I finished reading Some of Your Blood by Theodore Sturgeon yesterday.Wow.
The book is written in fragments, semi-epistolary. I struggled through the first third because it was a narrative written by a semi-literate man. (the grammar was atrocious)
I'm glad I did. Since I've started writing, I've scared myself with what my mind was able to conceive, but only on rare occasions. Horror fiction doesn't scare me as it did when I was a child--it doesn't make me look around and put the book down and hope everything is going to be okay.
I felt that way again in a couple of places while reading Some of Your Blood. Without setting off too many spoilers, let me just say the end of the book struck me like no other since I Am Legend; it was just that good.
Some of Your Blood isn't for the casual horror fan. I understand why it isn't more widely read. I'm not even sure some would consider it horror in the popular sense of the term. But if you like to think--if you like a book that makes you go back and reread some passages because of their sheer power, go for it. Be patient. This one avoids cheep scares for deeper, longer lasting discomfort. I promise that you'll think about it after you're done reading.
6 comments:
It is always nice to find a book that genuinely surprises us and inspires with its attention to detail and originality. I hope the next book you read is half as good.
Oooh...going on my To Read list!
That sounds like exactly the kind of thing I'd enjoy. Thanks a lot for that rec, it's now on the to-buy list.
I think scaring yourself is a huge win...it means not only did you write a scary story, but your characters/scenarios are playing out in ways that you didn't expect in advance.
If I wasn't reading a book for review purposes, I'm not sure I would have struggled through the first third.
Every book I read now, I do reviews for so I may have gotten through it, although I have read two books in the last year which I struggled with and ended up just putting away.
If it pops up on our reviewers list, I'll see if I can grab it. Not sure I'd go out and buy a book that has been reviewed as slow to start with though - regardless of the benefits of working your way through the bad bits.
Adding it to the list. thanks!
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