The premise: ganked from BN.com: As part of a public execution, a young boy forlornly helps to sing his sister down. . . . A servant learns about grace and loyalty from a mistress who would rather dance with Gypsies than sit on her throne. . . . A terrifying encounter with a demonic angel gives a young man the strength he needs to break free of his oppressor. . . . On a bleak and dreary afternoon a gleeful shooting spree leads to tragedy for a desperate clown unable to escape his fate.In each of Margo Lanagan's ten extraordinary stories, human frailty is put to the test by the implacable forces of dark and light, man and beast. black juice offers glimpses into familiar, shadowy worlds that push the boundaries of the spirit and leave the mind haunted with the knowledge that black juice runs through us all. Provides glimpses of the dark side of civilization and the beauty of the human spirit through ten short stories that explore significant moments in people's lives, events leading to them, and their consequences. My Rating: Worth Reading, with ReservationsI should be honest: I'm rating this a wee bit harshly. The trouble is, the first story in the collection is one I'd read and re-read years ago and loved, so I had SUPER HIGH EXPECTATIONS for this collection, expecting every story to knock me over with a feather. They didn't. The collection was 50/50 for me: half of the stories I really dug, the other half had me scratching my head. That being said, and please take note, because this is praise: all of the stories deserve to be read, and re-read, and re-read some more. There's something about Lanagan's storytelling that invites the reader to come back again and again, to consider the situation, the layers, the symbolism, of each piece. Especially the ones that didn't click with me the first time, because those are the ones the beg for a more careful look. Fans of short stories should definitely pick this collection up and give it a go, and keep this around for re-reading. I'm not even a big fan of short stories as a rule, but I'm considering re-reading these tales again in the future.Spoilers, yay or nay?: Nay. Given that this is a collection of short stories, there really is nothing to spoil. So instead of spoilers, you'll get some general impressions for each story before the wrap-up at "My Rating." The full review is at my blog, which is linked below. As always, comments and discussion are most welcome. REVIEW: Margo Lanagan's BLACK JUICE Happy Reading!
The title of this book was warning enough!!!!!Black Juice has the flavour of a nightmare...nothing makes sense and you are groping for anything that might be familiar and give you a solid piece, even just a weeny piece, to set your toes on so as to catch your breath and take your bearings.Margo takes you way out of your Comfort Zone with her surreal worlds, like parallel universes, even by just the minimal spelling of "people" as "peeple", and I knew Margo had removed me from my safe little world.Each story creates a slice of an alien and foreign culture...it is really just what travelling does or reading about a different time and place.And it unsettles and exhausts you.You desperately search for clues as the story rolls along , usually into areas you don't want to go, certainly not without a little more knowledge about where you are and what the Hell is going on!!!And rarely do you get the whole picture as in Real Life.And too often something nasty happens as in the story titled"Yowlinin". Although the second last story I made the mistake of reading it first and never felt safe thereafter!!!What a relief to read "Sweet Pippit" and suddenly realise I was in the company of elephants , even though disconcerted by the 'peeple'.And I was right to be!!!!Margo happens to live in a nearby suburb and I don't really know what I think about THAT, but I do know I will probably just stick with her stories.
What do You think about Black Juice (2006)?
"Black Juice" is Margo Lanagan's collection of riveting 10 short stories. The stories range from far and wide. As part of a public execution, a young boy forlornly helps to sing his sister down...A servant learns about grace and loyalty from a mistress who would rather dance with Gypsies than sit on her throne...A terrifying encounter with a demonic angel gives a young man the strength he needs to break free of his oppressor...On a bleak and dreary afternoon a gleeful shooting spree leads to tragedy for a desperate clown unable to escape his fate. The stories are very different, but they all have one thing in common and that is the examination of the human existence and the notion that evil can be apart of us all. This evil is the Black Juice. When I was younger I used to steer clear of short fiction because I felt that the stories were just too brief to really invest my time in. But now that I am older, and a writer myself, I am truly beginning to appreciate the art and craft of short fiction, and Lanagan executes these stories masterfully. The stories are weird and strange, but oddly captivating. They are written toward a young adult audience, but adults could easily take something away from these compelling stories that never quite leave you once you read them. Warnings: scenes of violence
—Brittney Johnson
I will not write a true review this book for a variety of reasons. For the life of me, I can not figure out how to discuss the stories within this collection, not only because to do so would mean spoiling the plot, but also I can not figure out how to summarize the plots. For certain inclusions in the book, if I were asked what the story was about, I would be left with a blank expression on my face, no words on my lips, but a very specific feeling inside.That is the crux of the matter. While Lanagan may not offer a tidy story with a beginning, middle, and end and while you may not even really understand what happened in the pages you've just read, you certainly do know how it felt to read that particular story. This feeling may be indescribable, but it is no less real. I found this an odd reading experience, enjoyable but mildly frustrating.
—Trisha
Posted at Shelf Inflicted Based on a Goodreads friend’s review, I went to the library in search of Margo Lanagan’s Tender Morsels. It was not available, so I borrowed a collection of short stories titled Black Juice. A little review on the back by author John Marsden caught my eye: “I want to hire a plane and write BLACK JUICE across the sky so that people will read these intense, rich, disturbing stories.”Indeed, each story in this collection is richly described, dark and disturbing. Almost too dark to be shelved with books for “Young People”, but what do I know? I have no children and really have no idea what they enjoy reading or how sophisticated their tastes may be. Black Juice is beautifully written in a mature style that is suitable for adult readers as well. Each of the ten stories features a young character, and explores his or her role in society and within the family. Many issues are explored – love, death, relationships, abuse, marriage, freedom. The stories are set in fantastical worlds that share some similarities to our own, yet are very different. Some of my favorites in this collection were “Singing My Sister Down”, told from the perspective of a young boy who watches and sings along with his family as his sister is being punished for killing her husband. “Red Nose Day” is about two young snipers who go out on a shooting spree in revenge for past injustices. “Sweet Pippit” is a lovely and touching story about elephants in search of their beloved handler. “Earthly Uses” is a very sad story about a young boy who searches for an angel to bring back for his dead grandmother.I will definitely read more by this author…later. Right now I’m emotionally drained.
—Nancy
