Author: Brendan Connell
Rating: 4.5 stars
Blurb (from Amazon):
Thirty-six cities. Thirty-six stories of obsession. From ancient Thebes to present day Berlin, these little portraits of humans superimposed on their suburban environment are corroding treats thrown together in a past-modern beaker, landmark tales of love in the metropolis. A round-the-world tour of craving and decadence.
Let me start by saying this book is the most bold I've read in a while. I liked that, I really did. It deals with a part of the human psyche that is very dark and taboo. While short, the story is in no way a "light read". The stories are short, yet compelling and well told.
This book is not for everyone. Don't get me wrong, everyone can try it. But some of the stories made me cringe or flinch at some point. Not all, just some. The stories don't linger too much on unnecessary details, which is very good, because it doesn't stray from it's purpose: showing the darker side of humans. I loved the different settings, because it gave more meaning to the idea that anyone, anywhere can have any type of obsession.
I also loved how the author managed to describe the feelings and emotion - both physical and psychological - of the main characters. Brendan Connell manages to get the reader inside the characters mind, making him feel the way the characters feel and maybe understand a little bit the nature of the obsession
I can't say it was the greatest book I've read this year, but I can say I loved it and I think anyone should at least try it. I can say it was the first fiction book I've read on this subject. I'm glad this was the first.
The book deserves 5 stars, but I felt the need for more on some of the stories. When I say more, I mean more exploration of some of the feelings of some characters, of some stories and obsessions. But I definitely loved this book.
This book is not for everyone. Don't get me wrong, everyone can try it. But some of the stories made me cringe or flinch at some point. Not all, just some. The stories don't linger too much on unnecessary details, which is very good, because it doesn't stray from it's purpose: showing the darker side of humans. I loved the different settings, because it gave more meaning to the idea that anyone, anywhere can have any type of obsession.
I also loved how the author managed to describe the feelings and emotion - both physical and psychological - of the main characters. Brendan Connell manages to get the reader inside the characters mind, making him feel the way the characters feel and maybe understand a little bit the nature of the obsession
I can't say it was the greatest book I've read this year, but I can say I loved it and I think anyone should at least try it. I can say it was the first fiction book I've read on this subject. I'm glad this was the first.
The book deserves 5 stars, but I felt the need for more on some of the stories. When I say more, I mean more exploration of some of the feelings of some characters, of some stories and obsessions. But I definitely loved this book.
