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Black Tea and Other Tales
Includes three horror short Black Tea (Ellen Datlow Honorable Mention 2014), Crocodiles and The Janara, by the Italian horror writer Samuel Marolla. English translation by Andrew Tanzi, English editing by the Bram Stoker Awards winner Benjamin Kane Ethridge, introduction by Bram Stoker Awards winner, Gene O'Neill ( A box of lovely dark chocolate). Samuel Marolla's stories are different as for atmosphere, setting and use of the supernatural, and they offer a complete overview of the author's writing. The three stories are linked by a thin common thread, which after passing through the palate, runs through all the senses. The Black Tea horror has the flavour of a mysterious tea, of a haunted wine and of an alchemical cocktail of milk and blood. Something undoubtedly unique, original and terrible.
- GenresHorrorShort Stories
59 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 25, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 28, 2022
There are three stories here, and they are all good, but the strongest is the title story.
Black Tea opens with a confused man wandering the pathways of a strange mansion. He finds a note in his pocket telling him the old woman who owns the house is trying to kill him and two remaining men. The objective is simple, but incredibly appealing, can he survive and find a way out of Grandma's house? Grandma is enticingly charming, smiling and offering black tea, but pure evil, a terrifying creation. The house, the Villa Bartoli, plays a dark and twisted part also, it has been designed by her dead husband, with windowless hallways are a maze of crimson carpets, and seemingly bleeding arabesque wallpaper.
The second story is Crocodile, which tells of William Fiorucci, a thin, divorced alcoholic journalist living in Milan above an aging prostitute in his Mother’s flat. A long-retired, one-eyed mobster, gives Fiorucci a bottle of his homemade wine in gratitude for not writing a piece that would have tarnished his granddaughter’s reputation. The wine makes dreams, and nightmares come to life.
In The Janara an unseen spirit visits an adolescent boy. The boy refers to her, perhaps in hope, as 'she', and conjures up disturbing descriptions for her. He must follow the rules she makes if he is to survive, as he clutches to his teddy bear, keep the sheets pulled up, and don't make a sound.
Black Tea opens with a confused man wandering the pathways of a strange mansion. He finds a note in his pocket telling him the old woman who owns the house is trying to kill him and two remaining men. The objective is simple, but incredibly appealing, can he survive and find a way out of Grandma's house? Grandma is enticingly charming, smiling and offering black tea, but pure evil, a terrifying creation. The house, the Villa Bartoli, plays a dark and twisted part also, it has been designed by her dead husband, with windowless hallways are a maze of crimson carpets, and seemingly bleeding arabesque wallpaper.
The second story is Crocodile, which tells of William Fiorucci, a thin, divorced alcoholic journalist living in Milan above an aging prostitute in his Mother’s flat. A long-retired, one-eyed mobster, gives Fiorucci a bottle of his homemade wine in gratitude for not writing a piece that would have tarnished his granddaughter’s reputation. The wine makes dreams, and nightmares come to life.
In The Janara an unseen spirit visits an adolescent boy. The boy refers to her, perhaps in hope, as 'she', and conjures up disturbing descriptions for her. He must follow the rules she makes if he is to survive, as he clutches to his teddy bear, keep the sheets pulled up, and don't make a sound.
February 23, 2018
This book was a collection of 3 short stories. Overall, the author's writing style is very rough. I'm reminded of Stephen King a la Carrie. With some editing and effort, I think this author could improve as Stephen King has over the years. However, this author pretty clearly has issues with women and seemed really focused on race (and wallpaper?). Also, the plots seemed very derivative.
The Janara was the only story of the bunch that held it's own (earning an extra star for my rating). Black Tea seemed jumbled and aimless. Crocodiles had a slightly more interesting character (if unlikable, similar to Tropic of Cancer), but the plot reeked of Deathnote fandom and the dialogue as well as the plot became repetitive (note to self: a character who says "heavens to murgatroyd" should be murdered shortly after his/her introduction).
The Janara was the only story of the bunch that held it's own (earning an extra star for my rating). Black Tea seemed jumbled and aimless. Crocodiles had a slightly more interesting character (if unlikable, similar to Tropic of Cancer), but the plot reeked of Deathnote fandom and the dialogue as well as the plot became repetitive (note to self: a character who says "heavens to murgatroyd" should be murdered shortly after his/her introduction).
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June 14, 2024Man, Italy sounds terrifying. Imagine if it were real!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews