Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. The main character is one of the most messed up and complex protagonists I've read in a while. The story is built upon two split narratives around 25 years apart, the focus of both is Lori, who is just about to turn 40 in the present-day story. GONE TO SEE THE RIVERMAN by Kristopher Triana is a descent into the bowels of depravity and singlehandedly made me stop reviewing books by star ratings and instead by how badly they make me want to take a scalding shower. In older films actors portraying an amputee would have their leg or arm bent back and strapped to their body. Grab your copy on Amazon. The girl next door, gone to see the river man, the wasp factory, the troop, the black farm etc. (LogOut/ In reality Lori doesnt know what love is; she is incapable of giving love and only offers hollow platitudes to those whom she finds useful. Even before we see vignettes of Loris seemingly typical childhood, she seems like nothing more than a delusional fan with completely misplaced ethics. Book Review: The Death of Jane Lawrence by CaitlinStarling. From start to finish this novella is a horrific piece that hands you a shovel on page one and tells you to start digging. The novel received a 2010 Newbery Honor and the 2010 Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature. These teenage scenes are fascinating, once again the shrouding is superb, as everything moves into a shocking direction as the secrets are slowly, almost innocently, revealed by Lori. When you veer off the beaten paths in this region, you will find its a completely different way of life and rich with its own folklore. Lori, an aspiring true crime writer, is engaged in correspondence with a convicted serial killer named Edmund Cox. Spoiler alert: Do you guys think the River Man showed everything to Abby? But just like Lori and Abby floating down the river, you steadily push onward, quickly making your way towards an ending that will leave you feeling broken. Its still uncomfortable, but isnt that what heinous personalities within a narrative are there for? Her favourite authors and influences are quite obvious when you read her work. Just as we delve into the psyches of the novels characters, Lori and Abby delve into the realm of The River Man. Kendall Reviews Books As for the identity of The River Man, meanwhile, both sisters are in the dark until they finally meet him. Her relationships never seem to flourish, or even come to fruition, due to familial challenges and trauma. She knows that her love for Edmund is unlikely to ever be requited; but she finds comfort in the fact that she is not unusual, being just like the girls who fall head over heels for rock stars who are always touring or the girls who spread their legs for movie stars they know theyll never see again. Nice decor nice scenic view of river. On her quest, she brings along her handicapped sister, and they journey through the deep, dark valley, beginning their trip upriver. Stalkers. Like Lori, youll find yourself wondering how much of the journey to see the River Man is real and how much is in her head. In the end there is no big payoff because you are trying to put together a puzzle with plenty of missing pieces. He asks her to retrieve a key in a cabin and deliver it to someone called the 'River Man'. It flows east curving. It begins in the western San Fernando Valley at the foothills of the Simi Hills and the Santa Monica and Santa Susana Mountains. Directed by Paul Shoulberg. In her quest, she brings along her handicapped sister, and they journey through the deep, dark valley, beginning their trip upriver. What starts out as a simple errand soon has Lori questioning how far shes willing to push herself for a man shes never met. The concluding pages of GONE TO SEE THE RIVER MAN ooze with incredible malevolence as the truth about the River Man as well as Cox and Lori's fate are spelled out in startling, disturbing detail. Prior to these flashbacks, the dynamic between Lori and Abby is one of caregiver (Lori) and dependent child (Abby) but their relationship was not always this way. Ive read a lot of the horror suggestions on this sub for that category. Singularly focused on finding the River Man she longs for her sister to be out of her life. Access a growing selection of included Audible Originals, audiobooks and podcasts. Danny was great in that. This journey hits a number of mythic beats, with the sisters encountering a threshold guardian in the form of a sinister elderly man in the garb of a preacher; he turns out to be the sometime leader of a local religious sect, and once accidentally drowned his own children while forcibly baptising them. Trianas use of colors as descriptions near the end of the sisters journey is Just. (LogOut/ Edmond has entrusted Lori to find a key from his old river shack and bring it to a mysterious "River Man." With a map of the river and not much else, Lori eagerly takes up this request. He asks her to visit an old hideout of his a riverside shack never traced by the authorities where she will find a key. Lori is a lady who has never been lucky in love. (LogOut/ Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. So Cold the River. In fact he explained that Hold Back the River is really about spending time with friends and family which can sometimes be tricky if youre a successful musician. I have just finished Gone to see the river man, and I have enjoyed it thoroughly! Without having much natural support to take care of Abby while shes gone, Lori opts to bring Abby along for the journey. When not writing, reading or reviewing, Janine can be found at home with her husband and daughter, planning their next trip to Walt Disney World and drinking obscene amounts of coffee. As the novel opens Lori is writing to an inmate named. This movie predates the more advanced CGI that would be used these days. Lori is just such a fanatic. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Kristopher Triana is the author of Gone to See the River Man, Full Brutal, They All Died Screaming, Shepherd of the Black Sheep, Toxic Love, and more. Nice!! Her relationships never seem to flourish or even come to fruition due to familial challenges and trauma. This makes it all the more unsettling when she begins showing an alternate personality, one derived from that of the deceased Pete; she even imitates his voice when this persona manifests. Jeremy W. Peters . Lori quickly realizes this may not be a simple journey after all and the sisters find far more than they ever could have bargained for. To receive the latest updates from Kendall Reviews please enter your email address, Copyright 2023 | WordPress Theme by MH Themes, Books Of Blood Advent Calendar A Tribute To Clive Barker, Meet The Team Together Lets Promote Horror. The book is about a woman who is obsessed with an imprisoned serial killer whom she writes letters. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC32B_iUm0Kxy95mcsPfr-QQ, Interview: Casey Tebo and Robert Kurtzman. Both to try and make the reader like Lori, who herself is a vile, repugnant human, which comes out even more with the family back story, but also to see just how selfish and horrible Lori is. Gone to See the River Man is one of three books by Kristopher Triana to appear on the 2021 Splatterpunk Award ballot see also Blood Relations and They All Died Screaming and once again it is built around the core theme of warped relationships Protagonist Lori forms the trunk of an entire family tree of relationships gone wrong. When the story begins, she is on the way to prison to meet Edmund Cox. Things between Lori and Edmund Cox were too deep and complex to be duplicated with some loon motivated by sexual notoriety and nothing more. Despite Loris early assumptions, this preacher is not The River Man that personage does not show himself until the end of the quest. Lori notices Abbys behavior is becoming stranger, more abrasive than her normal sunny self. Kristopher Triana is an author of horror and crime fiction. The novel establishes that while Abby has some childlike attributes, she knows that she is a middle-aged woman for example, she does not take part in childish games of imagination. The book is about a woman who is obsessed with an imprisoned serial killer whom she writes letters. Ill definitely be reading more of his work. Its this specific relationship that Triana exploits to the fullest. As the story unfolds, some of the letters, written by both Lori and Edmund, are dropped into the story. His uncle Zeke raped, mutilated and killed women and girls in Vietnam, and back home showed photographs of his crimes to Edmund sending the boys burgeoning sexuality down a twisted path. Seeing Edmunds cruelty firsthand brought the reality of it home. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. It is depraved and sinister. Women had one thing that could get them close to a man who made magic, and they used it, even if for just one night., Meanwhile, Edmunds letters to Lori fill in his own backstory, establishing that he too is the product of a twisted family. Great book. At times you will almost certainly be forced to look away and I dont blame you. She has many terrifying tales published and has been nominated for a 2020 Splatterpunk Award. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Learn how your comment data is processed. Please note that I did receive this title as a review copy in exchange for an honest review. The character of Abby, who could easily have been a mere caricature, is similarly well-handled. The trip referred to in the title of Gone to See the River Man is not the only narrative that unfolds through the novel. In both the opening and closing acknowledgements Kristopher Triana thanks the late English singer/songwriter who penned the melody referenced in the title: deep thanks to Nick Drake for his sombre song River Man, which was the launching impetus for this cosmic horror. He quotes this passage, which closes the song: Cult singer Nick Drakes sad and whimsical River Man is a million miles away from the monstrous interpretation which appears in this powerfully written short novel which is so gripping it could be read in one sitting. 8 mo. It had a great atmosphere and I think it was paced well, didnt feel like it had boring or unnecessary parts. Lori is just such a fanatic. Lori unknowingly sees any love or kindness given to her by those in her path as nothing more than tools to get what she wants. Your email address will not be published. River is shaped like a comma. gone to see the river man ending explained YesTrak | Your Answering Service in the Cloud | Phone Call Handling System So Cold the River. You will get an email reminder before your . It packs everything into a dirt crusted box and carries you into the woods, where the sun will never find you. A prosthetic peg leg would be attacked to the lower appendage. Midnight Widows: issues 1 and 2 available now! {Feature} Waiting For The Green Light: Preston Fassel shares details of some of the best unproduced horror/thriller movie scripts hes read. With every new memory, youre given insight into Lori, Abby, and their childhood that slowly curdles in your stomach, setting the rotten tone that follows you throughout the rest of the novel. These dark, introspective moments not only chronicle Loris fall into full-blown obsession, but they also crack her open, slowly exposing long-buried secrets that begin to unravel the mystery behind her journey. After a face-to-face visit with Edmund, Lori decides to take him up on a quest he asks her to undertake. It isnt written solely to glorify certain things or added just for shock value, these are the things that shape the characters and are part of their very core. Her elder and more popular sister, Abby, is also dropped into the action with her younger brother Pete, both of which have crucial roles. splatterpunk is my current must-reads sub-genre and seeing people rave about Kristopher Trianas Gone to See the River Man (2020) piqued immediate curiosity. Lori is a depraved protagonist, but the depths of this depravity only gradually become apparent over the course of the story. Shes gone so far as to forge a relationship with him, visiting him in prison and sending him letters on a regular basis. . (LogOut/ Or even serial killers. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The narrative follows Lori, a 40-year-old woman who is the sole caretaker for her older disabled sister, Abby. A highly recommended read! The evil brought to the surface has allowed Lori to shed the connection she has to her sister, a connection that Lori sees as a burden with the silver lining of having power and control over someone who was once more successful than herself. (LogOut/ A single otter may control a territory of. Gone to See the River Man, by Kristopher Triana. Change). Gone to See the River Man by Kristopher Triana. These flashbacks are webbed between scenes from Loris current reality; hiking long hours in the backwoods while trying to care for Abby, discovering the horrors of Edmonds cabin and marching forward with her mission despite them. When Lori has to retrieve the key, it is stored somewhere horrific. When young Edmund later got a chance to see more conventional pornography in Playboy, he found the images uninteresting: Theys borin. But we know that men like Edmond cant be changed by a woman who is willing to go to Hell and back for them and Lori eventually discovers this, still desperately clinging to her delusion that love has made its way to her after all being out of reach her whole life. I will admit to having something of a strong disposition when it comes to disturbing content. I loved every second of it, and think you would too. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Published by Cemetery Dance Publications | Grindhouse Press, Written by Kristopher Triana2020, 145 pages, FictionReleased on March 12th, 2020. Steve Stred is the author of a number of novels, novellas and collections. She struggled to do it, but when we learn more about her backstory and her lack of moral limitations, I felt it was a bit off overall. If you like horror, splatterpunk, otherwise dark stories and dont mind gore, give this a read. The task is simple: Find his familys cabin along the river, retrieve a key, and deliver it to the River Man Edmund even draws a map. Truthfully, when this book was released, I completely missed it. OBrien stares at the shoreline of Canada twenty yards ahead of him and wonders what to do. So when Edmund requests a favor, Lori rushes to help, heedless of what she may have to sacrifice in the process. This river don't flow like no other, and this land don't have the same rules where y'all come from.". By Kristopher Triana 2021 Splatterpunk Awards Lori an aspiring true crime writer is engaged in correspondence with a convicted serial killer named Edmund Cox. Heartsick and rejected Abigail turned to Slug with her tale of woe. This page includes affiliate links where Horror DNA may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Ostensibly she hopes to wring a book deal out of her communications with the murderer, but her interest in Cox is far more than merely professional, as she feels a deep emotional bond with him: In conversations with those who took life, Lori no longer felt dead inside. The trip quickly becomes a surreal nightmare, one that digs up Loris personal demons, the ones she feels bonds her to Edmund. Hen and her husband Lloyd have settled into a quiet life in a new house outside of Boston Massachusetts. . With his latest release Gone to See the River Man Kris carves out an expertly crafted blend of extreme cosmic and folk horror. Change). "Gone to See the River Man" Book Review Written by Tony Jones Published by Cemetery Dance Publications Written by Kristopher Triana 2020, 145 pages, Fiction Released on 12th March 2020 Review: It's incredible to comprehend how such a dark book can be inspired by such a beautiful melancholic folksong. It is abhorrent and portrayed as thus. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Reading: Gone to See the River Man(SPOILERS), Watching, Reading, Listening: Black History Month Addition and Tales From theHood, Looking Back at 2018 and Whats Next for2019. L is for Lycans (featuring my short story Harzie Pulls the Trigger), I is for Internet (featuring my short story Hackergirl), The Bumper Book of British Bizarro (featuring my short story House of Joy), Werewolf Wednesday: More from Johann Weyer(1564), Werewolf Wednesday: Augustine of Hippos The City of God (FifthCentury).
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