Title: The Have-Nots
Author: Elizabeth Hand
In: Hauntings (Ellen Datlow)
Rating Out of 5: 2.5 (Readable, but not worth reading again)
My Bookshelves: Ghosts
Dates read: 6th August 2021
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Tachyon
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: But eventually it all settled down.
A series of tragic events leads to a surprise visit from a celebrity. But, when he comes back, things are a little bit… haunting.
I normally like stories that are a little bit jumpy and swirly. Not so much this one. I liked what the author was trying to do. I just didn’t love the execution of it.
The paragraphs that were the narrator talking about cosmetics or ?I think? someone in the room with them was just confusing. It didn’t lend to the story in the least, and actually ended up making me skim through the story. Which I only do when I’m not quite enjoying the tale.
I probably also didn’t love this because the whole story just felt gossipy and tragic. I liked the allusion to Elvis. But other than that, it just read like a lonely housewife saying negatives about someone to make themselves feel better about their own lives. Again, just not my favourite thing.
Earth and Skye 