 2011
Maddy
rated it: 
I was in a literary program at my school in year 9. Six books we had to read. Not everyone read all of them. In fact, no one did. I read the most, being 5. I tried to force myself to read this, just so we could know what to say. But I couldn't. It was awful.
First off, I hate short stories.
We all chose My Big Birkett to win, but I had a feeling that the people who give the actual award thing would choose this. I don't see why they give it to a book that kids would actually enjo More...
First off, I hate short stories.
We all chose My Big Birkett to win, but I had a feeling that the people who give the actual award thing would choose this. I don't see why they give it to a book that kids would actually enjo More...
Jan 11, 2011
Rosalia
rated it: 
I really really wanted to like these short stories but I just couldn't get into it. I love Margo Lanagan's writing, I think it's absolutely beautiful, and the language in these stories is absolutely gorgeous. One of my favorite things about Margo Lanagan's writing has always been her ability to really set a mood in a story, and these stories evoke many different moods from the down right disturbing to a sense of satisfaction. Unfortunately all of the stories felt unfinished to me. They felt
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Feb 11, 2010
Headacheslayer
rated it:
I received a bookmark that had the cover of this book on it. I was quite intriqued by the beauty and gothic look (inspired by the 10th story in this collection). This is proof that you can't judge a book by its cover.
"Red Spikes" is 10 short stories intended for young adults. Written by Australian author Margo Lanagan, I imagined it would be "Stephen King Lite". Instead there was quite a bit of the Aussie influence that kept me too off-kilter to really get into th More...
"Red Spikes" is 10 short stories intended for young adults. Written by Australian author Margo Lanagan, I imagined it would be "Stephen King Lite". Instead there was quite a bit of the Aussie influence that kept me too off-kilter to really get into th More...
Sep 30, 2008
Elizabeth
rated it:
BBYA
Margo Lanagan has the most amazing use of language, whether her story is a horrifying tale of Wee Willie Winkie, an unforgettable an angelic budgie, or following along with souls in limbo. These are tales to be enjoyed slowly.
Margo Lanagan has the most amazing use of language, whether her story is a horrifying tale of Wee Willie Winkie, an unforgettable an angelic budgie, or following along with souls in limbo. These are tales to be enjoyed slowly.
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Jun 03, 2010
Tatiana
rated it: 
Writing short stories is not easy. As much as I like, let's say, Kelley Armstrong, her anthologies Men of the Otherworld and Tales of the Otherworld are not really collections of short stories. They are collections of scenes in the lives of her characters and nothing more.
Lanagan, on the other hand, is a great short story writer. Her stories remind me a lot of the works of one of my favorite writers (and IMO the greatest writer of short stories) - Guy de Maupassant, not thematically More...
Lanagan, on the other hand, is a great short story writer. Her stories remind me a lot of the works of one of my favorite writers (and IMO the greatest writer of short stories) - Guy de Maupassant, not thematically More...
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Oct 19, 2011
The category that this book fits into on the reading board is three New Zealand poems from one anthology.
I decided to read it after a librarian suggested it to me after they had read the book and thought that it would be a reasonable book for me to read.
I like that the book very detailed perceptions of each character and and the writing was very sophisticated.
What I did not like about the book was that it was pretty hard for me to understand what was happenin More...
I decided to read it after a librarian suggested it to me after they had read the book and thought that it would be a reasonable book for me to read.
I like that the book very detailed perceptions of each character and and the writing was very sophisticated.
What I did not like about the book was that it was pretty hard for me to understand what was happenin More...
Dec 15, 2009
Emily
rated it:
"Oh, you caint see straight in this place," said Razor. "And when you do see summink, afterwards you caint quite remember. You caint quite believe, you know? It will not stay proper in your head."
Okay, I have only read six of the ten stories in this book so far, but I can tell I am going to have to give it five stars already. Gorgeous amazing disturbing lovely tales; every one of them fills my head with exclamation points.
Also the best bird story in the wo More...
Okay, I have only read six of the ten stories in this book so far, but I can tell I am going to have to give it five stars already. Gorgeous amazing disturbing lovely tales; every one of them fills my head with exclamation points.
Also the best bird story in the wo More...
Jun 05, 2008
Natalie
rated it:
First book of the new year! I love her short stories- creepy and thought-provoking.
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Feb 22, 2010
Terrifying and mesmerizing. While I liked some stories more than others, all were intriguing. My favorite may be the first, "Baby Jane." I can't think of another story I've read in which a young boy is called upon to deliver a baby. Fortunately, Dylan really delivers.
Lanagan's Acknowledgments in the back of the book gracefully extend the reader's understanding of the stories.
I look forward to reading Black Juice.
(If you like Lanagan's short stories, More...
Lanagan's Acknowledgments in the back of the book gracefully extend the reader's understanding of the stories.
I look forward to reading Black Juice.
(If you like Lanagan's short stories, More...
Jul 27, 2011
Katie
rated it:
Red Spikes feels like it had a graduate advisor poking behind it (okay, technically a fellowship, but whatever).
A bunch of gorgeous vignettes Lanagan couldn't bear to get rid of but didn't know how to turn into stories. You get to the end and it's like, "well that happened." Everything takes place in this weird, quasi-Austrailian outback universe of three teeth, but sometimes with color television and prep school? You're lucky if you can tell where or what you are in half More...
A bunch of gorgeous vignettes Lanagan couldn't bear to get rid of but didn't know how to turn into stories. You get to the end and it's like, "well that happened." Everything takes place in this weird, quasi-Austrailian outback universe of three teeth, but sometimes with color television and prep school? You're lucky if you can tell where or what you are in half More...
Aug 11, 2011
Barky
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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May 09, 2008
Krista
rated it:
A surreal set of short stories that blends elements of folklore, high fantasy and science fiction into narrative that walk the line between reality and dreams. A follow-up work by the author of "Black Juice", a Printz honor title.
The manipulation of language, and the various styles of dialogue and the use of jargon throughout the individual stories force the reader to confront their own ideas about speech, conversation, as well as slang. Also, the use of language and the fl More...
The manipulation of language, and the various styles of dialogue and the use of jargon throughout the individual stories force the reader to confront their own ideas about speech, conversation, as well as slang. Also, the use of language and the fl More...
Aug 27, 2008
Rachel
rated it:
I'm a huge Margo Lanagan fan, but I wasn't as crazy-fond of this as I was of Black Juice. A couple of the stories fell flat for me; particularly the personification tales ("Monkey's Paternoster" and "A Feather in the Breast of God"). I wish I could put my finger on why -- for me, bestowing animals with human thoughts and feelings is charming in CGI, but rarely works in print (an exception being Watership Down, although it'd probably be less affecting if I read it now).
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Jul 18, 2010
Courtney
rated it:
Darker than Susanna Clark, less funny than Neil Gaiman, feyer than Kelly Link, nothing like Katherine Mansfield - this was my first experience of Lanagan's short story writing, after reading and adoring her novel 'Tender Morsels' earlier this year.
One story - Winkie, a grim and genuinely scary take on a BFG-like character (which god, reminds me - how great are Roald Dahl's short stories?) - gripped me, but this particular combination of fantasy and short story left me feeling a bit s More...
One story - Winkie, a grim and genuinely scary take on a BFG-like character (which god, reminds me - how great are Roald Dahl's short stories?) - gripped me, but this particular combination of fantasy and short story left me feeling a bit s More...
Jan 18, 2010
Nicole
rated it:
This is a short story collection. I'll admit I picked it for the cover. It looked interesting and provocative.
It's just... weird. And that's not a compliment in this case.
It's like dreams brought on by bad digestion. Surreal and unresolved. Glimpses of artistic landscapes constructed 'just because' - but without the emotional or even logical resonance to call them fine art.
I feel like I'm looking at a painting that I just don't get.
I should. Everything points to ele More...
It's just... weird. And that's not a compliment in this case.
It's like dreams brought on by bad digestion. Surreal and unresolved. Glimpses of artistic landscapes constructed 'just because' - but without the emotional or even logical resonance to call them fine art.
I feel like I'm looking at a painting that I just don't get.
I should. Everything points to ele More...
Mar 24, 2008
Emily
rated it:
Much like Black Juice, this is a collection of intellectual, beautifully-written, dark, and obscure stories that stretch the boundaries of fantasy, horror, and magical realism. It seems to me (though I’m not certain) that it deals more explicitly with religious themes than Black Juice did; “A Feather in the Breast of God” and “Under Hell, Over Heaven” deal with different visions of the afterlife, while “Mouse Maker” and “Forever Upward” take on the sociology of religion.
These are sto More...
These are sto More...
Nov 12, 2009
Tracy
rated it:
This might be the most original thing I've ever read. I grabbed it because it looked like it might have some creepy Halloweenish stories in it, it was not at all what I expected. I want to try some more short story collections now, because it's such a different way to tell a story. These were unsettling stories, not ghosty, just incredibly imaginative and otherworldly. Very, very different.
Jul 25, 2010
Miffy
rated it:
Margo Lanagan's Red Spikes is an extraordinary collection of short stories. Always interesting, often controversial, Lanagan does the reader no favours, often dropping right into the middle of a story and just expecting you to catch up.
Often, when you read a short story collection, the works can be patchy and inconsistent. That just doesn't happen here. Each story is gold.
Often, when you read a short story collection, the works can be patchy and inconsistent. That just doesn't happen here. Each story is gold.
Jul 06, 2011
Astrid
rated it:
There are very few authors that I will say this of:
I wish I could write like her.
I have other favourite authors (we all know how hard it is to choose), but Lanagan is one of only two that I think this about. A unique style is one of the things I strive for in my own writing, but if one day in the future when I'm a published author someone compares me to Margo Lanagan, I will die happy.
So anyway, if you need another reason to read ANYTHING by Margo Lanagan, I don' More...
I wish I could write like her.
I have other favourite authors (we all know how hard it is to choose), but Lanagan is one of only two that I think this about. A unique style is one of the things I strive for in my own writing, but if one day in the future when I'm a published author someone compares me to Margo Lanagan, I will die happy.
So anyway, if you need another reason to read ANYTHING by Margo Lanagan, I don' More...
Mar 19, 2009
Abby
rated it:
Overall, not as arresting a collection as "Black Juice," but there's some showstoppers here -- "Winkie" and "Under Hell, Over Heaven" come to mind. If I ever wanted to scare someone into believing in Christianity, I'd just make them read that last story -- Lanagan's description of Limbo puts a dull aching fear in your chest that doesn't end when the story's over.
I really like how she tells you about the inspirations for her stories in the acknowledgment More...
I really like how she tells you about the inspirations for her stories in the acknowledgment More...
Dec 31, 2010
Kristen
rated it:
What do you get when you browse the library shelves. (As if you needed to - your TBR pile might avalanche and kill you.) You get a really strange collection of short stories. I tried one. It was weird. I started the second. I just couldn't jump in for 9 more stories of weirdness. Gave up.
Jan 25, 2009
One word. WEIRD. I only read the first short story, that was enough for me. It didn't make any sense to me at all. That's what I get for picking up a book in the YA section at the library without reading what it's about first. I would not recommend this book to anyone.
Feb 07, 2009
Jennifer
rated it:
Finally got around to reading this today. Like her other books of stories, it's a quick read. I thought it was weaker than the other two, but still worth reading for the ideas and the way she uses words. My favorite story of hers is still "Singing My Sister Down", which is just incredible -- that's in her _Black Juice_ collection, if anyone who's reading this wants to know..
Dec 16, 2008
Alia
rated it:
I want to like Lanagan's writing. Everyone else seems to wholeheartedly agree that she is really good. But as with Black Juice, I found I just couldn't get into most of the stories.
Jul 26, 2011
Fabulous, creepy, disturbing, thought-provoking...all-around excellent short stories! I love her writing style and use of language. This is another fantastic collection from a very talented author.
Dec 08, 2009
Roby
rated it:
One thing Lanagan does do very well in these stories is "show don't tell". In most of the stories, the narrator speaks as if we already know the rules of their world, rather than explaining, and the reader must figure things out through context.
Oct 06, 2011
Sc
rated it:
Individually the stories are very good - but they are all very much in the same tone so reading a whole book's worth becomes tedious.
Aug 29, 2010
Shivering William
rated it:
These stories rip you upside-down, tear off all your clothes and then ask you what the hell you're going to do about it. Don't like that? Stay away from this book.
