Winterland [NOOK Book]

Quick and surreal

OK, let's start with a summary. I'm taking this right off Mike's site:

"Summoned into her dying mother's coma, recovering addict Eunice Ames must traverse a surreal, apocalyptic dreamscape in search of three generational spirits who have imprisoned her mother's soul.

Together with Joseph, a crippled drifter who serves as her guide, Eunice treks an abandoned highway strewn with debris from her mother's "emotional" wars."

Mike describes Winterland as "The Wizard of Oz meets Dante's Inferno." It also made me think a little bit of Alice in Wonderland with Stephen King a la Duma Key hiding in the corner.

I know, you are shaking your head right now, aren't you?

My take on it? The characterization was very strong. I got a real sense of Eunice and what she'd been through, even without having "met" her mother in the story. The other characters that accompany Eunice on her journey were vivid. I agree with reviewer Tim George that Mordant was annoying, but I believe that was Mike's intent. I mean--how do you get across that someone annoys another character to that degree without making that someone annoying to the reader?

The descriptive language was fantastic. I could see every contour of the landscape, but Mike didn't go overboard with detail. The words he chose were just right, many of them poetic, dark, and lovely. I think this was my favorite element of the book.

Although there were a couple of small moments where I wish the corner-hiding Stephen King would have stepped out a little more. One spot in particular where I thought, "Mr. King would have my skin crawling here, and Mike should have." But it was isolated. For the most part he really got the feel of each scene and each character to a satisfying level.

And finally, the surreal nature of the story totally appealed to me. I'm not sure where I got the idea that this is what Mike's writing is like. I mean, before The Resurrection I'd read all of one short story by him. It probably fell somewhere between these two in feel, but I guess I assumed a novel by Mike would be even more outlandish.

All in all, a very good read. Thinky and surreal.

5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

Good book

Bout 200 pages. Reads fast, im intriged with this story because its not my usual read but really enjoyed it. Made me think bout everything it said from start to the end

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Eunice in Winterland

Alice in Wonderland, in reverse, is what this story reminds me of. Not as crazy as Alice in Wonderland, though it has its moments, and not as humorous or satirical, though it zings a few here and there, but the flavor reminds me of that story. Not only for the very other-worldly setting, but also the interesting characters the protagonist meets.

Eunice embarks on a journey few would enjoy: a trip through her own mother's tortured soul. She traverses a surreal landscape and is guided by a man who was the only part of the picture that remained mysterious. I'm guessing he was an angel of some sort, but who knows? But this stranger helps her through the strange world, seeking to save her mother's soul, and in the end, face her own demons.

This isn't a high action book, more of an allegorical trip through one's life and soul. A vision of what monsters and characters we face within our own psyche. Some crazy, some scary, some devious, some dangerous. As you journey with Eunice, you may even learn something of your own journey as well.

The writing is good. There are spots I saw where it could be tightened or strengthened, but those were few and far between. The reader is not likely to notice them or be that concerned about them if they do. The story flows well, the pacing is good, easy to follow, and the formatting is well done (I read it on a Kindle). I spotted one typo through the whole novella, so the grammar and spelling are clean. There is no hint of the stereotypical "self-published" novel. The cover appears professional and the writing is as well.

While the ending wasn't "mind blowing," it was very interesting and good. It is a journey worth taking and enjoying. There was enough mystery and wondering what would happen next to keep a person reading and wanting to see what the next chapter would hold. I enjoyed the story and the trip. If you are the kind of reader who likes "dark fairy tales," this is a good one to grab and settle in with. You won't be disappointed.

If there was one trouble I had with it, it was the strange setting of the world. It took a while for me to get my bearings and felt too abstract, despite the author's descriptions. As I went on, this feeling lessened, and the world came more alive.

I think this is a common problem with alternate universes, simply because the reader doesn't have a good idea of the rules of such a world. Even more true when you get into worlds that are not grounded so much in our world, like traveling through a soul. Most stories have a whole novel to get the reader adjusted to the new world and learn it. That Mr. Duran was able to do that within the short space of a novella would actually be a plus to his skill. But the reader does need to be aware that it may take a little getting used to the world they find themselves in with Eunice.

If you're looking for high action, face-paced adventure, this may not be the story for you. If you are wanting a more allegorical romp through someone's mind, in search for answers to questions we all face, then I'd recommend you grab a copy of this one and enjoy the challenging world that Eunice explores to save her mother. A definite recommend from me.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Interesting

Good writing style in this dark surreal piece that's comparable in style to the movie Pan's Labyrinth (though "Winterland" contains less gore and no objectionable language that I recall).

Some typos were distracting, like an "immadiate" where "immediate" was intended. I also found the story confusing at times, but that seemed due to my personal literalist bent and difficulty comprehending symbolism and allegory. I'm also pretty sick right now, which might contribute to the confusion.

Overall, if you like short supernatural horror and the aforementioned movie, I suspect you'll enjoy it.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Good book

This book was a little hard to read and understand for me at the beginning but it ended up being a really good book. I normally don't read these kind of books but this was a good book to start reading new kinds of books.

Not Recommended

A well written story but I found it to be very monotone. Where as some stories you have to keep reading to see what happens next this one I could put down and forget. The delivery is what did it I think. That same rhythm of delivery throughout the entire tale doesn't make it enjoyable and slightly tarnishes the plot. A shame, really, as I usually enjoy similar themed stories such as this.

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