That was original and strange. I think my brain will still be processing it for a few days. Good stuff, and I liked the way the problem was ultimately solved. Shipp did a nice job of misdirection and creating an atmosphere of fear and dread. Very cool book. ( )

Creeping horror offset by the constant reality of not knowing what the hell was going on. ( )

Throughout the story the main character uses lists to weigh options or outcomes. This is a technique many of us use to maintain, organize or prioritize the things in our lives. But, what happens if the list is irrational, impractical or even unimaginable? So, what happens if the characters are unreliable, or are they? Cursed is humorous while at the same time deeply philosophical. The reader has to decide if they believe the characters or determine another plausible explanation as to what is driving these people to act or think like they do. In other words, is any of it real? It's a psychological and some might argue sci-fi mystery. Each character is defined by their flaws. Their personalities evolve through habits, neurosis and personal relationships. By doing so, each takes on a unique, tangible form which lends to the imagination visualizing, relating, sympathizing and even becoming attached to the cursive people interacting in the story. The perspective through which it's told, present tense, also enhances the immediacy of the story. I felt as if I was a voyeur following the characters around. It was an interesting sensation to be part of it, or rather feel as if I was part of it. The escapism is unique and fascinating. Similar to Purple Jesus, Shipp takes seemingly unrelated or random objects and gives them extraordinary meaning. Or in some cases, literal meaning. For example, there is a woman who carries around a tennis ball and literally duct tapes it to her hand. She believes if she 'drops the ball' the world will end. This is humorous, but how many people carry with them imaginary 'balls' they are afraid to drop?

Readers who enjoy cult-fiction authors similar (style) to Chuck Palahniuk and Ron Cooper, will love Shipp's writing. It's outside the box, modern and pushes the traditional limits of story structure, but by doing so opens the world that keeps reading and writing interesting. Shipp has a modern, contemporary voice and style that is humorous, quirky while at the same time possesses a conscious and deliberate timing. He is in control of the chaos he creates and because of this, it works in a number of ways. The comedic relief is impeccable and never reduces the seriousness of the plot or cheapens the characters. ( )

After reading this book I want to read all of Jeremy C. Shipp's books! 'Cursed' is funny, weird, original, compelling and in my opinion a MUST read.
Nick and Cicely are friends and they are both 'cursed' on the same day with ridiculously odd curses. Nick's curse means he will be slapped every day, whilst Cicely is forced to hold a tennis ball in her hand for ever; if she drops it the world will come to an end. They meet Abby, who is also cursed, and become friends with her through their common problem. Nick used to be an alcoholic, so when his behaviour is called into question his friends and family assume he has started drinking again. In fact, the person or thing that has cursed him is ruining his life along with the lives of his friends.
We follow Nick, Cicely and Abby through some strangely wonderful scenes as they try to put their lives back together and find out who or what has cursed them.
I was hooked on this book from the start. It is very entertaining and well written. I like the way the narrator thinks in lists; this makes the prose move quickly, adding to the feeling of fast-moving action.
Although this book is a fun read, it does seem to contain a deeper more complex element. The curses are ridiculous, but at a deeper level, they can be interpreted as reflections of the problems people face in their lives (such as the real problems faced by the characters including alcoholism/addiction, bereavement, and divorce), and the way people try to deal with those problems emotionally. In fact, the way the main character makes lists of things all the time, shows an addictive side to his personality.
The characters were all very realistic, if slightly eccentric. If you are looking for a book that will keep you interested, make you smile, and surprise you with its twists and turns, 'Cursed' is the book for you. ( )

(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted here illegally.)

Well, it's January, which means it must be time for a new Jeremy Shipp book! This is the third book in three years, in fact, that I've reviewed by this prolific alt-horror veteran and Stoker Award nominee; and as those who have read my write-ups of his previous Vacation and Sheep & Wolves know, I'm a pretty big fan of this literary chameleon as well, a better-than-average genre author who seems to take on a different style and tone with each new project he pens. And his latest, Cursed, is no exception, with Shipp using it as an excuse to turn in a witty relationship drama full of Dashiell-Hammett-style rat-a-tat dialogue and snappy phrases, as well as such postmodern touches as a main character who mostly defines his life through a series of lists and multiple-choice questions. In fact, the entire thing starts on the kind of highly original note that inspired the term "alt-horror" to begin with, to differentiate it from the "all spooky all the time" stylings of such traditional horror authors as Stephen King; turns out that the book begins with our hero, a professional plush-sculpture creator named Nick, coming to the realization for the first time that he's now been slapped hard in the face by various random people every day now for twelve days straight, which is enough to make him start worrying that perhaps someone has put some sort of hex on him, even though he has no direct evidence that such a thing has actually occurred.

This leads him to a friendship with another local named Cicely, who started suffering from a similar problem the same day that Nick received his first slap -- that's the day she woke up in bed with a tennis ball inexplicably in her hand, and with a dreadful certainty in the back of her head that the world will end if she ever drops it -- which then kicks off the main meat of the book, the two's journey to discover whether their co-dependent neurosis is real, whether anyone else in town is suffering from it too, and what exactly they should do about it anyway. And while it's best that this inventive plot remain as much a mystery as possible, I will say that Shipp uses it to explore a topic that's obviously a favorite of his, the idea of people with supernatural powers who also happen to be psychopathically insane, which he also used to such great effect in Sheep & Wolves; although please understand as well that the story veers off in many other directions too, and that what seems about halfway through to be the solution to the mystery turns out not to be the solution at all.

All this would be great enough; but like I said, Shipp then couches this entire story within a very witty and engaging personal style, using this milieu to explore the subject of relationships (between lovers, between parents and children) in a grounded and straightforward way you wouldn't normally expect from a horror tale; and this is why Shipp is considered by so many to be among the best in the entire alt-horror genre, because he brings a non-genre professionalism and sheen to his projects that is simply rarely seen within this admittedly underground community. (After all, his first novel Vacation is less a traditional horror story than it is a black political comedy as if conceived by a tripping Noam Chomsky, part of why I became such a passionate fan of his in the first place.) What Cursed really is is a probing look at the ways humans interact with each other, and of the importance of having trusted loved ones around us to offset our own crippling feelings of self-doubt; Shipp just happens to tell it through the filter of what may or may not be supernatural creatures of unconscionable evil, and a plague of slight annoyances that may or may not be sweeping across the human race.

It's what keeps me such a fan of Shipp's work, and also what garners this book a score in the 9s, which regulars know is unusual here for a genre book, and which means that I think the book good enough for a general audience, whether that audience member is naturally a fan of that genre or not. That's the ultimate compliment I can pay this book, that it deserves to be read whether or not you're already a horror fan, and I repeat again what I've said before, that it's a shame that Shipp hasn't yet had the kind of mainstream breakthrough success like what happened to Joe Hill in the '00s or Clive Barker in the '80s. It's much deserved, and maybe it's this book that will finally get Shipp the kind of national attention he warrants.

Out of 10: 9.2 ( )