Ian’s review of The Other Side of the Mountain > Likes and Comments
47 likes · Like
Ah, a "make your own meaning" ending! Seen lots of those. Well, it is surreal. Good that it landed well with you!
I could probably find suggestions for your weird fiction shelf. Congrats for making something of it.
Berengaria wrote: "Ah, a "make your own meaning" ending! Seen lots of those. Well, it is surreal. Good that it landed well with you!"
I should maybe elaborate a bit. The ending is clear in terms of what happened, less so on why it happened!
Pam wrote: "I could probably find suggestions for your weird fiction shelf. Congrats for making something of it."
Send those suggestions over Pam! I've set up my new shelf!
My next fiction is going to be The Wettest County in the World, inspired by your review, from a while back.
I have had some great times and some bad times with weird and/or experimental. Check out WeirdFictionReview . com though it has been out of action for a few years, but it has a lot of things worth checking out.
Read up on Bruno Schulz, at his best, impressive. And his is a sad story.
zed wrote: "I have had some great times and some bad times with weird and/or experimental. Check out WeirdFictionReview . com though it has been out of action for a few years, but it has a lot of things worth ..."
Thanks very much zed. I will definitely check out that site. After all it was you who put me on to Neglected Books, from which I have since mined a whole raft of books.
I've heard of Bruno Schulz and his tragic end, but haven't read any of this work. I thought I might try The Street of Crocodiles, one day.
Short but surreal, Ian - sometimes the strangest journeys come in the smallest packages.
Taufiq wrote: "Short but surreal, Ian - sometimes the strangest journeys come in the smallest packages."
True in this case anyway Taufiq!
I have a weird shelf and have already shelved 19 books there. Probably should have added a few others I've read...
Good review Ian. My own conclusion is that book is not for me. 🙂
Pamela wrote: "I have a weird shelf and have already shelved 19 books there. Probably should have added a few others I've read...
Good review Ian. My own conclusion is that book is not for me. 🙂"
Thanks Pamela. I've set up a weird fiction shelf of my own now. I have put 17 books on it although I had a few "borderline" books - some I included and some I didn't.
What constitutes "weird fiction" is subjective of course. I was just looking at a list on GR. There were quite a few books included that I wouldn't consider to be weird fiction, such as Trainspotting, Darkness at Noon, and One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich.
The only reason I can think of for the inclusion of the latter two books, is that Stalinism was such an extreme reality that many people can't believe it did actually happen.
Ian wrote: "Pamela wrote: "I have a weird shelf and have already shelved 19 books there. Probably should have added a few others I've read...
Good review Ian. My own conclusion is that book is not for me. 🙂"
..."
I don't think it is a very good list. Trainspotting and Darkness at Noon are not in that category, IMO. The Road to name another? I could go on.
zed wrote: "Ian wrote: "Pamela wrote: "I have a weird shelf and have already shelved 19 books there. Probably should have added a few others I've read...
Good review Ian. My own conclusion is that book is not..."
Agreed zed. The Road was another I had noticed although I hadn't mentioned it in my reply to Pamela. "1984" is on there as well - again, not weird fiction, in my opinion. As you say, there are others.
Apologies, missed the replies before now. I found a goodreads shelf of weird-fiction as well.... https://www.goodreads.com/genres/weir...
I didn't look very deep, but yeah, the list includes a few title I wouldn't consider weird either. Definitely subjective aspect.
Revisiting a few of the titles I shelved as weird and the list, it appears what comes up most often is "horror". Not a genre I like to explore...guess if I encountered some of the weird/odd situations in these books it would be horrifying.
Intriguing review, Ian. Your review caused me to look for the French original. I doing so I read one other review, which warns against 'adult nightmares' after reading it! I think that this one's probably not for me. I didn't quite get the horror element from your review, but maybe you didn't think it was a horror story . .
J.C. wrote: "Intriguing review, Ian. Your review caused me to look for the French original. I doing so I read one other review, which warns against 'adult nightmares' after reading it! I think that this one's p..."
I didn't go into much detail in that review. I can't say as it caused me any nightmares! It was almost a bit too surreal for that.
back to top
date
newest »
newest »
message 1:
by
Berengaria
(new)
Dec 16, 2025 09:42AM
Ah, a "make your own meaning" ending! Seen lots of those. Well, it is surreal. Good that it landed well with you!
reply
|
flag
I could probably find suggestions for your weird fiction shelf. Congrats for making something of it.
Berengaria wrote: "Ah, a "make your own meaning" ending! Seen lots of those. Well, it is surreal. Good that it landed well with you!"I should maybe elaborate a bit. The ending is clear in terms of what happened, less so on why it happened!
Pam wrote: "I could probably find suggestions for your weird fiction shelf. Congrats for making something of it."Send those suggestions over Pam! I've set up my new shelf!
My next fiction is going to be The Wettest County in the World, inspired by your review, from a while back.
I have had some great times and some bad times with weird and/or experimental. Check out WeirdFictionReview . com though it has been out of action for a few years, but it has a lot of things worth checking out. Read up on Bruno Schulz, at his best, impressive. And his is a sad story.
zed wrote: "I have had some great times and some bad times with weird and/or experimental. Check out WeirdFictionReview . com though it has been out of action for a few years, but it has a lot of things worth ..."Thanks very much zed. I will definitely check out that site. After all it was you who put me on to Neglected Books, from which I have since mined a whole raft of books.
I've heard of Bruno Schulz and his tragic end, but haven't read any of this work. I thought I might try The Street of Crocodiles, one day.
Short but surreal, Ian - sometimes the strangest journeys come in the smallest packages.
Taufiq wrote: "Short but surreal, Ian - sometimes the strangest journeys come in the smallest packages."True in this case anyway Taufiq!
I have a weird shelf and have already shelved 19 books there. Probably should have added a few others I've read...Good review Ian. My own conclusion is that book is not for me. 🙂
Pamela wrote: "I have a weird shelf and have already shelved 19 books there. Probably should have added a few others I've read...Good review Ian. My own conclusion is that book is not for me. 🙂"
Thanks Pamela. I've set up a weird fiction shelf of my own now. I have put 17 books on it although I had a few "borderline" books - some I included and some I didn't.
What constitutes "weird fiction" is subjective of course. I was just looking at a list on GR. There were quite a few books included that I wouldn't consider to be weird fiction, such as Trainspotting, Darkness at Noon, and One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich.
The only reason I can think of for the inclusion of the latter two books, is that Stalinism was such an extreme reality that many people can't believe it did actually happen.
Ian wrote: "Pamela wrote: "I have a weird shelf and have already shelved 19 books there. Probably should have added a few others I've read...Good review Ian. My own conclusion is that book is not for me. 🙂"
..."
I don't think it is a very good list. Trainspotting and Darkness at Noon are not in that category, IMO. The Road to name another? I could go on.
zed wrote: "Ian wrote: "Pamela wrote: "I have a weird shelf and have already shelved 19 books there. Probably should have added a few others I've read...Good review Ian. My own conclusion is that book is not..."
Agreed zed. The Road was another I had noticed although I hadn't mentioned it in my reply to Pamela. "1984" is on there as well - again, not weird fiction, in my opinion. As you say, there are others.
Apologies, missed the replies before now. I found a goodreads shelf of weird-fiction as well.... https://www.goodreads.com/genres/weir...I didn't look very deep, but yeah, the list includes a few title I wouldn't consider weird either. Definitely subjective aspect.
Revisiting a few of the titles I shelved as weird and the list, it appears what comes up most often is "horror". Not a genre I like to explore...guess if I encountered some of the weird/odd situations in these books it would be horrifying.
Intriguing review, Ian. Your review caused me to look for the French original. I doing so I read one other review, which warns against 'adult nightmares' after reading it! I think that this one's probably not for me. I didn't quite get the horror element from your review, but maybe you didn't think it was a horror story . .
J.C. wrote: "Intriguing review, Ian. Your review caused me to look for the French original. I doing so I read one other review, which warns against 'adult nightmares' after reading it! I think that this one's p..."I didn't go into much detail in that review. I can't say as it caused me any nightmares! It was almost a bit too surreal for that.
