Helpmeet

I had a hard time choosing how many stars I should rate this but in the end I decided it didn't matter as much as what I was going to write.

This book held, without a doubt, the goriest descriptions I've ever read, though I didn't find them scary, necessarily. They were too clinical for that, too detached, which I found a good thing. Surprisingly, it didn't make me doubt Louise's love for her husband, quite the contrary. His body and what it lacks don't matter nearly as much as the man itself.

I read this with a weird kind of fascination that I can only think to describe as not being able to take your eyes off a car crash and studying it with your head tilted, unable not to notice the beauty of its horror. Really, I found the prose gorgeous. Every word was cherrypicked, every sentence turned inside out to craft precise and impacting evocation.

If you are one of those people who scope out reviews before opening a book and you can stand (body) horror, I encourage you to read this. My words will make more sense to you then because this is not a book you can speak of with someone who hasn't read it. Maybe it is not even a book you can speak of with someone who has.

Helpmeet is a short read with a few good twists and turns despite its shortcomings.

“When she smelled the flower, she knew where Edward's blood had gone.”

Understanding wife
lovingly tending her man
the bits left of him.

A spooky-yet-sweet little story. Some truly grotesque imagery coupled with a quiet meditation on marriage. 3 rotting appendages out of 5.