Amalia Gkavea

I have read hundreds of books on the Paranormal and hundreds of books on Irish Culture. This volume is one of the most informative, haunting, moving and scary reads I’ve ever had the pleasure to spend time with. Not only does it offer rare information on the contemporary perspectives of the paranormal in Ireland, but it also allows us to compare and contrast stories and phenomena in different cultures. What makes this book unique is that most of the incidents narrated took place between the mid-20th century and the early 2010s.

The Introduction (which is beyond brilliant, by the way) offers an interesting, thought-provoking comparison between British and Irish reactions to the Paranormal. What do we learn from this wonderful book? A multitude of views and experiences. The shadows of the Irish Revolution, the Troubles falling on hospitals, execution sites, even houses. The tragedy of the Great Famine. Haunted priories, abbeys, boarding schools. What I truly loved was the detail and the attention placed on experiences related to haunted houses, hotels, and inns (some of which had no bloody past to explain the phenomena). There is also a deep feeling of sadness permeating the accounts. Parents losing their children, visitations and omens of death, strange and menacing dark oddities, contemporary sightings of the Banshee and the ghost lights on the bogs. There is even an entertaining section of extraordinary phenomena recorded between the 12th century and the 16th century.

This book is pure perfection. From the atmospheric front cover to the vivid writing and the stories included, a haunting trip to Ireland has never been better!

  ‘'In life, there are only two paths: to act or not to act. Humans must choose one.''
The Son: A little boy, who had to experience his parents' divorce, wants to go back in time to show them he is happy no matter what. He wants to show them his smile, although I doubt they would actually care. Meet two of the most self-absorbed parents in Contemporary Literature. Meet two of the most realistic parents of our modern, unethical age...
The Nameless Child: In one of the most heart-rending stories of the series, a widow wants to return to the past to show her deceased husband the son he never had the chance to meet. Bring out the tissues for this one, it will haunt you to the very end. Marvelous and bittersweet.
The Father: A complex family drama of a father who refused to give his consent to her daughter's marriage and a daughter who is devoid of any kind of personality, good judgment and common sense. A girl who can't say ‘no' to anyone is a recipe for disaster. Add idiocy and an inferiority complex to the mixture, and you have no one to blame for your ordeals but your miserable self. Plain and simple. 
The Valentine: Two friends meet each other in the past, having fallen victim to their hesitation, misunderstanding and low self-confidence.
The fifth instalment of our beloved series is the darkest yet. There are a few utterly shocking moments that left me speechless (and that's an understatement...), and the themes of loss and death permeate the four stories. Regret in not expressing what you truly feel, insecurity when your parents cannot make you feel safe and protected, the distance between a wife and a husband when he cannot understand that maternity isn't the be - all and end - all of a woman's existence. The irreparable loss that strikes like a thunderbolt, the harshness of a father that makes everything worse, the low self-esteem that can lead us to serious mistakes, deepening an irrational inertia.
However, do not think that all is pure doom and gloom. We have the precious moments spent with our parents that no one can take away from us. The deep love that death cannot erase. The important lesson of making mistakes and learning since our parents cannot shield us from every evil in the world. We never know when Fate will decide to take matters into her own hands with irreversible results. Let us be aware of this and move on.
In addition, Toshikazu Kawaguchi offers new aspects of the Funiculi Funicula magic, twists that we were not aware of and interesting insights into the Japanese society, customs, and urban legends.
Healing doesn't come from lovey-dovey, fairytale situations. Healing comes through turbulence, pain, deep sorrow. So, if you think that this part of the series is ‘too dark' to belong in the Healing Fiction genre, congratulations on building your own bubble. Now it is time to wake up and face the world.
‘'Regret comes in two flavours: actions taken and opportunities missed.''
My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com/
 

‘'Gods die. And when they truly die they are unmourned and unremembered. Ideas are more difficult to kill than people, but they can be killed in the end.''

Why do gods have to fight and die? Isn't there enough space in people's hearts to accommodate everyone, as in the old days? New gods and old gods, but it seems that they aren't all powerful as such. They need the mortals to believe in them, otherwise they simply cease to exist.

I initially thought I wouldn't write a review about Neil Gaiman's gloriously dark, strange and haunting classic. I mean, what can I say that hasn't been said? And then, I thought ‘'come on, it's an honour that you have the chance to write a review that will occupy a teeny tiny corner in this endless space that is Internet. (...too much Tech-boy influence...) So these are my two cents for a book that my review cannot do justice to.

It has been on my lists for years, right after I read ‘'Coraline'' and ‘'Stardust'', but the marvellous TV series made me started it sooner than I thought. I couldn't possibly wait to witness the conclusion in 3-4 years on the telly, when the book was on my shelf. And this gives me the opportunity to say that the spirit of the book was perfectly captured and transferred to the small screen (unlike other examples...) and the expanded parts made the essence of the book even more significant, at least to me. As Wednesday and Shadow start a road trip in preparation for the war that is coming- a fight between the old gods, the values that created the country and the new gods that bring corruption and progress built in sand (yes, that is my personal conclusion....) - we, the readers, find ourselves on a journey that gives us much to think of. Is the old world a better place? Are the values that bring hope and comfort to the people to be destroyed by media, technology and the new World? I believe that each one of us can draw their personal conclusions.

‘'We like to be big. Now, in these shabby days, we are small. The new gds rise and fall and rise again. But this is not a country that tolerates gods for long.''

Gaiman's writing is exceptional, obviously. There are so many beautiful quotes, so many dark moments of terrifying awe that clearly show why he's considered a master of his Art. The themes he relates to the people who shaped America -by force or by their own free will- the cultures and the gods that crossed the ocean to protect those who believed in them and ended up almost destitute, couldn't be more relevant to our current times. Gaiman doesn't take sides, in my opinion. He presents gods and goddesses from all pantheons with respect and a hint of bittersweet remembrance, perhaps, for the lost pedestals and the wasted sacrifices through the ages.

The parts that I consider the jewel of the book are all the ‘'Coming to America'' chapters that show how the real heroes of the story are the people,not the gods. My favourites are the story of Essie Tregowan, a young woman from Cornwall who tries to make her fortune by shady ways, the story of Wututu, a slave girl during the late 1700s and the story of Atsula, a prehistoric priestess. They are among the most moving literary pieces you'll ever read.

Not much can be said about the characters, they are gods and they crave love and devotion. Are they really that different to humans?I don't think so. Shadow I loved, I don't understand why many refer to him as being ‘'simple'' or even devoid of personality. Yes, of course, he is simple. A simple human being thrust in the middle of a fight between all mighty deities. He is loyal, clever and kind, a character at a loss and at a crossroads, one who the reader can understand and identify with, if that is possible.

The edition of my copy contains a short interview with Neil Gaiman and a novella, ‘'The Monarch of the Glen'', along with an essay by Gaiman called ‘'How Dare You?'' (I love that name!) All of the above are great reads. It is a book that shows much and hides even more. It wants us to contemplate on a number of themes that are larger than life,impossible to be answered, and yet they will be sought after by generations as long as mankind exists.Those who claim the opposite are simply lying to themselves. And thank the goddess of Literature for Neil Gaiman.

‘' ‘'Gods are great'', said Atsula, slowly, as if she were comprehending a great secret. ‘'But the heart is greater. For it is from our hearts they come, and to our hearts they shall return.''
...and perhaps, sometimes, we should listen to our hearts...

Disclaimer- I will not engage in any religious discussion of any form. If you belong to the clan of the very few ones that go around looking for a fight, turn around and go elsewhere. You will find no response here. It is my conviction that religious beliefs is the most personal of issues and I do not discuss anything religious or anything that has to do with politics. My religious beliefs are my own and concern noone. And I will not tolerate any aggressive comments towards specific religions or religion in general, towards atheism,atheists, non-believers and the like. You get the drill. Comments regarding religion of any kind will be deleted and flagged. Thankfully, there is space for everyone in this awful (?) world and respect is the thing.Thank you:)

“Glory?” continued Rebecca; “alas, is the rusted mail which hangs as a hatchment over the champion's dim and mouldering tomb – is the defaced sculpture of the inscription which the ignorant monk can hardly read to the enquiring pilgrim – are these sufficient rewards for the sacrifice of every kindly affection, for a life spent miserably that ye may make others miserable? Or is there such virtue in the rude rhymes of a wandering bard, that domestic love, kindly affection, peace and happiness, are so wildly bartered, to become the hero of those ballads which vagabond minstrels sing to drunken churls over their evening ale?”

Well, I don't know... I don't know where to begin with this one. When you finish a book and the first thing that comes to your mind is “I won't write a review on this one”, then things are quite bleak. The two stars are for the effort and the fact that Karl was an acceptable character in an array of cardboard cutouts, in a story that wanted to be “dystopian” because the genre is currently fashionable. Honestly, perhaps authors should give it a rest and try their luck with a different subject. Dystopian novels require immense capabilities on the part of the author. In my opinion, Kennard would be excellent in a psychological or domestic drama. The dystopian universe, however, is very demanding....

Our main characters are Karl and Genevieve, a young married couple. Karl has failed to fulfill his tax obligations and the two have no alternative but to sign up as participants in a shady organization called “The Transition”. They start living in the house of Stu and Janna, another highly dysfunctional couple, they're stripped of their wages, their privacy, even the right to choose their food each day. One day, Karl decides that enough is enough. The problem is that when I reached that point, I had stopped caring.

Karl is somewhat sympathetic and guilty for certain miscalculated financial choices. He doesn't really try to make amends and behaves as if the solution will be miraculously given to him on a silver platter. Genevieve is horrible. Highly unlikable, irrational, stupid, hiding her selfishness and insecurities behind the “mental issues” smoke screen. She is so devoid of any kind of feeling that I felt she was quite a bit unrealistic and couldn't take her seriously. Moreover, the writer puts some pretty ugly words about the teaching profession in her mouth that disgusted me and infuriated me. Stu and Janna are completely unimpressive even though they're supposed too be the main antagonists. Just no....

I fear the writing wasn't what I expect to find in a book. There were a few moments of brightness and coherence, but for the most part, the dialogue was poor, the implications of the characters' choices led to nothing and the themes that Kennard chose to communicate were probably too much for his abilities. The conclusion of the story was weak, rushed, anemic. It left me feeling nothing and a dystopian novel shouldn't do that.

A friend told me that the plot reminded him of Atwood's “The Heart Goes Last” which I am planning to start very soon. But mentioning Atwood here is sacrilege. Many reviewers seem to like “The Transition”. To me, this wasn't a good Dystopian novel. It wasn't even a good book. I felt no coming threat, everything was too predictable, too “soft”, too horrible Netflix -inspired dialogue and an overall poor execution. And once again, I cannot help but wonder how many more wannabe -Dystopian novels does our world need?

My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com/