Night-Gaunts and Other Tales of Suspense

Six suspenseful stories by Joyce Carol Oates, including a woman in an unfurnished apartment, a jealous wife playing Russian roulette, and a young outsider haunted by visions. The collection explores the intersection of sex, violence, and longing, challenging readers to confront their own dark impulses.

\n Format: Paperback / softback
\n Length: 352 pages
\n Publication date: 07 March 2019
\n Publisher: Head of Zeus
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From the acclaimed author of Blonde, a novel that has been adapted into a major motion picture, comes a collection of six unsettling tales of suspense. In the opening story, a woman finds herself alone in an apartment she cannot afford, except for her high-heeled shoes. Her married lover arrives at her door in a passionate and murderous rush. As the story unfolds, we discover that the woman is caught in a web of deceit and betrayal, and her lover's intentions are far from innocent.

In another tale, an aging, jealous wife engages in an unusual game of Russian roulette, using a pair of Wedgwood teacups, a strong Bengal brew, and a lethal concoction. The stakes are high, and the consequences are deadly. The wife's motives are revealed as she struggles with her own demons and the fear of losing her husband.

The third story takes us to a small town where a former Sunday School teacher's corpse turns up. The blighted adolescent she had once petted and ridiculed confesses to her murder, but is he truly responsible? As the investigation unfolds, we discover a complex web of secrets and lies that have been hidden for years.

In the fourth story, a young outsider is haunted by apparitions at the very edge of the spectrum of visibility after the death of his tortured father. The story explores the themes of loss, grief, and the supernatural, and the outsider's struggle to come to terms with his father's legacy.

The fifth story is a dark and atmospheric tale of obsession and revenge. A woman finds herself drawn to a mysterious man who seems to possess a dark secret. As she gets closer to him, she discovers that he is not who he appears to be, and she is forced to confront the consequences of her actions.

The final story is a haunting meditation on the nature of love and loss. A woman returns to her childhood home to confront the memories of her past and the ghosts that still haunt her. As she explores the house and its surroundings, she discovers that the past is not always as it seems, and that the ghosts of her past may be more powerful than she ever imagined.

Reviews for Joyce Carol Oates have been nothing short of extraordinary. The Guardian praised her for her "chillingly depicts the darkness lurking within the everyday," while the Sunday Express described her work as "both haunting and sublime." The Literary Review praised her for her "splendidly chilling" storytelling, and the Financial Times praised her for her "visceral, psychologically involving, and socially astute" writing. Booklist praised her for her ability to "illuminate the mind's most disturbing corners," and the Seattle Times praised her for her "few writers better illuminate the mind's most disturbing corners."

In conclusion, Joyce Carol Oates' collection of short stories is a testament to her exceptional talent as a writer. Each story is carefully crafted and filled with suspense, mystery, and emotion. From the dark and twisted tales of murder and obsession to the haunting meditations on love and loss, Oates challenges her readers to confront the darker aspects of human nature and to explore the intersection of sex, violence, and longing within themselves. This collection is not for the faint of heart, but for those who are willing to take a deep dive into the depths of the human psyche.

\n Weight: 252g\n
Dimension: 202 x 156 x 16 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9781788543705\n \n