Review: Eyes Guts Throat Bones
Author: Moïra Fowley-Doyle
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Phew, am I overdue with my reviews! But better late than never!
On a recent trip with my boyfriend, we visited Ljubljana and went to one of its bookstores where I found this book displayed among horror fiction. I have to admit, I was a little suspicious whether to give it a chance (along with another book I bought the same day) because I've had such bogus luck these last few months with buying books on a whim and finding out they're... unsatisfactory. But this time, I hit the jackpot. Not only did I love "Eyes Guts Throat Bones", but I'm confident to say Moïra Fowley-Doyle is now easily one of my favorite authors.
"Eyes Guts Throat Bones" is a collection of short horror stories dealing with the themes of queerness, love, relationships, family, and life in its entirety. It consists of 15 short stories which feature different structures and ideas, but all connect with a similar voice and tone, creating a coherent thread between them.
The narration style is exquisite, with beautifully macabre writing that is unlike any other. Fowley-Doyle is a true artist when it comes to words. "Eyes Guts Throat Bones" is an immersive, breathtaking experience, and its gorgeous prose is almost as great of an asset as its extraordinary storytelling.
This collection doesn't stray away from showing things as they are, no matter how distressing they might be. There are relationships that shine bright as stars, but burn too hot to persevere. There are characters that seem so lifelike, but could never be real. There are situations and conversations that seem so familiar, but could never be experienced. Fowley-Doyle created something entirely peculiar and raw, but also familiar, riveting and strangely comforting.
The relationships the author explores are far from perfect. Moreover, the stark visual similes, disturbing events and strong characters make them short-lived and borderline unhealthy. But Fowley-Doyle doesn't inflict judgment, nor does she expect it from her readers. Instead, the relationships are only expected to be seen as flawed. As natural. As human. And it is that which makes them beautiful and powerful. The pain, sorrow, rage and loss the character feel - and, consequently, the reader - are just as important, if not more, as happiness, belonging, and love.
Female and queer rage play a key role in this collection. They are a result of long-term, cumulative anger that piles up with each new situation, and realize their final form into violence that is manifested through revenge. It is a frightening act, but it offers a release for the tension that's been building throughout the entirety of the story. The gratifying enjoyment in the imminent destruction and the fulfillment of deserved justice feels both perverted and deviant, and also pleasurable and rewarding. Fowley-Doyle creates a space where oppressed individuals are able to fight for themselves and what they believe in, whether it be noble or not. It is a violent fantasy, but a satisfying one, showing power that often cannot be shown in real life and allowing for consequences where they would usually be none.
The experience of pregnancy is another important theme in the collection. A body becomes a vessel for another life - its function changes, as does its form. Fowley-Doyle approaches this idea from the deeply selfish experience of the person bearing the child. She allows her characters to present their raw, agonizing thoughts and feelings about the transformation they are going through. These emotions are not painted as wrong, just displayed as how they are. As much as the perspective on pregnancy has shifted over the years and that pre- and post-natal depression is talked about, painting pregnancy as a traumatic experience is still a sensitive, almost taboo topic. Fowley-Doyle's stories portray birth as a gain, but pregnancy as a loss. They put the mother as the focal point - a fully formed and developed person that has to let go of what they are in order to make something greater than themselves, which makes the horror of it all so potent.
I will never regret the day I have picked up this collection at the bookstore. Not only has it become one of my all-time favorite short story collections, but Fowley-Doyle has completely charmed me with her writing. So much so, that I will definitely be picking up some of her other works. As for "Eyes guts Throat Bones", I strongly recommend this collection to anyone searching for some incredible and unforgettable queer horror stories.
