Malerman, what can I say? Sorry to say this was a DNF for me. Goes into my Malerman collection, but it was just too slow for me. Couldn’t finish it.

Raise your hand if you’ve ever thought you were going to absolutely love a book and then ended up being sorely disappointed when you finished? 🙋🏻‍♀️ Of course this has happened to me more times than I care to count, but this one hurt, it hurt bad.

I was drawn in by the premise of “A Novel in Six Novellas,” I’m a sucker for different storylines all tied together in a neat little bow at the end. That did not happen with Goblin. The only ties between the novellas was the setting (a rainy night in Goblin, MI) and some of the characters mentioned throughout other stories. The prologue and epilogue are tied together but the six novellas in between are standalone tales.

My favorites: A Man in Slices; Happy Birthday, Hunter!; and Presto. Not so much: Kamp, A Mix-Up at the Zoo, and The Hedges.

I thoroughly enjoy Malerman’s writing and all of those faves were 5 stars, but I just can’t get past my bookish pet peeve of unfinished business in a story, or in this case, a collection of stories. Altogether, a dissatisfying 3 stars.

This set of novellas really shows the things that can go on in a small town.
It reminds me of the town in Needful Things.
Happy Birthday Hunter, Kano and Presto were by far my favorites. All the stories are great but these stood out.
I loved the visuals of the Owls, the way that the flashback and history were done.
It took me way too long to read this and now I see all the connections in the other books talking about this town.

Josh Malerman’s Goblin is a spellbinding and eerie collection of interconnected novellas that transport readers to the unsettling and mysterious town of Goblin. Known for his imaginative storytelling and ability to craft deeply unsettling atmospheres, Malerman delivers a unique and chilling experience that is both haunting and thought-provoking.

Set in the fictional town of Goblin, the book comprises six tales that weave together to create a larger narrative about this peculiar place. Each novella stands on its own, yet they all share common threads and recurring themes that paint a comprehensive picture of Goblin’s eerie charm and dark secrets. The town itself becomes a character, its foggy streets, oppressive weather, and enigmatic residents contributing to the pervasive sense of unease.

Malerman’s ability to create a rich and immersive setting is evident throughout Goblin. The town’s strange and surreal atmosphere is vividly brought to life, drawing readers into its unsettling embrace. From the constant rain and the mysterious creatures that lurk in the shadows to the peculiar customs and superstitions of its residents, Goblin is a place where the ordinary and the supernatural blend seamlessly.

The first novella, A Man in Slices, sets the tone with its disturbing tale of friendship and obsession. It introduces readers to Charles, a young man whose loyalty to his friend Neal leads him down a dark and twisted path. Malerman’s knack for building tension and crafting memorable characters is on full display here, making for an unsettling and compelling read.

In Kamp, the second novella, Malerman explores the theme of guilt and the lengths one will go to escape it. The story follows Walter Kamp, a man with a peculiar fear of being caught in the rain. His obsession drives him to extreme measures, revealing the darker aspects of human nature. Malerman’s exploration of Walter’s psyche is both chilling and poignant, adding depth to the collection.

Happy Birthday, Hunter! introduces readers to a renowned big-game hunter who comes to Goblin to pursue the ultimate prey. This story delves into themes of hubris and the thrill of the hunt, leading to a shocking and gruesome conclusion. Malerman’s vivid descriptions and masterful pacing make this one of the standout tales in the collection.

The fourth novella, Presto, revolves around a magician named Roman Emperor, whose desire to perform the perfect trick leads him to Goblin. The story blends elements of horror and dark fantasy, showcasing Malerman’s versatility as a storyteller. The novella’s blend of magic and menace is both captivating and unsettling.

In A Mix-Up at the Zoo, Malerman takes readers into the life of Dirk Rogers, a zookeeper who becomes entangled in a bizarre and nightmarish situation. The story’s exploration of fear and madness is both gripping and terrifying, highlighting the author’s skill in creating psychological horror.

The final novella, The Hedges, brings the collection to a fittingly eerie conclusion. It follows a man named Peter as he navigates the labyrinthine hedges of Goblin, uncovering the town’s deepest and darkest secrets. Malerman’s use of suspense and his ability to evoke a sense of dread make this a powerful and memorable ending to the collection.

Throughout Goblin, Malerman’s prose is both lyrical and unsettling, capturing the strange beauty and underlying horror of the town. His characters are richly drawn and deeply human, their fears and desires driving the narratives forward. The interconnected nature of the stories adds depth to the collection, making each novella more impactful as part of the larger tapestry of Goblin.

In conclusion, Goblin is a masterfully crafted collection that showcases Josh Malerman’s talent for blending horror, fantasy, and psychological suspense. With its richly imagined setting, compelling characters, and chilling narratives, the book is a must-read for fans of dark and atmospheric fiction. Malerman’s ability to create a sense of unease that lingers long after the final page makes Goblin a standout work that will haunt readers and leave them yearning for more tales from this enigmatic town.

Josh Malerman is an amazing author. I reach for anything with his name attached and this one does not disappoint. If you are a fan of the authors other works, you won’t be dissappointed.

Goblin was a book written in six connected novellas and I’m here for it. All of the novellas wove together seamlessly. I really enjoyed reading Goblin. It was unique and spooky and a great read for a fall night!

Another win for Josh Malerman. This is my 2nd book by them and their writing continues to blow me away. I am defn a huge fan after this book and I really hope I get to read more. 1st of all the cover art is amazing. 2nd, the plot and story are fantastic and the characters are so diverse and well written. This is a fun little gem and if you these types of book and genres I highly recommend it

A solid read and my first from Malerman, I dug the separate but interconnected novella format. The town of Goblin has a rich and amazing history. Will definitely have to read more from Josh.

Goblin tells us that Malerman has been, all along, way more than he was letting on. It's a powerful collection, and demonstrates just how unique and amazing Malerman's works can be.

I enjoyed this inventive take, a novel in novellas is a great concept.

I really just enjoyed the world building here, and what makes each of Malerman's works wonderful is how different they all are from one another, including the novellas here.

I didnt realize this was a collection of short stories. I am just not a fan of this type of reading. I did ready four or five of these, but was left unsatisfied. I prefer to read books that I can really get into and read for a long while. The ones I read were good and entertaining but just not enough for me,

I keep trying short story collections, but unfortunately, they never work for me. I didn't have enough time to truly get invested in the stories I liked, and sadly there were quite a few duds that I never connected with from the get go.

Thank you to Del Rey for the e-ARC of Goblin, however, since I’m incredibly late at this review I picked up a finished copy from the library.

DNF @ around 150 pages.

This just didn’t hit for me. I felt incredibly bored & I can barely remember the stories I did get through. I still really adore Malerman’s other works but this one just didn’t do it for me.

After attempting to read this e-arc and then the audiobook when it came out, I have come to the conclusion that I would rather see this authors work as movies.

Originally available in a very limited edition that’s now out of print, Malerman’s (Bird Box) 2017 work is a tale about a town named Goblin that has a horrific past, shady characters across its history, and lots and lots of rain. It’s a book told in pieces—six novellas and a pair of framing stories; the first story, “A Man in Slices,” is a fitting way to start things off, with a quite literal deconstruction of the burdens of toxic friendship. From there, we see the darkest shades of Bradbury, but also Harlan Ellison and, yes, Stephen King. It’s hard not to compare the town of Goblin to King’s haunted Derry. But at its heart, Goblin is all Malerman. Throughout the stories, he writes like a downhill train, weaving Goblin’s past and present into one rain-soaked horror show with stories featuring, among others, a man obsessed with being scared to death by a ghost; a hunter with forbidden game on his mind; and a magician whose magic might not be “clean.”
VERDICT These stories offer up a history lesson and guided tour of a severely troubled town. The writer-as-tour-guide is very clearly enjoying the trip, and it’s impossible not to revel in the dark glee.
Reviewed by Alex Giannini , Mar 12, 2021

The town of Goblin has creepy policeman, magicians, history, eerie graveyards, and lots of rain. This book is comprised of six novellas located within the strange town of Goblin.

Some moments were incredibly eerie and unsettling, some characters were weird and punchable, and some endings were nonsensical or fell flat. I wish some of the more weird questions of the book were explained, but instead felt left hanging.

I wish there was more to Goblin as a character, creepy things happen within the town, but it fails to draw itself as a unique and compelling “character” contributing to these stories. There’s got to be more to Goblin!

A creepy town setting was well established right from the beginning with the new cover. In fact it was the cover that attracted me to the book in the first place. The six stories of a haunting suspense are woven together within the same unfortunate town. Each story unusual in it’s own way. Yet, for how appealing that the cover may be, the book was just so boring!
This author is a good writer. His stories revery unique and have a suspenseful feel to them, while incorporating the supernatural with reality in subtle ways. Unfortunately, his books take me forever to get through. They just have a hard time keeping my attention for long periods of time.
The concept of spooky and strange events happening in one town has merit. If fact, I am pretty sure you could find dozens of books and movies that follow the same idea. There are even some that have a more Halloween setting/theme than this one. Yet, with this concept the stories really need to have a good interwoven thread of time and space and leave a lasting impression to be successful. This kind of missed the mark by just that much.Like with other compilation of stories, there are a few that are better than others. Most of the stories were just so-so.
If readers like this author, then this could be something they might want to read. But unless they also absolutely love reading short stories, I really wouldn’t recommend this book.

I liked the idea of six separate stories set in the same town. It just didn't work for me. I know there will be people that love this sadly I’m not one of them.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the eGalley. All opinions are my own.

This was a meh kind of book. It's a series of short stories book ended by the story of a delivery driver bringing something terrifying to the city of Goblin. The short stories are related only by the location where they happen - the city of Goblin on the same particularly rainy day and night. 

I think that was one of the reasons the book was kinda meh to me. Yes, Goblin in itself is an interesting, if rather unhappy place. A place for the spirits. A place where humans were never supposed to settle and thrive. The short stories illustrate the eeriness of Goblin perfectly. Problem is, they don't do much more than that. 

I read a book mostly for the characters and then for the worldbuilding. I notice that I tend to lose interest if I don't have anybody to root for. If I don't have a tour guide through the world the author is showing me. And that's what happened here. Goblin is a fascinating place. Unfortunately, the people who live there are a lot less so.

We read stories of several different people who are not connected to each other, so it's already hard to figure out why we should follow these characters or even care. Those stories are also not connected at all to the prolog, where a delivery driver is bringing something to Goblin. Something horrible... Well, Goblin already has plenty of horrible things. There is the Goblin police, the Witch of the North Woods, the owls, etc. So by the time that horrible thing finally reaches Goblin, it's rather anticlimactic. It's just another monster to add to a city already full of them. What's the point?

Also, none of the stories we read about have any real resolutions, apart from the story of the man who was afraid of the ghosts. That one, we see to it's logical conclusion. The rest of them leave is suspended in the air, without an explanation or a conclusion to them. I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop, so to say.  And the arrival of this great terrible thing in the end isn't enough to satisfyingly end any of those stories. 

In conclusion, it was an okay book to pass the time with, but I probably won't remember what it is about in a month or so. This is the third book by this author I've read and found rather underwhelming, so I think I'm just not the intended audience here. A lot of people love these books, so your mileage might vary. 

PS: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Goblin, originally published in 2017, was rereleased by Del Rey in 2021 with this stunning new cover. As soon as I set eyes upon it, I knew I had to have it. It's giving me the colors, ambiance and haunted house vibes that I crave. It has to be incredible, right?

Unfortunately, for me, I never should have judged this book by the cover.

Goblin consists of six novellas, well summarized by the publisher in the book synopsis. It also begins with an interesting Intro and then pulls it all the way through with the Epilogue.

I love the idea behind this. Six separate stories, all set in one creepy town and even though they are separate, there are places, people and themes that keep coming up throughout. These were the aspects that I enjoyed the most. I think Malerman did a great job of creating this place and the corresponding lore to go with it.

For me, what lost me was the writing of the individual stories. I was just bored. There's really no sugar-coating that. It felt overwritten for what I got out of each one. I just wanted it to end. While I can appreciate why a lot of Readers enjoyed this one, it never hit for me. The first story was my least favorite and it ended up setting the tone for the rest of my read. I was completely turned off to it after that.

My favorite of the collection was The Hedges, which is the final story before the Epilogue and what I believe the cover is influenced by. Standing on its own, I would give that story 4-stars. It was engaging.

As always, I would encourage you to give this one a go for yourself if you think it sounds interesting. Please do not let my opinion sway you either way. There's a Reader for every book and a book for every Reader. Unfortunately, this one just wasn't for me.

Thank you to the publisher, Del Rey, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I appreciate having the opportunity to share my opinion.