4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
A Second, Less Capable Head by James Hanna is a unique collection of short stories which were inspired by the author's love of the bizarre and macabre. It features nineteen dark, humorous and disturbing stories which are bound to keep the reader entertained and suprised from the very first one to the last.
Drawing from his experiences as a probation officer and a domestic violence and stalking unit officer, James Hanna, the author, offers a variety of themes and genres in these amusing and strange stories. From an activist who discovers he is growing another head to a rape victim who confronts her assailant in a maximum security prison. These stories give the reader a peek at the criminally and mentally ill and what makes them tick. For this kind of book the reader needs to keep an open mind and an expectation of the unexpected.
The book is fast paced, with each story well developed and highly engaging. The writing is high quality filled with ironic humour and amusing plots. The characters, as desperate as some of them were, all added to a superb effect to the stories. If you are a reader who is sensitive to gory details, nudity and coarse language, this is not the book for you. In some stories the reader will be introduced to some thought-provoking political and cultural implications.
I had to admire the author's imagination as the stories kept me highly engaged and at the same time wondering what will happen next. I enjoyed some of the characters and their humorous interactions like "Hunting Bear" who was straight out of prison and looking to "pop" the guy that "snitched" on him. The story takes a look inside the mind of a schizophrenic and as scary as that was, I found it to be witty and entertaining.
Sometimes the stories were too dark and uncomfortable as I didn't really want to get inside the minds of sick individuals. Also some of the stories were too short to actually allow the reader to familiarise with the plot. The unique endings to just about every story were shocking and unexpected so the reader will not be disapointed.
I recommend this book to readers who like disturbing characters and inner workings of mental illness and what makes people like that do the things they do. I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars as there no errors that I could see.
******
A Second, Less Capable Head
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like mamalui's review? Post a comment saying so!
Same here teacherjh. Thanks for reading the review.
