Member Reviews
If you're a fan of The Canterbury Tales, you're going to thoroughly enjoy this book. A unique gathering of storytellers, comprising humans, ghosts, and the devil himself, combine to bring the reader a unique collection of tales. I loved each story, each as unique as its narrator. Switzer did an excellent job of bringing characters and setting to life, drawing the reader in before you really know it's even happening. If you're looking for a unique collection of short stories, then you've found your next read!
What a wild ride these stories were! There is definitely something here and the author manages to grasp the reader's attention for most of the time. Although it may not be everyone's cup of tea, there is still merit in giving these stories a go. Some are better than others, one could also say that sometimes substance may have been sacrificed over style, but still what you get is a highly-stylised satirical piece that totally deserves your attention. This selection of short stories is definitely recommended to those who enjoy weird literature.
This one is on my "to buy soon" list! Rude, crude, and entertaining! Love it! Chapters flow seamlessly into each other and I loved/hated the characters. Devil was just his charming self, just slipping in and playing off whatever was going on and throwing a little oil on the fire to ramp things up. Dark and humorous, not for everyone.
An extremely entertaining book of weird and wonderful short stories. Each one is as good as the next. A bonkers but brilliant read.
Mr. Switzer's Sayville Tales is a book formed from a collection of short stories where each flows in to the next story. Mr. Switzer brings us along a long journey where not only is the reader entranced, but he is also a passenger listening to all of the different stories from the various passengers. I found Sayville Tales to be engaging with some dark and sarcastic humor mixed in. I absolutely loved it, and I look forward to reading more of Mr. Switzer's work. Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for allowing me to read this savvy and enjoyable book of many tales.
Interesting collection of stories. Some similar to what I've read, some way out there. A bit rude, a bit crude, some I didn't care for, some I loved. Overall I really enjoyed it!
Thank you Netgalley and Publishers for granting me early access to "Sayville Tales".
I'm currently in the middle of a major move, and will definitely come back at a later time and write out a full review and rating.
Thank you so much!
Did not finish: DNF @ 33%
O...kay... Well, I'm a third into the book and I still have no idea where it's going. But that isn't the principal problem. I would have read on, but I just can't read books with animals dying, senselessly. Not for me.
I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
Rude, crude and unapologetically satirical, this is not a book suited to everyone tastes and despite my best efforts, I did find myself falling into that camp at times when I could still acknowledge that the humour was witty, but found myself grimacing at the same time. Therefore, I had to take breaks from this book, because sometimes it was just too much for me and I knew if I pushed onwards in that mood then I would enjoy it even less.
Of course, this all stems from how subjective humour can be, plus the book's aim is not usually to make its audience laugh out loud, but to make them think using this biting satire to grab their attention and refusing to let them go and no-one is safe from scrutiny.. The writing itself is witty and thoughtful and the closest comparison I can think of to this collection of stories would be 'The Canterbury Tales' which also relishes in its bawdy nature and intertwining ideas.
With such a complex cast of characters and themes, the stories themselves are all open to interpretation, especially since with the devil as your guide and the opening analysis about the fluidity of meanings and the power of words, the entire work is a puzzle-box carefully placed into the hands of the reader. What is the "correct" solution? Only by reading the book can you reach your own answer and maybe find meaning in the 'Sayville Tales.'
A very eclectic and odd little grouping of tales, but nevertheless very entertaining to read. Great read!
Reading tales is my life's passion and this book proved a true gem.
I would like to thank the publisher and netgalley for giving me a chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.