This week I took a hard left turn and dove into the wacky world of CMIII, but it didn't go how I expected it to go...
QUICKSAND HOUSE by Carlton Mellick III
1. This was my first Mellick book but won’t be my last! Although I am a bit concerned that nothing else from him will live up to this one, especially since he starts off by saying this is his most personal work. Did I just ruin CMII for myself by jumping into his work with this book and not something else from his extensive catalog?! (Only slightly kidding)
2. Bizzaro is extremely hit-or-miss for me. Sometimes it just feels like it’s weird for weirdness’ sake, and that’s not how my brain works. However, in the case of Quicksand House, the weirdness made sense. There was a strong underlying plot that shown through the weirdness and just worked with the way I think.
3. As someone who grew up with divorced parents – one who needed a court appointed guardian to see me, and the other who, I felt, didn’t make quality time with their child a priority, this hit home. In fact, it hit like a ton of bricks landing on my chest. I 100% did not expect to feel all the feelings when I picked up my first CMIII read but that’s what I got.
4. I usually steer away from reading reviews of books I plan on reading, however in this case I wanted to see what I was in for/if this was the right book at the right time for me, especially since I don’t read a ton of bizarro. I wanted to make sure I was in the appropriate mood. In my search, I read a review that mentioned how Quicksand House felt like a bedtime story for adults; like a grown-up version of Roald Dahl. At first, I didn’t feel similarly, but by the time I put this book down, wouldn’t you know, I freaking agree! This did leave me with a similar feeling to James and the Giant Peach the first time I read it.
Definitely recommend, especially if you’re looking to dip your toe into bizarro.
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