Reviews

• Good book!

• Here is a loosely intertwined collection of stories by the wonderful Christopher Barzak. Using a decaying little town in America as his backdrop, Barzak unleashes a range of mystical and mythical characters into these everyday scenes, be it ghosts, mermaids or (of sorts) psychics and mediums. The somewhat depressing backdrops lends a real strength to Barzak's writing, as we see the true depth of emotion that can be captured in the everyday. His narrator's tend to be young, ostracized and often dealing with sensitive issues such as the death of a loved one or homosexuality, and all are dealt with in a mature and almost matter of fact manner that should only be applauded. My only issue concerning this collection is that it is similar to Haruki Murakami's 'Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman' in that both collections were put together from stories previously published in magazines, literary journals, etc, and so some stories come off as being too similar to each other. This is just a small complaint however, because I still found myself devouring this book at any chance that I got. Whilst not as strong as Barzak's previous effort 'The Love We Share Without Knowing' - which is one of my favourite books of all time - I feel that this is still one of the best collections I have read in quite a while.

• These are truly beautiful stories. Not only because the words flow like melted chocolate but because the supernatural elements illuminate humanity and reflect it back so very wisely.

• I've been a fan of Christopher Barzak for a few years now. His first novel "One for sorrow" was great and his second "The love we share without knowing" is one of my favorite books of all time. Now he's released this collection of short stories and it does not dissapoint at all. He has a way of capturing what it's truly like to experience and feel certain things by putting it into words in ways you never thought possible. Also what I love about it, is that even though these are primarily ghost stories, they are also just as much about relationships and the human condition. So you don't need to be a horror fan to appreciate these stories. The same can be said for his other books as well. Most of these stories take place at a pivitol time in the characters lives when they are experiencing some sort of internal conflict. Some are not sure how to feel about certain things or how to act around certain people. Some express what it feels like to be a teenager or adolescent that nobody really understands. And last but not least, how to deal with grief or loss. All the characters in these stories are dealing with different issues but he writes out their thoughts in ways that allow you to truly understand and even relate to them. Give this book a try, I guarantee you will fall in love with at least one of the characters if not many. Then get his other books as well becuase they are all great!

• Before and Afterlives is a great introduction to the work of Christopher Barzak whose Crawford Award winning novel One For Sorrow is being turned into the film "Jamie Marks Is Dead" as I write this review. This book is a generous selection from a rich early career - ghosts and dead boys, Pittsburg as the Gates of Hell, a merman in rural Ohio. Scary, amusing, beautiful, sad. No story gives a hint as to what the next one will be like. And you'll read every single one of them,

Purchase links