Horrorstör - Grady Hendrix

Pardon me, I might be slow, but what the hell are book trailers? I just came across this Horrorstör 'book trailer' on YouTube while finding photos of its book so I can rave about its design but now, chancing upon this weird trend that I not know of, I have this sudden stroke of epiphany.

Just like movie trailers, book trailers seem to function as a visual expectation of the piece of media. While movie trailers are constructed of spliced scenes from the actual movie itself, and therefore giving the viewer an accurate pre-show, book trailers on the other hand leave little room for the reader's imagination because all these scenes serve as spoonfed visual expectations. I mean, just think about it; I watched the Harry Potter movies before starting on the book series, and now whenever I pick up any of its books, I immediately construe corresponding scenes from the movies to aid my imagination, mapping the movie stars' faces onto the characters'. Thinking about it, there's actually nothing wrong with that, but don't you lose that element of visual creation and imagination that books offer?
But thankfully, the book trailers I've clicked around on YouTube so far like this and this are of such sub-par quality, they defeat their original purpose of advertising. Maybe they appeal to a younger audience? I don't know.

Absolutely love the design concept. From the covers, to a few pages into the book where they state their terms and policies and Orsk's motto (just like IKEA catalogues), and to chapter covers. Fine parody.

Actually, Horrorstör is my first horror novel. I mean, I've read Poe's short tales (which can be REALLY creepy if you use your imagination well), but never a book cataloged under the horror genre. [One of my favourite Poe tales: here.] I was curious how the author would try to sustain the feeling of fear within the reader for the entire course of the book, but I'm just dismayed because Horrorstör wasn't creepy, nor frightening. To "get in the mood" I went as far as to turning off the lights and searching "creepy music" on YouTube. Urgh, very lame, but all in vain.

The central theme of this 246 paged book is the inevitability of the daily grind that pawns of the economy, like us, subscribe ourselves to. So you have the skeptical Amy, a mere college drop-out, making both ends meet with her less than satisfactory work at Orsk, and Basil, who has already been insidiously indoctrinated by Orsk's phony taglines like "Approachable And Agreeable Attitude" to become a "Shop Responsible" store manager. I really can't help but have those "I KNOW RIGHT" moments and feel empathetic towards Amy when reading her private thoughts. Like you know you're not in line for customer service when you choose to display anti-social behaviour at work in bleak hope of scaring customers to seek help from your partner instead. And I'm not talking about Amy.

Back to the book. Think Running Man in Ikea (people chasing people), but in a horror setting. Someone is possessed, relinquishing an army of not-so-scary penitents who had similarly undergone mundane work. There were a few other characters in the book that seemed so convenient to exist that you realise that their presence is just a function for a gore spectacle - a horror story, some people just must die or get hurt or disappear. The book was bereft of emotion, or maybe I was, because Amy (or I) didn't have a deep enough connection with the aforementioned expendables.

Something I gleaned from the book was the ingenious purpose of IKEA's Orsk's showroom layout. Think about it! A maze of furniture in Swedish drag in an expanse of land, no windows or doors to suggest the time of the day. You don't get lost, though, because the handy directory will guide you through every section of the marketfloor even if you're in search of a pillow. You don't take the shortcuts because you cannot resist looking at those iconic showrooms brimming of cheap but stylish Swedish flair.

Seriously, read more here. To be honest, I feel a little stupid now that I realise I've been a tried and tested specimen in a psychologically manipulative retail machination. The worst thing is that I still really like the IKEA showrooms??? Horrorstör was just okay, 2.5/5, ok maybe 2.9 for its design. And didactic sidetrack to pull me out of today's voracious consumerism.

Unfriended + Red Dragon - Thomas Harris

Urgh, one of the worst horror movies ever. Actually, I have my reservations calling it a horror movie because it was NOT scary. It got really boring from the start because Unfriended is basically a  movie filmed through continuous screen video of a series of intermittent Skype chats, Facebook messaging, YouTube and music playlists. The entire portion of the movie was dedicated to just watching the faces of 5 people through low-resolution, occasional-freezing webcams. I understand they're trying to recreate a new horror concept, but nope, not working well. 

Speaking of new horror concept, I'm currently reading Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix. Unfortunately, because I've downloaded it into my Kindle, I'm unable to feel for myself its unique presentation conceptualised from the all-too-famous Ikea catalogues. The preface, chapter covers, design etc are modeled from the yearly thin-paper spreads. I chanced upon its cover while clicking around on Goodreads and did a double take, thinking no way a book can be based on, and/or parody the Swedish furniture retailer. 

Back to Unfriended. Basically the above is like 80% of what you'll see during the movie. Urgh, think ABC's Pretty Little Liars mated with Paranormal Activity Number Something (the one with the girl and webcam). Minus the scare factor, amp up sound effects during jump scares. There was hardly any supernatural involvement. It was more about betrayals and alot of screaming and crying. Annoying. 

Red Dragon - Thomas Harris

I'm only embarking the Hannibal book series seriously after reading one hit novel The Silence of the Lambs a few years ago. I was really quite interested in a cannibalistic psychiatrist manipulating another mentally unsound savant-sleuth, but realised that was the backstory and the prelude to The Silence of the Lambs, which was inspired by infamous Ed Gein murders. I then got sucked into the NBC drama Hannibal, WHOSE SEASON 3 WILL BE OUT ON JUNE 4 Yay omg will definitely update more on the Hannibal series!!! Can't get enough of my psychotic classy cannibal-psychiatrist turned fugitive. 

Red Dragon was good. Other than the title and book cover that may mislead people into thinking it's a disgusting spin-off of the YA series Inheritance Cycle (really don't know what it's all about. Except dragons), this crime thriller was appropriately paced - not too draggy, good sneak peak into the childhood of the serial killer to evoke just abit of sympathy. Amazing revelation at the end to shock readers. But I disliked the different locations of the crime investigation bureaus/forensic labs whatever which confused me a little because I'm not too well-versed with the different American states. Just like The Silence of the Lambs, Red Dragon puts Hannibal Lecter and his complex relationship with Graham as a secondary plot appendaged to the cat-and-mouse hunt of the psychotic killer. Red Dragon is the first of the Hannibal novel series, and I'll definitely be continuing it. As with the drama, of course.  

It's the end of May soon, and thinking about how my 7 or 8 month holiday is coming to an end before I get sucked back into the vortex of assignments, learning, grades, whatever, in the all-too-familiar system while upholding the demands of a $50K investment is terrifyingly exciting. Terrifying due to the onslaught of academic demands that I am confident in surmounting (as of now, lol, it may be too early to say), exciting because there's so many NEW opportunities and experience! The amount of positivity I have with regards to the future right now is not in line with my pessimistic, skeptical nature. I guess it says alot about my expectations of university life too. I guess I'll do up a proper update when I really mourn for the loss of my 8 months holiday when university officially starts.