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Grind
I'm not saying that you were asking for it, I'm better than that, but you have to ask yourself what you thought you were doing out there all alone like that. You know me I'd never wish harm on anyone. I was raised better, and I thought you were too. Well you live and learn, that's what they say isn't it? They let you live so you have to ask yourself what have you learnt?
93 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 20, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 21, 2021
"You know Jackie? Jackie? Jackie from accounts Jackie? Yeah you do, you know Jackie."
The most unnerving this about this book is how real it is. The character of Mother, with her endless, none-stop dialogue and ignorant bigotry sets your nerves on edge because we all know someone like that - the aunt you avoid at family gatherings, or the always-angry drunk down the pub - Mother is everything that is rotten in society, and so you find yourself hoping something truely terrible will happen to her! The fact that James Josiah can make you wish for an old woman to be brutally murdered speaks volumes to his epic talent as a writer.
Grind is a unique tale - part mystery, part confessional, that picks apart what it is to be damaged, truly, fundamentally damaged by the wrong kind of upbringing, and what that does to a person. Or is it? The wonder of this story is that you are never quite sure what has or hasn't happened, or even who somebody really is. If you like plain, laid out plots that go from A to B and fill in every single gap, then this maybe isnt the one for you. But read it anyway - the writing is that good that I think you will forgive the author his vagaries.
As hard as this book is to pin down and categorise, there are two things that I can say for sure -
1- this book will stay with me for a long time.
2- I will re-read this book several times over, confident that I will never get bored of it!
Buy this book, read it in an afternoon, and then spend all night wondering what it means that you enjoyed something as dark and twisted as this, as much as you did!
The most unnerving this about this book is how real it is. The character of Mother, with her endless, none-stop dialogue and ignorant bigotry sets your nerves on edge because we all know someone like that - the aunt you avoid at family gatherings, or the always-angry drunk down the pub - Mother is everything that is rotten in society, and so you find yourself hoping something truely terrible will happen to her! The fact that James Josiah can make you wish for an old woman to be brutally murdered speaks volumes to his epic talent as a writer.
Grind is a unique tale - part mystery, part confessional, that picks apart what it is to be damaged, truly, fundamentally damaged by the wrong kind of upbringing, and what that does to a person. Or is it? The wonder of this story is that you are never quite sure what has or hasn't happened, or even who somebody really is. If you like plain, laid out plots that go from A to B and fill in every single gap, then this maybe isnt the one for you. But read it anyway - the writing is that good that I think you will forgive the author his vagaries.
As hard as this book is to pin down and categorise, there are two things that I can say for sure -
1- this book will stay with me for a long time.
2- I will re-read this book several times over, confident that I will never get bored of it!
Buy this book, read it in an afternoon, and then spend all night wondering what it means that you enjoyed something as dark and twisted as this, as much as you did!
December 21, 2020
Grind is a short but horrifying novella wallowing in squalor, violence, impotence (in all its senses), and familial/sociological dysfunction. And yet it’s an easy read, the deceptively simple rhythm of the prose drawing the eye, sometimes rather unwillingly, along each line, each page, each act of physical and emotional violence.
Coupled with this is the psychological insight from the narrator, delving constantly into the past to explain present day actions, failures, and neuroses. It’s all grim, powerful stuff, very hard to pick up but near impossible to put down until the end which, like the narrator, is mired in failure and inadequacy, while never being anything less than completely believable.
Highly recommended.
Coupled with this is the psychological insight from the narrator, delving constantly into the past to explain present day actions, failures, and neuroses. It’s all grim, powerful stuff, very hard to pick up but near impossible to put down until the end which, like the narrator, is mired in failure and inadequacy, while never being anything less than completely believable.
Highly recommended.
November 6, 2020
This is a brilliant book. Dark, twisted and surreal, yet laced with real human emotions. I likened it to listening to a piece of music and trying to decipher the lyrics. A fantastic piece of art that it is a must-read.
November 8, 2020
4.5 ⭐
What a twisted little tale! It's left me with all sorts of delectable questions.
What a twisted little tale! It's left me with all sorts of delectable questions.
November 2, 2020
Another excellent piece of work by James Josiah, not going to say anything about this book as it's only a short one but kept me riveted throughout!
November 23, 2020
I must start by saying that I proofread and edited Grind, but I’m still going to review because I’ve never read anything like it before, and I doubt I ever will.
If you’re of a sensitive disposition, this might not be the book for you. It’s seriously dark and twisted, jaw-dropping at times. However, there are glimmers of light and sincerity, explosions of dark comedy. It’s so brilliantly written, a real observation of one person’s tumultuous mental health.
The characters are beautifully written, particularly that of Mother. Without giving too much away, we all know a woman/women like her. She’s infuriating at best. At worst, you feel exactly how the narrator feels, to the point where you’re actually right by his/her side in all of this. And that’s another example of Josiah’s genius way with words - you will be left guessing the sex of the narrator.
Grind is a story that will leave you asking questions long after you’ve finished. It’s like when you have to watch a film a few times to even start to understand it. I had the privilege to read it again and again, each time gleaning something new and different from it. It has definitely left its mark.
If you’re of a sensitive disposition, this might not be the book for you. It’s seriously dark and twisted, jaw-dropping at times. However, there are glimmers of light and sincerity, explosions of dark comedy. It’s so brilliantly written, a real observation of one person’s tumultuous mental health.
The characters are beautifully written, particularly that of Mother. Without giving too much away, we all know a woman/women like her. She’s infuriating at best. At worst, you feel exactly how the narrator feels, to the point where you’re actually right by his/her side in all of this. And that’s another example of Josiah’s genius way with words - you will be left guessing the sex of the narrator.
Grind is a story that will leave you asking questions long after you’ve finished. It’s like when you have to watch a film a few times to even start to understand it. I had the privilege to read it again and again, each time gleaning something new and different from it. It has definitely left its mark.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews