L.S. Popovich's Blog, page 10

Review of Cocteau’s Invitation by Erik Martiny

This was unexpected and slightly uncalled for You know those Yorgos Lanthimos movies. This is a little like that. You ask yourself, wait, what? But you keep reading. This is a meta narrative that starts out as a typical literary pseudo-romance, featuring the creepy narrator going after a too-young student, somehow succeeding, introducing the reader […]

Review of Why I Married a Clown Girl From the Dimension of Death by Carlton Mellick III

Another bizarro novella from Carlton Mellick, who is nearing his 70th book. This was, like a few previous ones, an un-subtle commentary on society through the fantasy lens of clown-people invading from another dimension. It tackles questions of xenophobia, homelessness, and the current destruction of natural resources, the family unit, sex, love, marriage, fatherhood, and […]

Review of You Always Try to Kill Me in Your Dreams by Carlton Mellick III

Solid storytelling in this novella, with some slasher concepts a la Nightmare on Elm St. His books of late have all had a Goosebumps for Adults vibe, which is not a disparagement. In YATTKMIYD, CM3 satirizes the distinctly American college-age pursuit of perpetual drunkenness. He is a good writer in my opinion not because of […]

Review of Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind

A dense and sensual exploration of human nature.  Wish fulfillment. A super-antihero novel.Our antihero smells everything it is possible to smell, was born to make perfume, and defines his own morality in the manner of a classical Übermensch. His journey through the underbelly of French society was poignant, and very aromatic. The language was frilly […]

Review of The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

Listened to the audiobook. No idea how to spell the names of any characters.  The narrative was compelling, though the second person perspective sections felt unnecessary. Earth-based magic system, caste systems, dystopian world, social commentary. This kind of complex world-building almost makes me want to take a break and go back to reading Golden Age […]

Review of L.A. Requiem by Robert Crais

I listened to Crais speak at a conference. Quite the storyteller.  His prose is reminiscent of Elmore Leonard. Same with the pacing and the subject matter. To look at his covers you might immediately think “Michael Crichton” or “Michael Connelly” or something. But judging from my first foray into his noir series, his work is […]

Review of Abel and Cain by Gregor von Rezzori

Another book about a writer writing a book. How many literary novels and works of literature are simply compilations of writers’ notebooks full of ramblings?  In the same style as William Gass’s The Tunnel, Abel and Cain is cobbled together from literary fragments and disparate scenes, some of which seem totally random and others of […]

Review of Glass Children by Carlton Mellick III

A book to finish in one sitting. One with a purposely transparent message.  CM3 airs a lot of grievances about today’s generation gaps, while lobbying for some semblance of understanding between divided Americans. He includes a bloodbath for the sake of the Bizarro label. It seems more like an episode of Black Mirror though, than […]

Review of When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill

I picked up this book because Cat Valente mentioned it in an interview. I admit the premise intrigued me.  The style was easy to read but in my opinion, not innovative or eccentric enough for my liking. There is nothing wrong with a conventional style, but as I listened to the audiobook, I could not […]

Review of The Appearance of Death to a Hindu Woman by Rick Harsch

This is the 2nd book set in India Rick Harsch wrote, and after finishing it, I am eager to read the other one, called Arjun and the Good Snake. This is a story of an American making his way from Madras to Calcutta and journeying through surrounding areas, mostly on trains or by autorickshaw or […]