The Merry Spinster: Tales of Everyday Horror

I picked this one up with glee because I love Ortberg's writing. The short stories were as tense and dense as I was expecting, but some of the choices– especially where the adaptation is based on fusion with other, more different stories– didn't quite work for me.

Some stories were made stronger by the fusion (I cannot shake the feeling of dread left by “Some of Us Had Been Threatening Our Friend, Mr Toad”), but others never quite solidified into a coherent narrative (“The Thankless Child”, “Good Fences Make Good Neighbors”), leaving me with fleeting emotional sensations but no strong impact. Still, Ortberg was plainly at his best when re-considering of the foundations of the original work, and digging out the horrific elements displayed within. Both “The Rabbit” (based on The Velveteen Rabbit) and “The Daughter Cells” (based on The Little Mermaid) are deadly inspired.