Genre: Horror
Author: Miha Mazzini
Translator: Maja Visenjak-Limon
Year Published: 1993
TWs: gore, death, self-harm
Rating: 2.5/5
The horror genre isn’t one I usually explore. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve seen all the classic horror movies, but I’ve never really ventured into horror novels. But, when I came across one by a Slovenian author, my curiosity was instantly piqued and it was definitely an interesting time. Let’s dive in!
“The water covered the top of her dress, surrounded her neck, drowned her mouth, eyes, head. She did not stop walking.”
Synopsis (spoiler-free, always)
Set in the early 1990s, this book follows four teenage boys, Max, Samo, Alfonz, and Raf, who head to a remote Mediterranean island for their summer vacation. They aren’t really friends, more like a group of boys trying to prove themselves to each other. Most of their conversations revolve around drinking, women, and acting tough.
On the ferry, they meet Ana, an eighteen-year-old visiting her uncle Aco. Each of them tries to impress her in different ways. However, when they get to the island, they soon realize the villa where they are staying has a dark past. Something terrifying has been hidden there for years, and Aco seems to know more about it than he lets on.
“Would all the binds holding his body and soul together break and would his innards just spill out like fish out of a fishing net?”
My Thoughts
What really makes this book stand out is the writing. The story itself isn’t completely new with teens on vacation, a creepy house, something evil lurking, but the way it’s told makes it feel fresh. The atmosphere is eerie, the characters feel real, and the horror is both disturbing and unique.
There’s a lot going on under the surface too. The book really digs into themes of masculinity and identity. The boys are all dealing with their own insecurities, mostly because of the expectations placed on them of being strong and never showing weakness. It reminded me a lot of the novel I’ve been studying in my English literature class called ‘Things Fall Apart’ by Chinua Achebe which revolves around the life of Okonkwo, an Igbo warrior whose greatest fear was weakness.
However, despite it being such a short book, i felt the description especially of the sun and sky were too long. The book could have been a lot better if those words were used to fill some of the plotholes that were quite evident in the story. The translation also wasn’t great. There were quite a few grammar and spelling mistakes, and sometimes they were distracting enough that I had to stop and reread sentences. It pulled me out of the story, which was frustrating.
Overall, this book was a nice introduction to a genre I haven’t really explored before. However, the occasional plothole and grammar errors definitely brought it down. If you would like to give it a shot, by all means, go for it, but if I was asked for book recommendations, this one would not make the list.
Happy Reading!
About the Author
Miha Mazzini was born in Jesenice, Slovenia, and is an accomplished writer, screenwriter, and filmmaker. He holds an MA in Creative Writing for Film and Television from the University of Sheffield in the UK and a PhD in the Anthropology of Everyday Life from the Institutum Studiorum Humanitatis in Slovenia. His short stories have been featured in the Pushcart Prize 2011 collection. In film, he has written screenplays for two feature films, one of which won the Golden Palm for Best Film at the XXII Mostra de Valencia.
Some other works by him include:
- Crumbs
- Guarding Hanna
- Funny
Find more on his Goodreads page!
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