Wednesday, May 5, 2021

Goblin: A Novel in Six Novellas

Goblin: A Novel in Six Novellas by Josh Malerman
5/18/21; 416 pages
Penguin Random House

Goblin: A Novel in Six Novellas by Josh Malerman is a very highly recommended collection of six interconnected chilling novellas set in the town of Goblin. This is a re-release of the original volume published in 2017.

All of these stories revolve around the secrets and mysteries lurking in the small town of Goblin, a place where it always seems to be raining and you must stay out of the woods. Malerman does an excellent job presenting these seven accomplished, creepy tales (including the prologue). The character development is admirable and helps propel the stories forward while creating an interest in the characters and their situations. The place of Goblin is clearly developed as a place, a character in its own right, and presents a frightening alternate reality.  

Contents include:
Prologue: Welcome - Tommy is a truck driver who is delivering a box to a resident of Goblin and must follow strict instructions to complete the task.
A Man in Slices - How much would you help a friend? How far would you go to prove your love?
Kamp - Walter Kamp is afraid of everything and sets traps around his home to catch ghosts.
Happy Birthday, Hunter! - It is the sixtieth birthday of big-game hunter Neal Nash and he is obsessed with the ultimate prey: the mythic Great Owl living in Goblin's dark woods.
Presto - Roman Emperor, the greatest magician in the world, comes to Goblin and Peter wants to be just like him.
A Mix-Up at the Zoo - Dirk Rogers is a well-liked zoo keeper who seems to have a connection to the animals.
The Hedges: A man builds an elaborate hedge maze and the young girl who is the first to solve it, goes to officials to report what she saw at the end. 
Epilogue: Make Yourself at Home - A return to the delivery of the mysterious box from the Prologue.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Penguin Random House in exchange for my honest opinion.

 

No comments: