Review: Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke and Other Misfortunes-Eric LaRocca

I am a huge fan of the original novella and hyped it to anyone who would listen when it came out last year. What you’ll find in the newly released collection Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke and Other Misfortunes are stories of people yearning for what is lacking in their lives and seeking to fill that void.

In the first story, “Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke,” is an epistolary tale told in emails and text messages between two young women seeking connection—what starts as kindness and friendship quickly devolves to stomach-churning acts of sadomasochistic control. This story is brutal and if you are easily squeamish, read with caution.

The second tale, “The Enchantment,” we find a couple trying to repair their marriage in the wake of losing their only child. In the desperate need to connect to their son, Olive clings to her faith while husband James accepts the loss of faith in a world that has just discovered that there is no afterlife awaiting them when they pass. Lots of supernatural and rich religious symbolism present in this story. I would have loved if this had been fleshed out as a full novel.

The last story, “You’ll Find It’s Like That All Over,” is an odd tale of a man who finds a mysterious bone in his yard that leads him to his neighbor seeking answers. What follows is a bizarre encounter where his innate politeness and inability to say no when pressed upon leads to a series of bets with staggering consequences. This story gave me big Alfred Hitchcock Presents/Twilight Zone vibes. Like the entry before, I would have loved to read more of this story.

All in all, I really enjoyed this read and was thrilled to know that it lives up to the unsettling vibes of its original story. Please check the trigger warnings before reading, there is a lot of material that some might find upsetting.

 

5/5 Stars

Many thanks to #NetGalley and #TitanBooks for providing me with a review copy of this novel. All thoughts and opinions are my own.