Book Review: "Night-Gaunts and Other Tales of Suspense" by Joyce Carol Oates

Yes, I found that one Joyce Carol Oates novel that I had left to read in the library (when I asked, they said it would take a long time to get any more - we're talking about sixth months or so). I have had my complaints about this city's library but that one really took it to a new level. The less said about it the better though. It's officially May and Britain is going through a bit of a heatwave and so, I've been disappearing back into horror novels and short story anthologies. I think that is very fitting for weather that is quite nice and yet, has a sticky and weird feeling to it. So let's have a look at Joyce Carol Oates' short story anthology, which isn't really horror but definitely has some instances of the supernatural.

The Woman in the Window

This story opens with a woman who has no clothes on apart from some high heels. Apparently, she lives in a place she cannot afford, which is this lower than average apartment. She is waiting for a man who is her lover, even though he is married. Honestly, I wasn't sure what to make of this story because at first it really didn't seem like it was going anywhere. But one thing I find Joyce Carol Oates does better than her setting writing is her ability to create a moral compromise. For example: we have a man who is married, cheating on his wife, we have a woman who lives in an apartment she really cannot afford to pay the rent on. Then we have this meeting between them that is marred in secrecy and immorality altogether.

However, as the man approaches, we get a flavour of the weird power dynamics at play here and we get a sense that he doesn't actually like her very much. Apart from wanting to go and see her to continue the affair, there seems to be some deep felt resentment towards her as well. I really wasn't sure what to make of this. It felt quite uncomfortable, but definitely does not have all of the markers of a JCO short story. Not like The Doll-Maker did. That story scared the daylights out of me.

The Long-Legged Girl

A woman suspects her husband of having an affair with a dance student. Consumed by suspicion, she invites the girl over for tea, preparing a lethal concoction in one of two identical cups. I honestly think that this is one of the better stories because it really investigate those power dynamics that Joyce Carol Oates' is so good at investigating and delving into. It's almost like the two of them have power in different ways, but in that moment it becomes a matter of life and death.

Something that JCO does is she doesn't reveal everything about the situation, instead she allows us to ponder about what these details could be. I'm being purposefully vague because it is a key part of the story. Seriously, this is a better story in the anthology and you should definitely read it.

Sign of the Beast

A troubled teenager has murdered a Sunday School Teacher and as the story goes on, there is a singular doubt about the tale, including the way in which the teenager displays guilt. It is clear in this story that the authority figures are more interested in exploiting a vulnerable young person to make out like they have solved a murder case and therefore, they will be hailed as heroes. They manipulate and try to break the child, it is a really haunting and horrific sight.

I enjoyed this story as much as I could though I do think it seemed a bit simplistic for the morality argument JCO is normally quite good at creating on both sides. I just think everyone has really heard this story before. But decide for yourself. It doesn't mean the story is not enjoyable - it definitely is.

The Experimental Subject

I'm not going to lie, this one was difficult to read. It was actually horrifying. A lab technician selects a young woman to take part in a prestigious university's new experiment. The experiment is highly controversial. It features the requirement for this young woman to carry a fetus which is a hybrid between human and chimpanzee. The technician manipulates Mary, exploiting her desire for connection and love. Obviously, as we go on in the story, the lab technician kind of turns into Macbeth with all this unchecked ambition that ultimately has worrying conclusions.

Honestly, the way the female character (her name is Mary) is talking, just feels like she has unusual faith in this experiment. JCO concentrates on what kind of person she is and honestly, I was simply terrified from start to finish because you just want her to be alright.

Walking Wounded

A writer recovers from cancer and returns to his hometown to finish a dead friend's manuscript. Struggling with motivation and haunted by his past, he becomes involved with a mysterious, silver-haired woman. I am going to say that this one wasn't that great and so, I won't say much about it. But I think it's quite telling about how this story ends. There's certain truths and manipulations that wade out of the waters.

Night-Gaunts

A story that is clearly, from the beginning of the book, dedicated to HP Lovecraft - it tells the story of a man named Horace haunted with apparitions after his father's death. As Horace delves deeper into his father's past, he confronts unsettling truths about his lineage and his own psyche. Obviously, these 'night gaunts' have a sway towards the idea of inherited madness. I cannot help but think that this was probably one of the most powerful stories in the whole book. It really does investigate ideas that are close to the stories of HP Lovecraft. I won't say too much though, or I might ruin it for you.

Conclusion

This was pretty good, I'm not going to lie. I think that JCO is perhaps better when she's writing stories that are actually intensely frightening though and some of these missed that mark. It's probably not as good as The Doll-Maker but again, there are stories in that anthology which aren't as good as these ones.