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دختر ذرت: یک داستان عاشقانه
دختر ذرت یک داستان از مجموعه دختر ذرت و باقی کابوسهاست که به بطور مجزا در این کتاب به فارسی ترجمه شده است
بنا بر گفته مترجم، دختر ذرت فضایی مملو از توطئه و تعلیق دارد و آن را میتوان به نوعی آسیب شناسی جامعه فعلی امریکا دانست. قهرمانان این داستان چند دختر جوان هستند که ماجراهای پیش روی آنان منجر به شکلگیری اتفاقات این کتاب میشود.
بنا بر گفته مترجم، دختر ذرت فضایی مملو از توطئه و تعلیق دارد و آن را میتوان به نوعی آسیب شناسی جامعه فعلی امریکا دانست. قهرمانان این داستان چند دختر جوان هستند که ماجراهای پیش روی آنان منجر به شکلگیری اتفاقات این کتاب میشود.
135 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
415 people are currently reading
2834 people want to read
About the author
Joyce Carol Oates
853 books9,624 followersJoyce Carol Oates is an American writer. Oates published her first book in 1963, and has since published 58 novels, a number of plays and novellas, and many volumes of short stories, poetry, and nonfiction. Her novels Black Water (1992), What I Lived For (1994), and Blonde (2000), and her short story collections The Wheel of Love (1970) and Lovely, Dark, Deep: Stories (2014) were each finalists for the Pulitzer Prize. She has won many awards for her writing, including the National Book Award, for her novel Them (1969), two O. Henry Awards, the National Humanities Medal, and the Jerusalem Prize (2019).
Oates taught at Princeton University from 1978 to 2014, and is the Roger S. Berlind '52 Professor Emerita in the Humanities with the Program in Creative Writing. From 2016 to 2020, she was a visiting professor at the University of California, Berkeley, where she taught short fiction in the spring semesters. She now teaches at Rutgers University, New Brunswick.
Oates was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 2016.
Pseudonyms: Rosamond Smith and Lauren Kelly.
Oates taught at Princeton University from 1978 to 2014, and is the Roger S. Berlind '52 Professor Emerita in the Humanities with the Program in Creative Writing. From 2016 to 2020, she was a visiting professor at the University of California, Berkeley, where she taught short fiction in the spring semesters. She now teaches at Rutgers University, New Brunswick.
Oates was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 2016.
Pseudonyms: Rosamond Smith and Lauren Kelly.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 421 reviews
October 22, 2013
Good golly, Ms. Oates can write!
I have noticed lately that reading and reviewing has become a "hobby" in itself, and I often am already thinking about what I'm going to say about a book even before I finish it. And somehow, this has trended me away from reading short stories, since it's harder to review a collection of short stories than a novel. Well, also because I guess I just generally prefer novels over short stories. But there is so much short fiction out there of excellent quality, even if the market for it (particularly in my favorite genres of SF&F) has largely dried up as far as being something that serious pro authors can support themselves on.
Joyce Carol Oates has written novels, but I understand she's more widely regarded for her short-form fiction, and after reading this volume, I can see why. She really excels in spinning out a story with characters who show their scars, and all the more ghastly wounds squirming under their skins. These are ordinary people, not psychopaths or ninjas or geniuses or heroes, just schoolteachers, single mothers, doctors, widows, publishers, all living ordinary lives until something dark casts its shadow over them.
I picked up The Corn Maiden and Other Nightmares because I expected horror stories, and I was in a Halloweeny mood. Well, these really aren't "horror" stories per se. None of them involve anything supernatural at all — no monsters, no Stephen Kingish frights, not even so much as a plain old ghost. And for the most part, the stories aren't particularly bloody either, though there is some violence and death in a few of them.
But they're all about people listening to the worser angels of their nature, succumbing to fear or vanity or envy or ego, and suffering for it. There are no happy endings, and a lot of ambiguous "But what happens next?" endings. Yet even the stories without resolution end when they should. Does the doctor get away with it? Does the jerk survive? Did the girl do it? Remember the best stories you read when you were a kid, where the author didn't answer those questions, so the teacher would make you write essays about what you think happened? (Yeah, way to ruin a great short story, teacher!) These are a lot like that.
The title story (the one that interested me initially, because I thought it would be, you know, a supernatural horror story), The Corn Maiden, is about a twelve-year-old girl named Jude who abducts a classmate of hers, a sweet, slightly slow, beautiful little girl with cornsilk hair named Marissa. Jude has gotten it into her head that she's going to sacrifice Marissa following an old Indian ritual she read about. Jude is cunning, charismatic, and disturbed, so she manages to talk a couple of her friends into being her accomplices. She lives in a large mansion with only her old, semi-invalid grandmother, so she is able to drug Marissa to keep her compliant, and then tells her that there was a nuclear war and they are the only survivors. Meanwhile, the hunt has begun for the missing girl, and Jude points the finger at a teacher she resents for having rebuffed her tween crush.
Jude is a very, very sick puppy, but the story is all the more believable because while Jude is clever and devious, she's still just a child, not a criminal mastermind, so of course things start to go wrong. And this story, the longest one in the book (really a novella), kept me up late because I had to get to the ending. That right there convinced me Joyce Carol Oates has some chops and I need to read more of her.
None of the other stories were disappointing. There are two about twins (a "good" twin and a "bad" twin), and one about a long-lost stepdaughter looking up her stepfather to catch up on old times (the reunion does not go well). There's a little girl who hates her baby sister (sibling rivalry turned sour seems to be a recurring theme), a wealthy widow who reaches out in loneliness in a very misguided attempt at playing Benevolent Rich Lady, and finally, a doctor who makes a living giving face lifts to rich ladies, until he allows one of his battier clients to bribe him into trepanning her.
This is an excellent collection of short stories. Despite the title and the blood-spattered cover, the nightmares are all of a very human kind, so don't read this expecting ghouls and ghosts and vampires, or serial killers, elaborate deathtraps, clever murders, and the like. But several of the stories probably will make you go "Oh shit, don't go there!"
I have noticed lately that reading and reviewing has become a "hobby" in itself, and I often am already thinking about what I'm going to say about a book even before I finish it. And somehow, this has trended me away from reading short stories, since it's harder to review a collection of short stories than a novel. Well, also because I guess I just generally prefer novels over short stories. But there is so much short fiction out there of excellent quality, even if the market for it (particularly in my favorite genres of SF&F) has largely dried up as far as being something that serious pro authors can support themselves on.
Joyce Carol Oates has written novels, but I understand she's more widely regarded for her short-form fiction, and after reading this volume, I can see why. She really excels in spinning out a story with characters who show their scars, and all the more ghastly wounds squirming under their skins. These are ordinary people, not psychopaths or ninjas or geniuses or heroes, just schoolteachers, single mothers, doctors, widows, publishers, all living ordinary lives until something dark casts its shadow over them.
I picked up The Corn Maiden and Other Nightmares because I expected horror stories, and I was in a Halloweeny mood. Well, these really aren't "horror" stories per se. None of them involve anything supernatural at all — no monsters, no Stephen Kingish frights, not even so much as a plain old ghost. And for the most part, the stories aren't particularly bloody either, though there is some violence and death in a few of them.
But they're all about people listening to the worser angels of their nature, succumbing to fear or vanity or envy or ego, and suffering for it. There are no happy endings, and a lot of ambiguous "But what happens next?" endings. Yet even the stories without resolution end when they should. Does the doctor get away with it? Does the jerk survive? Did the girl do it? Remember the best stories you read when you were a kid, where the author didn't answer those questions, so the teacher would make you write essays about what you think happened? (Yeah, way to ruin a great short story, teacher!) These are a lot like that.
The title story (the one that interested me initially, because I thought it would be, you know, a supernatural horror story), The Corn Maiden, is about a twelve-year-old girl named Jude who abducts a classmate of hers, a sweet, slightly slow, beautiful little girl with cornsilk hair named Marissa. Jude has gotten it into her head that she's going to sacrifice Marissa following an old Indian ritual she read about. Jude is cunning, charismatic, and disturbed, so she manages to talk a couple of her friends into being her accomplices. She lives in a large mansion with only her old, semi-invalid grandmother, so she is able to drug Marissa to keep her compliant, and then tells her that there was a nuclear war and they are the only survivors. Meanwhile, the hunt has begun for the missing girl, and Jude points the finger at a teacher she resents for having rebuffed her tween crush.
Jude is a very, very sick puppy, but the story is all the more believable because while Jude is clever and devious, she's still just a child, not a criminal mastermind, so of course things start to go wrong. And this story, the longest one in the book (really a novella), kept me up late because I had to get to the ending. That right there convinced me Joyce Carol Oates has some chops and I need to read more of her.
None of the other stories were disappointing. There are two about twins (a "good" twin and a "bad" twin), and one about a long-lost stepdaughter looking up her stepfather to catch up on old times (the reunion does not go well). There's a little girl who hates her baby sister (sibling rivalry turned sour seems to be a recurring theme), a wealthy widow who reaches out in loneliness in a very misguided attempt at playing Benevolent Rich Lady, and finally, a doctor who makes a living giving face lifts to rich ladies, until he allows one of his battier clients to bribe him into trepanning her.
This is an excellent collection of short stories. Despite the title and the blood-spattered cover, the nightmares are all of a very human kind, so don't read this expecting ghouls and ghosts and vampires, or serial killers, elaborate deathtraps, clever murders, and the like. But several of the stories probably will make you go "Oh shit, don't go there!"
February 24, 2012
Although Ms. Oates is an accomplished, evocative writer - and there were lines that inspired awe of her ability - there were several reasons I couldn't give this book more than two (or two and a half) stars. The first challenge came in the opening of the novella, the first of several nightmarish stories in this collection. For several pages, I could not for the life of me figure out what was going on. It was largely a point of view problem, coupled with what I can only assume was the intentionally manipulated structure to keep the reader guessing. Unfortunately, it failed to engage me until finally reaching a character I could understand, who put together all the pieces that were scattered in the beginning. After that the story was interesting, although exceedingly dark.
Another reason I couldn't enjoy this collection is that not a single character appealed to me. If the point was to create nightmare stories, it didn't quite work because of my lack of engagement with the people - yes, they were dark, and yes, not a single scenario is one I would like to face (thus, a nightmare). But since I didn't particularly care for any of the characters, aside from the victim in The Corn Maiden novella, it didn't really scare me for them.
Other than the cliched Christian-bashing and the manipulative opening to the introductory tale, there were moments of brilliance which I would expect from an author of Ms. Oates renown. But overall this is a book I won't be recommending.
Another reason I couldn't enjoy this collection is that not a single character appealed to me. If the point was to create nightmare stories, it didn't quite work because of my lack of engagement with the people - yes, they were dark, and yes, not a single scenario is one I would like to face (thus, a nightmare). But since I didn't particularly care for any of the characters, aside from the victim in The Corn Maiden novella, it didn't really scare me for them.
Other than the cliched Christian-bashing and the manipulative opening to the introductory tale, there were moments of brilliance which I would expect from an author of Ms. Oates renown. But overall this is a book I won't be recommending.
Read
June 24, 2012I'm not sure how to rate this. The stories are compelling and well-written, but their content is chilling and dark and sometimes the ending is too vague. I prefer a clear and obvious denouement. **POSSIBLE SPOILERS** "Helping Hands" pulled you into Helene's world, disturbingly and inexorably, because she behaves like she's in a trance, compelled to a horrible ending which she should have foreseen but seemed powerless to avoid. You feel like you're inside her head which made the ending disappointing to me because I wasn't sure what happened. "A Hole in the Head" was similar as the author draws you into the inner workings of the person's mind even if you don't WANT to see it deteriorate; it too left me unclear as to the actual ending. "Death-Cup" drew me in with sympathy for the good twin who was rendered powerless against his brother's evil. "Fossil-Figures" was another weird twin story; I didn't like it as much. It was weird, creepy, and sad, and plus had the tired trope of the "demon-brother" being a conservative politician. Do liberals never see how transparent it is that their villains are ALWAYS Republicans? "Beersheba" was grimly dark with a loser of a main character that made it hard to feel compassion for him. "Nobody Knows My Name" was horrifyingly creepy; I don't like stories about evil children who hurt other children. Again the ending is a bit ambiguous except for the fact that innocence is dead. "The Corn Maiden" was the longest and my favorite. I hated the beginning because the narrator was so despicable, but then I realized that there were several points of view presented in the story, and I was fascinated by the horrifying events. I was also struck by a clear metaphor between Jude and the feral cats. The ending did not leave me either satisfied or terrified, but the main central part of the story was powerful. One characteristic of Oates' writing that I enjoy is that she will break the rules of conventional syntax to convey clustered and rambling thoughts of disturbed people. These stories would be fascinating to discuss with someone, but like any book of horror, sometimes I feel more stained and corrupted by the reading than anything else. (Offensive language and subject matter.)
September 18, 2012
These weren't scary stories in the traditional sense of what I was expecting, but they were psychologically frightening. I can't say I remember reading an entire JCO book before, although I studied some of her short stories in college. This book was really really good. Again, I am biased because several of the stories take place in New York State, including upstate and the Adirondacks. I love reading about all the little towns New York has, and which I've driven through or visited when I lived in New York State.
It goes without saying that JCO is a master storyteller. I've seen her speak a few times and I was always enthralled by the intelligence she exuded when she patiently answered whatever question I asked. She's even a little quirky. Go figure! :)
I particularly loved the story about the widowed housewife in Jersey who befriends a maimed Iraq veteran. The loneliness this woman feels is so palpable. This story actually frightened me, not because it was scary like a horror movie, but terrifying because of the way humans can treat each other, especially the emotionally fragile and weak. I was both enraged and saddened by this story.
If you love good writing and want to read some exceptional contemporary short stories than I highly recommend this book. It won't keep you up at night like a nightmare might, but it will make you reflect on the terrors we inflict on our fellow humans.
It goes without saying that JCO is a master storyteller. I've seen her speak a few times and I was always enthralled by the intelligence she exuded when she patiently answered whatever question I asked. She's even a little quirky. Go figure! :)
I particularly loved the story about the widowed housewife in Jersey who befriends a maimed Iraq veteran. The loneliness this woman feels is so palpable. This story actually frightened me, not because it was scary like a horror movie, but terrifying because of the way humans can treat each other, especially the emotionally fragile and weak. I was both enraged and saddened by this story.
If you love good writing and want to read some exceptional contemporary short stories than I highly recommend this book. It won't keep you up at night like a nightmare might, but it will make you reflect on the terrors we inflict on our fellow humans.
November 6, 2011
First of all, if you don't like nightmares and don't want to be scared and repulsed by the horrors ordinary people do, don't read this. Since I'm one of the slightly skewed people who enjoy reading about the darker side of the human nature, I actually enjoyed the book and most of the short stories within.
I got lost in the pain and desperation Marissa's mother felt when she found her daughter missing and her world unravelling under the scrutiny of the authorities and the public. I felt the confusion as the innocent teacher agreed to help the police only to find himself in the centre of a witch-hunt. And I even found a sliver of understanding and the pity for the kidnapper.
All this happened within the first short story and more was to come with the others thanks to Oates' writing. She managed to keep me turning the pages even when I was annoyed with her choices both for the characters and the effective writing. Somehow Oates managed to make third limited past tense seem more immediate and gripping than most authors manage with first person present tense.
The Corn Maiden and Other Nightmares is an acquired taste, and since this is my first encounter with Joyce Carol Oates' work, I can only assume the same goes for the rest of her work. It's going to take a while for me to explore this theory further though.
I received an Advanced Readers Copy from the publisher through NetGalley.
I got lost in the pain and desperation Marissa's mother felt when she found her daughter missing and her world unravelling under the scrutiny of the authorities and the public. I felt the confusion as the innocent teacher agreed to help the police only to find himself in the centre of a witch-hunt. And I even found a sliver of understanding and the pity for the kidnapper.
All this happened within the first short story and more was to come with the others thanks to Oates' writing. She managed to keep me turning the pages even when I was annoyed with her choices both for the characters and the effective writing. Somehow Oates managed to make third limited past tense seem more immediate and gripping than most authors manage with first person present tense.
The Corn Maiden and Other Nightmares is an acquired taste, and since this is my first encounter with Joyce Carol Oates' work, I can only assume the same goes for the rest of her work. It's going to take a while for me to explore this theory further though.
I received an Advanced Readers Copy from the publisher through NetGalley.
April 25, 2016
Straight up: These are not the sort of horror stories that involve ghosts or vampires or whatever else that gets ones blood curdling. The "nightmares" of Joyce Carol Oates' world are the kinds of nightmares that are terrifying because they could all actually happen in our everyday lives. And, actually, they probably do happen. It's like reading a newspaper and realizing that there's some fucked up shit going on all around us, and we shake it off like a bad dream and go on with our regular lives because, well, we're okay, aren't we?
I have difficulty with Joyce Carol Oates. I've talked with my best friend about this on and off over the years - she has more appreciation for her writing than I do, though I have turned around over the years on Oates' essays. I think that's where her true talent lies, though my mind was blown at the beauty that was A Garden of Earthly Delights - a book that was unlike any other by Oates that I had read to date, and even now I have to look back and wonder if she actually wrote it because I haven't read anything else like it by her. (It's part of a quatrology, so I need to read the other three books to see how I feel about them. But the first book is kind of amazing.)
Other than that, her writing doesn't do it for me. A lot of her early books were all about the same things, and I can barely tell them apart. (Except for Foxfire: Confessions of a Girl Gang which is another stand-out book, though that may be based more on my memory of the movie because 90s Angelina Jolie was the absolute shit.) In her other writing, I'm always left feeling like something is missing.
This was no exception. These stories are not even the quality I would expect from Oates. The first and the last stories are probably the best, but the rest in between are either too short or just not good or had promise but then the endings were just rotten. It's a shame, though, because this was an impulse snag at the library (nightmares, whee!) and I really was looking for some shivers.
Anyway, I kept some notes as I read, and below is what I came up with. I would like a die-hard Oates fan to read this collection and let me know what they think. I don't think I'm being hard on it just because it was written by JCO (because I'm really not that kind of reader - I try to give every book or collection of short stories or essays their own due), but I'm always open to hear other readers' interpretations.
The Corn Maiden:
This is one part Law & Order: SVU, one part Gillian Flynn, and one part old-school Margaret Atwood (aka Cat's Eye on CRACK). It was a somewhat satisfying read in how it all played out, but it was a clumsy attempt. It took a while for things to gel for me, and then in the end
This is why I won't have children. They become pre-teens and bad things happen.
Beersheba:
A strange story about a guy named Brad who gets a call and visit from a young woman he knew when she was a child.
There's not a lot to say about it, actually, because nothing really happened.
Nobody Knows My Name:
So these are really simple stories. Really not much happens. So here we have Jessica, a little girl who is unhappy with the birth of her little sister, known throughout the story as Baby. (Nobody puts Baby in the corner!) She's a sour little kid, this Jessica, and therein lies the problem. Oh, and there's a cat.
Cats are assholes. We all know this.
Fossil-Figures:
Twins, one of whom is bad but perfect and beloved by all, and the other, sickly, small. A brief history of their lives, constantly reminded how different they are. And, yeah.
Death-Cup:
Twins, one of whom is bad and does bad things to women, and the other, a good guy. The good one wants the bad one dead, but cannot bring himself to do so. Because he's good. Mushrooms. And, yeah.
Helping Hands:
Helene's husband has recently passed, and she reaches out to an organization, Helping Hands, to pick up her husband's belongings for donation.
Actually an okay, albeit melancholy, story. Still missing a bit of something I cannot quite put my finger on.
A Hole in the Head:
Um, trepanation? Makes for a good story. Certainly better than some of the others in this collection.
I have difficulty with Joyce Carol Oates. I've talked with my best friend about this on and off over the years - she has more appreciation for her writing than I do, though I have turned around over the years on Oates' essays. I think that's where her true talent lies, though my mind was blown at the beauty that was A Garden of Earthly Delights - a book that was unlike any other by Oates that I had read to date, and even now I have to look back and wonder if she actually wrote it because I haven't read anything else like it by her. (It's part of a quatrology, so I need to read the other three books to see how I feel about them. But the first book is kind of amazing.)
Other than that, her writing doesn't do it for me. A lot of her early books were all about the same things, and I can barely tell them apart. (Except for Foxfire: Confessions of a Girl Gang which is another stand-out book, though that may be based more on my memory of the movie because 90s Angelina Jolie was the absolute shit.) In her other writing, I'm always left feeling like something is missing.
This was no exception. These stories are not even the quality I would expect from Oates. The first and the last stories are probably the best, but the rest in between are either too short or just not good or had promise but then the endings were just rotten. It's a shame, though, because this was an impulse snag at the library (nightmares, whee!) and I really was looking for some shivers.
Anyway, I kept some notes as I read, and below is what I came up with. I would like a die-hard Oates fan to read this collection and let me know what they think. I don't think I'm being hard on it just because it was written by JCO (because I'm really not that kind of reader - I try to give every book or collection of short stories or essays their own due), but I'm always open to hear other readers' interpretations.
The Corn Maiden:
This is one part Law & Order: SVU, one part Gillian Flynn, and one part old-school Margaret Atwood (aka Cat's Eye on CRACK). It was a somewhat satisfying read in how it all played out, but it was a clumsy attempt. It took a while for things to gel for me, and then in the end
This is why I won't have children. They become pre-teens and bad things happen.
Beersheba:
A strange story about a guy named Brad who gets a call and visit from a young woman he knew when she was a child.
There's not a lot to say about it, actually, because nothing really happened.
Nobody Knows My Name:
So these are really simple stories. Really not much happens. So here we have Jessica, a little girl who is unhappy with the birth of her little sister, known throughout the story as Baby. (Nobody puts Baby in the corner!) She's a sour little kid, this Jessica, and therein lies the problem. Oh, and there's a cat.
Cats are assholes. We all know this.
Fossil-Figures:
Twins, one of whom is bad but perfect and beloved by all, and the other, sickly, small. A brief history of their lives, constantly reminded how different they are. And, yeah.
Death-Cup:
Twins, one of whom is bad and does bad things to women, and the other, a good guy. The good one wants the bad one dead, but cannot bring himself to do so. Because he's good. Mushrooms. And, yeah.
Helping Hands:
Helene's husband has recently passed, and she reaches out to an organization, Helping Hands, to pick up her husband's belongings for donation.
Actually an okay, albeit melancholy, story. Still missing a bit of something I cannot quite put my finger on.
A Hole in the Head:
Um, trepanation? Makes for a good story. Certainly better than some of the others in this collection.
July 14, 2025
A really solid collection of short stories that all felt unique. The initial Corn Maiden story is an easy 5/5 for me. It’s seriously one of the best horror stories I have ever read and recommend it to anyone interested in cult horror. The later stories are of varying quality but all of them are well written and the moment to moment prose is beautiful as it always is with Joyce Carol Oates. Definitely a good little collection although I wonder if starting with The Corn Maiden may have unintentionally set the bar of quality unrealistically high for the rest of the collection.
April 14, 2017
I am currently pondering this book hard. Not regarding what it was about but with why I picked it. It was the flashiest out of the author’s small pile at the local library but I am like 99% sure I confused this author for another. It also reminds me of another book I have read that I checked out three additional times after reading it because of the cover. I forgot each time that I had read it and wanted to slap myself for being so dense. It seems in life that when you make a mistake on something it is the one thing you continually mess up on. Like all the bad luck juice flows to that one item.
I did not like this book. It was boring and pointless. I thought I was going to be scared, was not at all. I thought I was going to be entertained, was not at all. The writing was decent but the content was blah. The characters were nothing to write home about either. I feel like it consisted of random ideas that had no real substance, but everyone is after that mighty dollar sign so print and release it went.
I really wish I could remember that other author’s name! How bad will it suck if it is this one and my extreme disappointment is trying to lie to me and convince me that there is still something out there. I suppose I will have to review my to-read shelf and see if I can find it. Hold on…
Okay, so she is on my list but I swear those weren’t the books I was thinking of. I’m going to take her off my list until I decide if I want to give her a second chance or not. Maybe one of you will direct me to a better book of hers and maybe one of you can help me remember the other author I am thinking of. My brain is saying female, three names but hesitates on the historical fiction idea.
I welcome your help night and quiet reader.
I did not like this book. It was boring and pointless. I thought I was going to be scared, was not at all. I thought I was going to be entertained, was not at all. The writing was decent but the content was blah. The characters were nothing to write home about either. I feel like it consisted of random ideas that had no real substance, but everyone is after that mighty dollar sign so print and release it went.
I really wish I could remember that other author’s name! How bad will it suck if it is this one and my extreme disappointment is trying to lie to me and convince me that there is still something out there. I suppose I will have to review my to-read shelf and see if I can find it. Hold on…
Okay, so she is on my list but I swear those weren’t the books I was thinking of. I’m going to take her off my list until I decide if I want to give her a second chance or not. Maybe one of you will direct me to a better book of hers and maybe one of you can help me remember the other author I am thinking of. My brain is saying female, three names but hesitates on the historical fiction idea.
I welcome your help night and quiet reader.
October 5, 2019
This was a great collection. This is (at least) the third collection of Oates’ moody, atmospheric, horrific short stories that I’ve read, and they just get better and better.
Oates’ writing is, as always, brilliant and evocative, full of characters that feel real. There are no stock characters here, but people who are a little bit like you (and me).
Some reviewers have complained that the stories are too similar to each other. While that isn’t exactly true, there is a common theme that runs through many, though not all, of the entries in this collection: someone who is just living their life encounters a seemingly innocuous person who, after worming their way into the first person’s life, is revealed to actually be a white hot ball of insanity. Rather than merely repeating the same formula again and again, however, Oates creates a myriad of different scenarios in which a happy, or unaware, or needy, or grieving, or lonely, or neglected person (or child) is manipulated by a dangerous individual who seems to almost be hunting them. It’s sort of like how most of Hitchcock’s films start with the theme of “innocent person falsely accused” and develop from there. This collection consists of variations on the theme, “innocent person targeted.” If this intrigues you, then you will probably enjoy this collection. I found it to be riveting.
Oates’ writing is, as always, brilliant and evocative, full of characters that feel real. There are no stock characters here, but people who are a little bit like you (and me).
Some reviewers have complained that the stories are too similar to each other. While that isn’t exactly true, there is a common theme that runs through many, though not all, of the entries in this collection: someone who is just living their life encounters a seemingly innocuous person who, after worming their way into the first person’s life, is revealed to actually be a white hot ball of insanity. Rather than merely repeating the same formula again and again, however, Oates creates a myriad of different scenarios in which a happy, or unaware, or needy, or grieving, or lonely, or neglected person (or child) is manipulated by a dangerous individual who seems to almost be hunting them. It’s sort of like how most of Hitchcock’s films start with the theme of “innocent person falsely accused” and develop from there. This collection consists of variations on the theme, “innocent person targeted.” If this intrigues you, then you will probably enjoy this collection. I found it to be riveting.
November 25, 2018
The Corn Maiden - 4*
Beersheba - 4*
Nobody Knows My Name - 4.5*
Fossil-Figures - 4*
Death-Cup - 4*
Helping Hands - 3.5*
A Hole in the Head - 3.5*
Beersheba - 4*
Nobody Knows My Name - 4.5*
Fossil-Figures - 4*
Death-Cup - 4*
Helping Hands - 3.5*
A Hole in the Head - 3.5*
December 17, 2025
Read for "The Corn Maiden" only, as I saw it recommended for "folk-horror" and knew that Joyce Carol Oates was a very talented writer, so I wanted to see what she could do.
The only thing folk-horror about this novella is the title, the corn maiden being the phrase used for the ritual sacrifice of a young maiden by certain indigenous North American tribes to ensure a successful harvest. Otherwise, this is a very well written suspense piece about an 11-year-old girl who's kidnapped by her classmates in a quaint New England town with a view of the Hudson River. Oates is masterful in her ability to put the reader inside the head of the major players in this story, and there were several moments when I pulled myself out of the narrative, consciously admiring the author's talent.
As fortune would have it, two book on my library hold became available almost as soon as I finished this story. So, I may come back to the "other nightmares," as the fates decide.
The only thing folk-horror about this novella is the title, the corn maiden being the phrase used for the ritual sacrifice of a young maiden by certain indigenous North American tribes to ensure a successful harvest. Otherwise, this is a very well written suspense piece about an 11-year-old girl who's kidnapped by her classmates in a quaint New England town with a view of the Hudson River. Oates is masterful in her ability to put the reader inside the head of the major players in this story, and there were several moments when I pulled myself out of the narrative, consciously admiring the author's talent.
As fortune would have it, two book on my library hold became available almost as soon as I finished this story. So, I may come back to the "other nightmares," as the fates decide.
December 27, 2018
There is no doubt that Joyce Carol Oates is a highly accomplished writer, with many accolades to her credit. I have limited experience with her work, aside from "Zombie".
Certainly while technically proficient, I didn't find much to like in this book. The first story, and the title of which forms the title of the book is "The Corn Maiden", where a beautiful young girl with learning difficulties is kidnapped by older students, to be eventually sacrificed by them.
The book seems to emphasize the cruelty of life and especially people, and if I had to offer an opinion of another author's work it reminded me of, it would be Charles Birkin...
Jeff McIntosh
Certainly while technically proficient, I didn't find much to like in this book. The first story, and the title of which forms the title of the book is "The Corn Maiden", where a beautiful young girl with learning difficulties is kidnapped by older students, to be eventually sacrificed by them.
The book seems to emphasize the cruelty of life and especially people, and if I had to offer an opinion of another author's work it reminded me of, it would be Charles Birkin...
Jeff McIntosh
November 22, 2011
I found this to be jumpy and poorly written. Glad it was a library book!
October 11, 2018
Nightmares, indeed! I found myself covering my eyes while reading A Hole in the Head. What a great collection of stories.
I just stumbled on to Joyce Carol Oates in the past year or so, and what a treasure she is. Everything I’ve read so far has been stellar. And every story in this book hits its mark. Stories of evil twins, sibling rivalry, twisted teens, demented doctors... each will haunt you after it thrills you. There’s no ghosts, demons, or vampires here. But there are plenty of scary humans.
I just stumbled on to Joyce Carol Oates in the past year or so, and what a treasure she is. Everything I’ve read so far has been stellar. And every story in this book hits its mark. Stories of evil twins, sibling rivalry, twisted teens, demented doctors... each will haunt you after it thrills you. There’s no ghosts, demons, or vampires here. But there are plenty of scary humans.
April 13, 2013
The Corn Maiden and Other Nightmares is a collection of seven short stories that range from revenge thrillers to murderous sibling rivalries. Some of the tales don't stray too far from well worn horror plots, but, as is usually the case, Oates often elevates even these standard structures to a new level of creativity with her rich characters. She has an incredible ability to weave through their inner feelings and private thoughts with such clarifying force that it not only makes the characters believable with their human flaws and desires but also provides insight into their poor or cruel decisions.
This is certainly the case for the eponymous novella in which a young girl, Marissa, is abducted by a few of her fellow classmates. What could have been a standard kidnapping turns into a much more introspective look at the effects of these kind of dire situations and how protected people can really be. Early on in the story, Marissa's mom, Leah, debates whether or not to call the police when she finds that Marissa is missing. It may seem like she should immediately call them, but her fears of being branded a terrible mother by the community and an indifferent media prevent her from doing so. So, while Oates could have quickly moved the story forward, she pauses instead to reveal many of Leah's insecurities about her public image, her parenting abilities, and her viability as a suitable partner, which I imagine are shared by many parents.
The two best stories of the bunch are "Fossil-Figures" and "Death-Cup." They both deal with rivalrous twin brothers and could represent opposite ends of the spectrum in regard to how great of a connection there is between twins. In the former, the twins couldn't be more different. One is a reclusive and artistic painter, dogged by physical disabilities his whole life. The other is a successful conservative politician, briefly reaching the most elite status. And, yet they share a connection they can never quite get away from throughout their entire lives.
The latter story depicts one suave, charismatic twin who seems to come away from every challenge undaunted and one meek, timid twin often down on his luck. It is not until the timid twin tries to live the life of his brother that his brother's streak of luck ends, suggesting they each have a separate role to play.
There are a few problems, however, that Oates' great characterizations can't overcome. One story—"Beersheba"—plays out like a traditional revenge tale with a protagonist willing to walk right into trouble's way. It's not a bad story exactly but doesn't add anything to the subgenre. "Helping Hands" portrays a widow's attempt to provide companionship for herself while helping out an injured veteran. While the turn around at the end of the story is a plus, readers have to wade for far too long through the widow's aimless desire to fill the void her husband's death left. This story also showcases how Oates' writing can become a little too maudlin at times, where every glance or small ache can be seen as a sign of that characters' spirit.
So, overall, while the stories mostly remain within convention, they do so with enough flair to make them stand out.
This is certainly the case for the eponymous novella in which a young girl, Marissa, is abducted by a few of her fellow classmates. What could have been a standard kidnapping turns into a much more introspective look at the effects of these kind of dire situations and how protected people can really be. Early on in the story, Marissa's mom, Leah, debates whether or not to call the police when she finds that Marissa is missing. It may seem like she should immediately call them, but her fears of being branded a terrible mother by the community and an indifferent media prevent her from doing so. So, while Oates could have quickly moved the story forward, she pauses instead to reveal many of Leah's insecurities about her public image, her parenting abilities, and her viability as a suitable partner, which I imagine are shared by many parents.
The two best stories of the bunch are "Fossil-Figures" and "Death-Cup." They both deal with rivalrous twin brothers and could represent opposite ends of the spectrum in regard to how great of a connection there is between twins. In the former, the twins couldn't be more different. One is a reclusive and artistic painter, dogged by physical disabilities his whole life. The other is a successful conservative politician, briefly reaching the most elite status. And, yet they share a connection they can never quite get away from throughout their entire lives.
The latter story depicts one suave, charismatic twin who seems to come away from every challenge undaunted and one meek, timid twin often down on his luck. It is not until the timid twin tries to live the life of his brother that his brother's streak of luck ends, suggesting they each have a separate role to play.
There are a few problems, however, that Oates' great characterizations can't overcome. One story—"Beersheba"—plays out like a traditional revenge tale with a protagonist willing to walk right into trouble's way. It's not a bad story exactly but doesn't add anything to the subgenre. "Helping Hands" portrays a widow's attempt to provide companionship for herself while helping out an injured veteran. While the turn around at the end of the story is a plus, readers have to wade for far too long through the widow's aimless desire to fill the void her husband's death left. This story also showcases how Oates' writing can become a little too maudlin at times, where every glance or small ache can be seen as a sign of that characters' spirit.
So, overall, while the stories mostly remain within convention, they do so with enough flair to make them stand out.
November 17, 2011
Ok.....I love the way this lady writes but quite frankly, at times I wonder if she's nuts.
I.e., one of the stories was about a crazed teen girl luring her dead mother's ex into an abandoned churchyard/graveyard and then slicing his achilles' heel.
Leaving him to die.
What a sick mind! Really, ....there are times I need a break from her. After all, this is a woman who never had children and some of her stories are way way over the top.
Also, not in this particular series but another group of short stories, she had written about a little girl, taking her baby sister up on a roof and then letting go. BTW, below was an outdoor afternoon tea party of adults who didn't realize baby was missing.......gothic in a disturbing way. I don't like gothic tales involving kids and babies...life is hard enough.
Further along now....the tales def. pick up. The theme (2 stories) of twins comes up.....twins resenting each other......and yet merging.....not a happy point of view - the usual, someone understands me....we're not alone.....these twins resent each other and one tries to be dominant and/or kill the other? Yet they can't escape their fates.
Also, further along....The Widow returns. The Widow was a character in the book Oates wrote when her hubby of many years died. (Sort of another type of Didion memoir on death) (i.e., Year of Magical Thinking).....anyway, the Widow is back, donating her hubby's top-end clothes to a down at the heels veteran's thrift store. There is something about the Widow I enjoy. Her clumsiness, her ineptitude, etc. So.......the most gothic and disturbing tales involving children are at the beginning and then we veer into other areas......to me, this is less disturbing and more sort of sedate Steven Kingish?
I.e., one of the stories was about a crazed teen girl luring her dead mother's ex into an abandoned churchyard/graveyard and then slicing his achilles' heel.
Leaving him to die.
What a sick mind! Really, ....there are times I need a break from her. After all, this is a woman who never had children and some of her stories are way way over the top.
Also, not in this particular series but another group of short stories, she had written about a little girl, taking her baby sister up on a roof and then letting go. BTW, below was an outdoor afternoon tea party of adults who didn't realize baby was missing.......gothic in a disturbing way. I don't like gothic tales involving kids and babies...life is hard enough.
Further along now....the tales def. pick up. The theme (2 stories) of twins comes up.....twins resenting each other......and yet merging.....not a happy point of view - the usual, someone understands me....we're not alone.....these twins resent each other and one tries to be dominant and/or kill the other? Yet they can't escape their fates.
Also, further along....The Widow returns. The Widow was a character in the book Oates wrote when her hubby of many years died. (Sort of another type of Didion memoir on death) (i.e., Year of Magical Thinking).....anyway, the Widow is back, donating her hubby's top-end clothes to a down at the heels veteran's thrift store. There is something about the Widow I enjoy. Her clumsiness, her ineptitude, etc. So.......the most gothic and disturbing tales involving children are at the beginning and then we veer into other areas......to me, this is less disturbing and more sort of sedate Steven Kingish?
September 30, 2021
A very solid collection from Joyce Carol Oates. I quite enjoyed all the stories here aside from “Death Cup”, which really didn’t do anything for me “Fossil Figures” doesn’t, as both cover much of the same material and even have similar endings . . . but “Death Cup” has an ending it doesn’t earn.
My favorite story here is probably “Helping Hands”, a longish story exclusive to this collection, about a widow befriending an Iraq vet working at a thrift shop. JCO takes her time with this one, letting it build and build and build . . . to an ending I didn’t want to see happen, but it felt so inevitable.
I don’t know if I’d recommend this collection to horror fans as it isn’t really “horror”—in fact, using the word “nightmares” in the title is a stretch—but on display is this veteran author’s skill and deft hand at dark, twisted tales exploring the darker side of humanity.
My favorite story here is probably “Helping Hands”, a longish story exclusive to this collection, about a widow befriending an Iraq vet working at a thrift shop. JCO takes her time with this one, letting it build and build and build . . . to an ending I didn’t want to see happen, but it felt so inevitable.
I don’t know if I’d recommend this collection to horror fans as it isn’t really “horror”—in fact, using the word “nightmares” in the title is a stretch—but on display is this veteran author’s skill and deft hand at dark, twisted tales exploring the darker side of humanity.
July 15, 2017
The novella-length "Corn Maiden" in particular was utterly unnerving. I love Oates' short fiction so much.
December 17, 2024
همیشه وقتی بچههای مدرسهای رو میدیدم به این فکر میکردم که تیمکشیهاشون، بحثاشون،بدجنسیها یا رفاقتهاشون چه شکلیه یا چه جوری کار میکنه. این و علاقهم به اسطورهها باعث شد این کتاب رو به امید کشف یک جهان برگرفته از آداب و رسوم و حتی رمز و راز شروع کنم. در واقع دختر ذرت اشاره به مراسمی درمیان یکی از قبایل سرخپوست دارد که در آن دختر ذرت را برای افزایش محصولات کشاورزی قربانی میکنند. و خب در این کتاب قراره بفهمیم اگر چندتا دختر دبیرستانی بخوان این مراسم رو انجام بدن چه اتفاقی میافته. متاسفانه داستان اسطورهای همینجا به پایان میرسه و مخاطبی رو که مثل من شیفته اساطیر باشم ناامید میکنه. در واقع هدف اصلی نویسنده پرداختن به جنبههای اسطورهای نبوده و من نه با کاراکترها ارتباط برقرار کردم و نه پایانبندی رو دوست داشتم.
September 2, 2014
Sibling rivalry, alienation, greed, and loneliness play vital roles in these tightly plotted and well executed stories.
In the title story, “Corn Maiden,” the evil within children makes a mockery out of the police search for a missing girl. Told in multiple stream-of-consciousness voices, we get an interior story and a lesson on what leads to murder in a small town. The victim may be rescued, but she is left alienated, just as her oppressors once were, while the rest of the town goes back to its interrupted life. “Beersheba” tells of another crazy woman and her lustful step-father playing out the aftermath of childhood abuse; it is hard to feel sympathy for either of them.
Three stories, “Nobody Knows My Name,” “Fossil Figures,” and “Death Cup,” deal with sibling rivalry. The first story is between a 9-year old girl, her baby sister and a mysterious thistledown cat, the latter more imagined than real; the second deals with fraternal twins where the best genes flowed into one while leaving the other a husk at birth, and yet the emotional bonds forged in the womb overcome mortal circumstances that divide them; the third, also involving twins, takes sibling rivalry to the point of murder.
“Helping Hands” deals with a widow’s loss and her urgent need to replace the dead husband with anyone who will pay her some attention, even if it’s of the wrong kind. Contrasting her loneliness is the alienation of the injured young war vet who is out to take back what society has robbed of him – a dangerous liaison. The dinner scene where Nicholas, the vet, reveals his feelings, is effectively rendered: unorthodox, powerful fragments dropped on paper.
The final story, “A Hole in the Head,” is an indictment of the rich and bored in American society, and of the “service providers” who leech off them. Like with “Helping Hands,” the reader is left to write his own ending to this story.
The financial collapse of 2008 and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq feature as constant backdrops to these stories, all condemned for being mindless and wasteful ventures.
The writing style is unconventional for such a middle class milieu. I detected weak editing and proofing, and strange punctuation, but if the net result is that the voices of these bizarre characters come out more distinctly, then the author succeeds brilliantly (and damn the grammarians!) Oates certainly demonstrates that great fiction can be dark, and that there need not be happy endings for us to chronicle human drama effectively.
In the title story, “Corn Maiden,” the evil within children makes a mockery out of the police search for a missing girl. Told in multiple stream-of-consciousness voices, we get an interior story and a lesson on what leads to murder in a small town. The victim may be rescued, but she is left alienated, just as her oppressors once were, while the rest of the town goes back to its interrupted life. “Beersheba” tells of another crazy woman and her lustful step-father playing out the aftermath of childhood abuse; it is hard to feel sympathy for either of them.
Three stories, “Nobody Knows My Name,” “Fossil Figures,” and “Death Cup,” deal with sibling rivalry. The first story is between a 9-year old girl, her baby sister and a mysterious thistledown cat, the latter more imagined than real; the second deals with fraternal twins where the best genes flowed into one while leaving the other a husk at birth, and yet the emotional bonds forged in the womb overcome mortal circumstances that divide them; the third, also involving twins, takes sibling rivalry to the point of murder.
“Helping Hands” deals with a widow’s loss and her urgent need to replace the dead husband with anyone who will pay her some attention, even if it’s of the wrong kind. Contrasting her loneliness is the alienation of the injured young war vet who is out to take back what society has robbed of him – a dangerous liaison. The dinner scene where Nicholas, the vet, reveals his feelings, is effectively rendered: unorthodox, powerful fragments dropped on paper.
The final story, “A Hole in the Head,” is an indictment of the rich and bored in American society, and of the “service providers” who leech off them. Like with “Helping Hands,” the reader is left to write his own ending to this story.
The financial collapse of 2008 and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq feature as constant backdrops to these stories, all condemned for being mindless and wasteful ventures.
The writing style is unconventional for such a middle class milieu. I detected weak editing and proofing, and strange punctuation, but if the net result is that the voices of these bizarre characters come out more distinctly, then the author succeeds brilliantly (and damn the grammarians!) Oates certainly demonstrates that great fiction can be dark, and that there need not be happy endings for us to chronicle human drama effectively.
June 23, 2012
I picked up this volume on a whim and fell in love. It's been years, well to be honest, decades since I first read Joyce Carol Oates' stories. They were assigned in college, as I recall, and perhaps for that reason, I didn't click with them. I was aware that her interests had become more gothic, more horrific over the years. Similarly, I realized in my middle age that it was OK to read beyond the prim and proper confines of literary fiction, that my soul was not in danger if I strayed toward more lurid tales of genre literature, that is stories where something actually happens. So I was prepped but not prepared to encounter these "nightmares." Her language is acute, her perspective unflinching. These are stories where bad stuff happens and the narrative does not fade to black or turn away when it does. Yet not only bad things happen. I hesitate to use the belabored term "redemption" but dammit a kind of redemption occurs, for instance, after the bleak horrors of the title novella. There are touches of grace in the other tales too, sometimes very light. And let me also praise the fact that these are stories, not the easier to sell commercial novels so prevalent. The selection let me live a half dozen lives in the course of this volume, perhaps not lives I would choose for myself but then, do we always get to choose our lives? Tonight, I stopped at the library and discovered two and a half full shelves devoted to the works of Joyce Carol Oates, many of which are story collections. My new found love affair need not end soon.
January 24, 2016
I haven't read much by Joyce Carol Oates. Not as much as I would wish, at least. Her authorship is cherished by the entire world, and I can easily see why. I wish to become much more acquainted with her uncannily powerful words.
For yes, Oates does write haunting stories. The title of this story collection is well named – for how would one define her stories if not as nightmares? They creep in, woven in silk and brocade, they overwhelm you, and suddenly they turn on you. What you read becomes something that you see; vivid scenes with brutal endings.
Oates is always brutal. Brutal in her honesty, in her depiction of broken humans acting on their urges and unleashing their inner animal. These nightmares are filled with shame; a sense of forbiddances, the things we do not speak of and things we do not name. Jealousy of one's own siblings, shame of one's entire identity, and the thirst for revenge, for spoiling the unspoiled and destroying everything that's too good, too pure to exist.
Oates writes about egoism. About the human's stunning capability to survive – and to drown every obstacles standing in the way. Life is a beautiful thing, but it is also a necessity. Something we must have, whatever the costs.
For yes, Oates does write haunting stories. The title of this story collection is well named – for how would one define her stories if not as nightmares? They creep in, woven in silk and brocade, they overwhelm you, and suddenly they turn on you. What you read becomes something that you see; vivid scenes with brutal endings.
Oates is always brutal. Brutal in her honesty, in her depiction of broken humans acting on their urges and unleashing their inner animal. These nightmares are filled with shame; a sense of forbiddances, the things we do not speak of and things we do not name. Jealousy of one's own siblings, shame of one's entire identity, and the thirst for revenge, for spoiling the unspoiled and destroying everything that's too good, too pure to exist.
Oates writes about egoism. About the human's stunning capability to survive – and to drown every obstacles standing in the way. Life is a beautiful thing, but it is also a necessity. Something we must have, whatever the costs.
January 2, 2012
Strangely one-note for an author as reputable as Oates, since the resolutions for each story are roughly similar in tone and no character really changes except to deteriorate. "The Corn Maiden" is the best and longest story, written in a very "literary" way (which I find annoying--I like Oates so much better when she writes YA). It's about three girls kidnapping and torturing a child-like younger girl and the experience of the girl's mother and the substitute teacher initially accused of the crime. The girls' leader is the antagonist who comes up with the plot and supplies a twist, a much-neglected upper-class girl living with her grandmother after being abandoned by her parents. Oates is cynical about police treatment of the single mother of the missing girl and the suspect and about the school's treatment of the suspect, and rightly so.
The other stories are as much commentaries on contemporary society and social values as they are horror stories. Stephen King Ms. Oates is not going to be. I wish she would go back to writing for teens!
The other stories are as much commentaries on contemporary society and social values as they are horror stories. Stephen King Ms. Oates is not going to be. I wish she would go back to writing for teens!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 11, 2014
These aren't my definition of horror [blood, gore, etc.] but they were certainly eerie and kept me turning pages. They presented the sinister side of humankind in seven stories, each a psychological study of a personality type.
The Corn Maiden: novella of the kidnapping of a young girl with the intention of sacrificing her in a Native American ritual, with a twist at the end.
Beersheba: revenge of a young woman for past wrongs.
Nobody knows my name: a feral cat.
Fossil-figures: narcissistic brother ["the demon brother"] and his crippled twin.
Death-Cup: vengeance against a successful, manipulative brother.
Helping hands: a crippled veteran's illicit feelings for a grieving widow.
Hole in the head: a greedy plastic surgeon and how an operation goes tragically wrong. This was my favorite of the collection.
July 7, 2013
The title story was the most engrossing; all were well-written.
Oates was trying to manipulate me; I felt frustrated with the cheapness of it. So much focus, in all these stories, on false accusation, on women's naivete and self-absorption. I could stomach the horror easily, but not the worldview. "Beersheba" made me so angry, and not at the characters. Because she works hard at setting her horror within familiar settings, the device of turning her readers' expectations on their heads has more troubling implications than it might if she chose more fantastical settings.
I don't know. It bothered me, and I felt the presence of the author behind the text, smug at bothering me. But it doesn't feel true.
Oates was trying to manipulate me; I felt frustrated with the cheapness of it. So much focus, in all these stories, on false accusation, on women's naivete and self-absorption. I could stomach the horror easily, but not the worldview. "Beersheba" made me so angry, and not at the characters. Because she works hard at setting her horror within familiar settings, the device of turning her readers' expectations on their heads has more troubling implications than it might if she chose more fantastical settings.
I don't know. It bothered me, and I felt the presence of the author behind the text, smug at bothering me. But it doesn't feel true.
January 11, 2021
With the caveat that I haven’t read other works by this author, I was really underwhelmed by these short stories. I personally found the style of the first story (the book’s namesake) difficult to read and confusing, while the remainder were boring and only somewhat less confusing. (On this aspect, ymmv, of course.)
While I can appreciate the “nightmarish” circumstances as they do mirror real life (as opposed to the supernatural) and the emotions behind them, I did not find the characters to be realistic and that their motivations/intentions bordered on the absurd. I could not empathize, or even begin to sympathize, with any of the characters. I’m grateful for the library as I would have been bummed to have spent money on this!
While I can appreciate the “nightmarish” circumstances as they do mirror real life (as opposed to the supernatural) and the emotions behind them, I did not find the characters to be realistic and that their motivations/intentions bordered on the absurd. I could not empathize, or even begin to sympathize, with any of the characters. I’m grateful for the library as I would have been bummed to have spent money on this!
January 9, 2012
Read this really fast because it's a book of short stories. I read the first 3 and didn't like any of them. Her writing is SO irritating. The sentences are disjointed and repetitive and make it seem like a 5th grader is writing. The stories that are supposed to be scary are not my type of horror so I wasn't that impressed, they were more weird than anything, especially the cat one. I've heard good reviews of her writing but I don't think I'll be picking up anything else by her.
March 27, 2012
This is a horrible, horrible, horrible book. I wish somebody had told me that. DO NOT PICK UP THIS BOOK. It is like every nightmare you ever on paper. Believe the title. This isn't a creepy but enjoyable book like Stephen King's. This is an all around disturbing book with short stories about things you never want to think about.
December 26, 2011
Just awful! I have now given up on Joyce Carol Oates and I really did admire her past work. The stories were absolutely pointless with endings that were more like an end of a chapter rather than a story. A complete waste of time.
January 8, 2012
I like to read a scary book once in awhile. I saw this book of short stories and was intrigued by the cover which was kind of creepy. I gave up after the fourth story. There was absolutely nothing scary about any of them. If anything they were depressing. What a waste!
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