Books of Blood: Volumes One to Three (Books of Blood, #1-3) in The Complete Idiots Guide to the Ultimate Reading List

Oct 26, 2010 Lisa (Harmonybites) rated it did not like it

Shelves: ultimate-reading-list, fiction, horror, short-stories, contemporary, fantasy

This is an anthology of 16 horror short stories and novellas, ranging from around 4,000 to 17,000 words. Such anthologies generally sell poorly, but I'm a fan of the well-turned short story, and in fact feel there are several authors out there whose short pieces are more impressive than their novels--Stephen King for one. You have to really have talent though to make an anthology solely of one author's stories worthwhile. There has to be something that shines in terms of style, voice, or really This is an anthology of 16 horror short stories and novellas, ranging from around 4,000 to 17,000 words. Such anthologies generally sell poorly, but I'm a fan of the well-turned short story, and in fact feel there are several authors out there whose short pieces are more impressive than their novels--Stephen King for one. You have to really have talent though to make an anthology solely of one author's stories worthwhile. There has to be something that shines in terms of style, voice, or really memorable twists. Stephen King has that--try Everything's Eventual. Gerri Leen has that. Try her Life Without Crows. Barker doesn't.

I tried all the shorts in the first volume of Books of Blood and didn't want to read more. Anthologies open with their strongest story usually, but the short that opens and gives the title to this book, "The Book of Blood" is an unremarkable haunted house story.

I outright disliked the second story, "The Midnight Meat Train," set in the subways of New York City surrounding a serial killer. I'm a native and resident of New York and it didn't evoke my city for me. For one thing, there is no "Avenue of the Americas" subway line--"Avenue of the Americas is Sixth Avenue--there's a 7th Avenue line. Also, hiding under a subway seat? Maybe if you're a very small child. This one also contained a huge pet peeve. I hate it when a character is identified as Puerto Rican based on looks. I'm of Puerto Rican extraction--with cousins who are blond and blue-eyed and others who are black. You can't tell someone is Puerto Rican, rather than say Dominican, Cuban, Argentinian or that matter Italian by looking. And for more points on offensive stereotypes front, the Puerto Rican has a fancy knife in his possession, cuz you know, we're all supposed to carry them...

The story "The Yattering and Jack," about a demon trying to gain a soul, did strike a welcome note of humor, but didn't strike me as all that clever. Ditto the grotesque "Pig Blood Blues" with its sow, the predictable "Sex, Death and Sunshine" centered on a theater company and the rather silly "In the Hills, the Cities" set in Yugoslavia.

Lots of gratuitous and graphic sex and gore here as befits the author and director of Hellraiser if that's your sort of thing. It's not mine. ...more

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