Book Review: Daughter of Hounds, We Have Always Lived in the Castle, Was, From the Dust Returned

I have been reading while playing Sims 3, which is a double-edged business: yay reading books, boo rising stack of unreviewed finished novels. I haven't the energy or willpower to write three-paragraph reviews for each of those, but I think I can manage a quick paragraph for each. Ergo, I present: micro-reviews, by Juu-standards.

Title: Daughter of Hounds
Author: Caitlín R. Kiernan (greygirlbeast)
Published: New York: Roc, 2007
Rating: 4 of 5
Page Count: 431
Total Page Count: 82,595
Text Number: 236
Read Because: fan of the author, borrowed from the library
Short Review: Soldier is a Child of the Cuckoo, stolen from the crib to be raised as a human servant to the ghouls; Emmie Silvey is a strange, yellow-eyed girl plagued by visions. The ghouls are threatened by an outside force, and now Solider and Emmie will come together in a looping road of intrigue and secrets. Ultimately this book has a simple premise, but its winding, looping storytelling complicates both the plot and the writing. Sometimes this style can be frustrating (many scenes end just on the brink of a big reveal), but most of the time it works: the reader is drawn into the mystery and the twisting plot always has a surprise in store. The looping storyline also allows for plentiful characterization, and so despite its otherworldy themes this novel feels realistic and alive. Daughter of Hounds is not my favorite Keirnan novel (that honor belongs to Threshold), but it is another strong offering by a skilled author. I recommend it.

Review posted here on Amazon.com.


Title: We Have Always Lived in the Castle
Author: Shirley Jackson
Published: New York: Penguin Books, 2006 (1962)
Rating: 5 of 5
Page Count: 146
Total Page Count: 82,741
Text Number: 237
Read Because: reading gothic novels, purchased from Borders
Short Review: Sisters Merricat and Constance live isolated in their family home, ostracized by the town, their entire family dead—until a cousin comes to visit, endangering their way of life and shoving their secrets into the open. It's impossible to completely convey my passion for this book: I loved every moment of reading it, from the first paragraph down to the final page, and I cannot recommend it enough. Unexpectedly atmospheric, rich with dark humor, and rendering larger-than-life figures with empathy and subtlety, Castle turns many gothic tropes on their head while remaining a rich contribution to the genre. At once a delightfully dark investigation of a family's skeletons in the closet and a perceptive study of normalcy and alienation, this is a vibrant, engaging, truly unique novel. It's become a personal favorite, and I recommend it with all enthusiasm.

Review posted here on Amazon.com.


Title: Was
Author: Geoff Ryman
Published: New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1992
Rating: 3 of 5
Page Count: 371
Total Page Count: 83,212
Text Number: 238
Read Because: mentioned by Cat Valente/yuki_onna, borrowed from the library
Short Review: From Dorothy as an abused orphan to Judy Garland as an isolated child star to a fan of the film dying of AIDS, Was retells the mythos of The Wizard of Oz from inspiration through the impact of the film, uniting disparate storylines in a winding study of fantasy, reality, and the nature of home. Objectively, this is a complex and thoughtful book: it reinvents the Oz mythos while staying faithful to its well-known themes and images, a combination with the potential to have a great impact on the reader. However, Was failed to have such an impact on me. I lack a personal connection to the Oz mythos, I found the number of storylines excessive, and I found the inclusion of identifiable Oz images (such as scarecrow, tin man, twister) sometimes arbitrary and undeveloped—in short, for a number of reasons, I admire what this book tried to do but I came away unimpressed. The book was still intriguing and readable, I simply didn't find it personally meaningful. Other readers may have a better response, and so I remain ambivalent about recommending Was. If it intrigues you, read it. If you have no particular love for Oz, skip it.

Review posted here on Amazon.com.


Title: From the Dust Returned
Author: Ray Bradbury
Published: New York: William Morrow, 2001
Rating: 3 of 5
Page Count: 204
Total Page Count: 83,416
Text Number: 239
Read Because: reading gothic novels, recommended at bookish, borrowed from the library
Short Review: Pulling a lifetime of short stories into one novel, From the Dust Returned is the story of one large, unusual, supernatural family which makes its home in a grand old house in the Midwest. The book begins with a promising combination of Halloween-esque figures and lush storytelling, but that's not enough to fill a book. The characters are intriguing, but they feel unrealistic; the lush language swiftly becomes repetitive; the plot eventually comes into itself but for the most part reflects too much of its short story origins. A chapter at a time, I could appreciate From the Dust Returned—but as an entire novel I felt like something was missing: something solid, concrete enough to sustain 200 pages of text. As a result I have a mixed reaction to this novel. I wanted to like it, and sometimes did, but I can't in good faith recommend it. Pick it up if you're interested, but consider the caveats: From the Dust Returned is intriguing but imperfect, and it's certainly not Bradbury's best work.

Review posted here on Amazon.com.


I'm pretty sure that I'm missing a few books which have no doubt lodged themselves in corners or under the bed—so perhaps more to come.