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The Sofa
Kafkaesque slow-burn domestic horror from a master of the uncanny.
Mr. Montessori and his family return home from a trip to the beach to discover that their sofa is different. Once dark and contemporary, it’s now antique, green and yellow, and smelling faintly of damp. Its appearance and origins are a mystery. A joke? An inverted theft? A break in the fabric of reality? Yes, the police take the “crime” seriously. But what happens next lies outside their expertise. Strange sounds in the night. A half-bathroom toilet with a mind of its own. Odd, fleeting glimpses of something (or someone) in mirrors. The inexplicable vision of Montessori’s...he swears he saw a burglar...
Montessori’s quest for answers will take him to a dank highway overpass in decayed upstate New York, a very strange dry-cleaning supply concern in outermost Queens, and into the depths of an eerie, warped forest where time and space no longer connect, all while putting his ever-more-troubled marriage and young family in grave danger. But that’s what it costs to find out if we own our possessions—or if they own us.
Munson emerges as a master stylist in this tense, taut work of surreal humor and psychological horror.
Mr. Montessori and his family return home from a trip to the beach to discover that their sofa is different. Once dark and contemporary, it’s now antique, green and yellow, and smelling faintly of damp. Its appearance and origins are a mystery. A joke? An inverted theft? A break in the fabric of reality? Yes, the police take the “crime” seriously. But what happens next lies outside their expertise. Strange sounds in the night. A half-bathroom toilet with a mind of its own. Odd, fleeting glimpses of something (or someone) in mirrors. The inexplicable vision of Montessori’s...he swears he saw a burglar...
Montessori’s quest for answers will take him to a dank highway overpass in decayed upstate New York, a very strange dry-cleaning supply concern in outermost Queens, and into the depths of an eerie, warped forest where time and space no longer connect, all while putting his ever-more-troubled marriage and young family in grave danger. But that’s what it costs to find out if we own our possessions—or if they own us.
Munson emerges as a master stylist in this tense, taut work of surreal humor and psychological horror.
4 pages, Audio CD
First published November 11, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 144 reviews
April 13, 2026
A family finds their sofa has been replaced by a completely different one, and things only get weirder from there.
I honestly had to check so many times to confirm this wasn’t a translated book, because it feels uncanny in the way books coming from a totally different culture often do. I mean that as a compliment, by the way. In a publishing landscape when new releases can feel very similar to one another, this novel is definitely one of a kind. It’s experimental and bizarre in the best way. If you’re looking for genre horror full of gore and shocking twists, this is probably not the book for you. But if you love a creeping sense of confusion and unease, you’re going to adore this one.
I honestly had to check so many times to confirm this wasn’t a translated book, because it feels uncanny in the way books coming from a totally different culture often do. I mean that as a compliment, by the way. In a publishing landscape when new releases can feel very similar to one another, this novel is definitely one of a kind. It’s experimental and bizarre in the best way. If you’re looking for genre horror full of gore and shocking twists, this is probably not the book for you. But if you love a creeping sense of confusion and unease, you’re going to adore this one.
December 9, 2025
This gave me some serious Tim Robinson's The Chair Company meets Franz Kafka. It was very absurd but it was totally up my alley! Who ever thinks about a couch going missing, not to mention it being replaced with an ugly old couch and then it.. is haunted? Honestly made me laugh out loud and the writing was so incredible I would have believed this to be an old classic if you told me so! Highly recommend, may be one of my favourites of the year. Thank you very much to the publisher via Edelweiss for providing my review copy in exchange for an honest review.
November 2, 2025
A weird little book. You should read it if you are looking for a weird little book. I hesitate to give it a genre or label beyond that because I don't think it is anything other than a weird little book. If that is what you are looking for, this book will hit the spot.
There is a creepy (haunted?) sofa. The weirdness in the book is quite effective. The prose is in a very flat style, it made me think of reading Kafka or Gogol. (Although have I really read that much Kafka? Or is this just what I imagine Kafka would read like?) This is quite short, but things also keep moving and there is enough of it that is familiar and real that the strange parts hit effectively.
There is a creepy (haunted?) sofa. The weirdness in the book is quite effective. The prose is in a very flat style, it made me think of reading Kafka or Gogol. (Although have I really read that much Kafka? Or is this just what I imagine Kafka would read like?) This is quite short, but things also keep moving and there is enough of it that is familiar and real that the strange parts hit effectively.
March 8, 2026
TW/CW: Language, drinking, animal death, anxiety, depression, grieving, abuse of child, violence, blood
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
Mr. Montessori and his family return home from a trip to the beach to discover that their sofa is different. Once dark and contemporary, it’s now antique, green and yellow, and smelling faintly of damp. Its appearance and origins are a mystery. A joke? An inverted theft? A break in the fabric of reality? Yes, the police take the “crime” seriously. But what happens next lies outside their expertise. Strange sounds in the night. A half-bathroom toilet with a mind of its own. Odd, fleeting glimpses of something (or someone) in mirrors. The inexplicable vision of Montessori’s...he swears he saw a burglar...
Montessori’s quest for answers will take him to a dank highway overpass in decayed upstate New York, a very strange dry-cleaning supply concern in outermost Queens, and into the depths of an eerie, warped forest where time and space no longer connect, all while putting his ever-more-troubled marriage and young family in grave danger. But that’s what it costs to find out if we own our possessions—or if they own us.
Release Date: -
Genre: magical realism/horror
Pages: 162
Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
What I Liked:
1. Writing style
2. Creepy moments
3. Interesting plot
What I Didn't Like:
1. Ending felt too rushed
Overall Thoughts:
{{Disclaimer: I write my review as I read}}
Final Thoughts:
This reminding me of the Airbnb story of the man that replaced the artwork in one of the rentals with another painting.
I do not think there was anyway she could bring the couch inside by herself without ripping the yard up or hurting herself. They said the couch was 5 feet long so it would take so long to do it if did.
I was creepied out every time he heard someone into the bathroom and no one there.
I really enjoyed this short novella. The writing style sucked me right in and the story had me completely weirded out. To just imagine coming home and there being a new couch in your living room and then destroying the couch, but a man being in it's place - absolutely terrifying!
I was bothered by the ending. I feel like the author rushed through it after the big build up we read. I just wanted/needed more.
IG | Blog
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
Mr. Montessori and his family return home from a trip to the beach to discover that their sofa is different. Once dark and contemporary, it’s now antique, green and yellow, and smelling faintly of damp. Its appearance and origins are a mystery. A joke? An inverted theft? A break in the fabric of reality? Yes, the police take the “crime” seriously. But what happens next lies outside their expertise. Strange sounds in the night. A half-bathroom toilet with a mind of its own. Odd, fleeting glimpses of something (or someone) in mirrors. The inexplicable vision of Montessori’s...he swears he saw a burglar...
Montessori’s quest for answers will take him to a dank highway overpass in decayed upstate New York, a very strange dry-cleaning supply concern in outermost Queens, and into the depths of an eerie, warped forest where time and space no longer connect, all while putting his ever-more-troubled marriage and young family in grave danger. But that’s what it costs to find out if we own our possessions—or if they own us.
Release Date: -
Genre: magical realism/horror
Pages: 162
Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
What I Liked:
1. Writing style
2. Creepy moments
3. Interesting plot
What I Didn't Like:
1. Ending felt too rushed
Overall Thoughts:
{{Disclaimer: I write my review as I read}}
Final Thoughts:
This reminding me of the Airbnb story of the man that replaced the artwork in one of the rentals with another painting.
I do not think there was anyway she could bring the couch inside by herself without ripping the yard up or hurting herself. They said the couch was 5 feet long so it would take so long to do it if did.
I was creepied out every time he heard someone into the bathroom and no one there.
I really enjoyed this short novella. The writing style sucked me right in and the story had me completely weirded out. To just imagine coming home and there being a new couch in your living room and then destroying the couch, but a man being in it's place - absolutely terrifying!
I was bothered by the ending. I feel like the author rushed through it after the big build up we read. I just wanted/needed more.
IG | Blog
May 17, 2025
So long haunted house horror. Say hello to haunted couch horror!
I was so stoked to land a copy of this one. I've been a fan of Two Dollar Radio for a long time and this book just screams "read me"!
A man and his family return home from a day at the beach to find that their couch has been replaced by a smaller, slightly musty one. No signs of forced entry. Nothing else stolen or broken. Just... the couch. The incident and the strange, smelly couch wholly unsettle the man but his wife and two sons don't seem to mind much, especially once the police report has been made and a new couch is on backorder. And they also don't seem to notice the random flushing of the toilet and the faucet turning on in the downstairs bathroom when no one is in there, and they don't appear to be haunted by peripheral glimpses of a man with a bowler hat and glasses and a bushy mustache, either. But he does and he is. And he's worried he's losing his shittin' mind.
I read this in one sitting you guys, it was just so unsettlingly fun. I mean imagine it, the place you were the most comfortable, where you stretched out, kicked back and relaxed, now no longer feels safe, but begins to feel malevolent and malicious.
The tight prose and mental mind fucking really gets under your skin. Psychological horror with possessed furniture? Hell yeah, sign me up. Just promise me you'll leave my couch out of it!
Also, can we talk about how fabulous that cover is?!?
I was so stoked to land a copy of this one. I've been a fan of Two Dollar Radio for a long time and this book just screams "read me"!
A man and his family return home from a day at the beach to find that their couch has been replaced by a smaller, slightly musty one. No signs of forced entry. Nothing else stolen or broken. Just... the couch. The incident and the strange, smelly couch wholly unsettle the man but his wife and two sons don't seem to mind much, especially once the police report has been made and a new couch is on backorder. And they also don't seem to notice the random flushing of the toilet and the faucet turning on in the downstairs bathroom when no one is in there, and they don't appear to be haunted by peripheral glimpses of a man with a bowler hat and glasses and a bushy mustache, either. But he does and he is. And he's worried he's losing his shittin' mind.
I read this in one sitting you guys, it was just so unsettlingly fun. I mean imagine it, the place you were the most comfortable, where you stretched out, kicked back and relaxed, now no longer feels safe, but begins to feel malevolent and malicious.
The tight prose and mental mind fucking really gets under your skin. Psychological horror with possessed furniture? Hell yeah, sign me up. Just promise me you'll leave my couch out of it!
Also, can we talk about how fabulous that cover is?!?
March 15, 2026
"Everyone was looking at him. At him, at him. Not the motherfucker with the spectacles, the mustache, the spinning hat. The injustice was worse than the pain, than his dry, cavernous mouth."
Have you ever had an object in your house that you believed may have been haunted? I have, so this book was something I easily connected with. Well, to a point. But I think I’ve found my new favorite genre.
Wow! This was f**king wild. I don’t even know what to say because this had my mind working overtime. I didn’t know what was coming, didn’t know what the hell was happening, and I don’t even know what that ending was. I do know that I am kind of obsessed with this.
The way the Dad became possessed by this sofa was unbelievable and way out there but I couldn’t look away. I’m thoroughly impressed. I loved it.
Have you ever had an object in your house that you believed may have been haunted? I have, so this book was something I easily connected with. Well, to a point. But I think I’ve found my new favorite genre.
Wow! This was f**king wild. I don’t even know what to say because this had my mind working overtime. I didn’t know what was coming, didn’t know what the hell was happening, and I don’t even know what that ending was. I do know that I am kind of obsessed with this.
The way the Dad became possessed by this sofa was unbelievable and way out there but I couldn’t look away. I’m thoroughly impressed. I loved it.
December 15, 2025
incredibly dull for a novella about a haunted sofa
February 26, 2026
This is why you don’t trust second-hand furniture 🛋️
Read
November 19, 2025Billed as a "Kafkaesque, slow-burn, uncanny horror," I found little enjoyable in this book, sadly. The concept immediately hooked me: a man and his family return from a beach vacation to discover that their living room sofa has been replaced by another, alien piece of furniture, described in various hideous ways. (one of the most notable being "warm, like a dog's skin beneath its pelt") Odd stylistic choices echo throughout the book intentionally, but don't ever seem to add up to anything, merely existing for the sake of "being weird," unless I missed a clue somewhere, which feels unlikely. Repetitions of tertiary elements named "H— M—" spring up randomly. Repeated phrases ("cool, clinical gaze") occur at unpredictable intervals. A particular character intervenes at three distinct occasions, identifiable as the same character (despite different guises) via more repeated prose. It feels like Munson was trying to make a nod to a Mephistophelean dynamic here, but there's nothing else Faustian about this read whatsoever that I can determine.
In fact, everything that seemed intriguing at the outset is never explicated by the author—for example, though Munson names the protagonist's "oldest son" (Josep) he deliberately never gives the youngest son a name. Maybe this is done as some kind of psychological gesture to the protagonist's declining mental health, but there's not enough context to support any inquiry further into it, so it just seems like random affectation on the author's part. In addition, the plot seems to manufacture a "Kafkaesque" environment by manipulating external contrivances to contravene any "realistic" attempts on the protagonists' part to removing the hideous piece of furniture from their lives, once it is clear that the sofa is the origin point of their woes. Deliveries are late, then cancelled. Hauling companies inexplicably overlook appointments. The family's dynamic seems to be slowly falling apart, with the father figure suffering a variety of maladies. It recalls other similar texts wherein one member of the family is tortured by inexplicable, existential horrors that the others cannot, or else refuse to acknowledge. This trope of slow alienation from the familiar usually points to a deeper psychological subtext, but here it felt more like a vague gesture in that general direction; using a similar framework, but not bothering to build its own edifice.
I was disappointed—Two Dollar Radio (the press) has also published Bennett Sims' work (which I find delightful, if slightly arch) and The Orange Eats Creeps (which I did not care for, but whose experimentalism I respected) by Grace Krilanovich. This short novel just feels like a stretched-out, amateurish version of a story by Robert Aickman. Aickman's pieces often have uncanny elements and bizarre events, but they always feel resonant under the surface, even if I can't quite grasp how. The Sofa is written in a uniformly terse fashion, and the syntax is rather staid, which made me impatient as I turned the deckled pages (SO deckled, in fact, that it made the paper physically difficult to grasp. I love physical aesthetic as much as the next person, but not when it impedes the actual task of reading.) Oddly, there's also a strange emphasis on the organic. Multiple mentions of defecation and urination speckle the plot, for seemingly no reason whatsoever, and usually in the form of a briefly-described odor. Despite this, the read is largely antiseptic, and leaves hardly any trace of itself on the psyche. (There is, however, a bit of graphically-described animal violence midway through, for those who are sensitive to such things.)
In another review here on Goodreads, it is mentioned that this book immediately reminded the reader of Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke by Eric LaRocca, as well as Acquired Taste by Clay McLeod Chapman. Nothing could be further from the truth, and makes me wonder if this reviewer even read this book, or if they just glanced at the synopsis of a "mundane object gone creepy" and based their so-called "analysis" on that. This review commits a number of sins—it is a splintered, confusing mess of run-on sentences, but it's also completely bizarre to me. LaRocca's prose is often so purple and bloated that it's as bruised as a serial onanist's tortured organ, whereas Munson's prose here is terse, clinical, and flat. I will say that said review does mention The Grip of It by Jac Jemc as a comparative to The Sofa, which I think approximates the feeling here, but absolutely nowhere in this text can be found anything even CLOSE to resembling Jemc's glittering, menace-filled prose, nor does it involve any of the literary legerdemain that Jemc employs in her constant shifting of perspectives. Here, we are limited entirely to the protagonist's viewpoint, and though the uncanny elements of the book are enjoyably creepy, they ultimately feel thin and insubstantial, dissipating by story's end like a foul smell on the breeze.
If you're a fast reader and just want something kinda weird as an amuse-bouche, you could do worse. But if you're looking for substance and not just style, I'd try a different furniture outlet.
In fact, everything that seemed intriguing at the outset is never explicated by the author—for example, though Munson names the protagonist's "oldest son" (Josep) he deliberately never gives the youngest son a name. Maybe this is done as some kind of psychological gesture to the protagonist's declining mental health, but there's not enough context to support any inquiry further into it, so it just seems like random affectation on the author's part. In addition, the plot seems to manufacture a "Kafkaesque" environment by manipulating external contrivances to contravene any "realistic" attempts on the protagonists' part to removing the hideous piece of furniture from their lives, once it is clear that the sofa is the origin point of their woes. Deliveries are late, then cancelled. Hauling companies inexplicably overlook appointments. The family's dynamic seems to be slowly falling apart, with the father figure suffering a variety of maladies. It recalls other similar texts wherein one member of the family is tortured by inexplicable, existential horrors that the others cannot, or else refuse to acknowledge. This trope of slow alienation from the familiar usually points to a deeper psychological subtext, but here it felt more like a vague gesture in that general direction; using a similar framework, but not bothering to build its own edifice.
I was disappointed—Two Dollar Radio (the press) has also published Bennett Sims' work (which I find delightful, if slightly arch) and The Orange Eats Creeps (which I did not care for, but whose experimentalism I respected) by Grace Krilanovich. This short novel just feels like a stretched-out, amateurish version of a story by Robert Aickman. Aickman's pieces often have uncanny elements and bizarre events, but they always feel resonant under the surface, even if I can't quite grasp how. The Sofa is written in a uniformly terse fashion, and the syntax is rather staid, which made me impatient as I turned the deckled pages (SO deckled, in fact, that it made the paper physically difficult to grasp. I love physical aesthetic as much as the next person, but not when it impedes the actual task of reading.) Oddly, there's also a strange emphasis on the organic. Multiple mentions of defecation and urination speckle the plot, for seemingly no reason whatsoever, and usually in the form of a briefly-described odor. Despite this, the read is largely antiseptic, and leaves hardly any trace of itself on the psyche. (There is, however, a bit of graphically-described animal violence midway through, for those who are sensitive to such things.)
In another review here on Goodreads, it is mentioned that this book immediately reminded the reader of Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke by Eric LaRocca, as well as Acquired Taste by Clay McLeod Chapman. Nothing could be further from the truth, and makes me wonder if this reviewer even read this book, or if they just glanced at the synopsis of a "mundane object gone creepy" and based their so-called "analysis" on that. This review commits a number of sins—it is a splintered, confusing mess of run-on sentences, but it's also completely bizarre to me. LaRocca's prose is often so purple and bloated that it's as bruised as a serial onanist's tortured organ, whereas Munson's prose here is terse, clinical, and flat. I will say that said review does mention The Grip of It by Jac Jemc as a comparative to The Sofa, which I think approximates the feeling here, but absolutely nowhere in this text can be found anything even CLOSE to resembling Jemc's glittering, menace-filled prose, nor does it involve any of the literary legerdemain that Jemc employs in her constant shifting of perspectives. Here, we are limited entirely to the protagonist's viewpoint, and though the uncanny elements of the book are enjoyably creepy, they ultimately feel thin and insubstantial, dissipating by story's end like a foul smell on the breeze.
If you're a fast reader and just want something kinda weird as an amuse-bouche, you could do worse. But if you're looking for substance and not just style, I'd try a different furniture outlet.
November 17, 2025
Do you believe in the supernatural—in weird, bizarre "coincidences"?
In recent weeks, my daily walks would bring me upon old abandoned sofas out on the sidewalks—yes, I am completely aware that the book I'm about to review is a horror book titled "The Sofa."
I'm making connections here; don't sidetrack me.
I have been taking photos of these sofas sitting dejectedly on the curb. I'm sure the appearance of them probably has something to do with the fact that I live near a mid-size university and/or that it could be fall "large furniture" pickup days by the waste disposal companies. Whatever the reason, I feel that they are following me. I see them all of the time now and have been posting shots of them in my stories.
I have a photographic attraction to the decrepit; what can I say? I always have. There were many instances while photographing a wedding that I would put a beautiful bride in the most rundown, shabby location. I love that contrast of beauty and decay.
Returning to sofas—now that I've read this book and am collecting my thoughts for this post...well, I just don't know. Are they following me?
I think they knew I was going to read this book. This is how my brain works. I feel that things happen the way they do for a reason, whether the universe is trying to tell me something or not. No, I don't believe that inanimate objects are speaking to me, but could they? Why do we write stories about creepy things? Monsters? Aliens? The bizarre and strange? Let's look at the mind of just one person—Stephen King—a prolific horror author (and my personal fave). You know there is a lot of strange sh*t going on in that head. I feel sometimes, maybe not always, we are trying to make sense out of that which can't be known, which lies beyond reason. So we try to create that reason, because the "not knowing" is the part that is too much for our brains to comprehend. We NEED to know—even if it's terrifying.
I read The Sofa in a couple of days between, like, 50 other books I'm reading—it's short, thrilling, tense, and fast-paced. I enjoy a quick read, so as I was pulled into this, I could definitely appreciate the pacing. Our story is simple. A family, the Montessoris, return home from a day out to find their sofa has mysteriously been replaced with an antique eyesore; it is inundated with dilapidated cushions that are imbued with a musty smell and Addams Family vibes.
Mr. Montessori wants the sofa gone; he and Mrs. Montessori just want their old sofa back. After many phone calls and lots of hemming and hawing with various companies, the sofa must stay—for now. What transpires next is a descent into madness for Mr. Montessori. Odd happenings and strange coincidences involving his family and his house have him questioning his sanity. Is it the sofa that's causing all of this?
The author gives you just enough info throughout this story to keep reading; you yearn to understand what's happening, why it's happening, and what's causing all of the fuss. When I was younger, books like this would infuriate me. I didn't understand why the author couldn't just tell you everything. The unknown is the best part; now that I'm older, I understand and appreciate this. NOT KNOWING can leave so much up to your imagination, and an active imagination is the good stuff that goes on in the spaghetti noodles inside your head.
Thanks to The Sofa, I'll be a little more wary of my run-ins with sofas on the street. I won't shy away from them; it's just a sofa after all. What harm could it cause? (Possibly thinks Mr. Montessori as well at the beginning of this story.) But I will let my imagination run wild when I see them. Thanks, Sam Munson, for putting ideas in my head.
11/5/25 : 3.5 Stars
Was a little repetitive, but definitely tense and thriller-ish in premise and plot progression. I was a tad confused at times, thinking certain things had more meaning than that which was ever revealed, but that's probably the beauty of this type of book—what is not said and left up to speculation. It's both the best type of scenario and utterly maddening at the same time.
Many thanks to Two Dollar Radio for an ebook ARC in exchange for my honest review. I did enjoy it!
In recent weeks, my daily walks would bring me upon old abandoned sofas out on the sidewalks—yes, I am completely aware that the book I'm about to review is a horror book titled "The Sofa."
I'm making connections here; don't sidetrack me.
I have been taking photos of these sofas sitting dejectedly on the curb. I'm sure the appearance of them probably has something to do with the fact that I live near a mid-size university and/or that it could be fall "large furniture" pickup days by the waste disposal companies. Whatever the reason, I feel that they are following me. I see them all of the time now and have been posting shots of them in my stories.
I have a photographic attraction to the decrepit; what can I say? I always have. There were many instances while photographing a wedding that I would put a beautiful bride in the most rundown, shabby location. I love that contrast of beauty and decay.
Returning to sofas—now that I've read this book and am collecting my thoughts for this post...well, I just don't know. Are they following me?
I think they knew I was going to read this book. This is how my brain works. I feel that things happen the way they do for a reason, whether the universe is trying to tell me something or not. No, I don't believe that inanimate objects are speaking to me, but could they? Why do we write stories about creepy things? Monsters? Aliens? The bizarre and strange? Let's look at the mind of just one person—Stephen King—a prolific horror author (and my personal fave). You know there is a lot of strange sh*t going on in that head. I feel sometimes, maybe not always, we are trying to make sense out of that which can't be known, which lies beyond reason. So we try to create that reason, because the "not knowing" is the part that is too much for our brains to comprehend. We NEED to know—even if it's terrifying.
I read The Sofa in a couple of days between, like, 50 other books I'm reading—it's short, thrilling, tense, and fast-paced. I enjoy a quick read, so as I was pulled into this, I could definitely appreciate the pacing. Our story is simple. A family, the Montessoris, return home from a day out to find their sofa has mysteriously been replaced with an antique eyesore; it is inundated with dilapidated cushions that are imbued with a musty smell and Addams Family vibes.
Mr. Montessori wants the sofa gone; he and Mrs. Montessori just want their old sofa back. After many phone calls and lots of hemming and hawing with various companies, the sofa must stay—for now. What transpires next is a descent into madness for Mr. Montessori. Odd happenings and strange coincidences involving his family and his house have him questioning his sanity. Is it the sofa that's causing all of this?
The author gives you just enough info throughout this story to keep reading; you yearn to understand what's happening, why it's happening, and what's causing all of the fuss. When I was younger, books like this would infuriate me. I didn't understand why the author couldn't just tell you everything. The unknown is the best part; now that I'm older, I understand and appreciate this. NOT KNOWING can leave so much up to your imagination, and an active imagination is the good stuff that goes on in the spaghetti noodles inside your head.
Thanks to The Sofa, I'll be a little more wary of my run-ins with sofas on the street. I won't shy away from them; it's just a sofa after all. What harm could it cause? (Possibly thinks Mr. Montessori as well at the beginning of this story.) But I will let my imagination run wild when I see them. Thanks, Sam Munson, for putting ideas in my head.
11/5/25 : 3.5 Stars
Was a little repetitive, but definitely tense and thriller-ish in premise and plot progression. I was a tad confused at times, thinking certain things had more meaning than that which was ever revealed, but that's probably the beauty of this type of book—what is not said and left up to speculation. It's both the best type of scenario and utterly maddening at the same time.
Many thanks to Two Dollar Radio for an ebook ARC in exchange for my honest review. I did enjoy it!
September 30, 2025
Review in the October 2025 issue of Library Journal
Three Words The Describe This Book: Horror in the mundane, dark humor, intensely psychological
More words: uncanny, taut, surreal, extreme discomfort, Weird, absurd yet relatable, portrait of a man unravelling or is it truly supernatural, utterly terrifying.
Draft Review:
Munson’s surreal, darkly humorous, and intense psychological novella finds horror in the most basic of objects– the living-room couch. Mr. Montessori and his family return home from a long day at the beach to find their sofa has been swapped with a battered, smelly, green and yellow replacement. With no other signs of break-in or burglary, the family and police are stumped. Thus begins the tale of Mr Montessori’s mental unravelling. Told solely from his point of view, readers watch with extreme discomfort as every attempt get rid of it fails and the sofa begins to consume every aspect of Montessori’s life, Despite its absurdity, this taut, discomfiting, immersive read is very relatable; in fact, readers will be giving their own couches the side-eye for a while after finishing this one.
Verdict: For fans of horror that uses mundane objects to frame a story that holds the readers’ nervous system hostage, keeps them glued to the page (despite their instinct to look away) such as Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke by LaRocca, The Grip of It by Jamec, or the stories in Acquired Taste by Chapman.
Simple yet absurd premise for this novella (which is best read in as few sittings as possible)-- A family from Queens-- Mr Montessori the father and only narrator, wife, older son, and younger son-- comes home from a long day at the beach to find that their living room sofa is gone and has been replaced by an old, slightly smelly green and yellow sofa. Nothing else has been disturbed or taken.
Thus begins a psychological unraveling of Mr Montessori. As the sofa seems to take over his life. It causes him physical pain, the family cat is afraid of it, a tag with a strange name connects him to a man that keeps reappearing in his life.
The old couch is found early in the book by police. It has been "murdered" and dumped under a bridge. But that is just the beginning of Mr Montessori's obsession with getting rid of this interloper crunch.
This is the story of Mr Montessori's psychological unraveling. Literally we are watching him lose his mind. Or is he being manipulated by the sofa.
This is a story that holds the reader hostage and takes over their nervous system. The premise is absurd and yet you buy in and feel the terror in every part of your body. I could not read this sitting on a couch which is high praise for this book.
Seriously You will side eye your couch for days, maybe weeks after finishing this one.
I thought of a few books IMMEDIATELY while reading this. First, the terror of a haunted couch and the psychological unravelling of the protagonist because of it made me think of Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke by Eric LaRocca. In that case it is an apple peeler but the idea of what the author is doing though that mundane object is the same. LaRocca's story is way more intense and visceral, but the way they make you feel is similar.
Also THE GRIP OF IT by Jac Jemc one of my favorite house centered, psychological horror novels about a person unravelling. In this case it is the husband and the wife getting the POV. Also there is a weird neighbor situation in that one too.
And finally, Clay McLeod Chapman's latest release-- Aquired Taste is a short story collection where many of those stories doe what The Sofa does (and Chapman's are a little stronger over. some of that is because they are shorter so he captures what is best about the feeling without having to go on for longer) Chapman has a lot of stories that take something mundane and make it intensely psychologically upsetting-- ex baby carrots, a phone booth, a breast pump, SANTA! Same idea though.
Also Now You're One of Us by Nonami is a great paired readalike here as well.
Three Words The Describe This Book: Horror in the mundane, dark humor, intensely psychological
More words: uncanny, taut, surreal, extreme discomfort, Weird, absurd yet relatable, portrait of a man unravelling or is it truly supernatural, utterly terrifying.
Draft Review:
Munson’s surreal, darkly humorous, and intense psychological novella finds horror in the most basic of objects– the living-room couch. Mr. Montessori and his family return home from a long day at the beach to find their sofa has been swapped with a battered, smelly, green and yellow replacement. With no other signs of break-in or burglary, the family and police are stumped. Thus begins the tale of Mr Montessori’s mental unravelling. Told solely from his point of view, readers watch with extreme discomfort as every attempt get rid of it fails and the sofa begins to consume every aspect of Montessori’s life, Despite its absurdity, this taut, discomfiting, immersive read is very relatable; in fact, readers will be giving their own couches the side-eye for a while after finishing this one.
Verdict: For fans of horror that uses mundane objects to frame a story that holds the readers’ nervous system hostage, keeps them glued to the page (despite their instinct to look away) such as Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke by LaRocca, The Grip of It by Jamec, or the stories in Acquired Taste by Chapman.
Simple yet absurd premise for this novella (which is best read in as few sittings as possible)-- A family from Queens-- Mr Montessori the father and only narrator, wife, older son, and younger son-- comes home from a long day at the beach to find that their living room sofa is gone and has been replaced by an old, slightly smelly green and yellow sofa. Nothing else has been disturbed or taken.
Thus begins a psychological unraveling of Mr Montessori. As the sofa seems to take over his life. It causes him physical pain, the family cat is afraid of it, a tag with a strange name connects him to a man that keeps reappearing in his life.
The old couch is found early in the book by police. It has been "murdered" and dumped under a bridge. But that is just the beginning of Mr Montessori's obsession with getting rid of this interloper crunch.
This is the story of Mr Montessori's psychological unraveling. Literally we are watching him lose his mind. Or is he being manipulated by the sofa.
This is a story that holds the reader hostage and takes over their nervous system. The premise is absurd and yet you buy in and feel the terror in every part of your body. I could not read this sitting on a couch which is high praise for this book.
Seriously You will side eye your couch for days, maybe weeks after finishing this one.
I thought of a few books IMMEDIATELY while reading this. First, the terror of a haunted couch and the psychological unravelling of the protagonist because of it made me think of Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke by Eric LaRocca. In that case it is an apple peeler but the idea of what the author is doing though that mundane object is the same. LaRocca's story is way more intense and visceral, but the way they make you feel is similar.
Also THE GRIP OF IT by Jac Jemc one of my favorite house centered, psychological horror novels about a person unravelling. In this case it is the husband and the wife getting the POV. Also there is a weird neighbor situation in that one too.
And finally, Clay McLeod Chapman's latest release-- Aquired Taste is a short story collection where many of those stories doe what The Sofa does (and Chapman's are a little stronger over. some of that is because they are shorter so he captures what is best about the feeling without having to go on for longer) Chapman has a lot of stories that take something mundane and make it intensely psychologically upsetting-- ex baby carrots, a phone booth, a breast pump, SANTA! Same idea though.
Also Now You're One of Us by Nonami is a great paired readalike here as well.
April 29, 2026
⭐️2.5⭐️
What a weird little book. While I enjoyed the concept and the psychological horror elements of this one, I really struggled with the repetitive language used throughout this story. For the love of all that is holy, pick a different word other than ‘said’. This sucked all my joy out of this book.
What a weird little book. While I enjoyed the concept and the psychological horror elements of this one, I really struggled with the repetitive language used throughout this story. For the love of all that is holy, pick a different word other than ‘said’. This sucked all my joy out of this book.
January 15, 2026
This was meant to be funny right? 😅
April 29, 2026
Weird, very weird.
TW: cat death
TW: cat death
April 28, 2026
What did I just read???
April 7, 2026
Have you ever spiraled because your furniture was ugly?
November 25, 2025
I Am Sofa King We Todd Did
November 14, 2025
I am a fan of the Two Dollar Radio imprint now, so that’s nice
Sam Munson read from the beginning of this book at Franklin Park Reading Series, and it intrigued me so much, I bought the book right then and there.
The premise is odd and absurd: a stolen couch and a replacement sofa (left by the thief, supposedly). The tension builds gradually with anxiety-packed scenes and descriptions of intense paranoia that doubtlessly dissolve into nothing… which, in fact, amplifies the tension as the reader carefully examines each detail and oddity, wondering if this will be the clue to tie things together and illuminate the truth. However, a “logical” explanation promptly follows each incident or outburst, further destabilizing the main character’s (and reader’s) perspective.
—
A review from Publishers Weekly states “Munson sticks the landing,” which calls to mind a much different image of the ending than that with which I was left…
Rather than anticipate the ending to land as a talented gymnast would, I would advise readers to anticipate the ending to land as a fistful of oobleck would - smacking into the ground before oozing away into shallow puddles.
—
As another reader said: “Weird, creepy, but kind of pointless in the end”
Sam Munson read from the beginning of this book at Franklin Park Reading Series, and it intrigued me so much, I bought the book right then and there.
The premise is odd and absurd: a stolen couch and a replacement sofa (left by the thief, supposedly). The tension builds gradually with anxiety-packed scenes and descriptions of intense paranoia that doubtlessly dissolve into nothing… which, in fact, amplifies the tension as the reader carefully examines each detail and oddity, wondering if this will be the clue to tie things together and illuminate the truth. However, a “logical” explanation promptly follows each incident or outburst, further destabilizing the main character’s (and reader’s) perspective.
—
A review from Publishers Weekly states “Munson sticks the landing,” which calls to mind a much different image of the ending than that with which I was left…
Rather than anticipate the ending to land as a talented gymnast would, I would advise readers to anticipate the ending to land as a fistful of oobleck would - smacking into the ground before oozing away into shallow puddles.
—
As another reader said: “Weird, creepy, but kind of pointless in the end”
January 7, 2026
very good book! sufficiently unnerving and weird in the exact way that i wanted. i knocked a star off bc they killed the cat and that made me upset more so than anything else in the book. it was good storytelling-wise for it to die but i just never want to read an animal death. but even despite that i loved this book!
the writing was very flat and blunt in a way that really lent itself to the creepiness of it all, and the lack of quotation marks and character names made it really unnerving. loved it. perfect book to read on a short flight
the writing was very flat and blunt in a way that really lent itself to the creepiness of it all, and the lack of quotation marks and character names made it really unnerving. loved it. perfect book to read on a short flight
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 11, 2026
what a weird lil book
February 27, 2026
3.5 ⭐️
This was quite the unique read. It felt a little all over the place at times but also eerie in an unsettling way. Weird story with a weird journey. Felt like this could’ve been written well in the past, it had that vibe to me.
This was quite the unique read. It felt a little all over the place at times but also eerie in an unsettling way. Weird story with a weird journey. Felt like this could’ve been written well in the past, it had that vibe to me.
February 18, 2026
Haunted furniture? Sure, why not. A fun and weird little read. If you’re looking for something a little different that doesn’t take itself too seriously, this is a good option.
November 11, 2025
what does it mean though? I liked the whooole thing until the ending. because, like, what happened? as another reviewer said, this is a weird little book. take the absurd idea of a haunted/cursed? couch...but make it eerie and a little claustrophobic. I'd love to hear other people's takes on this one. I liked it and I'd recommend for people who like something odd, perhaps they'd be able to tease out the meaning.
February 22, 2026
A sofa changes. Police are contacted. A man in glasses... 10/10 trippy confusion 🛋️
January 24, 2026
Best comparison I can make is the ending of The Lighthouse, but a little less coherent.
December 17, 2025
Our couch has been heavily abused by the cats. It’s in terrible condition and very uncomfortable. I would STILL take it over the nightmare sofa Sam Munson created!
The Sofa is wild and weird. My jaw dropped so many times and that ending—well, I don’t even know what to say. This is the kind of book that will have you repeating, “What in the actual fu…dgsicle is happening?”
If you like bizarre horror, you need to get a copy of this one in your hands immediately!
The Sofa is wild and weird. My jaw dropped so many times and that ending—well, I don’t even know what to say. This is the kind of book that will have you repeating, “What in the actual fu…dgsicle is happening?”
If you like bizarre horror, you need to get a copy of this one in your hands immediately!
March 20, 2026
too much piss talk 👎
October 21, 2025
DANG. This was crazy and laughable at times. I am so thankful to Two Dollar Radio, Sam Munson, and Edelweiss for granting me advanced digital access to this piece of poetic chaos before it hits shelves to the public on November 11, 2025.
One evening, Mr. Montessori and his family come home to find their home has been broken into — nothing major has been stolen except for their sofa (and replaced with a new one) — not seeming to be an issue for his family, our MC is completely shocked at their reactions and begins to spiral in a downward motion as he struggles to uncover how this could have happened.
This party of one further loses his mind as particularly supernatural events occur in his midst such as a mysterious bowler hat appearing and disappearing, his toilet flushing on its own and the faucet turning on, and even an old man wearing said bowler hat appearing in reflections behind him… all of course invisible to his family’s view — allowing them to grow more concerned for his sanity.
Readers take the ride with Mr. Montessori as he navigates the madness that this new couch has delivered. Is this sofa hiding residual pain or could it all be in our MC’s head?
One evening, Mr. Montessori and his family come home to find their home has been broken into — nothing major has been stolen except for their sofa (and replaced with a new one) — not seeming to be an issue for his family, our MC is completely shocked at their reactions and begins to spiral in a downward motion as he struggles to uncover how this could have happened.
This party of one further loses his mind as particularly supernatural events occur in his midst such as a mysterious bowler hat appearing and disappearing, his toilet flushing on its own and the faucet turning on, and even an old man wearing said bowler hat appearing in reflections behind him… all of course invisible to his family’s view — allowing them to grow more concerned for his sanity.
Readers take the ride with Mr. Montessori as he navigates the madness that this new couch has delivered. Is this sofa hiding residual pain or could it all be in our MC’s head?
October 21, 2025
HAUNTED SOFAAA 💗💜🛋️💜💗
This weekend I read The Sofa by Sam Munson. The premise is a family who comes back from the beach to find that their sofa has been mysteriously replaced with an old antique one. We mainly follow the father, Mr. Montessori, as he spirals into psychological chaos over the haunted piece of furniture.
What a fun premise!! This little novella sounded perfect for spooky season and it was definitely a fun little read. There were some surprisingly funny moments (one I laughed out loud to) and for me it definitely came across as a horror comedy.
Overall it fell a little short of my expectations, mostly due to the writing which felt too distanced and choppy, and every time there was a curse word it felt jarringly out of place. There also seemed to be a lot of clues about the sofa that didn’t seem to go anywhere in the end, or maybe I’m just too dumb…Still, coming in at a little less than 130 pages this was worth the quick read! Also, the cover art is perfection.
This weekend I read The Sofa by Sam Munson. The premise is a family who comes back from the beach to find that their sofa has been mysteriously replaced with an old antique one. We mainly follow the father, Mr. Montessori, as he spirals into psychological chaos over the haunted piece of furniture.
What a fun premise!! This little novella sounded perfect for spooky season and it was definitely a fun little read. There were some surprisingly funny moments (one I laughed out loud to) and for me it definitely came across as a horror comedy.
Overall it fell a little short of my expectations, mostly due to the writing which felt too distanced and choppy, and every time there was a curse word it felt jarringly out of place. There also seemed to be a lot of clues about the sofa that didn’t seem to go anywhere in the end, or maybe I’m just too dumb…Still, coming in at a little less than 130 pages this was worth the quick read! Also, the cover art is perfection.
February 7, 2026
A lil strange, a plot with some aspects of proto-magical realism that are so synonymous with Kafka’s works. Several items in both plot and prose add to the sense of slight unease and uncertainty. The sofa’s appearance, its slow spreading malice, and the inability on Montessori to be believed reminds me a bit of The Trial in its proceedings. The way this unexplainable thing bleeds into Montessori’s life really feels similar in this way. Montessori’s younger son seems aware of the sofa’s nature in some ways which is also a touch unnerving. The man with the mole’s repeated appearance adds a surrealist feeling as he continues to have more jobs and seems cosmically aware of what plagues Montessori in the end. From a prose stand point, the youngest son never being named and also randomly mentioning a job where he works with rabies and is completely ignored is odd and dreamlike. There are also dialogue items such as the wife’s sudden attack of her husband’s anger, describing it as poisoning and toxic, which felt direct and aggressive in a way that was out of place with much of the narrative tone. This same feeling of narrative tone differences happens a few times with the occasional profanity or interruption of plot for bowel movements or urination. It’s random and disruptive and a touch jarring. It feels as if the narrator is suddenly losing composure just as Montessori is frequently doing despite best efforts. Long stretches with intricate vocab and simple descriptions being disrupted by calling something shitty or fucked up felt like slip ups from composure which was interesting. The ending was fascinating in its own ways, as it raises a few questions to me. How did the sink turn on and the toilet flush given what happened to the sofa? Especially with the final reveal? Also, quite enjoyed the sofa becoming what it was at the end, it’s a touch absurd and really fits the story well. All in all, a fun and weird lil read that I enjoyed! :)
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