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A review by jessicarosee
White Cat, Black Dog: Stories by Kelly Link
5.0
i hadn’t heard of kelly link’s white cat, black dog prior to spotting its absolutely gorgeous cover in-store and rushing to buy it. the staff review attached promised bizarre and unsettling short stories and that is exactly what i’m most drawn to!
each story is so whimsical and creepy and lovely and just enough detail is hidden within them all to make them feel new again and again as you analyse and re-analyse certain lines. these stories have lingered with me for days now and i doubt they will leave me anytime soon. the collection is filled with magic and atmosphere that is just as creepy as it is familiar, mirrored in shaun tan’s illustrations that accompany each story ( adding to the nostalgic feel of link’s words as tan’s work were some of the most formative texts in my australian childhood ).
my favourites were the white cat’s divorce, prince hat underground, the lady and the fox, and skinder’s veil.
the white cat’s divorce is the perfect way to open the collection, silly enough to welcome me in with twists that made my angela carter-camilla grudova-loving heart sing. talking cats running a cannabis farm, three brothers running around to find their rich bachelor father dogs and suits and brides — they form into a charming introduction to the book.
prince hat underground is so wolfstar coded (remus as narrator, sirius as prince hat) and no one can tell me otherwise!! don’t you just love books set in hell? because i do! i especially love when hell is depicted as just a little suburban town with some odd goings-on and hot royalty.
the lady and the fox is gorgeously simple. its a story of star-crossed lovers that has the most wholesome ending. perhaps the most whimsical of the collection.
skinder’s veil had me entranced the whole way through. i love a creepy, mist-covered house and its the perfect backdrop for this story of talking bears, sex with strangers, and lots of psychedelic mushrooms (and water?).
honourable mention to the ending of the game of smash and recovery which i did not particularly understand but the last two or so pages reminded me so intensely of margaret atwood’s work that i was glued to the page.
each story is so whimsical and creepy and lovely and just enough detail is hidden within them all to make them feel new again and again as you analyse and re-analyse certain lines. these stories have lingered with me for days now and i doubt they will leave me anytime soon. the collection is filled with magic and atmosphere that is just as creepy as it is familiar, mirrored in shaun tan’s illustrations that accompany each story ( adding to the nostalgic feel of link’s words as tan’s work were some of the most formative texts in my australian childhood ).
my favourites were the white cat’s divorce, prince hat underground, the lady and the fox, and skinder’s veil.
the white cat’s divorce is the perfect way to open the collection, silly enough to welcome me in with twists that made my angela carter-camilla grudova-loving heart sing. talking cats running a cannabis farm, three brothers running around to find their rich bachelor father dogs and suits and brides — they form into a charming introduction to the book.
prince hat underground is so wolfstar coded (remus as narrator, sirius as prince hat) and no one can tell me otherwise!! don’t you just love books set in hell? because i do! i especially love when hell is depicted as just a little suburban town with some odd goings-on and hot royalty.
the lady and the fox is gorgeously simple. its a story of star-crossed lovers that has the most wholesome ending. perhaps the most whimsical of the collection.
skinder’s veil had me entranced the whole way through. i love a creepy, mist-covered house and its the perfect backdrop for this story of talking bears, sex with strangers, and lots of psychedelic mushrooms (and water?).
honourable mention to the ending of the game of smash and recovery which i did not particularly understand but the last two or so pages reminded me so intensely of margaret atwood’s work that i was glued to the page.