Review: A Deep Horror That Was Very Nearly Awe

A Deep Horror That Was Very Nearly Awe by J.R. Hamantaschen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I have a love-hate relationship with short stories, but I’m always willing to give them a try. J.R. Hamantaschen’s A Deep Horror That Was Very Nearly Awe offered a collection of horror short stories, my favourite kind of short stories to read, and I was more than happy to give each story a try.

Rococo Veins and Lurid Stains was a great start to A Deep Horror That Was Very Nearly Awe. Although it wasn’t quite the horror I had expected – it was not a short story filled with frights and reasons to keep on lights – it was a chilling little read that had me hooked. The story was unexpected in the best of ways, making you stop and thinking, offering something entirely unique. I devoured this four-star short story in the blink of an eye.

No One Cares But I Tried was another unique story, but it didn’t wow me in the way Rococo Veins and Lurid Stains did. Due to my complicated relationship with short stories, I’m very picky and this one didn’t quite do it for me. It was a bit longer than the first, and I found myself wishing it either would have been a shorter story or had been pulled into a full-length novel. Mainly the latter, as I wanted to explore this one a lot more than I did. All in all, it had me curious to see how it played out, but I didn’t fall in love with it, which made this one a two-star rating.

That’s Just the Way Things Are These Days was a story I felt rather mixed feelings towards. A part of me found it to be another unique story, that took something and make it rather twisted, but another part of me wanted more from it. At the same time, the fact we never went as deep as we could have added to the unsettling vibe of this one. Although it’s not quite a full three-star rating, I was happy to round it up.

Bleeker and Bleaker; or, Gay for Muesli was a story that hinted at the supernatural world without ever really entering it. We’re a distant observer rather than being thrown into the middle of it, which made for an interesting way of telling the story. It allowed for a lot of ideas to roll around in the mind, making it an entertaining read. It was another four-star story I devoured.

7099 Brecksville Road, Independence, Ohio was another story I powered through in no time. From the start, it pulls you in with potential that has you happy to keep turning the pages to see how everything plays out. I admit, it did feel a bit slow in the middle, but it came together in a wonderful way. It’s a story that will change the way you look at certain things, one sure to entertain. This was another four-star read.

Upon a Path Suddenly Irradiated at Some Halfway Point by Daybeams as Rich as Hers was a story I wasn’t overly crazy about. At first, I thought it was going to grip me. As the story progressed, however, I found I wasn’t won over by it in the way I had anticipated. I feel this one could have made for a great full-length novel, but as a short story it didn’t win me over. Some are sure to love it, but for me this was a two-star rating.

I’ve Read With Some Interest About… was another fun little story that I powered through. This one had vibes of a few different horror films, ensuring I was hooked. Although I enjoyed this one, I would have liked a wee bit more from it. It was an entertaining read, but I feel it’s another story that could have been made into so much more if it had been longer. Even though I was left wanting more, this was a three-star rating.

Faithfully and Lovingly was closer to novella length than the short story length of the prior stories in this collection, and it’s another story where my feelings are conflicted. It took a while for the supernatural element of this story to appear, and for a while felt a bit slow. Once the supernatural appeared it became interesting, and I found myself wanting a lot more. For me, this one either would have worked better as just the later part with the supernatural or as a much longer story that investigated everything in depth. Although it’s not the strongest three-star rating, I was happy to round it up.

Story Title Revealed About Halfway Through gives you exactly what the title suggests. It made for an interesting way of storytelling and had me curious to see what the title would be when it was revealed. Although it was a fun way of telling the story, I wasn’t as won over by this one as I was by some of the other stories. I think this is one of those cases where my pickiness with short stories came into play, making this a two-star rating.

A Gob of Minty Spit in the Sink was the shortest of the stories in A Deep Horror That Was Very Nearly Awe. It was a weird story in the best of ways, something that kept you hooked throughout. It made for a great short story, but I can also see this as part of a much larger story. All in all, another three-star rating.

I Will Soon Be Home and Never Need Anyone Ever Again was the final story in A Deep Horror That Was Very Nearly Awe, and it was the longest. This one certainly fell into the novella category, providing a story that gave a lot. It was interesting to watch how this one developed, with the lingering air of questions ensuring you’re happy to keep turning the pages. An enjoyable ending to A Deep Horror That Was Very Nearly Awe, and another three-star rating.

All in all, A Deep Horror That Was Very Nearly Awe was an enjoyable collection of short stories. As is always the case with collections, there were some I enjoyed more than others – my mixed feelings towards short stories playing a large role in this – but it’s certainly a collection worth reading if you’re looking for horror short stories that are more about lingering unease than about frights to keep you up at night.

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