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The Blade This Time
A man wakes to find himself below ground in the abandoned subway stations of New York City. He has no idea how he got there, no idea who he is. In his pocket he finds only a wad of blood-stained cash and a deck of playing cards.
Once above ground, he rents out a cheap apartment, previously occupied by an enigmatic artist named Max Leider who'd left most everything behind--books, clothes, personal letters. But most peculiar are a series of paintings, each one of a mysterious woman hidden behind a curtain.
Without an identity of his own, the man becomes fascinated with Leider. He begins wearing his clothes. He begins painting on his canvases. He begins taking on his obsessions. But as his persona fully transforms into Max Leider, he will find some horrifying truths about the artist ... and himself.
Once above ground, he rents out a cheap apartment, previously occupied by an enigmatic artist named Max Leider who'd left most everything behind--books, clothes, personal letters. But most peculiar are a series of paintings, each one of a mysterious woman hidden behind a curtain.
Without an identity of his own, the man becomes fascinated with Leider. He begins wearing his clothes. He begins painting on his canvases. He begins taking on his obsessions. But as his persona fully transforms into Max Leider, he will find some horrifying truths about the artist ... and himself.
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Published May 23, 2017
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About the author
Jon Bassoff
16 books317 followersJon Bassoff is the author of nine novels. His mountain gothic novel, CORROSION, has been translated in French and German and was nominated for the Grand Prix de Litterature Policiere, France’s biggest crime fiction award. His psycho-noir novel, THE DISASSEMBLED MAN, has been adapted for the big screen with a filming date set to begin within the next hundred years. He also wrote the screenplay for BIZARRE LOVE TRIANGLE, which was named semi-finalist at the New York Cinematography Awards and a finalist at the Seattle Film Festival for best short film.
His novels have been lauded by authors like Craig Johnson (LONGMIRE series), James Grady (SIX DAYS OF THE CONDOR), Rob Hart (THE WAREHOUSE), Paul Trembley (A HEADFUL OF GHOSTS), S.A. Cosby (RAZORBLADE TEARS, Ramsey Campbell (THE HUNGRY MOON), Tom Piccirilli (LAST KIND WORDS), and Marcus Sakey (BRILLLIANCE Trilogy). His work has also been featured several times in New York Magazine. For his day job, Bassoff teaches high school English where he is known by students and faculty alike as the deranged writer guy. He is a connoisseur of tequila, hot sauces, psychobilly music, and flea-bag motels.
His novels have been lauded by authors like Craig Johnson (LONGMIRE series), James Grady (SIX DAYS OF THE CONDOR), Rob Hart (THE WAREHOUSE), Paul Trembley (A HEADFUL OF GHOSTS), S.A. Cosby (RAZORBLADE TEARS, Ramsey Campbell (THE HUNGRY MOON), Tom Piccirilli (LAST KIND WORDS), and Marcus Sakey (BRILLLIANCE Trilogy). His work has also been featured several times in New York Magazine. For his day job, Bassoff teaches high school English where he is known by students and faculty alike as the deranged writer guy. He is a connoisseur of tequila, hot sauces, psychobilly music, and flea-bag motels.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
April 18, 2017
The Blade This Time opens with our Narrator waking in the tunnels beneath New York's subways. After escaping back to the surface, he wanders the streets until he comes across a wig shop with notice of an apartment for rent. The apartment was previously rented by a painter, Max Leider, who has fled the scene and left behind his clothes and paintings of the tenement across the street. The Narrator quickly becomes fascinated with these paintings, and the woman, garbed in funeral clothes, across the way.
I enjoyed what Jon Bassoff did in his previous books, The Incurables and Factory Town, the latter especially with its incongruous puzzle-box nature of storytelling. Unfortunately, I just didn't find myself all that interested in his latest effort.
The Blade This Time is too straightforward and linear, especially in comparison to the surreal, dreamscape narrative of Factory Town, and it was disappointing to have Bassoff spill all his secrets so early in the narrative. The book opens with a definition of a particular psychological disorder, which sets up the narrative nicely, but there's not many shocks or surprises to follow. This is a slow, psychological work of dark fiction, but it never really picks up or leads to any particular revelations, or at least none that aren't clearly, and disappointingly, telegraphed within the book's first few chapters.
Bassoff does a particularly fine job of writing those darker psychological compulsions that plague his characters, though. The Narrator's descent into madness is well-drawn, and there's a few terrific parallels drawn between him and the various characters he crosses paths with. But, for me, it's a lesser work in Bassoff's growing body of novels, and I kept wishing the plot would get more wrinkly and complicated than it does.
[Note: As a member of the DarkFuse Reader's Group, I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.]
I enjoyed what Jon Bassoff did in his previous books, The Incurables and Factory Town, the latter especially with its incongruous puzzle-box nature of storytelling. Unfortunately, I just didn't find myself all that interested in his latest effort.
The Blade This Time is too straightforward and linear, especially in comparison to the surreal, dreamscape narrative of Factory Town, and it was disappointing to have Bassoff spill all his secrets so early in the narrative. The book opens with a definition of a particular psychological disorder, which sets up the narrative nicely, but there's not many shocks or surprises to follow. This is a slow, psychological work of dark fiction, but it never really picks up or leads to any particular revelations, or at least none that aren't clearly, and disappointingly, telegraphed within the book's first few chapters.
Bassoff does a particularly fine job of writing those darker psychological compulsions that plague his characters, though. The Narrator's descent into madness is well-drawn, and there's a few terrific parallels drawn between him and the various characters he crosses paths with. But, for me, it's a lesser work in Bassoff's growing body of novels, and I kept wishing the plot would get more wrinkly and complicated than it does.
[Note: As a member of the DarkFuse Reader's Group, I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.]
May 1, 2017
Jon Bassoff can write. There is no denying that. He, for whatever reason, has been hit or miss with me. His latest effort “The Blade This Time” lay somewhere in-between. The writing, as I already mentioned, is extremely good, but I just couldn’t seem to get fully engaged in this one. It felt like it was trying too hard to be deep and mysterious and I kept waiting for a hard curveball or event to occur that turned the story upside down. Instead it just kept plodding along. Not entirely a bad thing, but still left me wanting a little bit.
*As a member of the DRG - DarkFuse Readers Group, I received an advanced copy of this title thru NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
P.S. Since I whined that “Factory Town” was excessively surreal and disjointed, this one felt straight ahead. I dug that, but ended up wishing for more. Evidently there is no pleasing me. Give it a shot. Your mileage may vary.
*As a member of the DRG - DarkFuse Readers Group, I received an advanced copy of this title thru NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
P.S. Since I whined that “Factory Town” was excessively surreal and disjointed, this one felt straight ahead. I dug that, but ended up wishing for more. Evidently there is no pleasing me. Give it a shot. Your mileage may vary.
June 1, 2017
2.5 stars.
THE BLADE THIS TIME, by Jon Bassoff was a novel that I probably would have been more impressed with if the "introduction" had not been included. I won't go into details that would spoil it for other readers, but the insight the author added before the start of the novel basically gave me the entire plot before I read the book.
The writing itself was good, the characters (especially those in the beginning) were very interesting from a readers' standpoint, and this "should" have been a book I was really able to get into. Unfortunately, by the second chapter, I had already made the connections, and the rest of the book just felt like a script I had already read playing itself out.
Overall, I really wish the author had not chosen to include that section at the beginning, but rather, at the end. If it weren't for that, the straight-forward style, air of dark mystery, and characters could have made this a much more exciting read.
THE BLADE THIS TIME, by Jon Bassoff was a novel that I probably would have been more impressed with if the "introduction" had not been included. I won't go into details that would spoil it for other readers, but the insight the author added before the start of the novel basically gave me the entire plot before I read the book.
The writing itself was good, the characters (especially those in the beginning) were very interesting from a readers' standpoint, and this "should" have been a book I was really able to get into. Unfortunately, by the second chapter, I had already made the connections, and the rest of the book just felt like a script I had already read playing itself out.
Overall, I really wish the author had not chosen to include that section at the beginning, but rather, at the end. If it weren't for that, the straight-forward style, air of dark mystery, and characters could have made this a much more exciting read.
June 8, 2017
My favorite Jon Bassoff novel after FACTORY TOWN. I won't lie to you, it feels a little telegraphed because it's easy to figure out what is going to happen from the start. That said, it's not a knock on the great surreal and complex Lynchian setup that is THE BLADE THIS TIME. It's actually good to know where this is heading because it can get quite confusing with all the body doubles and the repeating scenes. Definitely a fun puzzle for readers who enjoy taking their entertainment apart. Not quite transcendent, but almost.
April 9, 2019
Review copy
I recently discovered Down and Out Books has rescued the Jon Bassoff books which had been published by the now-defunct Darkfuse publishers, meaning The Incurables, The Disassembled man, Corrosion, and The Blade This Time, are all back in print.
Somehow, I never got around to reading The Blade This Time. That oversight has now been corrected.
I am a sucker for a good opening to a story. Take note...
"The world above was poisoned, maybe dead, and now I staggered through the abandoned tunnels, eyes adjusted to the darkness, ears pricked to the distant sound of a subway echoing against rubbled concrete. Rats scurried along the broken tracks, gnawing greedily at the scattered garbage and each other’s tails. Occasionally I felt one crawl beneath my jeans, slender teeth pressing against my skin, and I cursed and slapped it away."
Early on, I had no idea where the story was going, but it hardly mattered, the writing was marvelous and totally captivating. Filled with amazing images and wonderful prose...
"...fire escapes crawling up the building like spiders."
Jon writes immersive, wildly imaginative tales, here with a stream of consciousness style...
"...the irrational thought didn’t scare me. I knew that a vicious death was exactly what I needed. Because only when we suffer, only when we scream, only when we die, are we truly enlightened. The solitary truth in this world is horror."
You'll notice, I didn't go into any detail about the story itself, no synopsis. The reason for that is The Blade This Time is all about discovery. I'd just like to say, it's worth reading, as are all of Jon Bassoff's books.
Published by Down and Out Books, The Blade This Time is available in paperback and e-book formats.
Jon Bassoff was born in 1974 in New York City and currently lives in a ghost town somewhere in Colorado. He was called the “king of creepy crime-horror fiction” by Tom Piccirilli, a four-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award. His debut novel, Corrosion, won the DarkFuse Readers’ Choice Award for best novel, and two of his novels, Corrosion and The Disassembled Man, have been adapted for the big screen. The Blade This Time is his fifth novel.
I recently discovered Down and Out Books has rescued the Jon Bassoff books which had been published by the now-defunct Darkfuse publishers, meaning The Incurables, The Disassembled man, Corrosion, and The Blade This Time, are all back in print.
Somehow, I never got around to reading The Blade This Time. That oversight has now been corrected.
I am a sucker for a good opening to a story. Take note...
"The world above was poisoned, maybe dead, and now I staggered through the abandoned tunnels, eyes adjusted to the darkness, ears pricked to the distant sound of a subway echoing against rubbled concrete. Rats scurried along the broken tracks, gnawing greedily at the scattered garbage and each other’s tails. Occasionally I felt one crawl beneath my jeans, slender teeth pressing against my skin, and I cursed and slapped it away."
Early on, I had no idea where the story was going, but it hardly mattered, the writing was marvelous and totally captivating. Filled with amazing images and wonderful prose...
"...fire escapes crawling up the building like spiders."
Jon writes immersive, wildly imaginative tales, here with a stream of consciousness style...
"...the irrational thought didn’t scare me. I knew that a vicious death was exactly what I needed. Because only when we suffer, only when we scream, only when we die, are we truly enlightened. The solitary truth in this world is horror."
You'll notice, I didn't go into any detail about the story itself, no synopsis. The reason for that is The Blade This Time is all about discovery. I'd just like to say, it's worth reading, as are all of Jon Bassoff's books.
Published by Down and Out Books, The Blade This Time is available in paperback and e-book formats.
Jon Bassoff was born in 1974 in New York City and currently lives in a ghost town somewhere in Colorado. He was called the “king of creepy crime-horror fiction” by Tom Piccirilli, a four-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award. His debut novel, Corrosion, won the DarkFuse Readers’ Choice Award for best novel, and two of his novels, Corrosion and The Disassembled Man, have been adapted for the big screen. The Blade This Time is his fifth novel.
April 19, 2017
THE BLADE THIS TIME is rather well written book about a man's grip on reality. I did find it a little difficult to start, but once I got going and became invested in the characters I was able to read several hours until I was finished.
It will probably seem as clear to you as it did to me where the story is going. That didn't bother me. I may have been hoping for more - but I still found the straightforward telling of the story refreshing, especially for Bassoff.
I enjoyed reading this story, and think that if you like stories pertaining to insanity that you will like it also. I rated THE BLADE THIS TIME 4 stars, which means I liked it a lot.
I received my copy from the publisher of DarkFuse.
It will probably seem as clear to you as it did to me where the story is going. That didn't bother me. I may have been hoping for more - but I still found the straightforward telling of the story refreshing, especially for Bassoff.
I enjoyed reading this story, and think that if you like stories pertaining to insanity that you will like it also. I rated THE BLADE THIS TIME 4 stars, which means I liked it a lot.
I received my copy from the publisher of DarkFuse.
August 3, 2017
“The truth is that we all need to create a narrative, a narrative stuffed full of lies, because otherwise the suffering would be too much, otherwise we would recognize the futility of life and the folly of our aims.” –The Blade This Time
Have you ever imagined what it must be like to rate and review one of the great Holy books? How does a mere mortal weigh in on the creation and content of something drafted by great minds that are clearly other worldly? How could you find the proper words to share the importance and awe-inspiring feelings a book like this illicit in you? I don’t want to seem sacrilegious comparing any book to the Holy books of major religions, but I find myself in this unenviable spot when trying to review Jon Bassoff’s new release, The Blade This Time. This book is a blue print on a mind slipping further into the depths of insanity, obsession, and immortality. In other words, this book is now a holy book in my library of depraved and dark fiction.
I am not a big fan of writing a plot synopsis for the books I read. Hell, head over to Goodreads or Amazon for those. I prefer to share the thoughts and feelings books bring to mind as I read them. By doing this, I hope to can get at least a few people to decide to dive into the many great books I get the chance to read. This masterpiece by Bassoff defies the ability to be summed up in a quick recap anyway. His plotting is masterful, yet simplistic. What the hell, I will try to provide a succinct recap for ya: A bat-shit crazy man emerges from the bowels of the city and takes over the life of another bat-shit crazy man who happens to be an obsessed artist. This psychotic man finds himself compulsively obsessed with his new neighbor and spirals deeper into the recesses and dark corners of his decayed mind.
What Bassoff does so well in this book (and all his books), is paint a picture and feeling of morbid, decayed paranoia that has the reader looking over their own shoulder and questioning how any character could lose touch with reality in this manner, and for that matter, how could any sane man put pen to paper and produce this work of art without being off their meds for a while. Bassoff brings to mind Stephen King’s masterpiece, The Shining, in his ability to pen a book that chronicle a mind’s descent into madness. Before this book I always stated my belief Bassoff rivaled King’s early work, dare I say with this book, he has surpassed it. Bassoff’s library demonstrates an ability to suck you into a world you don’t want to image exists, but his ability to bring it to life leaves you will the knowledge it must exist, it’s too real not to.
Bassoff is my favorite writer producing books today. He deserves a wide audience who can bask in his brilliance and celebrate him for his genius, yet still be smart enough to cross the street if they see him approaching in the twilight hours. Any man who can write this dark shit must be a man to avoid. In his own written words, “We hear all the time how writing violent stories…can be an outlet and can prevent actual destruction from taking place”. Just to be safe would keep an eye out for, and on, Bassoff.
This book gets my highest recommendations.
Have you ever imagined what it must be like to rate and review one of the great Holy books? How does a mere mortal weigh in on the creation and content of something drafted by great minds that are clearly other worldly? How could you find the proper words to share the importance and awe-inspiring feelings a book like this illicit in you? I don’t want to seem sacrilegious comparing any book to the Holy books of major religions, but I find myself in this unenviable spot when trying to review Jon Bassoff’s new release, The Blade This Time. This book is a blue print on a mind slipping further into the depths of insanity, obsession, and immortality. In other words, this book is now a holy book in my library of depraved and dark fiction.
I am not a big fan of writing a plot synopsis for the books I read. Hell, head over to Goodreads or Amazon for those. I prefer to share the thoughts and feelings books bring to mind as I read them. By doing this, I hope to can get at least a few people to decide to dive into the many great books I get the chance to read. This masterpiece by Bassoff defies the ability to be summed up in a quick recap anyway. His plotting is masterful, yet simplistic. What the hell, I will try to provide a succinct recap for ya: A bat-shit crazy man emerges from the bowels of the city and takes over the life of another bat-shit crazy man who happens to be an obsessed artist. This psychotic man finds himself compulsively obsessed with his new neighbor and spirals deeper into the recesses and dark corners of his decayed mind.
What Bassoff does so well in this book (and all his books), is paint a picture and feeling of morbid, decayed paranoia that has the reader looking over their own shoulder and questioning how any character could lose touch with reality in this manner, and for that matter, how could any sane man put pen to paper and produce this work of art without being off their meds for a while. Bassoff brings to mind Stephen King’s masterpiece, The Shining, in his ability to pen a book that chronicle a mind’s descent into madness. Before this book I always stated my belief Bassoff rivaled King’s early work, dare I say with this book, he has surpassed it. Bassoff’s library demonstrates an ability to suck you into a world you don’t want to image exists, but his ability to bring it to life leaves you will the knowledge it must exist, it’s too real not to.
Bassoff is my favorite writer producing books today. He deserves a wide audience who can bask in his brilliance and celebrate him for his genius, yet still be smart enough to cross the street if they see him approaching in the twilight hours. Any man who can write this dark shit must be a man to avoid. In his own written words, “We hear all the time how writing violent stories…can be an outlet and can prevent actual destruction from taking place”. Just to be safe would keep an eye out for, and on, Bassoff.
This book gets my highest recommendations.
August 3, 2017
The Blade This Time is another hard ass follow up to Bassoff’s lobotomy heavy novel The Incurables. The Blade This Time is classic Bassoff, who I happen to be a big fan of, full of violence, madness, and transgressions. It is also a story of obsession and psychopathy which is a strong area for this author. If you enjoyed his incredibly disturbing debut novel Corrosion then go ahead and check this book out.
The book starts out channeling a trope similar to Momento or Oldboy where a man wakes up with no memory underground in the New York City Subways. The man makes his way up to the city and acquires an apartment and starts trying to piece things back together, but instead devolves into pure psychosis. Make no mistake this is an original offering from the author. One of my favorite things about Bassoff is how well he straddles the line between noir and horror, honestly, I think he does it better than almost anyone I have ever read, except for maybe Tom Piccirrilli. I definitely suggest Bassoff’s work to fans of Picc. He just has that unforgiving edge in his work that many think they have but don’t.
I have read all 5 of Bassoff’s novels and he has yet to disappoint me. Dude writes from a very dark place with very little redemption in the worlds he creates. Things mostly go from bad to worse and there is something in his worlds that are always harsh, dangerous, and they usually have little context other than pure degradation of society. In The Blade This Time, Bassoff turns NYC into a shell of itself that comes across as Lynchian or Evensonian. I believe fans of Bassoff’s previous work will be satisfied with this book. I know I am and I look forward to reading more of the authors work in the future.
The book starts out channeling a trope similar to Momento or Oldboy where a man wakes up with no memory underground in the New York City Subways. The man makes his way up to the city and acquires an apartment and starts trying to piece things back together, but instead devolves into pure psychosis. Make no mistake this is an original offering from the author. One of my favorite things about Bassoff is how well he straddles the line between noir and horror, honestly, I think he does it better than almost anyone I have ever read, except for maybe Tom Piccirrilli. I definitely suggest Bassoff’s work to fans of Picc. He just has that unforgiving edge in his work that many think they have but don’t.
I have read all 5 of Bassoff’s novels and he has yet to disappoint me. Dude writes from a very dark place with very little redemption in the worlds he creates. Things mostly go from bad to worse and there is something in his worlds that are always harsh, dangerous, and they usually have little context other than pure degradation of society. In The Blade This Time, Bassoff turns NYC into a shell of itself that comes across as Lynchian or Evensonian. I believe fans of Bassoff’s previous work will be satisfied with this book. I know I am and I look forward to reading more of the authors work in the future.
May 16, 2017
The Blade This Time is the first work I’ve read by Jon Bassoff and I’m not entirely sure what type of taste that leaves in my mouth. I have rather high expectations when I open a book and based on what other readers have said about his work, I expected something completely and totally different. Needless to say, I feel a bit disappointed by this book.
If you judge a book based on its synopsis, The Blade This Time appears as a book cataloging the spiraling descent of a young man into insanity that is fed by the lingering presence of an artist and a woman that the two share an obsession with. While Bassoff nails the psychotic side of the main character’s decline, everything else feels off the mark. In particular, and to quote another review by author Michael Patrick Hicks, “this is a slow, psychological work of dark fiction, but it never really picks up or leads to any particular revelations.”
Therein lies my issue with this book. It’s a story, but there is no climax, no build-up, nothing. As a reader, I felt like I was simply along for the ride through a psychopath’s daily musings. There was no sense of need and I had to push myself to finish it.
I would like to thank Darkfuse, the author, and NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC for purpose of unbiased review.
If you judge a book based on its synopsis, The Blade This Time appears as a book cataloging the spiraling descent of a young man into insanity that is fed by the lingering presence of an artist and a woman that the two share an obsession with. While Bassoff nails the psychotic side of the main character’s decline, everything else feels off the mark. In particular, and to quote another review by author Michael Patrick Hicks, “this is a slow, psychological work of dark fiction, but it never really picks up or leads to any particular revelations.”
Therein lies my issue with this book. It’s a story, but there is no climax, no build-up, nothing. As a reader, I felt like I was simply along for the ride through a psychopath’s daily musings. There was no sense of need and I had to push myself to finish it.
I would like to thank Darkfuse, the author, and NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC for purpose of unbiased review.
February 23, 2018
I will start by saying there are many, many images permanently seared in my mind, namely: The Crucifixion of Mary. Now, onto the novel.
I split open this book with high expectations and was not disappointed. The Blade this Time is a brilliantly crafted novel, delving into the life of a psychologically terrorized protagonist, each moment marked by Bassoff’s exceptional writing. Definitely a book I would recommend for anyone looking for an unsettling, dark, or disturbing read.
I split open this book with high expectations and was not disappointed. The Blade this Time is a brilliantly crafted novel, delving into the life of a psychologically terrorized protagonist, each moment marked by Bassoff’s exceptional writing. Definitely a book I would recommend for anyone looking for an unsettling, dark, or disturbing read.
May 24, 2017
The Blade This Time is a cleverly crafted horror story about a man’s nightmarish decent into obsession and madness.
A well written tale with a distinct voice and great characters, it’s a dark and gritty story that makes great use of its seedy urban setting.
While the protagonist’s downward spiral is somewhat predictable, Bassoff’s blend of violence, sexual desire, art and obsession mean it’s never a dull ride.
Well worth a look.
A well written tale with a distinct voice and great characters, it’s a dark and gritty story that makes great use of its seedy urban setting.
While the protagonist’s downward spiral is somewhat predictable, Bassoff’s blend of violence, sexual desire, art and obsession mean it’s never a dull ride.
Well worth a look.
June 28, 2017
Another very good and very dark Bassoff novel
For a full review, please go to http://areviewerdarkly.blogspot.com/2... and follow me on Twitter @josenher
For a full review, please go to http://areviewerdarkly.blogspot.com/2... and follow me on Twitter @josenher
May 5, 2017
Good solid novel. While I didn't enjoy this one as much as some of his previous offerings, it was a Bassoff original, creepy, disassociative and unsettling.
February 18, 2023
This was like an episode of Black Mirror. Very strange.
June 2, 2017
Bassoff is a master of his genre!
True to the genre, I am still trying to figure out the ending. What I loved about it is the nightmarish mood established and maintained throughout ... especially the little details which throw off a reader's sense of time - the can of Tab, the veil she wears along with the high necked dress - but then her birth is set as 1988 ... totally messes with a reader's equilibrium! Also loved the be-bop rhythm of Bassoff's work - love how it is accomplished through repetition of words and phrases. Bassoff is a fantastic writer, and I was appropriately grossed out ...
True to the genre, I am still trying to figure out the ending. What I loved about it is the nightmarish mood established and maintained throughout ... especially the little details which throw off a reader's sense of time - the can of Tab, the veil she wears along with the high necked dress - but then her birth is set as 1988 ... totally messes with a reader's equilibrium! Also loved the be-bop rhythm of Bassoff's work - love how it is accomplished through repetition of words and phrases. Bassoff is a fantastic writer, and I was appropriately grossed out ...
April 19, 2017
I loved this book! It's a dark, very fast read with themes unique to the genre. Obsession, art, and memory run through the narrative like twisting vines searching for the light. The plot is engaging and suspenseful pushing you to the end. A true horror story, the imagery will stay with you for a long time. A must read if you are into modern horror and storytelling.
May 3, 2017
I have been a big fan of most of Jon Bassoff's work, so was excited to read this one.
If you like the tone of previous works, you won't be disappointed with The Blade This Time. This is "black surreal noir" (think that will catch on?). The difference this time is that the narrative is mostly linear, and anyone paying attention (especially to the opening quote) will have no trouble following what is going on. I can see some readers being disappointed by this, but for me there is nothing wrong with a different approach. The nightmarish qualities and grotesque characters that define this version of New York(?) provide enough surrealism without having to figure out what the plot is too.
The Blade This Time is a well written novel of obsession and haunted pasts. Readers turned off by surreal fiction might want to give this one a try and see what they have been missing. Five stars, highly recommended.
If you like the tone of previous works, you won't be disappointed with The Blade This Time. This is "black surreal noir" (think that will catch on?). The difference this time is that the narrative is mostly linear, and anyone paying attention (especially to the opening quote) will have no trouble following what is going on. I can see some readers being disappointed by this, but for me there is nothing wrong with a different approach. The nightmarish qualities and grotesque characters that define this version of New York(?) provide enough surrealism without having to figure out what the plot is too.
The Blade This Time is a well written novel of obsession and haunted pasts. Readers turned off by surreal fiction might want to give this one a try and see what they have been missing. Five stars, highly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews