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The Menstruating Mall
" The Breakfast Club meets Chopping Mall as directed by David Lynch." -- Brian Keene , author of The Rising Ten ridiculously stereotypical consumer victims (a yuppie, a housewife, a retiree, a jock, a bible thumper, a cowboy, a preppy, a gamer, a goth, and a white suburban gangsta) find themselves unable to leave the mall one day. There is nothing stopping them. The doors are unlocked. Other shoppers are able to come and go as they please. But for some inexplicable reason, these ten people cannot pry themselves away from their shopping miasma. The mall closes, and they won't leave. Days pass, and they're still there, eating meals in the food court and sleeping in department store bedroom displays. Then they begin to die off, one by one, murdered by a mysterious killer, and they still won't allow themselves to escape. Carlton Mellick III's "The Menstruating Mall" is both a modernized take on Luis Bunuel's "The Exterminating Angel," and a parody of Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None." Featuring mock mall advertisements by retard punk hero Food Fortunata and cover art by Skin242.
212 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2005
11 people are currently reading
1493 people want to read
About the author
Carlton Mellick III
119 books2,168 followersCarlton Mellick III (July 2, 1977, Phoenix, Arizona) is an American author currently residing in Portland, Oregon. He calls his style of writing "avant-punk," and is currently one of the leading authors in the recent 'Bizarro' movement in underground literature[citation needed] with Steve Aylett, Chris Genoa and D. Harlan Wilson.
Mellick's work has been described as a combination of trashy schlock sci-fi/horror and postmodern literary art. His novels explore surreal versions of earth in contemporary society and imagined futures, commonly focusing on social absurdities and satire.
Carlton Mellick III started writing at the age of ten and completed twelve novels by the age of eighteen. Only one of these early novels, "Electric Jesus Corpse", ever made it to print.
He is best known for his first novel Satan Burger and its sequel Punk Land. Satan Burger was translated into Russian and published by Ultra Culture in 2005. It was part of a four book series called Brave New World, which also featured Virtual Light by William Gibson, City Come A Walkin by John Shirley, and Tea from an Empty Cup by Pat Cadigan.
In the late 90's, he formed a collective for offbeat authors which included D. Harlan Wilson, Kevin L. Donihe, Vincent Sakowski, among others, and the publishing company Eraserhead Press. This scene evolved into the Bizarro fiction movement in 2005.
In addition to writing, Mellick is an artist and musician.
Mellick's work has been described as a combination of trashy schlock sci-fi/horror and postmodern literary art. His novels explore surreal versions of earth in contemporary society and imagined futures, commonly focusing on social absurdities and satire.
Carlton Mellick III started writing at the age of ten and completed twelve novels by the age of eighteen. Only one of these early novels, "Electric Jesus Corpse", ever made it to print.
He is best known for his first novel Satan Burger and its sequel Punk Land. Satan Burger was translated into Russian and published by Ultra Culture in 2005. It was part of a four book series called Brave New World, which also featured Virtual Light by William Gibson, City Come A Walkin by John Shirley, and Tea from an Empty Cup by Pat Cadigan.
In the late 90's, he formed a collective for offbeat authors which included D. Harlan Wilson, Kevin L. Donihe, Vincent Sakowski, among others, and the publishing company Eraserhead Press. This scene evolved into the Bizarro fiction movement in 2005.
In addition to writing, Mellick is an artist and musician.
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June 5, 2021
If you enjoy weird as FUCK fiction then this is definitely the book for you. I’ve read a few by Mellick now and I just love the bizarre tales he comes up with. You definitely won’t find yourself comparing his stories to other stories, there’s just no comparison! While I did enjoy Menstruating Mall (yes it’s as weird as it sounds), I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as the others I’ve read by Mellick. The story itself was bizarre as fuck and hilarious and I enjoyed the hell out of it, especially the play on stereotypes which really made me chuckle. My only complaint is that there were some bits of sex that just didn’t feel necessary and it felt like they were forced into the story. Now I have no issues with some good smutty scenes but don’t just add them in randomly, make it fit with the story please. That aside, this is one of the weirder and most outrageous books I’ve ever read and I’m all for it!
January 2, 2023
Dear Carlton Mellick III,
Feel free to use any of the following titles for one of your upcoming books. I greatly look forward to your next release.
Suggestions for future Bizarro Titles:
Douchebags of the Apocalypse
Kentucky Fried Fetuses
The Church of Edible Children
Point-and-Click Dimension Zero
The Monopoly Man Murders
Automaton Metropolis
Time Bandits from Assland
Elephant People with Light Sabers
Final Fantasy 100: Revenge of the Muggles
Badass Female Protag's Brastrap Slingshot Anarchist Uprising
The Sorrow of the One-Balled Man
The Woman with Demonic Ovaries
Fetus People of Marshmallow Planet
Pissants from the 23rd Century
The Man with the Prehensile Penis
Fashion Pirates Marooned on Garbage Planet
Ass Tractors
Face Suckers Versus Chest Bursters
Temperamental House Cats of Ghost-Dimension Q
The Sword of Continual Giggles
The Library of Haunted Children's Books
Keyboard Fetishist Versus AI Fan-Fiction Generator
Frat Party of the Damned
Almanac of Hollow Earth Cannibal Elf Ritual Suicides
Feel free to use any of the following titles for one of your upcoming books. I greatly look forward to your next release.
Suggestions for future Bizarro Titles:
Douchebags of the Apocalypse
Kentucky Fried Fetuses
The Church of Edible Children
Point-and-Click Dimension Zero
The Monopoly Man Murders
Automaton Metropolis
Time Bandits from Assland
Elephant People with Light Sabers
Final Fantasy 100: Revenge of the Muggles
Badass Female Protag's Brastrap Slingshot Anarchist Uprising
The Sorrow of the One-Balled Man
The Woman with Demonic Ovaries
Fetus People of Marshmallow Planet
Pissants from the 23rd Century
The Man with the Prehensile Penis
Fashion Pirates Marooned on Garbage Planet
Ass Tractors
Face Suckers Versus Chest Bursters
Temperamental House Cats of Ghost-Dimension Q
The Sword of Continual Giggles
The Library of Haunted Children's Books
Keyboard Fetishist Versus AI Fan-Fiction Generator
Frat Party of the Damned
Almanac of Hollow Earth Cannibal Elf Ritual Suicides
January 23, 2009
The Menstruating Mall, the eighth novel from bizarro author Carlton Mellick III, is part Agatha Christie murder-mystery and part Kurt Vonnegutt science-fiction social satire. We follow ten stereotypical characters (the yuppie, the jock, the cowboy, etc…) who are trapped inside a mall with a killer on the loose. The message "all the mundanes must die" is found after the first murder so the various characters attempt to survive by proving their individuality. When the mall's walls begin to bleed, things start getting weird.
Mellick uses this simple, yet very strange, plot to comment upon marketable rebellion. The characters dress a certain way or use a certain product to try and deter the killer. When it does come time for a character to break out of their mold, it is an internal transformation rather then one of appearance.
The prose's main target is those who define themselves by their possessions. Each one of the main characters views themselves as unique and a counter to mainstream culture, yet each one takes their identity in some way from mainstream culture. Through this paradox Mellick questions the viability of the very idea of a counter-culture. If your life can be bought and sold in a mall how unique can it be?
The story is told in a short and simple first person perspective. Rather than chapters, the book is twenty-five short "scenes". Upon first appearance the book seems like it would be a quick and easy read. Though an initial reading does not require an extensive amount of time, due to Mellick's engaging plot and writing, it will most likely require several readings to ingest all the book has to offer.
"This book is a work of sarcasm", states the Author's Note. The book bites, chews, swallows, and regurgitates our consumer counter-culture, demonstrating Mellick's technique for holding up a funhouse mirror to the real world. Highly regarded by his fanatical fan base, The Menstruating Mall is destined to be an underground classic.
Mellick uses this simple, yet very strange, plot to comment upon marketable rebellion. The characters dress a certain way or use a certain product to try and deter the killer. When it does come time for a character to break out of their mold, it is an internal transformation rather then one of appearance.
The prose's main target is those who define themselves by their possessions. Each one of the main characters views themselves as unique and a counter to mainstream culture, yet each one takes their identity in some way from mainstream culture. Through this paradox Mellick questions the viability of the very idea of a counter-culture. If your life can be bought and sold in a mall how unique can it be?
The story is told in a short and simple first person perspective. Rather than chapters, the book is twenty-five short "scenes". Upon first appearance the book seems like it would be a quick and easy read. Though an initial reading does not require an extensive amount of time, due to Mellick's engaging plot and writing, it will most likely require several readings to ingest all the book has to offer.
"This book is a work of sarcasm", states the Author's Note. The book bites, chews, swallows, and regurgitates our consumer counter-culture, demonstrating Mellick's technique for holding up a funhouse mirror to the real world. Highly regarded by his fanatical fan base, The Menstruating Mall is destined to be an underground classic.
July 8, 2011
WARNING: This review contains language similar to the book it discusses, including a few f-words. Please don't read this if you do not want to see the words spelled out.
I’ve been playing around on the periphery of the bizarro for a while now, and though I haven’t fully committed to becoming an aficionado, I have come to expect and demand that the bizarro I’m reading contains some seriously fucked up shit. Shit that wouldn't just be "too-sexy-for-maiden-aunts," but would give said aunts coronaries or embolisms. But that fucked up shit needs to feel like a justifiable part of the story. It needs to be integral to what's happening and not just tacked on for the sake of being fucked up.
The Menstruating Mall, my second foray into the wacky mind of Carlton Mellick III, was a big disappointment. You'd expect that a title with such amazing coolness would deliver some crazy bizarro thrills. I went in hoping for the sloughing off of shoppers who'd helped to shape the Mall's endometrium. Or maybe the shoppers would be giant, living tampons used to absorb the flow of the Mall's menstruation. Or perhaps the Mall itself would be sentient, going through cycles of abdominal cramping (look out poor shoppers) and maybe even succumb to one of those rare psychotic PMS episodes. I expected lots of menstrual blood, something to do with fertility, and the Mall's halls as fallopian tubes.
But nope. For most of the book it is a mildly funny, sorta witty, rather mainstream attack on us zombified, consumerist folk and our "mundanity." A bunch of idiots are stuck in a mall; they can't get out, and one of them decides to start killing the others because they are too lame to live. They can see some sticky menstrual flow in the parking lot, menstruation from the titular mall, and it keeps them in the Mall’s uterus (although that reading is really pushing it). So for most of the book they wander from store to store, get to know one another, and share the things that they think make them unique prints on the tips of the world’s fingers.
Mellick III incorporates the scatalogical artwork of a friend -- one Food Fortunata (I imagine a mustacheod Twi'lek from Ryloth) -- but it feels like it is only there to remind us that the book is supposed to be Bizarro. (Don’t ask me why the sketches are all about feces; I’d have thought menstrual themed sketches would have been far more appropriate.)
On second thought, maybe the sketches are there to remind Carlton Mellick III, too. Unfortunately it takes until Act III for his reminder to kick in, and we are finally thrown a bizarro bone or two way too late. We get some really nasty sex, including a girl-on-boy anal rape that makes the latter fall in love with the former, a non-lethal Bat’leth impalement, and some hybrid life forms (human-demon, human-toaster, human-helicopter, etc.). It’s all too tacked on to be interesting or fitting, and all of my hopes for a truly insane foray into menstruation were dashed on the rocks of a fairly worthless piece of fiction.
Still, it isn’t without merit. It was a fast read, and I found myself putting aside better books for The Menstruating Mall. But I’ll tell you this: it was no Razor Wire Pubic Hair. Now that was some fucked up shit. In a good way.
I’ve been playing around on the periphery of the bizarro for a while now, and though I haven’t fully committed to becoming an aficionado, I have come to expect and demand that the bizarro I’m reading contains some seriously fucked up shit. Shit that wouldn't just be "too-sexy-for-maiden-aunts," but would give said aunts coronaries or embolisms. But that fucked up shit needs to feel like a justifiable part of the story. It needs to be integral to what's happening and not just tacked on for the sake of being fucked up.
The Menstruating Mall, my second foray into the wacky mind of Carlton Mellick III, was a big disappointment. You'd expect that a title with such amazing coolness would deliver some crazy bizarro thrills. I went in hoping for the sloughing off of shoppers who'd helped to shape the Mall's endometrium. Or maybe the shoppers would be giant, living tampons used to absorb the flow of the Mall's menstruation. Or perhaps the Mall itself would be sentient, going through cycles of abdominal cramping (look out poor shoppers) and maybe even succumb to one of those rare psychotic PMS episodes. I expected lots of menstrual blood, something to do with fertility, and the Mall's halls as fallopian tubes.
But nope. For most of the book it is a mildly funny, sorta witty, rather mainstream attack on us zombified, consumerist folk and our "mundanity." A bunch of idiots are stuck in a mall; they can't get out, and one of them decides to start killing the others because they are too lame to live. They can see some sticky menstrual flow in the parking lot, menstruation from the titular mall, and it keeps them in the Mall’s uterus (although that reading is really pushing it). So for most of the book they wander from store to store, get to know one another, and share the things that they think make them unique prints on the tips of the world’s fingers.
Mellick III incorporates the scatalogical artwork of a friend -- one Food Fortunata (I imagine a mustacheod Twi'lek from Ryloth) -- but it feels like it is only there to remind us that the book is supposed to be Bizarro. (Don’t ask me why the sketches are all about feces; I’d have thought menstrual themed sketches would have been far more appropriate.)
On second thought, maybe the sketches are there to remind Carlton Mellick III, too. Unfortunately it takes until Act III for his reminder to kick in, and we are finally thrown a bizarro bone or two way too late. We get some really nasty sex, including a girl-on-boy anal rape that makes the latter fall in love with the former, a non-lethal Bat’leth impalement, and some hybrid life forms (human-demon, human-toaster, human-helicopter, etc.). It’s all too tacked on to be interesting or fitting, and all of my hopes for a truly insane foray into menstruation were dashed on the rocks of a fairly worthless piece of fiction.
Still, it isn’t without merit. It was a fast read, and I found myself putting aside better books for The Menstruating Mall. But I’ll tell you this: it was no Razor Wire Pubic Hair. Now that was some fucked up shit. In a good way.
September 23, 2022
El Carlton Merrick más desatado. En esta novela nos encontramos a una serie de personajes tópicos( el empleado soso que no puede dejar de trabajar para seguir consumiendo, el musculitos, la animadora, la gótica, una mujer obsesionada con la religión, un negro punk, un adolescente blanco que se cree un nigga, un redneck, un viejo loco y una ama de casa), todos ellos quedan atrapados dentro de un centro comercial del que no saben como salir.
Los dias van pasando y la gente deja de acudir al centro comercial pero ellos siguen allí dentro porque no pueden atravesar sus puertas ya que una extraña fuerza los deja pegados al piso, para complicar más las cosas el centro comercial empieza a sangrar o menstruar como dice el título del libro y un asesino va acabando con ellos poco a poco.
Tanto los personajes que son divertidísmos como las bizarradas que les suceden y ese delirante final son muestra del Carlton Merrick más suelto, sin ataduras para poner todo aquello que pasa por su cabeza.
Los dias van pasando y la gente deja de acudir al centro comercial pero ellos siguen allí dentro porque no pueden atravesar sus puertas ya que una extraña fuerza los deja pegados al piso, para complicar más las cosas el centro comercial empieza a sangrar o menstruar como dice el título del libro y un asesino va acabando con ellos poco a poco.
Tanto los personajes que son divertidísmos como las bizarradas que les suceden y ese delirante final son muestra del Carlton Merrick más suelto, sin ataduras para poner todo aquello que pasa por su cabeza.
November 2, 2023
Titulo: The Menstruating Mall
Autor: Carlton Mellick III
Motivo de lectura: -
Lectura / Relectura: Lectura
Mi edicion: Electronico
Puntuacion: 4.5/5
No se que me espanta mas, la historia en si o el hecho de que me gusto muchisimo! jajajaja
Este es el segundo libro que leo de Carlton Mellick III (el primero fue "La casa de arenas movedizas") y me habia encantado. Ahora al leer "The Menstruating Mall" me encontre con un autor completamente distinto y me encanto otra vez.
La historia presenta diez personajes bastante variados, no hay realmente una gran profundidad en el desarrollo de ellos, creo que esto se debe a que la obra no es muy extensa, y entonces el enfoque esta centrado en la interaccion y la dinamica grupal.
La trama es..no se como explicar esto..es una locura bizarra y surrealista. Dentro de la trama hay elementos de dudosisima moral (despues de todo estamos hablando de una lectura bizarra), hay sangre, tripas, body horror, y aun cuando contiene elementos que no me gustan en un libro, Carlton logro crear una hitoria que me mantuvo al vilo en todo momento y con mi atencion al 100%.
Tambien me gustaria agregar la critica brutal que hace Carlton a traves de su trama, es indudable la critica al consumismo que en muchos casos se sale de control y las personas terminan comprando cosas que nunca necesitaron en primer lugar. Personas que basan su existencia en el consumismo voraz terminan conviertiendose en monstruos devoradores de productos innecesarios, seres metamorficos con etiquetas colgantes..
Autor: Carlton Mellick III
Motivo de lectura: -
Lectura / Relectura: Lectura
Mi edicion: Electronico
Puntuacion: 4.5/5
No se que me espanta mas, la historia en si o el hecho de que me gusto muchisimo! jajajaja
Este es el segundo libro que leo de Carlton Mellick III (el primero fue "La casa de arenas movedizas") y me habia encantado. Ahora al leer "The Menstruating Mall" me encontre con un autor completamente distinto y me encanto otra vez.
La historia presenta diez personajes bastante variados, no hay realmente una gran profundidad en el desarrollo de ellos, creo que esto se debe a que la obra no es muy extensa, y entonces el enfoque esta centrado en la interaccion y la dinamica grupal.
La trama es..no se como explicar esto..es una locura bizarra y surrealista. Dentro de la trama hay elementos de dudosisima moral (despues de todo estamos hablando de una lectura bizarra), hay sangre, tripas, body horror, y aun cuando contiene elementos que no me gustan en un libro, Carlton logro crear una hitoria que me mantuvo al vilo en todo momento y con mi atencion al 100%.
Tambien me gustaria agregar la critica brutal que hace Carlton a traves de su trama, es indudable la critica al consumismo que en muchos casos se sale de control y las personas terminan comprando cosas que nunca necesitaron en primer lugar. Personas que basan su existencia en el consumismo voraz terminan conviertiendose en monstruos devoradores de productos innecesarios, seres metamorficos con etiquetas colgantes..
January 16, 2012
I remember watching a documentary on the making of Dawn of the Dead somewhere. On it there is mentioned something to the effect that Romero’s genius lay within his calling out the suddenly present consumerist age with the advent of the shopping mall. Of course his vision was spot on. Watching the hoards of mindless, slow and limping undead approach the mall had a sort of sardonic sarcasm that has not lost its impact today.
If anything, consumerism has become worse, perhaps making Romero a prophet. If so, where does that leave Carlton Mellick and his book The Menstruating Mall?
The hero of the story seems like a regular guy. He works a dead-end job, he is single, and he is completely obsessed with going to the mall. This guy’s obsession, however, makes him work a lot of overtime just so he can spend more money. He is a marketing campaign’s wet dream. When we meet him, he is going into his favorite place in the entire world: the mall, of course.
After filling his hands with bags full of products, he’s happy. Only there’s one problem. He can’t leave the mall. No matter how often he tries, something stops him. There’s no road block and the doors are not locked, yet he cannot leave.
Later on, he meets people with the same problem. When the mall closes and doesn’t reopen, some of the stranded turn up dead. One of them is killing the others for being part of the herd, and the killer’s message is simple: Break your mold, don’t be mundane.
I think that The Menstruating Mall is a satire on the level, if not higher, with Romero’s horror genius. It’s the whole Breakfast Club feel to the story, with each character having their own and modern style, and that all have to work together despite their differences to achieve a goal that just might save their lives, which led me to this conclusion. You can see yourself somewhere in one or more of the characters and therefore see how absurd it all seems.
And yet we continue on every day, living our chosen stereotypes and buying crap we don’t need. We will continue to do so until we pound the Earth to ash with all the nukes our leaders have collected over the years.
Until then, I suggest that you buy this book, even if it’s something you don’t need for your survival. It is, after all, a lot of fun and entertaining. That’s all that matters, really.
If anything, consumerism has become worse, perhaps making Romero a prophet. If so, where does that leave Carlton Mellick and his book The Menstruating Mall?
The hero of the story seems like a regular guy. He works a dead-end job, he is single, and he is completely obsessed with going to the mall. This guy’s obsession, however, makes him work a lot of overtime just so he can spend more money. He is a marketing campaign’s wet dream. When we meet him, he is going into his favorite place in the entire world: the mall, of course.
After filling his hands with bags full of products, he’s happy. Only there’s one problem. He can’t leave the mall. No matter how often he tries, something stops him. There’s no road block and the doors are not locked, yet he cannot leave.
Later on, he meets people with the same problem. When the mall closes and doesn’t reopen, some of the stranded turn up dead. One of them is killing the others for being part of the herd, and the killer’s message is simple: Break your mold, don’t be mundane.
I think that The Menstruating Mall is a satire on the level, if not higher, with Romero’s horror genius. It’s the whole Breakfast Club feel to the story, with each character having their own and modern style, and that all have to work together despite their differences to achieve a goal that just might save their lives, which led me to this conclusion. You can see yourself somewhere in one or more of the characters and therefore see how absurd it all seems.
And yet we continue on every day, living our chosen stereotypes and buying crap we don’t need. We will continue to do so until we pound the Earth to ash with all the nukes our leaders have collected over the years.
Until then, I suggest that you buy this book, even if it’s something you don’t need for your survival. It is, after all, a lot of fun and entertaining. That’s all that matters, really.
October 16, 2020
The Menstruating Mall is a "bizarre" story about 10 stereotypical people who become trapped in a mall. They watch as other customers come and go but for some reason these people can't leave. They soon find out the mall is actually menstruating and then things start to get weird.
Bizzaro is quickly becoming one of my favorite genres. I love the crazy weirdness that comes with every story.
I enjoyed this book quite a bit. It was a quick read that required absolutely no brain power. It's kind of like a weird little palette cleanser. Honestly, there's not much to be said here. The characters were extremely stereotypical; the story was weird but interesting. The whole thing was just simple bizarre as the genre suggests.
Bizzaro is quickly becoming one of my favorite genres. I love the crazy weirdness that comes with every story.
I enjoyed this book quite a bit. It was a quick read that required absolutely no brain power. It's kind of like a weird little palette cleanser. Honestly, there's not much to be said here. The characters were extremely stereotypical; the story was weird but interesting. The whole thing was just simple bizarre as the genre suggests.
March 28, 2011
Finally a book about a mall on its period. Follow the weird adventure of a bunch of stereotypes somehow compelled to stay in a mall leaking blood as they get picked off by a mysterious killer, one by one. With a premise like that, how could it be bad?
September 18, 2024
For a long time in the book I thought I could possibly avoid CM3's one and only main topic: deviant female sexual behavior buuuut ... NO 🫠
Fortunately, it isn't the main topic of this book 🥳
The Menstruating Mall is first and foremost social criticism, lashing on consumerism and glorifying non-conformity. Not as deep and not as interesting as it could have been but all in all the book was entertaining!
So, if it wasn't for the weird sex part, it would have earned four stars buuuut ... NO 🫠
Fortunately, it isn't the main topic of this book 🥳
The Menstruating Mall is first and foremost social criticism, lashing on consumerism and glorifying non-conformity. Not as deep and not as interesting as it could have been but all in all the book was entertaining!
So, if it wasn't for the weird sex part, it would have earned four stars buuuut ... NO 🫠
March 12, 2021
10 strangers are trapped in a mall, unable to leave.
It sounds like a fun idea for a book and it kinda reminds you of Dawn of The Dead, but unfortunately the book tries too hard to make some type of social commentary on consumerism and non-conformity and it winds up feeling like the workings of an angsty teenager who is writing his first novel and badly wants to "say something", but misses the mark.
Despite the author trying too hard with the social commentary, the book WAS pretty entertaining and it was one of those "what would I do in that situation?" type of stories, but ultimately the author was a bit heavy handed with his message and by the end it got a bit too wacky for me.
Im giving this book 3 out of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐
For in-depth video reviews, please subscribe to my YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/c/UptownHorrorRev...
It sounds like a fun idea for a book and it kinda reminds you of Dawn of The Dead, but unfortunately the book tries too hard to make some type of social commentary on consumerism and non-conformity and it winds up feeling like the workings of an angsty teenager who is writing his first novel and badly wants to "say something", but misses the mark.
Despite the author trying too hard with the social commentary, the book WAS pretty entertaining and it was one of those "what would I do in that situation?" type of stories, but ultimately the author was a bit heavy handed with his message and by the end it got a bit too wacky for me.
Im giving this book 3 out of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐
For in-depth video reviews, please subscribe to my YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/c/UptownHorrorRev...
November 7, 2017
I like this book, it's really good.
March 10, 2021
Ever since Carlton Mellick appeared as a character in Brian Keene's TAKE THE LONG WAY HOME, phychotically reapeating, "The mall is menstruating, the mall is menstruating", I've had every intention to read this book. Though it has taken some time since then to finally get to it, I'm not left disappointed by that unique recommendation.
Mellick is masterful, as always, in keeping hid prose very tight, only saying the absolute minimum of what needs to be said to convert this entertaining. The Breakfast Club-like cast of characters are rich and believable even thoygh they are sterotypes of pop culture. the story itself is nearly secondary to the characters as they interact with each other. These characters drive the story and not the other way around.
Fans of Carlton Mellick III' other work Erik find this to be s comfortable fit. Those who are curious to read something by one of the leading voices in Bizarro Fiction need look no further than THE MENSTRUATING MALL for a book that is definitive if Mr Mellick and bizarro fiction alike.
Mellick is masterful, as always, in keeping hid prose very tight, only saying the absolute minimum of what needs to be said to convert this entertaining. The Breakfast Club-like cast of characters are rich and believable even thoygh they are sterotypes of pop culture. the story itself is nearly secondary to the characters as they interact with each other. These characters drive the story and not the other way around.
Fans of Carlton Mellick III' other work Erik find this to be s comfortable fit. Those who are curious to read something by one of the leading voices in Bizarro Fiction need look no further than THE MENSTRUATING MALL for a book that is definitive if Mr Mellick and bizarro fiction alike.
September 12, 2013
This book gives new meaning to breaking out of the mold, going agains the norm , and becoming something other than mundane. I liked the concept: Ten sterotypical "individuals" all trapped within a mall that appears to be menstruating, unable to leave because of some unkown force keeping them there. At first they theorize that once the mall stops bleeding they will be able to leave, but how long does a mall actually menstruate for? A question that gets overlooked as more and more of the mall goers are found dead with cryptic notes telling them to stop being mundane and break from the norm. So naturally we start to learn more about our surviving consumers as they try desperately to be anything but ordinary. Some will not get to see the light of another day, but others, their break from ordinary is anyting but.
The book didn't really do much for me until about the end. The ending is a nice literal take on our idea of indiviuality and I like the author's satirical play on consumerism. Especially from the main character's stand point. The empty hole that eventually plagues John, to me is just another undertone of not being able to fill that hole with things and possessions but that maybe if you look deeper into someone before assuming they are a product of their stereotype label, that maybe JUST MAYBE that is enough to fill the gap we attempt to close with shopping and other mind numbing acts.
The little chicken scratchy drawings I did find entertaining as well nonsensical and a bit absurd (as the author warns) but some really did make me laugh at their absurdity and I would like to think that is their purpose.
All in all, not the best short story I have read but a quick entertaining read that can definitley be described as "more than meets the surface."
The book didn't really do much for me until about the end. The ending is a nice literal take on our idea of indiviuality and I like the author's satirical play on consumerism. Especially from the main character's stand point. The empty hole that eventually plagues John, to me is just another undertone of not being able to fill that hole with things and possessions but that maybe if you look deeper into someone before assuming they are a product of their stereotype label, that maybe JUST MAYBE that is enough to fill the gap we attempt to close with shopping and other mind numbing acts.
The little chicken scratchy drawings I did find entertaining as well nonsensical and a bit absurd (as the author warns) but some really did make me laugh at their absurdity and I would like to think that is their purpose.
All in all, not the best short story I have read but a quick entertaining read that can definitley be described as "more than meets the surface."
September 2, 2011
I was really torn about this book until about halfway through. Once you get past the "I'm so punk" posturing, and the author beating you over the head with the ironic 2-dimensional stereotype, it actually does get pretty readable. It doesn't entirely make sense, but then if you're picking a book up off the "Bizarro" shelf that's called, "The Menstruating Mall", a little thing like that isn't going to bother you too much. It's a little hard to take the ironic commentary on sub-cultures and "individuality" seriously though, when the author is trying so very hard to fit into the punk genre himself. Apparently things like spell-checking and page numbers are too "mainstream" for this book. A lot has been made of the puerile doodles that serve as illustrations, but I think we all know some retard whose trashed doodling is actually so stupid it's funny, so I didn't mind it. The book is worth a read and at the end of the day, when you account for font-size and double spacing, it's probably only about 30 pages long - so it's not a huge time commitment. I suspect most people will either love or hate this book, but I somehow found myself in the "Meh" category. I don't mind it, but it could've been better.
January 26, 2010
First thing I have to say is that I like Carlton Mellick III (CM3). I like him a lot. I would say bizarro fiction is in my top two fiction genres - the other being traditional mystery, oddly enough - and as the genre's most prolific writer, there is no real way to love bizarro and not love CM3.
This having been said, I had issues with The Menstruating Mall. These problems annoyed me to the point of anger in another venue, which was weird because generally I don't take fiction quite so personally. I considered whether or not reviewing it here after foaming at the mouth so ill-advisedly, but after considering why I disliked this book, I decided to go ahead and review it here because ultimately, only one of the issues I had with the book really had anything to do with the actual writing of the book, the only thing one should ever mentally associate with the author. Read the rest of the review here: http://ireadoddbooks.com/?p=161
This having been said, I had issues with The Menstruating Mall. These problems annoyed me to the point of anger in another venue, which was weird because generally I don't take fiction quite so personally. I considered whether or not reviewing it here after foaming at the mouth so ill-advisedly, but after considering why I disliked this book, I decided to go ahead and review it here because ultimately, only one of the issues I had with the book really had anything to do with the actual writing of the book, the only thing one should ever mentally associate with the author. Read the rest of the review here: http://ireadoddbooks.com/?p=161
August 16, 2011
Another outrageous story by Carlton Mellick III. I enjoyed it, it was a quick read, mind you Carlton's novellas usually have pretty big type.
Ten people, stuck in a mall alone as everyone else suddenly disappears. Unable to leave isn't their worst problem though as someone is murdering them one by one, and the only way to escape is to stop being stereotypical.
This story touches on consumerism and cuts deep into our mall culture in a nice dark comedy sort of way. You've got pop culture, American excessivism, advertising, alcohol, oh so many stereotypes, and so much more ripped on in under 200 pages. I loved the satire drawn around the caricatures of our own American stereotypes. It was a little simplistically written and I didn't think the illustrations were needed but hey, it worked.
All in all I think the message is, who do you relate to here? Would you follow the pack? As with all things Mellick you definitely need an open and twisted mind to enjoy it.
Ten people, stuck in a mall alone as everyone else suddenly disappears. Unable to leave isn't their worst problem though as someone is murdering them one by one, and the only way to escape is to stop being stereotypical.
This story touches on consumerism and cuts deep into our mall culture in a nice dark comedy sort of way. You've got pop culture, American excessivism, advertising, alcohol, oh so many stereotypes, and so much more ripped on in under 200 pages. I loved the satire drawn around the caricatures of our own American stereotypes. It was a little simplistically written and I didn't think the illustrations were needed but hey, it worked.
All in all I think the message is, who do you relate to here? Would you follow the pack? As with all things Mellick you definitely need an open and twisted mind to enjoy it.
January 31, 2022
This book is absolutely nuts! Strangely enough it starts off fairly normal in a bizarro way but then escalated by the end at a rapid rate into something completely crazy.
10 people are trapped in a mall after finding themselves unable to leave in a mall that for some reason starts menstruating.
All 10 are stereotypes of different parts of society and then one by one, they start dying and they try and discover who among them is the killer or if it’s another yet undiscovered someone trapped there with them.
From there, I’m not sure your imagination could possibly conjure up what happens, you’ll have to read to find out.
This is my first foray into bizarro fiction and won’t be the last after this.
10 people are trapped in a mall after finding themselves unable to leave in a mall that for some reason starts menstruating.
All 10 are stereotypes of different parts of society and then one by one, they start dying and they try and discover who among them is the killer or if it’s another yet undiscovered someone trapped there with them.
From there, I’m not sure your imagination could possibly conjure up what happens, you’ll have to read to find out.
This is my first foray into bizarro fiction and won’t be the last after this.
February 13, 2008
There's a new game in town, and it goes by the name “Bizarro”. I would make a tentative statement that this is the first truly new style of storytelling in my generation. Written, as near as I can tell, by people better equipped for trashy punk bands and radical 'zines, the books rarely even pretend to be edited. The font size would be better suited to a third-grader's book than an adult novel, and much of the writing is peppered with crude and generally obscene doodles. What else do I need to say? This is some truly great shit. The punk ethos melds scenes of hardcore sex, graphic violence, and a message of hope and beauty in a way which is suspiciously skillful. I love it.
August 29, 2013
I've been debating checking out this Carlton Mellick III guy for a while and I'm glad I finally did. His ability to combine B-movie excellence with absurdities and heavy satire is second to none.
The only problem, if you buy this book in paperback, is that you're paying 8 bucks for 88 pages of prose. I know that has nothing to do with the content of the book, but I'm just giving a warning to folks who might be expecting a full length novel.
So if you're okay with that and you like what I said in the first paragraph, this is a must-read.
The only problem, if you buy this book in paperback, is that you're paying 8 bucks for 88 pages of prose. I know that has nothing to do with the content of the book, but I'm just giving a warning to folks who might be expecting a full length novel.
So if you're okay with that and you like what I said in the first paragraph, this is a must-read.
October 23, 2013
Mellick is one of those writers that can seemingly do no wrong. The Menstrating Mall is bizarro fiction but can be enjoyed by just about anyone if they would just open their minds a bit.
The Mall is a reflection of who we are as a society of good consumers but what if we were forced to go against everything we know and step out of our comfort zone? We all know these characters and that is what makes this book so good.
Mellick is a talented writer and Mall is a quick and enjoyable read that forces you to think a bit and examine yourself a little.
The Mall is a reflection of who we are as a society of good consumers but what if we were forced to go against everything we know and step out of our comfort zone? We all know these characters and that is what makes this book so good.
Mellick is a talented writer and Mall is a quick and enjoyable read that forces you to think a bit and examine yourself a little.
January 4, 2023
What a wild, kooky ride. Gummo meets Dawn of the Dead meets……Cronenberg???
This was my first foray into the world of bizarro fiction and, boy, what a welcome.
Despite the surreal, mind-bending, scatalogical, Lars Von Trieg, body horror vibe….I thoroughly enjoyed myself!
This was my first foray into the world of bizarro fiction and, boy, what a welcome.
Despite the surreal, mind-bending, scatalogical, Lars Von Trieg, body horror vibe….I thoroughly enjoyed myself!
September 1, 2010
People that are 2D cardboard cutout stereotypes are trapped in a 3D mall and are unable to leave. They try but for some reason can't bring themselves to walk out the doors. Slowly things get more bizarre(o). The 2D people, in the 3D mall head into 4D strangeness, that by the end seems almost normal.
This was an interesting read that kind of makes you think. Wondering about yourself and just where you would fit in with this gaggle of "paint by the numbers." Would you go along with them and their zaniness? Or would you be Interesting enough to be different (painting outside the lines) and not be a mindless Lemming-Sheep?
This was an interesting read that kind of makes you think. Wondering about yourself and just where you would fit in with this gaggle of "paint by the numbers." Would you go along with them and their zaniness? Or would you be Interesting enough to be different (painting outside the lines) and not be a mindless Lemming-Sheep?
March 9, 2024
The Menstruating Mall is a feel good story of love, loss and redemption set in the Renaissance during the life of Leonardo da Vinci.
The Menstruating Mall is an adventure story following the exploits of famed character actor Ronnie Reagan as he navigates the crazy 80s with all it’s dayglo glory and single handedly destroys American capitalism.
The Menstruating Mall is the true story of journalist Tadrick “Hollywood” Manilow as he embarks on a one man quest to find the real life inspiration for the famed Rosie The Riveter.
Nah, the Menstruating Mall is about a mall that menstruates and kills a bunch of fucked up characters.
The Menstruating Mall is an adventure story following the exploits of famed character actor Ronnie Reagan as he navigates the crazy 80s with all it’s dayglo glory and single handedly destroys American capitalism.
The Menstruating Mall is the true story of journalist Tadrick “Hollywood” Manilow as he embarks on a one man quest to find the real life inspiration for the famed Rosie The Riveter.
Nah, the Menstruating Mall is about a mall that menstruates and kills a bunch of fucked up characters.
December 31, 2007
This book was so much fun that I read it in one sitting, and this is a rarity for me.
For me, the book is a surrealist account of the evolution of mankind if we lived in a mall rather than on planet Earth.
Although I would thoroughly despise the main character if I met him in person, he is written so well that he's probably my favorite character of all the Carlton Mellick books that I've read.
And the illustrations are great!
This is one of my favorite books by this author. Carlton's writing keeps getting better and better and I foresee works of brilliance in his future.
For me, the book is a surrealist account of the evolution of mankind if we lived in a mall rather than on planet Earth.
Although I would thoroughly despise the main character if I met him in person, he is written so well that he's probably my favorite character of all the Carlton Mellick books that I've read.
And the illustrations are great!
This is one of my favorite books by this author. Carlton's writing keeps getting better and better and I foresee works of brilliance in his future.
November 19, 2018
I have read a few Mellick novels and he is very hit or miss for me. This was an alright little novel of strange. It was very strange, literally nothing gets explained at all and then it ends and the end is even more bizzare. All things considered the shortness of the book worked in it;s favor and this was a fast easy and fun read. Nothing that will stick with you but it will entertain you for a brief period.
May 5, 2013
Mellick is a master of bizarro. This is like Ten Little Indians in a surreal, bloody shopping mall. So far, I like this one the best of his works.
August 6, 2020
CM3 is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors. So much so that I have just ordered 20 more of his novels on Amazon and can not wait til they arrive. Every book is an absolute blast!
August 9, 2023
3.7 or 3.8 stars
Ok, so this book was a wild ride. I am going to be honest and say the writing was kind of poor. I still really liked the book, but the low writing skill took away from the book itself at points. I read Carlton’s book “Cannibals of Candyland” before this and I thought that was written a lot better (still not top tier, but better) personally. BUT I can excuse this whole writing dilemma as this was one of his earlier books and it was still a good book. Now, storyline wise, this is pretty genius. I don’t know what goes on in this man’s brain, but it’s a mix between absolutely disturbing and ingenious. I never get bored with a Mellick book which is what makes them so fun to read, ok-ish writing or not. Also, when I pick up a book called “Menstruating Mall”, I don’t expect that mall to actually menstruate, I thought it was a metaphor or something, but here we are. Lol.
WARNING! Beyond this point is spoilers!
Ok, so my complaints regarding storyline are I wish we figured out the connection between people being stuck in the mall and the mall menstruating. There is this whole build up where it seems it will be explained or somewhat referenced to at least, but there is none of that. That question is never answered even though points in the plot make it out like we will get one. That was a bit disappointing. I also, was a bit upset about the character Brock (aka, mega jock dude). He comes out as gay for the first time to a bunch of strangers (save John) and it’s a big emotional scene for him and you think as the reader this will be added on to, like maybe he will grow as a character and learn to accept himself or even do the opposite and go through some self loathing period, BUT NOPE! This is completely pretty much brushed over and he just dies with no type of satisfaction or at least conclusion for the reader to his identity. I feel like a lot of the characters were like that. Characters would bring up things about themselves you would expect would be built up on because that’s what character development is, but there would be nothing. That was a big flaw for me in this book. I know it’s bizzaro, but basic book logic still applies somewhat.
I still rank this book higher at about a 3.7 or 3.8 stars because it kept me hooked, it disturbed me (in a good way), and had a great unique storyline my brain couldn’t come up with in a million years. It did have flaws, lots of unanswered questions, and some questionable use of vocabulary and language at points, but hey, it was bizarre, intriguing, and a fun read, so it’s a good book in my eyes.
Ok, so this book was a wild ride. I am going to be honest and say the writing was kind of poor. I still really liked the book, but the low writing skill took away from the book itself at points. I read Carlton’s book “Cannibals of Candyland” before this and I thought that was written a lot better (still not top tier, but better) personally. BUT I can excuse this whole writing dilemma as this was one of his earlier books and it was still a good book. Now, storyline wise, this is pretty genius. I don’t know what goes on in this man’s brain, but it’s a mix between absolutely disturbing and ingenious. I never get bored with a Mellick book which is what makes them so fun to read, ok-ish writing or not. Also, when I pick up a book called “Menstruating Mall”, I don’t expect that mall to actually menstruate, I thought it was a metaphor or something, but here we are. Lol.
WARNING! Beyond this point is spoilers!
Ok, so my complaints regarding storyline are I wish we figured out the connection between people being stuck in the mall and the mall menstruating. There is this whole build up where it seems it will be explained or somewhat referenced to at least, but there is none of that. That question is never answered even though points in the plot make it out like we will get one. That was a bit disappointing. I also, was a bit upset about the character Brock (aka, mega jock dude). He comes out as gay for the first time to a bunch of strangers (save John) and it’s a big emotional scene for him and you think as the reader this will be added on to, like maybe he will grow as a character and learn to accept himself or even do the opposite and go through some self loathing period, BUT NOPE! This is completely pretty much brushed over and he just dies with no type of satisfaction or at least conclusion for the reader to his identity. I feel like a lot of the characters were like that. Characters would bring up things about themselves you would expect would be built up on because that’s what character development is, but there would be nothing. That was a big flaw for me in this book. I know it’s bizzaro, but basic book logic still applies somewhat.
I still rank this book higher at about a 3.7 or 3.8 stars because it kept me hooked, it disturbed me (in a good way), and had a great unique storyline my brain couldn’t come up with in a million years. It did have flaws, lots of unanswered questions, and some questionable use of vocabulary and language at points, but hey, it was bizarre, intriguing, and a fun read, so it’s a good book in my eyes.
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March 27, 2025Read this aloud to my brothers and cousin over the course of two days and they LOVED IT. Had to cut some parts, but made up for it by giving each character their own voice. "She k*lled herself" while flexing our pecs has become a new call and response in this household🫡
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