The Houseguest and other stories: Book Review









Book Review

Title: The Houseguest & Other Stories
Author: Ampora Davilia
Genre: Translation (Mexican/Spanish)/Short Stories

The Houseguest is a collection of 12 short stories that are set in Mexico. It revolves around characters who are dealing with some terrifying unseen force or a menace. 

The stories range from a man who is in charge of his deceased brother's pets, a woman tormented by the house guest, a man obsessed with his old love, a diary of a person to a woman depressed with the outcome with her life. .In her engaging manner, she describes the terror that lurks in rooms and houses. With its fine line between reality and absurdity, readers find themselves wondering if these unseen sources of terror are real or just a figment of imagination of the characters. 

This book portrays how fear can hold a person a prisoner and cripple them for life. The psychological angle coupled with slight horror reminds one of Shirley Jackson's writings. The Houseguest borders on themes of mental health, fear and loneliness. It's an embodiment of the complex human psyche where the endings at times are left to the reader's imagination. 

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