Through the Woods

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Through the Woods by Emily Carroll is a collection of short horror stories published by Margaret K. McElderry Books. Carroll is a graphic artist and author from Ontario Canada.

this is a collection of five short stories, each with its own plot and art style so it's hard to describe a single story. A Lady's Hands are Cold, for example, is almost a bluebeard/gothic lady in the attic rettelling while My Friend Janna is more of a traditional spirits and ghosts story. Some are more traditional stories with artwork and others rely on the artwork in order to convey the most important elements of the story. 

The art style is just as varied as the stories. A Lady's Hands are Cold relies more heavily on the swirling and nontraditional panels and lettering to convey the flow of the words that drift throughout the house. His Face All Red uses a more traditional style but uses the art to convey one story while the narrator tells another. This story's reveal also relies on the art but this also means it ends before the reader gets any definitive explanation. The Nesting Place's art was the creepiest with distortions to the human figures.

       

These stories remind me of The Bloody Chamber  by Angela Carter which I read in college. They're not fairy tales but have a similar feel to the writing which I love. Because of this, I'm sure there's a way to analyze each of the stories and the art work and have a fascinating conversation. Unfortunately, I don't have the time to do this right now.

As for the stories: My Friend Janna and The Nesting Place are my two least favorite of the stories. They feel flatter and don't have as much weight in the story telling and reveal. A Lady's Hands are Cold relies the most on the words while His Face All Red is dialogue heavy until the final reveal where it's dependednt on the images. This does retract a little since it ends before the ending is really understood. Our Neighbor's House and In Conclusion are my two favorite. I feel they are the strongest written and there's a good balance between plot and art. There's also something creepy about black and white with only splashes of color-- usually red. 

Over all, I loved this book and have added it to my Must Buy List. It's easy to read, short enough for a single sitting, thought provoking if you enjoy analyzing fairy tales, and has enough of a creep factor that it's hard to put down. But it's not terrifying so pretty much anyone middle school and older will enjoy it. I would recommend it for anyone who likes the creeps or interesting art styles.