I Hold a Wolf by the Ears

by Laura van den Berg | Literature & Fiction |
ISBN: 9781250798664 Global Overview for this book
Registered by wingGoryDetailswing of Nashua, New Hampshire USA on 3/16/2022
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1 journaler for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by wingGoryDetailswing from Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Wednesday, March 16, 2022
I got this softcover, a collection of the author's short stories, at Barnes and Noble, attracted by the title. And it's a good one, with stories that tend towards the detached, even dream-like in tone, yet that feature all too real aspects of life and relationships, including elements of grief and guilt. The writing really put me into the scenes, with impressive descriptions and details. Notable stories for me include:

"Slumberland" features a woman who goes out at night to wander the neighborhood with her camera - driven from her apartment by the constant wailing of the woman next door (!). Her voyeurism is detached but emotional, and the reveal about the wailing woman was both funny and disturbing.

"The Pitch" has a surreal, even ghostly tone, having to do with childhood memories and a mysterious photograph - and loss.

"Volcano House" touches on a relationship that's a bit at odds, and on a trip to Iceland that doesn't go quite the way the protagonist wants.

"Your Second Wife" is an odd one - the protagonist makes a living by disguising herself to resemble the clients' late wives, and then spends time with them, presumably to help them grieve. But there are personal reasons why she does these deep-dive impersonations.

The title story is about a woman who's planned to meet her sister at an Italian village where the sister has a presentation to make - but the sister doesn't turn up, and the woman winds up wandering the region, losing her own documents (either deliberately or accidentally - the behavior of the hotel staff is iffy), and eventually choosing to be someone else... This one reminded me of some of the tales of Ray Bradbury, Shirley Jackson, and Daphne du Maurier, which is high praise.

Journal Entry 2 by wingGoryDetailswing at LFL - Broad St. #20 in Nashua, New Hampshire USA on Saturday, September 24, 2022

Released 1 yr ago (9/24/2022 UTC) at LFL - Broad St. #20 in Nashua, New Hampshire USA

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

I left this book in the Little Free Library on this bright, breezy day; hope someone enjoys it!

[See other recent releases in NH here.]

*** Released for the 2022 You're Such an Animal challenge. ***

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