review by Jeri Walker-Bickett
Title: Poed
Author: Candy Korman
Genre: Gothic Horror (Short Story)
Publisher: Lymehouse Productions
Length: 65 Pages
THE RUNDOWN
Something is amiss at the Usher Institute for the Study of Criminal Psychopathology. It seems the prominent families who send their criminally insane brethren for safekeeping have a bone to pick with the head psychiatrist. Or do they? The doctor is the sole narrative voice as he tells the story of the institute’s checkered past to an unspeaking journalist. Within the first few pages, the doctor assures his visitor that he is not paranoid, which of course invites the reader to look for clues to unlock the source of the unreliable narrator’s suspicions.
The doctor proceeds to make his case by informing his visitor, “Money blunts the instruments of law—and The Usher houses the evidence.” What ensues is a refreshing take on modernizing various aspects of some Edgar Allan Poe’s short stories for today’s readers. The dark secrets of some of the city’s most powerful families are skillfully rendered: a son entombs an enemy in an airtight wine cellar, a mother kills others so their life force can keep her daughter alive, as well as the killer who keeps an artsy photo album of all his victims.
Along the way, the story of the cuckolded sea captain who built the house transpires, as does the tragic nature of the doctor’s doomed love affair when he confesses, “That is the worst fate a healer can face—the incurable nature of some diseases.” All of which begs the question of what exactly is ailing the good doctor? It’s quite delightful to watch his paranoia grow and reach its inevitable conclusion.
When all is said and done, and the doctor has cried, “I am your judge and jury. I am your executioner, too. Watch as the pendulum swings closer and closer to you,” the reader will indeed ponder the thin line that separates reality from fantasy. After all, as the end of the story reminds us,“All that we see or seem / Is but a dream within a dream.”
THE RECOMMENDATION
Poed is the right book for anyone who enjoys skillfully-crafted and suspenseful prose. The novella stands on its own merits, but anyone who is even slightly acquainted with the works of Edgar Allan Poe will no doubt be fascinated and in awe of what Candy Korman has managed to achieve. 5/5 Stars.
THE LINKS
Poed on Amazon
Candy’s Monsters Blog
Candy’s Monsters on Facebook , Twitter, Goodreads
Candy Korman Author Page on Amazon
Author: Candy Korman
Genre: Gothic Horror (Short Story)
Publisher: Lymehouse Productions
Length: 65 Pages
THE RUNDOWN
Something is amiss at the Usher Institute for the Study of Criminal Psychopathology. It seems the prominent families who send their criminally insane brethren for safekeeping have a bone to pick with the head psychiatrist. Or do they? The doctor is the sole narrative voice as he tells the story of the institute’s checkered past to an unspeaking journalist. Within the first few pages, the doctor assures his visitor that he is not paranoid, which of course invites the reader to look for clues to unlock the source of the unreliable narrator’s suspicions.
The doctor proceeds to make his case by informing his visitor, “Money blunts the instruments of law—and The Usher houses the evidence.” What ensues is a refreshing take on modernizing various aspects of some Edgar Allan Poe’s short stories for today’s readers. The dark secrets of some of the city’s most powerful families are skillfully rendered: a son entombs an enemy in an airtight wine cellar, a mother kills others so their life force can keep her daughter alive, as well as the killer who keeps an artsy photo album of all his victims.
Along the way, the story of the cuckolded sea captain who built the house transpires, as does the tragic nature of the doctor’s doomed love affair when he confesses, “That is the worst fate a healer can face—the incurable nature of some diseases.” All of which begs the question of what exactly is ailing the good doctor? It’s quite delightful to watch his paranoia grow and reach its inevitable conclusion.
When all is said and done, and the doctor has cried, “I am your judge and jury. I am your executioner, too. Watch as the pendulum swings closer and closer to you,” the reader will indeed ponder the thin line that separates reality from fantasy. After all, as the end of the story reminds us,“All that we see or seem / Is but a dream within a dream.”
THE RECOMMENDATION
Poed is the right book for anyone who enjoys skillfully-crafted and suspenseful prose. The novella stands on its own merits, but anyone who is even slightly acquainted with the works of Edgar Allan Poe will no doubt be fascinated and in awe of what Candy Korman has managed to achieve. 5/5 Stars.
THE LINKS
Poed on Amazon
Candy’s Monsters Blog
Candy’s Monsters on Facebook , Twitter, Goodreads
Candy Korman Author Page on Amazon
THE REVIEWER
Jeri Walker-Bickett is an author, editor, and teacher. Her short story collection, Such is Life, is now available. Lost Girl Road, forthcoming, is a ghost story of psychological suspense set in the woods of northwest Montana. Despite growing up in the rough Idaho mining town of Wallace, she earned multiple writing degrees, and became a devoted English teacher who has since left the classroom to pursue writing and editing full time. Food and travel continually inspire her creativity. She currently lives in North Carolina with her wonderful husband and their demanding pets. You can connect with Jeri’s social networks via her twisted book blog, What do I know? located at JeriWB.com She also invites you to browse the selections on her Amazon Author Central page.
