This Beautiful Darkness

by Chris Ringler

Thirteen dark short stories that whisper the forbidden secrets of the human heart. From the madness of a father showing his son how to kill, to the quiet desperation of a man trapped by love, to the horrible memories trapped within a haunted bed - these stories shine light into the places of the human condition rarely examined. But in the darkness there are monsters and things that want nothing more than to make sure the era of Man is soon to end. Here there be monsters, but sometimes the most terrifying monster of all is the one in the mirror.

176 pages, Paperback

First published June 23, 2009

Reviews

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me start by saying that I liked this book DESPITE it's many grammatical errors and mistakes because I'm a somewhat forgiving reader and able to overlook or get past those issues. If you can't or aren't willing to do the same, then you may not want to bother with this book.

There was also this blunder: In one of the stories the character is lost in thought remembering an abortion she almost had 15 years earlier. In the next paragraph the author says that what brings the character out of her trance-like remembrance is the crying of the baby. Well, if taken as it was written, there shouldn't be a baby... it should be a 14/15 year old child. So is the author telling us that she really did have the abortion and this is just another baby? It just didn't make sense.

However, I still liked this book because what makes the stories dark (and sometimes horrifying) is that many are reflective of real life darkness; issues that are very real in the everyday lives of people. Granted, there are a few stories here that concern supernatural things, but I must reiterate that what makes even those stories truly dark (and sometimes more upsetting) is the real life despair and pain of the characters. This book is depressing at times, but that is because the issues that many of these characters face are real - sometimes internal turmoil, sometimes external. But the external is always representative of that internal conflict. And like it's title, sometimes the darkness is beautiful.

[J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

What makes the stories in this collection dark (and sometimes horrifying) is that many are reflective of real life darkness. Many are, in actuality, issues that are very real in the everyday lives of people. There are a few stories here that concern supernatural things, but I must reiterate that what makes even those stories truly dark (and sometimes more upsetting) is the real life despair and pain of the characters. One may find some of the stories depressing but that is because the issues that many of these characters face are real issues we all face. Sometimes there is internal turmoil, sometimes external. And, like it's title, sometimes the darkness is beautiful... especially when written as eloquently as some of these pieces are.