BOOK REVIEW (#3)
Ten Planets: Stories — Yuri Herrera
SO I READ THIS OVER THE WEEKEND BECAUSE I TOLD MYSELF THAT I WOULD. KYLIE AND I GOT LIBRARY CARDS TOGETHER LAST WEEK ON A WHIM AND I CHECKED THIS BOOK OUT FROM THE NEW BOOKS SECTION BECAUSE I LIKE SHORT STORIES AND OVERALL THIS BOOK IS NOT LONG AT ALL AT ABOUT 100 PAGES. I THINK WHILE I DID GET INTO IT. I STILL AM LEFT WANTING MORE FROM THE BOOK. I JUST FEEL LIKE MOST OF THE METAPHORS/ALLUSIONS TO SOCIETY ARE NOT THAT SUBTLE. AND YET AT THE SAME TIME IT FEELS TO ME THAT HERRERA IS VAGUE WITH THE TAKEAWAY FOR EACH STORY. OVERALL I THINK THIS IS A 6/10.
SPOILERS: I WAS REALLY SURPRISED BY HOW SHORT ALL THE STORIES WERE TO BE HONEST. THE ONES THAT ARE MOST SALIENT IN MY MIND STILL ARE THE ONES THAT CONNECTED INTO EACH OTHER. FOR EXAMPLE, THE THREE STORIES ABOUT THE EARTH BEING FLAT. FIRST STORY: THERE ARE DRAGONS AT THE END OF THE WORLD. SECOND STORY: THE DRAGONS ARE ACTUALLY PEOPLE. THIRD STORY: THE EARTH IS A WAFER FOR THE MOUTH OF GOD EXCEPT THERE IS NO MOUTH AND THERE IS NO GOD AND THERE IS NO WAFER AND THERE ARE NO DRAGONS. I JUST DIDN'T REALLY KNOW WHAT TO FEEL ABOUT IT ALL. SIMILARLY FOR THE STORY ABOUT PEOPLE CHANGING INTO ANIMALS AND HOW LIKE IF YOU WERE HIGHER IN THE COMPANY YOU WOULD CHANGE INTO ANIMALS HIGHER ON THE FOOD CHAIN BUT IN THE END THIS LOWLY WORKER GOES AND KILLS THE PEOPLE AT THE TOP. IDK. THESE STORIES WERE FUN AND EASY TO READ. I'M JUST NOT SURE WHAT TO TAKE AWAY. THE STORY WITH THE SENTIENT HOUSE. WHAT'S THE MORAL? I'VE THOUGHT ABOUT SIMILAR THINGS TOO WITH OBJECT ORIENTED ONTOLOGY. I THINK THAT'S MY THING WITH THESE SCI-FI MAGICAL REALISM SHORT STORIES. THE BLADE HAS TO BE SHARP AND PIERCING. NO MORE VAGUE STUFF.