Review
"When you give yourself to me, completely, I will bite you. Until then, my love, I will only nibble on you." - Tina Carreiro, Power of the Moon
"N'gadopi Nizwia." - Abenaki for "I am hungry, my spouse."
Hugo's health deteriorates at an alarming rate and his wife Bree is forced to quit work to take care of him full time. despite her attentive ministrations, Bree sees no improvement in her husband's condition so she finally decides to call his sister Rita for advice. Rita pleads with her to bring Hugo back to the old homestead right away. Bree procrastinates and the consuming begins...
from the get go, i noticed something interesting about the author's approach and presentation. if there is such a thing as a "vignette macabre" then Ms. Pavarti has gone about it with skill and handled it very well. interspersed within scenes of the couple's seemingly "ordinary" domestic life are vignettes both ominous and visceral in their treatment.
the writing is flawless, almost lyrical at times - moving from one haunting scene to the next smoothly like a caress then building to a pulsating crescendo that will make your heart rate lurch and your well-being unsettled.
i also love the air of mystery surrounding Hugo's affliction. it is never directly named nor revealed but it hints at the Native American legend of the wendigo*. besides, having Hugo speak Abenaki** confirms the latter to some extent and gives the whole story a horrifying authenticity. in addition, a little research on the Abenaki phrases clarified a lot of things. at the same time, it yielded more cold shivers for me especially when i recalled the way they were expressed within the context of the story.
overall, Pavarti K. Tyler's Consumed by Love may be "short" as short stories go yet it is unique. it is tightly packed with enough goods of the shadowy and sexy variety to stir one's imagination, trigger goosebumps or just generate chills up and down your spine.
*Wendigo - a flesh-eating creature found in "the legends of the Algonquian peoples along the Atlantic Coast and the Great Lakes Region of both the United States and Canada."
*Abenaki - a language belonging to the Algonquian family of Native American Languages.
"N'gadopi Nizwia." - Abenaki for "I am hungry, my spouse."
Hugo's health deteriorates at an alarming rate and his wife Bree is forced to quit work to take care of him full time. despite her attentive ministrations, Bree sees no improvement in her husband's condition so she finally decides to call his sister Rita for advice. Rita pleads with her to bring Hugo back to the old homestead right away. Bree procrastinates and the consuming begins...
from the get go, i noticed something interesting about the author's approach and presentation. if there is such a thing as a "vignette macabre" then Ms. Pavarti has gone about it with skill and handled it very well. interspersed within scenes of the couple's seemingly "ordinary" domestic life are vignettes both ominous and visceral in their treatment.
the writing is flawless, almost lyrical at times - moving from one haunting scene to the next smoothly like a caress then building to a pulsating crescendo that will make your heart rate lurch and your well-being unsettled.
i also love the air of mystery surrounding Hugo's affliction. it is never directly named nor revealed but it hints at the Native American legend of the wendigo*. besides, having Hugo speak Abenaki** confirms the latter to some extent and gives the whole story a horrifying authenticity. in addition, a little research on the Abenaki phrases clarified a lot of things. at the same time, it yielded more cold shivers for me especially when i recalled the way they were expressed within the context of the story.
overall, Pavarti K. Tyler's Consumed by Love may be "short" as short stories go yet it is unique. it is tightly packed with enough goods of the shadowy and sexy variety to stir one's imagination, trigger goosebumps or just generate chills up and down your spine.
*Wendigo - a flesh-eating creature found in "the legends of the Algonquian peoples along the Atlantic Coast and the Great Lakes Region of both the United States and Canada."
*Abenaki - a language belonging to the Algonquian family of Native American Languages.
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