 Deviant and Damaged |
| Review Date: August 10, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Twisted Knickers Publications, USA |
Deviant and Damaged ... yes, that pretty much says it all with this book of short stories, each an outpouring of bile from the human sewer. I am not being harsh here either. Fact of the matter is, the characters in these stories have lost compassion for themselves. They leave themselves to rot and obsessively desecrate their own souls. Some of it almost reminds me of the disquieted musings of Pessoa, and some, the lamenting Philosophies of Nietzsche.
Here we have a cast of characters reflecting upon and deconstructing the lack of normality in their lives: abusive and psychologically tainted family members, deformity and disability, the confrontation of one's mortality, and polluted self-esteem--yet all the characters are fighting to survive themselves. If you are a big fan of self-examination, self-deprecation, and self-flagellation, and like your reading material on the darker side, then this book is quite a good read. There is no closure, no happy endings ... and that is real life for these very non-fictional souls. In this book, we cannot escape or ignore that fact.
The stories are written in different voices and tones, some from an almost clinical detached external view, some from a surrealistic stream of consciousness view, and some from a wounded internal one. Personally, I like the first person wounded internal ones the best, which, to me, allows a more personal connection with the character. The style is matter of fact in most cases, serious, with levity injected at the just right moment to lighten the load. Yes ... you will be shocked and appalled not only by the subject matter but also by the macabre themes, not to mention the smattering of self-righteous sarcasm, and you might even find yourself laughing at times - and you will feel guilty about it.
Mr. Freese's characterizations are convincing, as they should be, and the stories are relatable at a base human existence level that most are afraid to confront. My only complaint is that some of the stories, (I use that term loosely as many are really existential and philosophical musings) not all but some, feel a bit like case studies--clinically detached essays, maybe a bit too detached for me, as we get told everything we need to know, and we don't really get to experience a full manifestation of their individual pathologies, like you do in say Bataille's "Story of the Eye or My Mother", which explore similar subject matter. Many of the stories are overtly subtle in their message, requiring a bit of contemplation from the reader, some are blatantly extreme, and some, the short format might not allow for enough texture to fully appreciate the psychological depth, its cause and effect. So, individual reader interpretation and reception will vary greatly.
It's difficult to write about this subject matter at best, using imagery to portray deep psychological realism is even more difficult ... a sense of detachment can be a lifeline, and even though the lifeline is apparent here, I have to applaud this author for going down a road very few attempt to negotiate. Mr. Freese does it with intellectual elegance and subtlety, with wit, and with candour. The prose is often poetic, and on occasion, disarmingly innocent and charming. All of the stories are thought-provoking and a bit haunting, not necessarily in what they say or how they say it, which is always eloquent, but often in what is not said. As far as personal favourites go, mine are: "I'll make it I Think", "For a While, Here, In This Moment", and "Young Man"
Some might find the subject matter challenging and/or offensive, so be warned, this is not a light read.
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I really enjoyed these stories!
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| Review Date: December 5, 2008 |
| Reviewer: M. Jacobsen, Southeast of Disorder |
The older I get, the more I appreciate the short story format (and no, not just because my attention span is waning, smarty-pants). Not only do I enjoy being able to read a story here and a story there, but I've also come to appreciate the difficulty of writing the short story. It is, in my considered opinion, one of the trickiest genres out there.
One of the of authors who have mastered this art form is Mathias B. Freese. Down to a Sunless Sea is a treasure-trove of fifteen short stories in which Freese captures verbal snapshots within the human brain. In other words, he explores what makes people tick. As a psychotherapist and teacher, the author commands extraordinary insight into the mind. But so do a thousand others in his field. So what makes Down to a Sunless Sea so impressive? It's simple: Freese's ability to present each errant character in an understandable light.
My favorites? Since you ask:
"Little Errands" takes only four pages to perfectly convey what it's like to live with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. (I know, I know, I ramble on about my book OCD all the time, but this is the real thing.) This poignant vignette takes one small incident -- the mailing of a letter -- and manages to convey the scope of living with the disorder without condecesncion.
In 1987, the tomb of former Argentine President Juan Peron was broken into and the hands removed from the corpse (they were ransomed for $8 million, in case you're wondering why someone would steal a dead person's hands). In "Juan Peron's Hands," Freese delves into the (just a little bit creepy) minds of the graverobber.
Two unclenched hands in a back street, no self, no name, no one, a reminder of us all. Two hands against a Magritte sky.
"Juan Peron's Hands," by Mathias B. Freese
Creepy the story may be, but prose like this is certainly beautiful to read.
"Alabaster" is the touching story of an elderly Polish concentration camp survivor who befriends a young boy. The boy, of course, knows nothing of the evil perpetuated during the War. His innocence, however, lies in stark contrast to the irreperable damage done to the old woman in the camps. The story is a haunting snapshot of a destroyed life. The woman survived, but at what cost to the psyche?
"Billy's Mirrored Wall" was perhaps the most resonant story in the collection. A man reflects on the importance of a seemingly innocuous event in his childhood. Coming from a solid blue-collar background, he remembers being vaguely impressed (in a twelve-year-old-boy, off-hand sort of way) after being invited over to a upper-middle class friend's home. The modern dishwasher, carpet instead of linoleum, but especially a wall covered in mirrors were all things he was unused to seeing in a home.
Boys being boys (even in the 1950's), his interest was passing at best. Just enough to mention it off-handedly to his own mother who, to his surprise, took great umbrage to the entire event. Her hurt at not being able to provide her own son with such minor luxuries morphs into anger and while the matter is quickly dropped, it is an event that her son never forgets. In fact, it incorporates itself into his adult life-view.
What Ma has done is to put something into me of her own design, unwillingly, and here I am left to master it, or make sense of it - really to metabolize it.
"Billy's Mirrored Wall," by Mathias B. Freese
The story begs the question of any parent: how much do we unwittingly damage our children in such passing moments?
I thoroughly enjoyed reading these stories and Down to a Sunless Sea has earned a permanent spot on my bookshelf. |
These stories will leave you feeling thankful your life isn't as bad as it could be
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| Review Date: November 26, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Gwendolyn Dawson, Houston, Texas United States |
3.5 out of 5: Down to a Sunless Sea is a collection of fifteen short stories. Some of the stories are longer than others, but for the most part, these are very brief set pieces. More often than not, nothing happens. The apparent point is to invoke a certain mood or to describe a particular emotional state. My favorite in the collection--"Little Errands"--is only four pages, but that small space is sufficient to expose the minor paranoias and insecurities we all confront, even when completing the most mundane tasks. In another favorite--"Mortise and Tenon"--Freese manages to tell a story, and even to build suspense, using little more than shape imagery. In the better stories like these, the overall effect is impressionistic and a bit mysterious. The weaker stories in the collection could use more focus and precision.
The brevity of these stories, combined with their edginess, leaves you feeling uncomfortable--not uncomfortable in a negative way, but in a way that makes you question how you managed to avoid the unhappy situations and states of mind these protagonists inhabit. In short (literally), these stories will leave you feeling thankful your life isn't as bad as it could be. |
Character Sketches, More Than Short Stories
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| Review Date: November 3, 2008 |
| Reviewer: GFS3, Boston |
This collection of short stories by Mathias B. Freese gets points for the way the writer insightfully glares into the lives of the characters - a group of troubled (and sometimes mentally ill) people. Freese uses stark and penetrating language to accomplish that task. But the real question is if this collection can really be considered short stories. I'd argue not. There's nary a plot to be found in the collection - as each of the pieces focuses on character building. These are character sketches - not stories. Most, in fact, are internal monologues. Yet some of the sketches work well. "I'll Make It, I Think" features the powerful voice of a handicapped boy trapped in his deformed body. "Little Errands" is an amusing take on an anal retentive man obsessed with mailing letters. Yet overall, the collection feels too internal - as if the book is trapped inside a room without any windows. Too much of the action is thinking. There needs to be more external action - interaction with other characters, movement, and fluidity; more setting, description and dialogue. If you're a fan of character - and bizarre, damaged ones then you'll want to get a copy of "Down to a Sunless Sea." But if you like traditional short stories, then you may want to pass. After all, there's nothing wrong with a strong plot every now and then.
Like Literate Blather? Then head on over to the Dark Party Review! |
Thought provoking
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| Review Date: September 14, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Terri B., So Cal |
A short story anthology by Mathias B. Freese that is truly sunless. The stories in this collection exude darkness as they delve into the minds of disturbed souls. That the author is familiar with such human darkness is not surprising since he spent twenty-five years as a clinical social worker and psychotherapist. He doesn't offer answers or solutions to the problems that disturb humanity, but a sense of compassion for the damaged does come through as he refuses to look the other way and ignore the ugliness that is a part of life.
The format of the stories is not traditional, with beginnings and middles and ends, nor are they plot driven. Each story has its own style which is tailored to the telling of that story. As with even the most tragic things in life, humor can sometimes be found within the pages of Down to a Sunless Sea.
I've got two favorite stories from this collection, and true to my nature they include a touch of the humorous. I was reminded of the tendency of folk to fear the wrong things in "The Chatham Bear." As the residents of a small town run for their guns in order to defend themselves from a foraging bear that all but ignores them, these same townspeople don't even notice the human cruelty that confronts them on a daily basis.
I laughed as I recognized a bit of myself in the compulsive behavior of the character in "Little Errands." I admit that I too have opened the chute to the corner mailbox repeatedly just to make sure my letter did indeed drop down into the collection bin! Haven't you?
The stories were sometimes baffling and mostly sad. If you're looking for something light or "sunny" to read, then these stories are not for you; but if you don't mind looking at the darker side of the human psyche, then you will find Down to a Sunless Sea thought provoking. |
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