Emotionless SoulsDavid S. Grant
Don't expect to like the people who fill the pages of David S. Grant's Emotionless Souls. They're sick, empty people made emptier by their attempts to make their lives full.
I'm sure you're wondering, what exactly do these emotionless souls do to add feeling to their lives? Sex, drugs, violence? Of course -- and lots of them, with a little sadism thrown in for good measure.
There's the guy who mistakenly takes some ecstasy before an important corporate meeting. The prick whose penchant for practical jokes takes a dark turn. The ex-con who will do anything to climb the corporate ladder (the title of this post, by the way, is taken from this story). The shitty comedian who resorts to drugging the audience to get a laugh. The boss who has a special way of making her employees "one of the team." Each story features a progressively emptier, shallower soul.
The stories are quick -- some only a page or two -- although the term "stories" is somewhat of a misnomer here. These pieces are more like snapshots, and as such they lack depth. No insight is given into the characters: no backstory, no development. That's not to say these are criticisms; rather, Grant mimics the emptiness of his characters through the sparseness of his story-telling.
No, my biggest criticism about Emotionless Souls is not the sparseness of the pieces, but rather that they need a good editing -- there are numerous grammatical error's (like that one there) that distract the reader and prevent her from further enjoying an entertaining read.
In a nutshell: Not a deep read, but it's not meant to be; the rapid-fire presentation underscores Grant's representation of empty lives and emotionless souls.
Bibliolatry Scale: 4 out of 6 stars
I'm sure you're wondering, what exactly do these emotionless souls do to add feeling to their lives? Sex, drugs, violence? Of course -- and lots of them, with a little sadism thrown in for good measure.
There's the guy who mistakenly takes some ecstasy before an important corporate meeting. The prick whose penchant for practical jokes takes a dark turn. The ex-con who will do anything to climb the corporate ladder (the title of this post, by the way, is taken from this story). The shitty comedian who resorts to drugging the audience to get a laugh. The boss who has a special way of making her employees "one of the team." Each story features a progressively emptier, shallower soul.
The stories are quick -- some only a page or two -- although the term "stories" is somewhat of a misnomer here. These pieces are more like snapshots, and as such they lack depth. No insight is given into the characters: no backstory, no development. That's not to say these are criticisms; rather, Grant mimics the emptiness of his characters through the sparseness of his story-telling.
No, my biggest criticism about Emotionless Souls is not the sparseness of the pieces, but rather that they need a good editing -- there are numerous grammatical error's (like that one there) that distract the reader and prevent her from further enjoying an entertaining read.
In a nutshell: Not a deep read, but it's not meant to be; the rapid-fire presentation underscores Grant's representation of empty lives and emotionless souls.
Bibliolatry Scale: 4 out of 6 stars
2 comments:
Boooo. Grammatical errors just about do me in.
Thanks for hosting David during his virtual book tour.
You're the second person to mention the word "snapshots" in your review. That captures the book perfectly.
Cheryl
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