Comfort Me with Apples
Ratings166
Average rating3.5
Checked the audiobook out from the library on a whim, and even though historically I do not enjoy short books/novellas, I ended up really loving this! The writing style was a perfect balance of being poetic and eerie without being too self-indulgent, and the vibe was immediately giving me “Stepford Wives” energy which I loved.
It took me a little bit to realize what this book was actually about but once I did it was so neat! So cleverly written! I definitely enjoyed it despite the creepy factor and the confusion at times.
I had a hard time engaging with that story on the first half but oh my goodness I didn't expect for it to take that turn towards the end. Woah.
It started out to be so promising because of the mysterious narration of the audiobook. But midway through I lost interest, there was no clear plot or story except for an eerie description of how the husband is being secretive (we get it, this trope has been done so so many times already!). And the ending was just ridiculous, some twisted biblical tale, seriously? I did not enjoy this story.
This is one of those books I will be thinking about for a very long time. It was haunting and unsettling trying to piece together what was happening, with an ending that was truly shocking and completely unexpected. I'm surprised I enjoyed a book so outside of my comfort zone as I don't usually like “weird” horror. This book gives me such A24 horror vibes, I can't explain it.
I thought about this and am changing this to five stars, or I guess 4.5 rounded up, whichever. It's just so clever and the writing is luscious.
So the rest rest of my thoughts are spoilers:
Loved Adam being this man child, Sophia's 'I was made for him' being literal, the residents' names being animals, and the chapters having apple names. I also appreciated the other mentions of red fruits and the commentary on lying. "The key turns easily in the lock, because Cascavel only pretends to enjoy lies, and she knew it when he said it. The truth hurts so much better."I thought that Karen's comparison to the Blue Beard fairy tale was apt; as I was reading I compared it to the Epic of Gilgamesh at times for the themes of civilized vs wild/savage.
Listened to this and enjoyed it all over again (spring 2024)
Overall rating: 4.5/5★Writing: 5/5★, There are some beautiful, haunting phrases in here!Plot: 4/5★, It's more character-led than a plot I'd say. But it flowed really well.Characters: 4.5/5★I doubt I could ever give a novella a 5/5 for characters just because there is very little time to explore them. But this is close, mostly because the characters are bizarre so they aren't meant to be very deep. It works here!
Would I reread?: Yup, definitely
This is very unique. It's one of the few books that I think really stands on its own best if you know very little going in. Though I will say that I do believe some Christians may have issues with this. So, if you are very religiously Christian I would pass and avoid possible upset. For everyone else that is a fan of unsettling horror, definitely read this! It was fun although a short ride!
this was a really solid story that accomplished what it set out to do. for my personal taste, it was just a bit too short and expected. i liked what it was saying but i'm not sure it was actually doing anything.
Rating: 4.25 leaves out of 5
Characters: 4/5
Cover: 3.5/5
Story: 4.5/5
Writing: 5/5
Genre: Mystery/Horror/Thriller
Type: Audiobook
Worth?: yes
I recommend reading till the end. I almost DNFed in the middle because it was just this girl being stupidly obsessed with someone who wasn't given her the time of day like she needed. I can best explain it like Rebecca had a baby with the Bible and sprinkle in Zootopia.
I almost feel bad rating this book 2/5 because the writing is phenomenal and the beginning of the story had me hopeful. The setting, characters and details gave me an eerie feeling and I thought I was going to be completely mind blown but the ending was a huge disappointment. I wish the author went a different route with this one because it could have easily been one of my favorite books of the year. If you're religious, specifically Christian, you'll enjoy this novella a lot more than I did. I could not get over the cheesy, ridiculous ending shrouded in support for the patriarchy
I was really excited to listen to this one. Catherynne M. Valente is an author I hear about a lot, and I was hoping to love her work. Sadly, this was not for me. I can see the appeal of her writing style, but this was nonsense in my opinion. I found the announcement of the community rules interesting, then it went downhill from there.
I didn't care about any of the characters at all. The narrator was ok. Maybe I will try this author again in the future, but I'm not in a hurry after this one.
Thank you to Net Galley for the review copy.
