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Grotesquerie
Welcome to Richard Gavin’s “grotesquerie,” where fear and faith converge in eerie and nightmarish tales of transcendent horror from a truly visionary writer. The highly anticipated new collection of macabre delights, that explores dark realms of the fevered, fecund mind, and visits strange landscapes and vistas. These are grim and grotesque tales of terror -- modern Mysterium Tremendums -- that open new doors of perception and reality.
“Gavin’s writing serves as a testament that great masters once crafted great stories .. .and as evidence that they shall do so again.”
— Thomas Ligotti
“Gavin’s writing serves as a testament that great masters once crafted great stories .. .and as evidence that they shall do so again.”
— Thomas Ligotti
294 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2020
68 people are currently reading
739 people want to read
About the author
Richard Gavin
85 books176 followersA resident of Ontario, Canada, Richard Gavin is the author of many acclaimed works of horror and the occult, including Charnel Wine, Omens, and Primeval Wood. His non-fiction appears frequently in the pages of Rue Morgue magazine and other journals. Richard’s latest collection, The Darkly Splendid Realm, will be released by Dark Regions Press in autumn 2009.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
September 6, 2020
Review to come. A lot to process!
March 28, 2021
These stories are "weird" even for "weird fiction." They're full of hints and whiffs of meaning which are open to interpretations while evoking emotions from a subconscious place that creep up on us unexpectedly. I appreciated the constant tension of uncertainty and unpredictability they display.
This isn't the best weird fiction collection I've ever read (see Colin Insole's "Elegies and Requiems" for that perhaps) but like the best, these are stories that you tend to chew on for a while. They're worth thinking about after you close the book, they linger in the mind because of their challenging weirdness and emotional impact. One theme I liked in several of these stories is the guilt associated with estrangement and dissociation between family, people you feel you should keep up with, but life pulls you apart.
My main criticism of this collection is too many stories (particularly in the second half) didn't end effectively for me, and the disparate elements weaved together in some stories feel very strained and incoherent. This was especially true for "Three Knocks on a Buried Door" or "The Rasping Absence." But all of these have a kernel of wonder at their core, and I thought "The Sullied Pane," "The Patter of Tiny Feet" and "Neithernor" were all masterful.
Banishments - Such a weird story, with so many ways to interpret it. There's a really profound sense of the strange which only grows increasingly unnerving. I don't usually like horror stories with elements of technology (cell phones, websites, etc.) but this story handles it in a different way I appreciated. After staying away for decades, a man visits his brother who has experienced a bitter breakup and finds that he has a very strange obsession.
Fragile Masks - A nice, vengeful ghost story, not as deep as the best entries here, but with enough twists to make it feel fresh. A newly married couple staying at a bed and breakfast are forced to confront a dark secret of the past.
Neithernor - A weird tale that incorporates the spiny music of Scelsi? Wow. This is one of my favorites, primarily because it's a good old fashioned creep fest, but also leaves you with a really haunted feeling. A man discovers his cousin who he hasn't seen since they were children is an eccentric artist who may be in jeopardy.
Deep Eden - Apocalyptic-themed weird tales are usually not my favorites, and this isn't among my favorites here, but it has its good points, primarily on the theme of the dangerous human attraction/addiction to the sublime or seemingly sacred. A young woman recounts how her small town moved into a mine after everyone has an inexplicable attraction to a thing discovered there.
The Patter of Tiny Feet - This is another extremely creepy story and the ending is very good, but it's the uneasy buildup and establishing of a scene that really shows off Gavin's skill to build suspense and hint at the horrific. A man scouting for the right location for a low budget horror film finds a strange old house in the woods.
The Rasping Absence - This is a story where I appreciate what is attempted, but I wasn't convinced, it just didn't quite "come off" for me. A reporter experiences a existential crisis, and something worse, after doing a story on dark matter.
Scold’s Bridle: A Cruelty - This is a very short, but effective story of cruelty and deep unease about a man paid to craft a torture device.
Crawlspace Oracle - Another wild story, full of delightfully unpredictable twists and some very creepy imagery. I liked it a lot, but I would have liked a bit more...not explanation, but resolution perhaps. A woman catches up with an old acquaintance who claims to get financial advice from a very odd source.
After the Final - I like the premise of this one, it is a horrifically realistic look into the mind of an insane, unreliable narrator. I'd read this one previously in "The Grimscribe Puppets."
The Sullied Pane - This is my favorite in the book, and it's also one of the more traditional in tone at least: a creepy manor house, a family with a dark secret, strange noises in the night, etc. But it pays off with a very unique finale. A young woman meets her husband's wealthy family for the first time and becomes convinced they're hiding a secret.
Cast Lots - Many (too many) horror stories feature dreams, usually as presaging the horrific element which appears later, but this story really takes the dream and does something very original with it. I felt that this story ended a bit too vaguely, but I still loved the overall effect. A woman experiences dreams which cause real world implications.
Notes on the Aztec Death Whistle - A brief vignette about a stolen sacred relic which unleashes a long-dead force. Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad!
Headsman’s Trust: A Murder Ballad - This one didn't grab me at first and even when it was over I still think there's stretches of it I didn't like and the story doesn't make a lot of sense, but there's several flashes of great imagination and an ending which didn't disappoint. A young woman finds herself involuntarily apprenticed to a strange executioner.
Chain of Empathy - This one reminded me of Machen's work a bit, and it's a great little folk horror story of a girl discovering witchcraft seemingly by accident and what happens to her.
Three Knocks on a Buried Door - Another story displaying great imagination that compels you to keep reading, with a character seemingly tangled in, and unable to resist a strange fate. This was another one with an ending that didn't do it for me, but it's better than the others which had this flaw. A man is compelled to knock on random doors, and finds a awe-inspiring discovery.
Ten of Swords: Ruin - This is the longest, and one of the best stories here, in the top five. Gavin creates a wonderfully Gothic setting, and some very eerie moments. Two young sisters living a rather autonomous life on an island unleash malevolent supernatural forces.
This isn't the best weird fiction collection I've ever read (see Colin Insole's "Elegies and Requiems" for that perhaps) but like the best, these are stories that you tend to chew on for a while. They're worth thinking about after you close the book, they linger in the mind because of their challenging weirdness and emotional impact. One theme I liked in several of these stories is the guilt associated with estrangement and dissociation between family, people you feel you should keep up with, but life pulls you apart.
My main criticism of this collection is too many stories (particularly in the second half) didn't end effectively for me, and the disparate elements weaved together in some stories feel very strained and incoherent. This was especially true for "Three Knocks on a Buried Door" or "The Rasping Absence." But all of these have a kernel of wonder at their core, and I thought "The Sullied Pane," "The Patter of Tiny Feet" and "Neithernor" were all masterful.
Banishments - Such a weird story, with so many ways to interpret it. There's a really profound sense of the strange which only grows increasingly unnerving. I don't usually like horror stories with elements of technology (cell phones, websites, etc.) but this story handles it in a different way I appreciated. After staying away for decades, a man visits his brother who has experienced a bitter breakup and finds that he has a very strange obsession.
Fragile Masks - A nice, vengeful ghost story, not as deep as the best entries here, but with enough twists to make it feel fresh. A newly married couple staying at a bed and breakfast are forced to confront a dark secret of the past.
Neithernor - A weird tale that incorporates the spiny music of Scelsi? Wow. This is one of my favorites, primarily because it's a good old fashioned creep fest, but also leaves you with a really haunted feeling. A man discovers his cousin who he hasn't seen since they were children is an eccentric artist who may be in jeopardy.
Deep Eden - Apocalyptic-themed weird tales are usually not my favorites, and this isn't among my favorites here, but it has its good points, primarily on the theme of the dangerous human attraction/addiction to the sublime or seemingly sacred. A young woman recounts how her small town moved into a mine after everyone has an inexplicable attraction to a thing discovered there.
The Patter of Tiny Feet - This is another extremely creepy story and the ending is very good, but it's the uneasy buildup and establishing of a scene that really shows off Gavin's skill to build suspense and hint at the horrific. A man scouting for the right location for a low budget horror film finds a strange old house in the woods.
The Rasping Absence - This is a story where I appreciate what is attempted, but I wasn't convinced, it just didn't quite "come off" for me. A reporter experiences a existential crisis, and something worse, after doing a story on dark matter.
Scold’s Bridle: A Cruelty - This is a very short, but effective story of cruelty and deep unease about a man paid to craft a torture device.
Crawlspace Oracle - Another wild story, full of delightfully unpredictable twists and some very creepy imagery. I liked it a lot, but I would have liked a bit more...not explanation, but resolution perhaps. A woman catches up with an old acquaintance who claims to get financial advice from a very odd source.
After the Final - I like the premise of this one, it is a horrifically realistic look into the mind of an insane, unreliable narrator. I'd read this one previously in "The Grimscribe Puppets."
The Sullied Pane - This is my favorite in the book, and it's also one of the more traditional in tone at least: a creepy manor house, a family with a dark secret, strange noises in the night, etc. But it pays off with a very unique finale. A young woman meets her husband's wealthy family for the first time and becomes convinced they're hiding a secret.
Cast Lots - Many (too many) horror stories feature dreams, usually as presaging the horrific element which appears later, but this story really takes the dream and does something very original with it. I felt that this story ended a bit too vaguely, but I still loved the overall effect. A woman experiences dreams which cause real world implications.
Notes on the Aztec Death Whistle - A brief vignette about a stolen sacred relic which unleashes a long-dead force. Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad!
Headsman’s Trust: A Murder Ballad - This one didn't grab me at first and even when it was over I still think there's stretches of it I didn't like and the story doesn't make a lot of sense, but there's several flashes of great imagination and an ending which didn't disappoint. A young woman finds herself involuntarily apprenticed to a strange executioner.
Chain of Empathy - This one reminded me of Machen's work a bit, and it's a great little folk horror story of a girl discovering witchcraft seemingly by accident and what happens to her.
Three Knocks on a Buried Door - Another story displaying great imagination that compels you to keep reading, with a character seemingly tangled in, and unable to resist a strange fate. This was another one with an ending that didn't do it for me, but it's better than the others which had this flaw. A man is compelled to knock on random doors, and finds a awe-inspiring discovery.
Ten of Swords: Ruin - This is the longest, and one of the best stories here, in the top five. Gavin creates a wonderfully Gothic setting, and some very eerie moments. Two young sisters living a rather autonomous life on an island unleash malevolent supernatural forces.
December 5, 2020
This no-frills collection might be Gavin's best. I have always found his voice distinctive in all past things of his I have read, but the stories here really seem to amplify what specifically makes him separate from most other authors in the 'new weird'. It even includes the best ghost story I ever read. That means something considering that I normally hate ghost stories.
September 3, 2022
This is a collection that cannot be rushed through in one sitting. Take your time to savor these tales.
I think this is his best collection yet. I wonder how his occult practice informs his fiction writing.
Any time I see a new Richard Gavin story, I know I'm in for a treat.
I think this is his best collection yet. I wonder how his occult practice informs his fiction writing.
Any time I see a new Richard Gavin story, I know I'm in for a treat.
January 7, 2021
This book certainly has its own antiquely fashioned chain of empathy for our era today. Naturally, an important book for those readers who count themselves in empathy with me.
The detailed review of this book posted elsewhere under my name is too long to post here.
Above is its conclusion.
October 23, 2020
I chose this entirely for the incredibly cool cover. I was looking for something new for Halloween, was immediately drawn in by the cover on my library's Overdrive homepage, and checked it out after discovering it is a horror short story collection. I explain all that to let you fully understand I had no idea what I was getting into before reading. Verdict?
You probably all know a person who makes these really obscure references, either jokes or metaphors, and then seems surprised when you don't get it. "Like, how could you not understand that my joke referred to the B side of this record from 1972 and was therefore hilarious?!?" I married that person to whom I regularly reply, "Honey, you know I'm just not that cool." Although it's usually just something I joke back to my husband, this time I'm saying it to this book. I just don't think I'm cool enough to get it. There are some truly horrific images using some incredibly beautiful language/writing; yet, without the full context for those scenes I spent too much time after each story trying to figure out what I missed or why I didn't "get it". In addition to my lack of coolness, I found the stories too even. That is, there aren't any that stand out, with each hitting the same macabre notes. The best collections vary in tone, but this one stays like a deep annoying buzz throughout the entire book, from word 1 until the end. Gavin has a beautiful command of language, and for that I may seek out other works. But, I'm not cool enough to think this was better that just OK.
You probably all know a person who makes these really obscure references, either jokes or metaphors, and then seems surprised when you don't get it. "Like, how could you not understand that my joke referred to the B side of this record from 1972 and was therefore hilarious?!?" I married that person to whom I regularly reply, "Honey, you know I'm just not that cool." Although it's usually just something I joke back to my husband, this time I'm saying it to this book. I just don't think I'm cool enough to get it. There are some truly horrific images using some incredibly beautiful language/writing; yet, without the full context for those scenes I spent too much time after each story trying to figure out what I missed or why I didn't "get it". In addition to my lack of coolness, I found the stories too even. That is, there aren't any that stand out, with each hitting the same macabre notes. The best collections vary in tone, but this one stays like a deep annoying buzz throughout the entire book, from word 1 until the end. Gavin has a beautiful command of language, and for that I may seek out other works. But, I'm not cool enough to think this was better that just OK.
September 26, 2020
Excellent set of stories
Its hard for me to describe this work. The author weaves a spell that leaves me disquieted in truely weird ways. Forced to eat chilled delicacies blindfolded in an immense mansion buried in a back yard. Or a "High Weird" tale so saturated with tarot symbolism that I'm still not sure of what caused the gooseflesh to rise.
Its hard for me to describe this work. The author weaves a spell that leaves me disquieted in truely weird ways. Forced to eat chilled delicacies blindfolded in an immense mansion buried in a back yard. Or a "High Weird" tale so saturated with tarot symbolism that I'm still not sure of what caused the gooseflesh to rise.
August 10, 2022
The seeking out of and allegiance to sources of truth or falsehood, divination, darkness, the uncanny and occult laced together with the right words to set the scene and mood.
These short stories that follow worked for me:
After the Final
The seeking out of, who he is, darkness and secrets of underworld, the revered one he worships, an allegiance to a professor nobody.
There will be talk of plague and plague masks with experimentations, have things gone too far?
Interesting take on pupil and teacher and relationship of devote and the extreme one can go, laced with selective right words bringing alive the macabre.
“…I cannot help but wonder if you might return to your more decimated pupils, the ones you left behind on this shadow-encrusted planet.”
“Do you see how assimilated your teachings have become with me? Your “little lectures on supernatural horror,” as you somewhat dismissively called them, made me feel as though I had been granted admittance to the buried sphere from which I’d been wrongly banished, condemned to being born into this world.”
Neithernor
Conduits, art and mysteries.
“She calls this series Neithernor, because they are neither one thing nor the other. One sees two things at once, you might say.”
“Night fell and I tried to sort my thoughts into some semblance of a plan. I couldn’t even begin to judge whether or not my intentions were pure. Cousin Vera had become swallowed up in a life that I can only describe as leprous. If I could not free her, I could at least confirm that she was not in imminent danger. I believe people have the right to diminish themselves if they so desire.”
“It seems my life waxes then wanes. For a time my cup runneth over, then is drained, after which I strive and scramble to replenish that which has been lost.”
Fragile masks
Short stay in a B & B, it is fall and Halloween, catatonic and strange encounters await.
Crawl Space Oracle
Seeking out advice and monies involved years past between two women.
Could they adventure be a grave mistake?
Sortes sanctorum
Child of Babel
“Alchemy of sound and isolation,” and living nightmares await one woman.
Cast Lots
Sleep, dream and nightmare.
Dream-mire.
Notes on the Aztec Death Whistle
The dark journey of one whistle in another’s hand, a dubious professor with another side to him.
Voice of dammed commence thus forth into world via a whistle.
Review @
https://more2read.com/review/grotesquerie-by-richard-garvin
These short stories that follow worked for me:
After the Final
The seeking out of, who he is, darkness and secrets of underworld, the revered one he worships, an allegiance to a professor nobody.
There will be talk of plague and plague masks with experimentations, have things gone too far?
Interesting take on pupil and teacher and relationship of devote and the extreme one can go, laced with selective right words bringing alive the macabre.
“…I cannot help but wonder if you might return to your more decimated pupils, the ones you left behind on this shadow-encrusted planet.”
“Do you see how assimilated your teachings have become with me? Your “little lectures on supernatural horror,” as you somewhat dismissively called them, made me feel as though I had been granted admittance to the buried sphere from which I’d been wrongly banished, condemned to being born into this world.”
Neithernor
Conduits, art and mysteries.
“She calls this series Neithernor, because they are neither one thing nor the other. One sees two things at once, you might say.”
“Night fell and I tried to sort my thoughts into some semblance of a plan. I couldn’t even begin to judge whether or not my intentions were pure. Cousin Vera had become swallowed up in a life that I can only describe as leprous. If I could not free her, I could at least confirm that she was not in imminent danger. I believe people have the right to diminish themselves if they so desire.”
“It seems my life waxes then wanes. For a time my cup runneth over, then is drained, after which I strive and scramble to replenish that which has been lost.”
Fragile masks
Short stay in a B & B, it is fall and Halloween, catatonic and strange encounters await.
Crawl Space Oracle
Seeking out advice and monies involved years past between two women.
Could they adventure be a grave mistake?
Sortes sanctorum
Child of Babel
“Alchemy of sound and isolation,” and living nightmares await one woman.
Cast Lots
Sleep, dream and nightmare.
Dream-mire.
Notes on the Aztec Death Whistle
The dark journey of one whistle in another’s hand, a dubious professor with another side to him.
Voice of dammed commence thus forth into world via a whistle.
Review @
https://more2read.com/review/grotesquerie-by-richard-garvin
October 3, 2020
Lyrical and utterly powerful horror fiction; the collection’s title is a warning and invitation of the stories inside. There are quite a few stories that stand out for me. This is perfect Halloween reading for 2020.
October 7, 2020
I always grab the Richard Gavin collections that come out every few years and am never disappointment. Some of these stories have a very dark feel that swallows you into the unnameable. The sense of dread or helplessness can sometimes be quite astounding.
Like many reviews say its hard for me to describe a lot of these stores. They're more to be read and experienced first hand and see the effect they have on you.
As well as every previous volume by Gavin I've read. I'd highly recommend this one.
Like many reviews say its hard for me to describe a lot of these stores. They're more to be read and experienced first hand and see the effect they have on you.
As well as every previous volume by Gavin I've read. I'd highly recommend this one.
January 14, 2023
I did not like this book at all it was very hard to get through like a challenge and not a rewarding one. All the stories on her are forgettable and every ending of the story is so bad I have to read it twice to make sure I read it right. It like writing style in the 1800s but it’s in the modern day most of the stories so makes no sense. I very bad one that is hard to get through some of the stories I had to skip it was just so bad.
April 27, 2023
Favorite story was the one where a weird thing happened to a weird individual.
October 21, 2020
NOTE: These two reviews, contained in this review are focusing on the short stories in this collection titled "Banishments" and "Neithernor". This is NOT a review for the whole book.
Banishments:
This review covers the first story within the grotesquerie collection titled Banishments, which is apart of my Halloween reading list. I chose to review the short story instead of reviewing the whole book because I am treating this as somewhat of a study to identify the core elements and atmosphere in writings. This book can be considered heavier reading, but I knew what I was getting myself into before I started.
Banishments is a truly interesting story with murky elements and emotional ties in setting to a broken home, but more importantly what is found floating down a stormy, rushing river. And the writings here in Banishments has a classical type feel that left me in somewhat of a confused state when certain elements were finally introduced. However, I feel like that is not at fault of the writer, but my own as my assumptions led me to believe, based on what was presented that at first had me thinking this story took place in some distant world.
A ton of room is left for imagination in Banishments without feeling like it’s an incomplete story. I love the fact that this story makes me go “Wait…” did I catch that correctly? For what lies at the root of that is the foundation of what I am, then I decide how to react to that, which should have a different effect on each person that reads.
This story ties many things together in somewhat of a genius collaboration of thought, relationships, the arcane, emotion, setting, horror and self reflection. Some words I had to look up and I like that, to a degree. I was second guessing myself at several different parts and whether I should or should not be feeling a certain way, in most time I do on my own, but the text here reinforced that behavior and to my surprise I was justifying my own self reflection while reading the text because I was wrong about a couple of things at first. This presents a marvel on it’s own merit.
Several actions by the main characters surrounding the dialog of Will and Dylan accentuated the emotional impact the story had on me and fit well, so congratulations to the author for tying those two elements together quite nicely. A lot of times it is the small details authors need to pay attention to make the story fit snugly for interpretation to us as a reader and that attention to detail here adds great value.
The only negative thing I can say is that a little more variation to the start of paragraphs or sentences could have been better, but these are minor inconveniences and happened infrequently. This did not affect my star rating.
Recommendation:
This type of writing is not for everyone. With that being said, I categorized this as a prize in literature and I give Banishments, the first short story in the collection, grotesquerie ★★★★★ 5 stars out of 5.
Neithernor:
In my review for the first story in grotesquerie titled Banishments, I don’t think I mentioned, but these stories are mostly written in a classical form. It’s one that you don’t see often these days. It is a bit heavier of reading, sometimes I had to go back over things, but with this comes a reward. What is also rewarding about these stories is, albeit not excessive, is that their are gems. Gems in the form of interesting words, gems in the form of complex thought, gems in the form of references to other mediums of art, etc. I really can’t say enough about how I value gems in all books like that, not just this short story. Things that make you think, wonder and research to learn and grow. I fear that a lot of modern books won’t put gems in a book for reasons I can only assume, but I think it is a mistake, especially when warranted. I haven’t read a lot of classic literature, even in the horror genre such as H.P. Lovecraft or similar, not enough to speak about it. But, if I were to assume what it would be like and to recall a solid memory about it, it would be close in form to what Gavin has done here. This is classy horror, no cussing or vulgarities in that respect. It’s intellectual reading.
Again, if you are apt to assume, Gavin will prove you wrong. I think this could be easily mistaken for confusing writing, but I don’t think that is the case here. I think it would be a mistake to state so. Gavin has a gift for being paradoxically simple and complex at the same time and this gets you out of your comfort zone, which I think is a great thing in all aspects of life when applied correctly and on your own will.
This story has elements of distant, slightly unfamiliar family. Mystical art with intimate relationships started on the basis of deception and most importantly all these elements are wrapped up in a quest to unite with family. The story is very believable and thought out well. Internal dialog and thoughts also hold genuinity. The ending is paradoxical and it is written as such.
Recommendation:
Gavin produces a vivid, atmospheric writing that is genuine, paradoxical and grim; it’s filled with reading gems of different types, dark and unsettling things and even a couple of hints of humor. I enjoyed this just as much as I did my first review of the first short story in grotesquerie titled Basishments. I give it ★★★★★ 5 stars out of 5.
Banishments:
This review covers the first story within the grotesquerie collection titled Banishments, which is apart of my Halloween reading list. I chose to review the short story instead of reviewing the whole book because I am treating this as somewhat of a study to identify the core elements and atmosphere in writings. This book can be considered heavier reading, but I knew what I was getting myself into before I started.
Banishments is a truly interesting story with murky elements and emotional ties in setting to a broken home, but more importantly what is found floating down a stormy, rushing river. And the writings here in Banishments has a classical type feel that left me in somewhat of a confused state when certain elements were finally introduced. However, I feel like that is not at fault of the writer, but my own as my assumptions led me to believe, based on what was presented that at first had me thinking this story took place in some distant world.
A ton of room is left for imagination in Banishments without feeling like it’s an incomplete story. I love the fact that this story makes me go “Wait…” did I catch that correctly? For what lies at the root of that is the foundation of what I am, then I decide how to react to that, which should have a different effect on each person that reads.
This story ties many things together in somewhat of a genius collaboration of thought, relationships, the arcane, emotion, setting, horror and self reflection. Some words I had to look up and I like that, to a degree. I was second guessing myself at several different parts and whether I should or should not be feeling a certain way, in most time I do on my own, but the text here reinforced that behavior and to my surprise I was justifying my own self reflection while reading the text because I was wrong about a couple of things at first. This presents a marvel on it’s own merit.
Several actions by the main characters surrounding the dialog of Will and Dylan accentuated the emotional impact the story had on me and fit well, so congratulations to the author for tying those two elements together quite nicely. A lot of times it is the small details authors need to pay attention to make the story fit snugly for interpretation to us as a reader and that attention to detail here adds great value.
The only negative thing I can say is that a little more variation to the start of paragraphs or sentences could have been better, but these are minor inconveniences and happened infrequently. This did not affect my star rating.
Recommendation:
This type of writing is not for everyone. With that being said, I categorized this as a prize in literature and I give Banishments, the first short story in the collection, grotesquerie ★★★★★ 5 stars out of 5.
Neithernor:
In my review for the first story in grotesquerie titled Banishments, I don’t think I mentioned, but these stories are mostly written in a classical form. It’s one that you don’t see often these days. It is a bit heavier of reading, sometimes I had to go back over things, but with this comes a reward. What is also rewarding about these stories is, albeit not excessive, is that their are gems. Gems in the form of interesting words, gems in the form of complex thought, gems in the form of references to other mediums of art, etc. I really can’t say enough about how I value gems in all books like that, not just this short story. Things that make you think, wonder and research to learn and grow. I fear that a lot of modern books won’t put gems in a book for reasons I can only assume, but I think it is a mistake, especially when warranted. I haven’t read a lot of classic literature, even in the horror genre such as H.P. Lovecraft or similar, not enough to speak about it. But, if I were to assume what it would be like and to recall a solid memory about it, it would be close in form to what Gavin has done here. This is classy horror, no cussing or vulgarities in that respect. It’s intellectual reading.
Again, if you are apt to assume, Gavin will prove you wrong. I think this could be easily mistaken for confusing writing, but I don’t think that is the case here. I think it would be a mistake to state so. Gavin has a gift for being paradoxically simple and complex at the same time and this gets you out of your comfort zone, which I think is a great thing in all aspects of life when applied correctly and on your own will.
This story has elements of distant, slightly unfamiliar family. Mystical art with intimate relationships started on the basis of deception and most importantly all these elements are wrapped up in a quest to unite with family. The story is very believable and thought out well. Internal dialog and thoughts also hold genuinity. The ending is paradoxical and it is written as such.
Recommendation:
Gavin produces a vivid, atmospheric writing that is genuine, paradoxical and grim; it’s filled with reading gems of different types, dark and unsettling things and even a couple of hints of humor. I enjoyed this just as much as I did my first review of the first short story in grotesquerie titled Basishments. I give it ★★★★★ 5 stars out of 5.
Read
February 7, 2021DNF just not for me. i tried!
January 1, 2022
I have really enjoyed Richard Gavin's other books, but found the stories in this one felt like they were sub standard Robert Aickman.
September 28, 2020
Gavin's writing is idiosyncratic and obsessed with the obscure. These stories are unique and compelling and worth reading if you're a fan of short horror fiction.
March 17, 2022
3.75
My two favorites from the collection: “Banishments” and “Crawlspace Oracle”.
Stories that I thoroughly enjoyed: “Ten of Swords: Ruin”, “Headsman’s Trust: A Murder Ballad”, “Fragile Masks”, and “Three Knocks on a Buried Door”.
Every other story fell between being decent to pretty good, save for perhaps “Cast Lots”, which was the only story in this collection that I felt was a weak link. Apart from that, I’m definitely looking forward to reading more of Richard Gavin, because there was a lot here that I really liked – and his spellbinding writing and colorfully imaginative conceptions of the dark fantastic and the New Weird were a delight to behold.
My two favorites from the collection: “Banishments” and “Crawlspace Oracle”.
Stories that I thoroughly enjoyed: “Ten of Swords: Ruin”, “Headsman’s Trust: A Murder Ballad”, “Fragile Masks”, and “Three Knocks on a Buried Door”.
Every other story fell between being decent to pretty good, save for perhaps “Cast Lots”, which was the only story in this collection that I felt was a weak link. Apart from that, I’m definitely looking forward to reading more of Richard Gavin, because there was a lot here that I really liked – and his spellbinding writing and colorfully imaginative conceptions of the dark fantastic and the New Weird were a delight to behold.
February 24, 2021
These stories are well-written and usually effective at creating a sophisticatedly unsettling atmosphere. But they're just not good stories. The characters are all ill-drawn, their dialogue is bad, and they don't really have arcs- they all just slide down towards inevitably unfortunate ends- so there's no real tension.
I could see adoring one of these stories in an anthology, but I got burned out toward the end by how repetitive they were on a dramatic level, even though thematically there is diversity and variation between stories. They're not 100% about sad straight men with the exact same romance problems, like many collections in this genre, but when he tries to write women it's really obvious he's trying hard to write A WOMAN and not just a character.
If he could find a way to write stories without characters this author would be amazing.
I could see adoring one of these stories in an anthology, but I got burned out toward the end by how repetitive they were on a dramatic level, even though thematically there is diversity and variation between stories. They're not 100% about sad straight men with the exact same romance problems, like many collections in this genre, but when he tries to write women it's really obvious he's trying hard to write A WOMAN and not just a character.
If he could find a way to write stories without characters this author would be amazing.
June 1, 2021
I tried to like this work, I really did. But Gavin is an example of what happens when a reader who embraces Ligottian fiction strikes out in their own and attempts to create fan fiction that is still unique. You end up with an unreadable mess, and unfortunately, this work is Exhibit A. The stories are not particularly compelling and somewhat disjointed. When Ligotti takes reality and then makes a sharp turn, the end result is usually fascinating. When Gavin attempts the same, he ends up in ditch. In spite of all this, I see promise in Gavin as an author. But he needs to devlop his voice and leave the Ligotti tropes behind. If h does this, I will be very interested to read his next volume. ReclusiveReader's Grade: D.
November 28, 2020
A smart, moody and poetic tour of literary weirdness
This is the second collection by Richard Gavin and it shows incredible power of his stories. It's almost as if I've read a recently discovered secret stash of stories from Edgar Allan Poe.
The prose is very inventive, never boring or stale. He is one of the rare breed of finding his own ways with how to program your fantasy to render most memorable scenes and images.
It's hard to point out any highlights because I enjoyed the entire book very, very much.
Very highly recommended for lovers of literary weird and subtle, poetic horror.
This is the second collection by Richard Gavin and it shows incredible power of his stories. It's almost as if I've read a recently discovered secret stash of stories from Edgar Allan Poe.
The prose is very inventive, never boring or stale. He is one of the rare breed of finding his own ways with how to program your fantasy to render most memorable scenes and images.
It's hard to point out any highlights because I enjoyed the entire book very, very much.
Very highly recommended for lovers of literary weird and subtle, poetic horror.
February 15, 2021
Do you like the weird and ambiguous? Stories that are nearly lyrical in nature? Then look no further, here be the book for you. I really liked this short story collection. Gavin makes no apologies, will not hold your hand & nor explain the strange contained within its pages. It’s a great trip, eloquently written & deeply disturbing.
(“*” marks the ones that stood out to me)
1)Banishments:
2 recently reunited brothers salvage a box/coffin with strange symbols & a nasty surprise from the river. The most interesting part of this is not so much what they find in the coffin, but rather the undercurrent of tension & dysfunctionality between the brothers. Interesting short that kept me turning the pages, collecting background only to go “wow, whaaaaat?” in the end.
*2) Fragile Masks:
Paige & her partner, Jon, take a little getaway to an inn for Halloween. Things get extremely tense when Paige’s ex-husband (Teddy) & his new squeeze, Alicia, turn up as well. The build up leads to Jon learning more about Paige & the real reason she wanted to get away. A modern classic, complete with a haunting vengeful spectre. Took me back to stories I grew up with & made me feel right at home.
*3)Neithernor: a journalist learns that a distant cousin, Vera, is quite the artist. She’s producing works that are ‘neithernor’, meaning they are neither one thing, nor another & that they are ambiguous and can look like different things for people (f.ex the same piece resembling an ankh vs handheld mirror). The pieces also happen to be made from rather unconventional material.. He asks the gallery keeper for Vera’s contact information & has no luck as she’s very reclusive, but leaves his calling card. Life then intervenes & our main kind of forgets the whole thing, until he decides to be spiteful and get one of his cousin’s works as a gift for his fiancé. He goes back to the gallery, only to find it empty and devoid of art. Things then turn very strange. The scary part here is actually what we are not shown & I’d describe it as a ‘what’s in the box’-kind of moment.
4)Deep Eden:
The inhabitants of the town of Evenville have relocated to an abandoned coal mine. A child supposedly went missing and a rescue team went to look for it. They weren’t successful in that endeavor, but did witness an otherworldly green light. A cult arises, people change and move into into the coal mine “Below” in spite of it going through regular tremors and being at risk of being caught in a collapsing mine. They only (reluctantly) surface to scavenge for food. We’re taken on this strange tour of a town gone weird through a girl who is increasingly loosing her sister and father to whatever is happening in the mine.
*5)The Patter of Tiny Feet:
Sam has had an argument with his partner about having kids (he wants them sooner rather than later, she doesn’t). Between the argument and a project he is working on, he had to leave before it was resolved. The project he’s on involves scouting for a filming location (for a horror movie) and he strikes gold as he finds a creepy derelict farm house. It soon becomes clear that although it might seem so, it’s not entirely abandoned, & we’d be forgiven for mistaking who makes the patter of tiny feet in the title.
*6)The Rasping Absence:
A news reporter is unsettled by his latest report regarding dark matter and finds himself haunted by his trip to the underground lab where scientists were trying to collect it. Even a holiday to his boss’ cabin leaves him unable to shake it off & his life intersects with that of the beach town’s original who collects sand from the beach in order to right a mistake.
*7)Scold’s Bridle: A Cruelty:
Ivan Biskup is talked into making a rabbit-shaped scold’s bridle (a torture device in which you have an iron muzzle that enclosed the head) for his schoolteacher neighbor Peters. This is supposedly to be a teaching tool. Sadly, teaching can mean many things, as both we and Ivan will learn in this short.
8)Crawlspace Oracle:
A Rhiannon goes to see a woman she used to work with in order to get some investment tips. Her acquaintance is only happy to comply, but what Rhiannon finds in this lady’s basement ends up costing her more than she gains from this encounter.
9)After the Final:
A student supposedly searches for his professor (‘Professor Nobody’) who is ‘a shepherd to the true macabrists’. Written in first person/a very unreliable narrator.
10)The Sullied Pane:
Maxine joins her husband in celebrating New Year’s at his parents’ mansion. His mother ‘drifted’ and they’ve had no contact up until this moment for no apparent reason aside of that. Maxine starts noticing that her MIL regularly disappears into a grimy shed that doesn’t fit in with the rest of the pristine grounds & decides to investigate further.
Highly reminiscent of classic gothic horror but with a twist that is entirely Gavin’s own.
11)Cast Lots:
If I had to summarize this: “Is but a dream within a dream”
-A story where there’s a dream infecting people & where you can get dragged into it and have your life changed by just having come across a person who’s had it.
*12)Notes on the Aztec Death Whistle:
Told in first person by an unknown person & field notes, we learn about how an archeologist came across a legendary Aztec ‘Death Whistle’ by less than honest means & the fallout from this.
13)Headsman’s Trust: A Murder Ballad:
A young girl is given to be a headsman’s/executioner’s trust in place of her mom. She travels with him as he does his work and it’s hinted that he’s not a mere man and that there might be more to the beheadings than simple punishment.
14)Chain of Empathy:
Berthe feels herself beckoned and called to remove an iron nail from a tree, a nail that seems to have been put in place in order to keep a spirit locked in place. She then learns about the other world and certain skills from a spirit, the Master, although a bitter simpleton neighbor boy threatens to make her life very difficult.
*15)Three Knocks on a Buried Door:
Kolkamitza is unable to stop his compulsion of knocking on strange doors, a habit he inherited (along with a few worldly possessions & a bird) from his late girlfriend. The girlfriend was one door away from the end of the knock/search cycle & ‘the third and most important discovery would be made’. The bird dies and he decides to bury it in a yard only to find a strange underground hatch/door as he is digging the grave. Unable to help himself, he knocks at it opens into a strange room which we follow him into.
*16)Ten of Swords: Ruin:
2 sisters on an isolated island rummage through their mom’s thing for reasons only known to one of them. They grab a tarot card that they then bury upside down in the family vault.
What follows is that the prodigal parents return home and we quickly realize that things are indeed strange in this home (e.g. rituals such as ‘Dumb Supper’) & this family is unlike any we’ve met before. I loved the weaving in of myths/stories within the stories and the way Gavin chose to include tarot cards. Ultimately a story about reunions and a wonderful way of ending the collection.
(“*” marks the ones that stood out to me)
1)Banishments:
2 recently reunited brothers salvage a box/coffin with strange symbols & a nasty surprise from the river. The most interesting part of this is not so much what they find in the coffin, but rather the undercurrent of tension & dysfunctionality between the brothers. Interesting short that kept me turning the pages, collecting background only to go “wow, whaaaaat?” in the end.
*2) Fragile Masks:
Paige & her partner, Jon, take a little getaway to an inn for Halloween. Things get extremely tense when Paige’s ex-husband (Teddy) & his new squeeze, Alicia, turn up as well. The build up leads to Jon learning more about Paige & the real reason she wanted to get away. A modern classic, complete with a haunting vengeful spectre. Took me back to stories I grew up with & made me feel right at home.
*3)Neithernor: a journalist learns that a distant cousin, Vera, is quite the artist. She’s producing works that are ‘neithernor’, meaning they are neither one thing, nor another & that they are ambiguous and can look like different things for people (f.ex the same piece resembling an ankh vs handheld mirror). The pieces also happen to be made from rather unconventional material.. He asks the gallery keeper for Vera’s contact information & has no luck as she’s very reclusive, but leaves his calling card. Life then intervenes & our main kind of forgets the whole thing, until he decides to be spiteful and get one of his cousin’s works as a gift for his fiancé. He goes back to the gallery, only to find it empty and devoid of art. Things then turn very strange. The scary part here is actually what we are not shown & I’d describe it as a ‘what’s in the box’-kind of moment.
4)Deep Eden:
The inhabitants of the town of Evenville have relocated to an abandoned coal mine. A child supposedly went missing and a rescue team went to look for it. They weren’t successful in that endeavor, but did witness an otherworldly green light. A cult arises, people change and move into into the coal mine “Below” in spite of it going through regular tremors and being at risk of being caught in a collapsing mine. They only (reluctantly) surface to scavenge for food. We’re taken on this strange tour of a town gone weird through a girl who is increasingly loosing her sister and father to whatever is happening in the mine.
*5)The Patter of Tiny Feet:
Sam has had an argument with his partner about having kids (he wants them sooner rather than later, she doesn’t). Between the argument and a project he is working on, he had to leave before it was resolved. The project he’s on involves scouting for a filming location (for a horror movie) and he strikes gold as he finds a creepy derelict farm house. It soon becomes clear that although it might seem so, it’s not entirely abandoned, & we’d be forgiven for mistaking who makes the patter of tiny feet in the title.
*6)The Rasping Absence:
A news reporter is unsettled by his latest report regarding dark matter and finds himself haunted by his trip to the underground lab where scientists were trying to collect it. Even a holiday to his boss’ cabin leaves him unable to shake it off & his life intersects with that of the beach town’s original who collects sand from the beach in order to right a mistake.
*7)Scold’s Bridle: A Cruelty:
Ivan Biskup is talked into making a rabbit-shaped scold’s bridle (a torture device in which you have an iron muzzle that enclosed the head) for his schoolteacher neighbor Peters. This is supposedly to be a teaching tool. Sadly, teaching can mean many things, as both we and Ivan will learn in this short.
8)Crawlspace Oracle:
A Rhiannon goes to see a woman she used to work with in order to get some investment tips. Her acquaintance is only happy to comply, but what Rhiannon finds in this lady’s basement ends up costing her more than she gains from this encounter.
9)After the Final:
A student supposedly searches for his professor (‘Professor Nobody’) who is ‘a shepherd to the true macabrists’. Written in first person/a very unreliable narrator.
10)The Sullied Pane:
Maxine joins her husband in celebrating New Year’s at his parents’ mansion. His mother ‘drifted’ and they’ve had no contact up until this moment for no apparent reason aside of that. Maxine starts noticing that her MIL regularly disappears into a grimy shed that doesn’t fit in with the rest of the pristine grounds & decides to investigate further.
Highly reminiscent of classic gothic horror but with a twist that is entirely Gavin’s own.
11)Cast Lots:
If I had to summarize this: “Is but a dream within a dream”
-A story where there’s a dream infecting people & where you can get dragged into it and have your life changed by just having come across a person who’s had it.
*12)Notes on the Aztec Death Whistle:
Told in first person by an unknown person & field notes, we learn about how an archeologist came across a legendary Aztec ‘Death Whistle’ by less than honest means & the fallout from this.
13)Headsman’s Trust: A Murder Ballad:
A young girl is given to be a headsman’s/executioner’s trust in place of her mom. She travels with him as he does his work and it’s hinted that he’s not a mere man and that there might be more to the beheadings than simple punishment.
14)Chain of Empathy:
Berthe feels herself beckoned and called to remove an iron nail from a tree, a nail that seems to have been put in place in order to keep a spirit locked in place. She then learns about the other world and certain skills from a spirit, the Master, although a bitter simpleton neighbor boy threatens to make her life very difficult.
*15)Three Knocks on a Buried Door:
Kolkamitza is unable to stop his compulsion of knocking on strange doors, a habit he inherited (along with a few worldly possessions & a bird) from his late girlfriend. The girlfriend was one door away from the end of the knock/search cycle & ‘the third and most important discovery would be made’. The bird dies and he decides to bury it in a yard only to find a strange underground hatch/door as he is digging the grave. Unable to help himself, he knocks at it opens into a strange room which we follow him into.
*16)Ten of Swords: Ruin:
2 sisters on an isolated island rummage through their mom’s thing for reasons only known to one of them. They grab a tarot card that they then bury upside down in the family vault.
What follows is that the prodigal parents return home and we quickly realize that things are indeed strange in this home (e.g. rituals such as ‘Dumb Supper’) & this family is unlike any we’ve met before. I loved the weaving in of myths/stories within the stories and the way Gavin chose to include tarot cards. Ultimately a story about reunions and a wonderful way of ending the collection.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 6, 2022
So I finally finished “grotesquerie” by Richard Gavin, and loved it. His themes on religious and sylvan horror steeped in occult symbolism are a consistent and familiar universe, his style always reminding me of a blend between Matt Cardin and Ligotti. It was odd seeing the appearance of 21st century technology in some of his stories, as I’m used to most of his fiction taking place in either timeless settings or early 19th century, but I quickly acclimated. Some of my favorites include “Banishments”, a story about two brothers and a strange effigy, “Chain of Empathy” a beautiful twist on the classic witch story, and the novella “Ten of Swords:Ruin” a surreal tale that I can’t even give an anecdotal synopsis for, you just have to read it.
January 26, 2024
Jag vill tycka om Richard Gavin mer än vad jag gör. Det finns potential i språk och idéer men han lyckas aldrig riktigt gå hela vägen. Denna samling är inte lika bra som At Fear's Altar men har ändå i alla fall några guldkorn; Gavin må inte vara fenomenal men han är inte heller en klåpare och har bitvis en bra förmåga för atmosfär. Det är oftast just atmosfär som gör en bra text, tycker jag, speciellt då i denna genre.
The Rasping Abscence är en paranoid pärla om fysik och vad som kan gömma sig bakom, Headsman's... en mörk fantasy. Samlingens starkaste kort är däremot After the Final, en nattsvart och helt underbar hyllning till Ligotti. Att två av dessa, Abscence och Final, först publicerades i just hyllningsvolymer är ganska talande, tyvärr.
The Rasping Abscence är en paranoid pärla om fysik och vad som kan gömma sig bakom, Headsman's... en mörk fantasy. Samlingens starkaste kort är däremot After the Final, en nattsvart och helt underbar hyllning till Ligotti. Att två av dessa, Abscence och Final, först publicerades i just hyllningsvolymer är ganska talande, tyvärr.
April 30, 2024
Grotesquerie, by Richard Gavin, is a stunning collection of weird horror short fiction. From my notes..."the writing is superb, like the finest music...word alchemy at its best". I loved every story in this beautiful book, but these are the ones that got expletives, and stars...
~Scold's Bridle (brilliantly disturbing)
~Ten Of Swords: Ruin (phenomenal)
~The Sullied Pane (deceptive appearances)
~Banishments (unsettling)
~Chain of Empathy (brilliant!)
This is another book by my favourite indie publisher, Undertow Publications. The glorious cover art is by Mike Davis. I highly recommend this for readers of the brilliant and weird.
~Scold's Bridle (brilliantly disturbing)
~Ten Of Swords: Ruin (phenomenal)
~The Sullied Pane (deceptive appearances)
~Banishments (unsettling)
~Chain of Empathy (brilliant!)
This is another book by my favourite indie publisher, Undertow Publications. The glorious cover art is by Mike Davis. I highly recommend this for readers of the brilliant and weird.
July 24, 2022
I'm a huge fan of Gavins esoteric non-fiction, and I become one of his stories as well. He sit right there on the literary side of weird fiction, of quiet horror. Not with the more decadent, europe-centric crowd like Insole, Murhy et al. but with an undeniable bent towards the mythic and mystical. Found it reminiscent of Michael Griffin at times, although I think Griffin still the better writer. Anyway, of course the collection here has its up and downs, but I cherish it nonetheless as part of a growing shelf of a peculiar kind of horror which appeals most to me.
August 6, 2023
Some fun and creepy stories here.
There were a few stories where the ending was ambiguous, or where the author didn't really end it at all. This seems to be a popular technique in recent years where the readers imagination is left to fill in the awful details. "Don't show the monster until the end" becomes "don't show the monster at all." The author really needs to do a good job of foreshadowing for this to work and I have to say a few of these stories left me guessing what he was getting at.
There were a few stories where the ending was ambiguous, or where the author didn't really end it at all. This seems to be a popular technique in recent years where the readers imagination is left to fill in the awful details. "Don't show the monster until the end" becomes "don't show the monster at all." The author really needs to do a good job of foreshadowing for this to work and I have to say a few of these stories left me guessing what he was getting at.
August 21, 2021
I wasn’t as enamored with this collection as I was with his earlier books, but appreciate the accomplished writing style and evocative wordplay. Perhaps if I believed in “magick” I might be able to process the occult symbolism a bit more. In my case, too many stories felt undercooked and ephemeral. I loved three stories total, and respected the rest.
Read
July 12, 2023Some very original ideas but found the prose a little too dull and the characterisation a bit too thin to recommend this in good faith. Has the technical precision of a master of horror but lacks the oomph/demented tone the true practitioners of the genre can muster in a simple change of expression.
November 30, 2024
2/5. Thoroughly boring. Took me a month to creep through this. Only three stories I semi-liked: The Patter of Tiny Feet, The Sullied Pane, and Ten of Swords: Ruin. The prose felt too flowery, at times having an “I’m-Smarter-Than-You-Tone” (to be fair, the author probably is) that just dragged the stories on and on.
December 14, 2020
I feel like I did not leave this book with a clear idea of what all these stories meant. I count that as a mark in its favour. Worth a read for those who enjoy Ligotti, Aickman. I’ll be back for another chew, I suspect.
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