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We Don't Talk About Her
Clint is a laughable stalker who lives in a hoard with his decaying mother. Stella is his current fascination, but Clint has no idea what kind of woman Stella is. She’s playing a lifelong game and only she knows the rules. Now she’s made a wrong move and finds herself at Clint’s house, victim to his perverse attentions and bizarre behavior. Is it the perfect place to hide from her past or an insane prison from which she may never escape?
49 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 22, 2018
38 people are currently reading
624 people want to read
About the author
Andersen Prunty
51 books670 followersAndersen Prunty lives in Yellow Springs, Ohio. He writes novels and short stories. Visit him at notandersenprunty.com, where he posts a free story every Friday.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews
March 27, 2022
Clint has a bizarre relationship with his overprotective mother (nasty scenes here). Stella who is stalked by Clint, turns out to be a black widow who doesn't have sex with the men she meets but takes advantages. Ronald is an ex-of hers, Brian his son. Wait a minute, who's the person we don't talk about? She's vaguely mentioned by the author and appears later in the novella. Things get complicated when Stella turns her attention towards Clint. He thinks she's his fiance... can you guess how this story will end? What will Ma say? The author has a different solution, believe me. Really enjoyed this unusual complicated everyday life story with horror elements. At parts I had to think about Norman Bates having much in common with Clint. An intriguing book, masterly written by an excellent author and definitely far away from usual plots and characters. Really recommended!
April 2, 2019
I have absolutely no idea how to rate this one - so I'm going with 2.5 stars.
This is my first Andersen Prunty, though his name has come up a lot during my searches. There's just something about his blurbs that draws my attention - let's say he knows how to press my 'weird' button - and this cover sold it to me in the end.
Okay, I expected weird, which I got, but there was just something that didn't quite work for me in the end - and I gave myself a day to think about it before I wrote this review.
I still can't put my finger on it, though. In a world where abnormality seems almost par for the course, why did it left me feeling so unbalanced about my opinion on this story?
Hey, if I figure it out, I'll let you know. For now, I can only say that I liked and disliked it in equal measure.
Read it. Don't read it. I just don't know.
This is my first Andersen Prunty, though his name has come up a lot during my searches. There's just something about his blurbs that draws my attention - let's say he knows how to press my 'weird' button - and this cover sold it to me in the end.
Okay, I expected weird, which I got, but there was just something that didn't quite work for me in the end - and I gave myself a day to think about it before I wrote this review.
I still can't put my finger on it, though. In a world where abnormality seems almost par for the course, why did it left me feeling so unbalanced about my opinion on this story?
Hey, if I figure it out, I'll let you know. For now, I can only say that I liked and disliked it in equal measure.
Read it. Don't read it. I just don't know.
August 25, 2018
Explicit, obsessive and grotesquely enjoyable. OMG, the pelvis...
August 25, 2018
Transgressive, disturbing and so much fun. Just what I needed!
August 13, 2023
Weird and Disturbing!
Story 3/5
Narration 3/5
We Don’t Talk About Her by Andersen Prunty, is a okay short story.
This is about Clint, a weird, disgusting and disturbing man, who is obsessed by a not so helpless woman.
Story 3/5
Narration 3/5
We Don’t Talk About Her by Andersen Prunty, is a okay short story.
This is about Clint, a weird, disgusting and disturbing man, who is obsessed by a not so helpless woman.
June 18, 2020
This easy to read, weirdly strange story about a sad delusional loner, his dead mum and a victim, with her own underhand alternative agenda, had so much potential, but for me ultimately failed to successfully deliver the expected goodies and delights that it so promised. Initially, I was drawn to the unusual book title and front cover and the tale itself from the outset proved interesting, well paced and engaging, but unfortunately the frequent excessive use of the totally OTT and unnecessary extremely shocking transgressive sexual behaviour I found took away from the overall pleasure and fun of the whole reading experience. However, I did like the Stella character, which had lots of potential and scope for development, the idea of ma and the totally socially inept 'mummy's boy' living in a hoarded house with the uninvited critters, his suit made of yellow plastic bags (as he'd managed to lose all his regular clothing) and the basic storyline, although I was a bit disappointed with the 'as was always expected' ending which seemed to lack that final knock-out punch and the 'feel good' factor of a job well done. Overall, I was left with a feeling of disappointed as this novella offered some great ideas but they could have been done so much better and in a more acceptable format. A definite only for adults read and also definitely, definitely, definitely, not for the squeamish. Rating: 2.5 stars.
May 19, 2020
We Don't Talk About Her is a creepy stalker story with a disturbing twist.
Stella is the object of the Clint's affection; he watches her at work, he fantasizes about her, he makes love to his mother thinking about her - wait what! Yep, things go from standard creepy to balls to the wall batshit crazy creepy in the blink of an eye.
Making matters worse is Clint's mother isn't exactly into 'it' with her deranged son...Because she's a rotting corpse; dead to the world for an innumerable amount of time - all we know is she stinks to high Heaven and leaks bodily fluids. Clint doesn't seem to mind, until Stella arrives unexpectedly at his home after finishing her shift at the coffee shop one night.
Now, why would a seemingly 'normal' young woman want to visit her stalker? A stalker who happens to wear toilet paper for pants on occasion - and in public, whilst stalking? Well, I won't spoil that barrel of crazy for prospective readers, needless to say, a simple stalker story this is not.
We Don't Talk About her is a one sitting read not for the squeamish. It's a bizzaro kind of horror which would appeal to readers who enjoy shock value - of which there's plenty. Personally, I liked it, even though I cringed pretty much the whole way through reading.
Stella is the object of the Clint's affection; he watches her at work, he fantasizes about her, he makes love to his mother thinking about her - wait what! Yep, things go from standard creepy to balls to the wall batshit crazy creepy in the blink of an eye.
Making matters worse is Clint's mother isn't exactly into 'it' with her deranged son...Because she's a rotting corpse; dead to the world for an innumerable amount of time - all we know is she stinks to high Heaven and leaks bodily fluids. Clint doesn't seem to mind, until Stella arrives unexpectedly at his home after finishing her shift at the coffee shop one night.
Now, why would a seemingly 'normal' young woman want to visit her stalker? A stalker who happens to wear toilet paper for pants on occasion - and in public, whilst stalking? Well, I won't spoil that barrel of crazy for prospective readers, needless to say, a simple stalker story this is not.
We Don't Talk About her is a one sitting read not for the squeamish. It's a bizzaro kind of horror which would appeal to readers who enjoy shock value - of which there's plenty. Personally, I liked it, even though I cringed pretty much the whole way through reading.
September 28, 2018
These characters were great. The story starts off with a nice bait and switch as you learn every character is just as quirky as the next. Well, one is really fucked up, but the others aren’t lagging far behind.
It kept me engaged right until the last page.
The resolution came very quick. I think I just wanted the story to build a little slower. But that seems to be my critique with everything that’s on the short end as of late, so I’m going to say that it is more of a personal preference than a general critique that might hold weight for other readers.
Overall this is a great read. Perfect for the fall season. It reminded me of western New York in the fall, so the atmosphere drew me in as well.
It kept me engaged right until the last page.
The resolution came very quick. I think I just wanted the story to build a little slower. But that seems to be my critique with everything that’s on the short end as of late, so I’m going to say that it is more of a personal preference than a general critique that might hold weight for other readers.
Overall this is a great read. Perfect for the fall season. It reminded me of western New York in the fall, so the atmosphere drew me in as well.
July 17, 2021
I really enjoyed this weird and twisted little read. My first by Andersen Prunty and certainly won’t be my last.
June 25, 2025
This is probably the story by Andersen I enjoyed the least. I never got into it and felt disconnected all along. The characters weren't likable.
The pelvis scenes were really gross 🤮
Not for me.
The pelvis scenes were really gross 🤮
Not for me.
January 10, 2021
This is a hard book to review and rate, I’m really unsure how to put my thoughts into words.
When I first started this story, I was excited, I love a good stalker tale, and this felt like it was going to be exactly what I wanted. The beginning shows Clint watching Stella at work and he obviously has ill intentions. His infatuation with her is disturbing, but he’s also not that slick with his obsession.
However, the story takes a turn and it kind of lost me. Stella is not the character you think she is and everything I was expecting to happen, did not.
There were some good elements to the story. I liked Clint’s relationship with his mother, it gave me some Psycho vibes that I appreciated, if not more graphic.
However, the ending....the ending. It was just so random? I felt like it was just disjointed from the rest of the story and didn’t make any sense. It almost ruined everything for me. At least the story is so short that I didn’t feel too slighted by the disappointments I felt.
Overall, I think some aspects were really well done and I enjoyed them, but others were just too rushed and felt mismatched to the rest of the story.
When I first started this story, I was excited, I love a good stalker tale, and this felt like it was going to be exactly what I wanted. The beginning shows Clint watching Stella at work and he obviously has ill intentions. His infatuation with her is disturbing, but he’s also not that slick with his obsession.
However, the story takes a turn and it kind of lost me. Stella is not the character you think she is and everything I was expecting to happen, did not.
There were some good elements to the story. I liked Clint’s relationship with his mother, it gave me some Psycho vibes that I appreciated, if not more graphic.
However, the ending....the ending. It was just so random? I felt like it was just disjointed from the rest of the story and didn’t make any sense. It almost ruined everything for me. At least the story is so short that I didn’t feel too slighted by the disappointments I felt.
Overall, I think some aspects were really well done and I enjoyed them, but others were just too rushed and felt mismatched to the rest of the story.
July 30, 2020
Well, dang! What did I just read? That was wild and went in a totally different way than I expected based on that first chapter. Everything I thought was flipped completely upside down. I actually felt sorry for someone in this that I never thought I would. This is a short story but it packs quite the gut punch! Deeply twisted and gross at times, but also heartbreaking. If you like weird, creepy, and messed up then this is a great read!
November 10, 2018
I have liked everything that I have read by Andersen Prunty, but had a super hard time with this one. It seemed disjointed and choppy and never really caught a groove for me. I almost threw in the towel at 43% but kept on. Luckily for me it was a quick read. You can’t win them all, I guess.
September 1, 2021
Not bad.
This was a quick ok read. I liked the thought of it but it fell a little flat for me. The writing is good it just felt like something was missing but who doesn't love a dead mother right?. I absolutely love the cover though.
This was a quick ok read. I liked the thought of it but it fell a little flat for me. The writing is good it just felt like something was missing but who doesn't love a dead mother right?. I absolutely love the cover though.
March 4, 2022
What a quirky little read. I feel like it ended too soon though and I wanted to hear more about Clint.
There were more twists and turns than a mountain road. I couldn't put it down at all.
There were more twists and turns than a mountain road. I couldn't put it down at all.
May 10, 2020
Last week, Andersen Prunty offered a bunch of his Kindle books for free and I grabbed a few. This one caught my attention because I liked the cover and was curious about the title.
I actually started reading this last night but put it aside because I thought it might end up being just another generic stalker story about a delusional idiot. I decided to pick it up again tonight, and I'm glad I did because I was wrong.
Well, not entirely. It is about a delusional stalker idiot, but it's also about a whole lot more. A lot of fucked up shit. I kid you not. This book is so packed with shit that's totally screwed up and gross, that it's disturbing af. BUT! The strangest thing about the whole story is how the narrative makes every disgusting thing that happens appear normal. 😮
So, what's it about?
Clint likes to stalk young girls that catch his eye. He also lives in a hoarder house with his um, not-so alive mother. His latest target is a girl called Stella. But Stella has secrets of her own. And when she figures out his interest in her, she decides to use the knowledge against him...
Holy shit! This turned out to be seriously messed up. And I really liked the old switcheroo trick.
Every single character is totally despicable. They all suck and are deeply depraved in some way. There's really no saving grace for any of them. Even the unexpected bunch.
Yet, once I got into the groove of this demented tale, I couldn't put it down.
Luckily, it's not a long story, so I got through all the insanity and comedy of errors leading to the bizarre ending pretty quickly. Which proved that just when you think you've figured out who the grossest character is, another one manages to take their place.
This turned out to be a very strange, but entertaining story. It's quirky, creepy, and dare I say, even fun? 😬
But it's definitely not for the squeamish.
I actually started reading this last night but put it aside because I thought it might end up being just another generic stalker story about a delusional idiot. I decided to pick it up again tonight, and I'm glad I did because I was wrong.
Well, not entirely. It is about a delusional stalker idiot, but it's also about a whole lot more. A lot of fucked up shit. I kid you not. This book is so packed with shit that's totally screwed up and gross, that it's disturbing af. BUT! The strangest thing about the whole story is how the narrative makes every disgusting thing that happens appear normal. 😮
So, what's it about?
Clint likes to stalk young girls that catch his eye. He also lives in a hoarder house with his um, not-so alive mother. His latest target is a girl called Stella. But Stella has secrets of her own. And when she figures out his interest in her, she decides to use the knowledge against him...
Holy shit! This turned out to be seriously messed up. And I really liked the old switcheroo trick.
Every single character is totally despicable. They all suck and are deeply depraved in some way. There's really no saving grace for any of them. Even the unexpected bunch.
Yet, once I got into the groove of this demented tale, I couldn't put it down.
Luckily, it's not a long story, so I got through all the insanity and comedy of errors leading to the bizarre ending pretty quickly. Which proved that just when you think you've figured out who the grossest character is, another one manages to take their place.
This turned out to be a very strange, but entertaining story. It's quirky, creepy, and dare I say, even fun? 😬
But it's definitely not for the squeamish.
September 5, 2018
Prunty's nauseating story of obsession and overall horrible people is very effective. It's almost a moralist tale, without the actual morals.
Typical story: Boy meets girl, boy obsesses silently over girl, boy has no pants so wraps himself in toilet paper, boy keeps the corpse of his mother at home for fucking, girl has some dark secrets of her own, etc. It's a vile story, written in Prunty's signature style, which makes you want to read it all the way through in one sitting just so you know what will happen next.
This is not my favorite of Andersen Prunty's books, no. I thought it was a bit rushed at some points, which compromised the prose. But it's not a bad book, it's a solid entry in the prolific author's catalog. I prefer the weirder Prunty than the viler Prunty, but this book makes for a solid couple of hours of entertainment, and sometimes that's all that matters. One thing I found really cool was how the characters of "Mr. Stalky" and Stella mirrors themselves in the beginning, which each one of them trying to infer information about the other. While Stella does this in a more calculated manner, Clint (the eponymous "Mr. Stalky") does it in an almost childish way. I thought that set up the themes of each character perfectly.
So even in a more pure exploitation setting such as this, Prunty manages to inject it with his amazing writing style.
Typical story: Boy meets girl, boy obsesses silently over girl, boy has no pants so wraps himself in toilet paper, boy keeps the corpse of his mother at home for fucking, girl has some dark secrets of her own, etc. It's a vile story, written in Prunty's signature style, which makes you want to read it all the way through in one sitting just so you know what will happen next.
This is not my favorite of Andersen Prunty's books, no. I thought it was a bit rushed at some points, which compromised the prose. But it's not a bad book, it's a solid entry in the prolific author's catalog. I prefer the weirder Prunty than the viler Prunty, but this book makes for a solid couple of hours of entertainment, and sometimes that's all that matters. One thing I found really cool was how the characters of "Mr. Stalky" and Stella mirrors themselves in the beginning, which each one of them trying to infer information about the other. While Stella does this in a more calculated manner, Clint (the eponymous "Mr. Stalky") does it in an almost childish way. I thought that set up the themes of each character perfectly.
So even in a more pure exploitation setting such as this, Prunty manages to inject it with his amazing writing style.
March 24, 2020
Wicked great read. Every time I open a Prunty book I enjoy it more than the last. WE DON'T TALK ABOUT HER is a quick read that packs one helluva punch. It's about 50 pages as the crow flies but the crow don't read so I don't know how you'd measure the length/speed of a read in comparison to a bird in flight.
This is one of those time I wish Goodreads allowed ratings by the half star because I'd push this up to a 4.5 easily. The one thing that holds this back from being a pure 5-star rating for me is the rushed ending. All the suspense, all the twists, all the build-up kinda sputtered out like balloon knot untied in the end. It was a good enough ending but overall I think if the story were fleshed out just a bit more in the third act it may have hit a full on 5 star.
Still, just a great fast read. Andersen Prunty sure can pack a lot of emotion in a little bit of space. That is the triumph of WE DON'T TALK ABOUT HER. I know I'll be talking about her for awhile, telling everyone to read her if they get a chance.
This is one of those time I wish Goodreads allowed ratings by the half star because I'd push this up to a 4.5 easily. The one thing that holds this back from being a pure 5-star rating for me is the rushed ending. All the suspense, all the twists, all the build-up kinda sputtered out like balloon knot untied in the end. It was a good enough ending but overall I think if the story were fleshed out just a bit more in the third act it may have hit a full on 5 star.
Still, just a great fast read. Andersen Prunty sure can pack a lot of emotion in a little bit of space. That is the triumph of WE DON'T TALK ABOUT HER. I know I'll be talking about her for awhile, telling everyone to read her if they get a chance.
June 13, 2020
This book is repulsive.
This book is disgusting, and this book is fascinating. The theme, the characters, and every little bit of the world was gross, and appalling yet so fascinating. The more you learn and think you understand the characters the book takes you for a loop and makes you disgusted in them all over again. Just when you think the book can't get grosser it whips out the corpse sex. This book is a horrific and offensive to all the senses and it was a fascinating read. Would recommend if you want a quick and short fucked up read.
This book is disgusting, and this book is fascinating. The theme, the characters, and every little bit of the world was gross, and appalling yet so fascinating. The more you learn and think you understand the characters the book takes you for a loop and makes you disgusted in them all over again. Just when you think the book can't get grosser it whips out the corpse sex. This book is a horrific and offensive to all the senses and it was a fascinating read. Would recommend if you want a quick and short fucked up read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 23, 2021
Clint is a delusional loner who lives with the corpse of his deceased mother whom he shares a disturbing connection with and spends most of his free time stalking and eavesdropping on women at cafes, restaurants and the likes in his town. A shy young woman fresh out of college who works as a waitress is his newest obsession. She's distant and different from all the other girls he observes. He gets the impression that perhaps they're soulmates and he begins to stalk her. Little does Clint know, Stella has quite a few skeletons in her own closet. A twisted, delusional, perverted psycho that's easy to take advantage of is exactly what she's been looking for, but not for the reasons he might be hoping for.
This was a very interesting twist on the 'psycho stalker' trope by making the female 'victim' complicit and eager to play a game with delusional, mentally deranged men who are desperate for the attention and affection of a woman, even when they have to get it by force. Every character in the story is a self-obsessed and deluded piece of crap which provides interesting social commentary about the motives behind everyday interactions, emotional manipulation, social degradation and unchecked personality disorders.
It was choppy, hard to follow and the interactions and dialogue of the characters fell a bit short at times which made it difficult to connect with the short plot and characters, but it was quite creative and definitely disturbing overall.
This was a very interesting twist on the 'psycho stalker' trope by making the female 'victim' complicit and eager to play a game with delusional, mentally deranged men who are desperate for the attention and affection of a woman, even when they have to get it by force. Every character in the story is a self-obsessed and deluded piece of crap which provides interesting social commentary about the motives behind everyday interactions, emotional manipulation, social degradation and unchecked personality disorders.
It was choppy, hard to follow and the interactions and dialogue of the characters fell a bit short at times which made it difficult to connect with the short plot and characters, but it was quite creative and definitely disturbing overall.
October 18, 2018
Wasn't prepared for this one. Picked this up free on KU simply because I needed a short story (it is only 49 pages) and the title and cover pulled me in. Had never heard of the author before. Was expecting a dark thriller type of story, got a nauseating, grotesque tale of obsession and manipulation with some seriously disturbed characters. Explicit scenes (probably not suitable for readers who are easily offended by the violation of moral boundaries). Had an entertaining half an hour of unexpected fun reading this. Must check out more stories by this author.
June 13, 2020
Once again, Andersen Prunty has left me speechless. I have no words to describe this book and I have no idea where to begin. This book is extremely short and for once I actually enjoyed the length of a short story. The author was able to introduce all the characters excellently, although, I wish we had known more about Karen. This book was also really disturbing. I really enjoyed this one.
January 25, 2019
The creativity of Prunty's stories is always impressive. This one's short, but that doesn't mean it's missing anything. Good characters, some cringes, some horror, some laughs, a little bit of the fucking weird - everything you need for an entertaining read.
August 25, 2018
A disturbing, cautionary tale of a parasite and rotten pelvis.
May 4, 2022
A pervert manifesto. Hard core horror for adults that like fornicating with corpses. This is adult fanfiction of a boy with mommy issues
October 23, 2022
A creepy stalker story without any creepy details.
What a meaningless story without any horror feeling, or tension buildup or character development. The story is confusing in itself, like the author didn’t know which direction to go with this type of story development. In the end, a character out of nowhere pops up and suddenly resolves the problem for the main character.
What a meaningless story without any horror feeling, or tension buildup or character development. The story is confusing in itself, like the author didn’t know which direction to go with this type of story development. In the end, a character out of nowhere pops up and suddenly resolves the problem for the main character.
October 12, 2019
4* for the story, Prunty definitely delivers his usual transgressive twisted plots and characters.
3* for the audiobook performance/quality, performance was good, production and editing needs to be of better quality although I’m sure it will come with more voice actor gigs.
3* for the audiobook performance/quality, performance was good, production and editing needs to be of better quality although I’m sure it will come with more voice actor gigs.
October 18, 2018
What in the actual hell did I just read. Yuck!
September 23, 2022
This was a really quick read that really did a lot for the small amount of pages. I thought I knew where the story would go from the beginning, but then it just didn’t go there and kept twisting. This is definitely one of those stories that leaves you saying wtf. I thought some parts were really good and some were just there for shock which is not my favorite thing. I want to be shocked when I read this type of horror, but it needs to fit in the story in some way, and not just be there. Overall this was a cool horror story and it’s on KU which is great!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews