Who Would Like This Book:
Amparo Dávila's stories are a treasure trove for fans of psychological horror and those who love an uncanny, unsettling atmosphere. If you're drawn to the subtle dread of Shirley Jackson, the existential weirdness of Kafka, or the melancholic suspense of Poe, this collection will feel right at home on your shelf. Dávila masterfully weaves anxiety, trauma, and domestic unease into her tales, making each story feel both familiar and deeply haunting. Short story lovers and anyone craving Mexican Gothic with a literary twist should pick this up.
Who May Not Like This Book:
If you prefer your horror straightforward and with all loose ends tied up, you might find these stories frustrating. Some readers struggled with the open-ended, ambiguous nature of the plots and the lack of clear explanations or closure. The stories drop you into strange situations without much context, and getting emotionally invested in the characters can be tricky for those looking for more traditional storytelling. For those who want shock value or fast-paced scares, this book may come off as slow or even confusing.
About:
'The Houseguest and Other Stories' by Amparo Davila is a collection of gripping short stories that delve into Mexican horror fiction. The stories are described as dark, creepy, and eerie, reminiscent of works by authors like Kafka, Poe, and Shirley Jackson. The writing style is praised for its ability to convey mental anguish and create a sense of foreboding, with tales that are disturbing, thought-provoking, and full of strangeness and darkness.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings include themes of mental illness, psychological distress, and domestic horror that may be unsettling for some readers.
From The Publisher:
The first collection in English of an endlessly surprising, master storyteller
Like those of Kafka, Poe, Leonora Carrington, or Shirley Jackson, Amparo Dávila's stories are terrifying, mesmerizing, and expertly crafted-you'll finish each one gasping for air. With acute psychological insight, Dávila follows her characters to the limits of desire, paranoia, insomnia, and fear. She is a writer obsessed with obsession, who makes nightmares come to life through the everyday: loneliness sinks in easily like a razor-sharp knife, some sort of evil lurks in every shadow, delusion takes the form of strange and very real creatures. After reading The Houseguest -Dávila's debut collection in English-you'll wonder how this secret was kept for so long.
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What can you read after
The Houseguest and Other Stories?
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