Firstly, I’d like to thank the author, Mike Russell for sending a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This isn’t the first time Mike Russell has taken me on a journey into his strange world. I’ve previously reviewed his first book ‘Nothing is Strange.’ So might think, I’d be prepared to go on another strange journey into Mike Russell’s Stange Medicine. But, you’d be mistaken. Strange Medicine is a collection of eight short stories, each progressively weirder than the next. And it’s great for those who enjoy zany and macabre stories and are looking for a short read.
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Mike Russel is a fantastic writer and has a way with words. His vivid imagery pulls you into the story and leaves you wanting more. As I read each story, I felt like I was in a strange dream where nothing made much sense first. But the more I thought about, the more sense it made. I enjoyed each story in the collection, with my favorite story being ‘Mime.’
Mime is a story that features mime suicides, a mime school, and will have you questioning what’s real and what isn’t. After reading the first few pages, I had a lot of questions and wanted to know more. So I ended up staying up later than intended to finish the story. And by the end, I found myself questioning what is real and what isn’t and how mimes bring to life immaterial.
Another story that stuck out to me was ‘Mr. Dennis and the Universe,’ out of all the stories it was the one that made really dig deep and think. It tells a tale of a man carrying around a metal box who hates the universe. While on the train to find a new place to live after being kicked out, he’s questioned by Jerry a man on holiday. And Mr. Dennis says something to Jerry that ends up taking a hold of him. And but ruins his holiday. After reading ‘Mr. Dennis and the Universe,’ I found myself pondering those same words and their meaning.
Overall I enjoyed reading ‘Strange Medicine,’ and getting lost in the strange world of Mike Russell. I found myself thinking about the stories and the meaning behind them days after finishing the book. So if you’re looking for something unusual to read, then check out Mike Russell’s ‘Strange Medicine.’ You can grab a copy here. And if you’d like to learn more about Mike Russell and his other books, then check out the links below.
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Thank you Strange Books, for a copy of this strange, yet enjoyable book.
Related Post: A Review of Nothing is Strange
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Reading more short stories is something I have been wanting to do. I have never read anything by Mike Russel but this one certainly sounds like an interesting collection of stories.
I’ve been reading a lot more short stories. My schedule has been hectic so I haven’t had time to get into novels. His stories are definitely interesting.