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hc7's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Misogyny, Torture, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Gore, Misogyny, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Classism
Minor: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, and Alcohol
Short story collection. Graphic animal cruelty and deaths in "The Squaw" and "The Dualists"wextra's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Dracula's Guest - I know it's disappointing to many to not be a vampire tale on par with Stoker’s larger tome but this is a fantastic little story that serves as an entertaining prequel to the larger novel, even being effective as a starting point for a new reader before ever tackling Stoker’s classic. 3.5/5
The Judge’s House - A great horrifying ghost story prominently featuring rats, this one was quite a gem packed away in this collection and shockingly not adapted in any form elsewhere. 3.75/5
The Squaw - Extremely gory little tale of natural revenge with a most detestable character that it is enjoyable to see meet his end. The first pulpy story in this collection, Stoker's prose elevates a very grotesque ironic tale that feels right out of an issue of classic EC comics and in fact was adapted into an issue of Warren Publishing’s Creepy in 1965. 3.5/5
The Secret of the Growing Gold - Pretty paint by numbers ghost story taking from numerous other tales for inspiration. 1.5/5
The Gipsy Prophecy - From literally the title, Stoker’s racism towards the Romani comes through just as much as it did in Otherwise, it's a very generic prophecy story with a twist ending, although refreshingly not the usual one for this kind of story. 1.5/5
The Coming of Abel Behenna - Nothing story about infidelity and betrayal. Extremely weak overall. 1/5
The Burial of the Rats - Intense chase tale that manages to keep the run going for a long time while being entertaining throughout. Easily one of the best stories in the collection. 3.5/5
A Dream of Red Hands - Beautiful, if short, story about a man haunted by his past and the friend who sees him through it in all intimacy. Definitely a standout in this collection despite its short length. 3.5/5
Crooken Sands - Entertaining psychological horror tale considering the idea of the doppelgänger with several entertaining twists throughout. A more comedic story at times but definitely an enjoyable one. 3.25/5
The Judge’s House - A great horrifying ghost story prominently featuring rats, this one was quite a gem packed away in this collection and shockingly not adapted in any form elsewhere. 3.75/5
The Squaw - Extremely gory little tale of natural revenge with a most detestable character that it is enjoyable to see meet his end. The first pulpy story in this collection, Stoker's prose elevates a very grotesque ironic tale that feels right out of an issue of classic EC comics and in fact was adapted into an issue of Warren Publishing’s Creepy in 1965. 3.5/5
The Secret of the Growing Gold - Pretty paint by numbers ghost story taking from numerous other tales for inspiration. 1.5/5
The Gipsy Prophecy - From literally the title, Stoker’s racism towards the Romani comes through just as much as it did in Otherwise, it's a very generic prophecy story with a twist ending, although refreshingly not the usual one for this kind of story. 1.5/5
The Coming of Abel Behenna - Nothing story about infidelity and betrayal. Extremely weak overall. 1/5
The Burial of the Rats - Intense chase tale that manages to keep the run going for a long time while being entertaining throughout. Easily one of the best stories in the collection. 3.5/5
A Dream of Red Hands - Beautiful, if short, story about a man haunted by his past and the friend who sees him through it in all intimacy. Definitely a standout in this collection despite its short length. 3.5/5
Crooken Sands - Entertaining psychological horror tale considering the idea of the doppelgänger with several entertaining twists throughout. A more comedic story at times but definitely an enjoyable one. 3.25/5
Graphic: Animal death, Gore, Racial slurs, and Murder