despite the proverb “don’t judge the book by its cover”, i’m sure every book person have had this experience many times – you see the cover and realise that you absolutely must have this book. it happened to me when i saw “prosper’s demon” in some listicle about best 2020 book covers.
i still have only vague idea about the author, not having read anything else (i plan to fix this next year), but if the rest of writing is even two-thirds as stylish as this novelette, i will have great time.
if you decide to read this book, don’t expect much plot, but worry not, you will be generously compensated with style and character study. just look at the opening paragraph:
“I woke to find her lying next to me, quite dead, with her throat torn out. The pillow was shiny and sodden with blood, like low-lying pasture after a week of heavy rain. The taste in my mouth was familiar, revolting, and unmistakable. I spat into my cupped hand: bright red. Oh, for crying out loud, I thought. Here we go again.”
opinions about books 