February 2021 monthly read: Mark Valentine/John Howard's The Collected Connoisseur

[Adriane]

Because we have read a short story collection in February, I will nominate 3 novels:
- The Ghost Wall, by Sarah Moss (Farrar, Straus & Giroux)
- Revenants, by Daniel Mills (Chomu Press)
- Legionnaire, by C. E. Ward (Sarob Press)

[Marie-Therese]

Bill wrote: ""The Descent of the Fire" is a rather pulp-y take on folk horror. I could certainly make room in my house for some of those matchboxes. Good fun conclusion to the collection."
I, too, really enjoyed 'The Descent of Fire'. Definitely one of my favourites in this collection. I love the eccentricity of the academics in many of these stories-gives some of the stories an almost Jamesian feel.

Overall, I thought this was a very good collection with some absolutely outstanding stories and just a few that weren't really my thing but clearly appealing to others. I look forward to exploring other work by both of these authors.

[Ronald]

I enjoyed “The Descent if Fire”. It’s an occult thriller and I found it funny at times. While reading it I thought of the Hammer horror movies. I think this story would be a good one for a movie adaptation.

I’ll put up a review of the book in a few days.

[Nancy]

Ronald wrote: "I enjoyed “The Descent if Fire”. It’s an occult thriller and I found it funny at times. While reading it I thought of the Hammer horror movies. I think this story would be a good one for a movie ad..."

It was a perfect story to end the book, for sure.

[Nancy]

I loved this book. Then again, I am a huge fan and lover of stories that are, as Mark Valentine says in the introduction, of "the wondrous, the spectral and the aesthetical."

[Bill]

Poll is up:
https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/2...

Please vote by Friday 3/5. Reminder: if you vote for a book and it wins, you are committing to participating in the discussion.

[mark]

Quite behind on this as I paused on reading any book for a week or so, while visiting family. But about halfway through now. Still enjoying these little trifles full of buttery prose, delicious to the taste but rather insubstantial. Clearly I liked your metaphor, Marie-Therese! In general I'm enchanted by wispy stories that hint at strange gateways and celestial confluences but don't make anything too palpable because that would mean a lessening of the lightly decadent and mordant tone.

Unfortunately, I didn't care at all for "The Hesperian Dragon" as its relentlessly arch humor was much too much for me. However I did love the ideas at the heart of "Cafe Lucifer" (Cubist building that functions as a portal) and "The Craft of Arioch" (rocking-beasties that transport their riders to another dimension). My favorite in the collection so far is the very atmospheric "The Prince of Barlocco". Is the prince supposed to be Herne the Hunter? So intriguing.

[Bill]

Last call to vote on March's (not so secret poll):
https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/2...