I have heard a lot of praise for Eric LaRocca throughout the horror book community. He is a two-time Bram Stoker Award finalist and winner of the Splatterpunk Award. LaRocca’s notable works include Things have gotten worse since we last spoke, Everything that eats the darkness, You have lost a lot of blood, And The trees grew because I bled there: Collected stories,
I have heard so many good things about his works, but what kept me from reading were the warnings from other readers that his books were “extreme” and “graphic” horror. I am something of a horror wimp when it comes to anything labeled “extreme” or “graphic” horror. However, when the opportunity presents itself, The trees grew because I bled there: Collected stories When I saw the book, I was excited but also worried because I wasn’t sure how extreme and drastic this book would be. Would I be able to finish it or would I give up?
What was I thinking? Read on to find out!
Summary
Eight tales of dark literature from a master storyteller. These stories explore the dark side of love and tell of grief, obsession and control. Complex examinations of trauma and tragedy in raw, poetic prose. In these tales, a woman imagines horrific scenarios while caring for her young niece; online posts report a cancer diagnosis; a couple encounters a stranger in the park with their young child with horrific consequences; a toxic relationship reaches a horrific resolution…
My thoughts
I received the paperback version from Titan Books for review. The cover is beautiful and the size of the paperback is perfect. It’s been a while since I read a paperback rather than a Kindle edition. What a refreshing change!
This book changed my perspective on extreme and graphic horror. I’m glad I took the chance and read this book. Every story in it is just beautifully written. The title alone is intriguing and piqued my interest in reading this book.
This book invited me on a dark journey and I took it. The characters, the way the story is told, the voice of these characters just swept me away. There is also a nice introduction to the book by Chuck Wendig.
This exciting collection of eight short stories is a quick read. Each story is superbly written. Some contain much more blood and gore, but are still written with so much heartfelt emotion. I enjoyed each story very much.
My favorite in this collection is “Bodies are for Burning.” This story just messed with my emotions. I kept saying to myself, “Is he actually going to go there?” You have to read this story to understand what I’m talking about.
The trees grew because I bled there: Collected stories is absolutely worth reading whether you’re an extreme horror junkie or an extreme horror scaredy-cat like me. I look forward to reading more of Eric LaRocca’s works, hopefully in the near future.
