The Corset & The Jellyfish: A Conundrum of Jellyfish by Nick Bantock

Source: Netgalley – Thank you to the publisher (genuinely I appreciate it but… what is this?)
TL;DR: Uhhmm… No? Why?

Plot: Can’t find one here
Characters: They didn’t exist
Setting: Wherever your brain fog decides I suppose
Magic: That’s funny. The magic of confusion.

Thoughts:

I don’t even know where to begin with this one. The Corset & The Jellyfish is a (per the title) ‘Conundrum of Drabbles’. I will certainly agree that it’s a conundrum. I am puzzled and confused and honestly questioning… why?

The Drabbles in question of The Corset & The Jellyfish are all exceptionally short fiction pieces. I’m talking, perhaps a page or two each depending of font and setting. Some of them had a glimmer of something fascinating, a few made me uncomfortable, and I remember almost nothing about them a day later. That really says something for the book.

It was in not offensive, and it was short enough that I feel my time wasn’t wasted, but sincerely I am wondering, why? Why is this a book that exists? Was it simply published for the author name? I can’t say I’ve ever heard of Mr. Bantock but he could be very popular in other circles. The narrative ‘structure’ of the book, if you can call it that, is that the stories can be used to construct your own story or the secret story that may somehow connect them all. Frankly, based on the stories length and number of stories I call poppycock on that.

The Corset & The Jellyfish is truly one of the first books that I have to say, with the upmost respect – Why? Why does this exist? There was ultimately little to nothing to gleam from this. The doodles, while fine, definitely felt familiar to me in that ways late 80’s – early 90’s art somehow looked. I was left completely puzzled as to what I was meant to take from it. Not offended but puzzled.

2 Confused and Bewildered Stars out of 5