The book Nocturnes by John Connolly is a series of beautifully written horror stories that array in ideas and style. For five stories I have read so far, I will list specific elements that I found interesting and that I think contributed to each story.
The Cancer Cowboy Rides: The number one thing that stood out to me in this piece were the shifting point of views, and Connolly's bravery in choosings whose point of view was shown. When we barely encounter one character, the author has no problem with putting the reader in their shoes. This helps tell the story very effectively for the reader, while still being realistic and showing that not every person understands the full encounter of events occurring.
The Erlking: This one really creeped me out. I think that Connolly really captures the classic “deep, dark, mysterious woods” idea not only by mentioning it but combining the deepest fears we have of the woods and creating into this monster. I think this is a very specific style of writing and quite interesting for the reader because we get a similar range of emotions from reading a normal text but portrayed through one being.
The New Daughter: The length and simple nature of each plot point in this story helps it flow and keep it clear and easy to understand. This story really sticks to the actual events taking place and therefore does not go quite in depth with detail. I believe this is what made it so easy to make a movie ; because there was so much room in the story to build and elaborate in the filmakers desired fashion.
The New Daughter: The length and simple nature of each plot point in this story helps it flow and keep it clear and easy to understand. This story really sticks to the actual events taking place and therefore does not go quite in depth with detail. I believe this is what made it so easy to make a movie ; because there was so much room in the story to build and elaborate in the filmakers desired fashion.
The Underbury Witches: The details and pace of the story make it seem very poetic. This story used imagery through in depth description and detail to fully develop the world that it is all occurring in. Also, the plot twist and sudden unexpected changes in events make it suspenseful every step of the way.
Overall, Connolly’s work has impressed me and proven to be diverse and well done in style, pace, detail, and everything in between. His writing style cannot be defined by a couple of words because he stretches the expanse of almost every way of writing and is a truly exceptional horror writer.
