The Day Dali Died: Poetry and Flash Fiction

Rating:
Summary: Interesting compilation
Review: "The Day Dali Died" probably isn't the best place for people who are new to Jeff Vandermeer to make his acquaintance, as it doesn't offer enough material to truly appreciate his talent. However, for those who have already read "City of Saints and Madmen" and "Veniss Underground", this collection should provide interesting insight into Vandermeer's later, more polished works. A slim collection, it can easily be read in a sitting or two, but there are elements that echo and foreshadow themes found elsewhere in his writing.

"The Day Dali Died" contains three types of writing poetry, flash fiction (stories only a page or two in length) and more traditional short stories that run from five to ten pages. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by the poetry; I knew that Vandermeer had begun his career as a poet, and had later moved on to fiction. I assumed that this change of direction was the result of a lack of talent, but many of the poems were actually quite good. There are too many to consider in great detail, but there are a few highlights worth mentioning. "Flight Is For Those Who Have Not Crossed Over" explores cruel hope in a place where by all rights there should be none. "Four Theories Of Earth-Moon System Formation" covers exactly what the title suggests, but in a remarkably engaging and original way. Finally, there is my personal favorite "An Afterlife" which beautifully, yet poignantly, considers the ultimate fate of our greatest monuments and to a degree ourselves.

For the most part, the short fiction is likewise good, but the entries are bookended by two remarkable pieces that display the full range of Vandermeer's talent. First is "The Songs a Dead Whale Sings" which describes a bizarre milieu that hints at the wonder, absurdity and the sometimes capricious violence of his Ambergris stories. At the other end of the spectrum is "At the Crossroads, Burying the Dog"; Vandermeer has perfectly captured the pain of losing a pet, and more than that, what a pet means to our emotional development. On the surface, this piece seems utterly foreign to Vandermeer's other work. However, his use of the second person presages the second section of "Veniss Underground", and it is interesting how personal the voice becomes. Secondly, the story is infused with a pathos and dark humor that is familiar from many of the Ambergris stories.

Certainly not the best of Vandermeer, "The Day Dali Died" nonetheless is an engaging collection that offers intriguing glimpses into the author's development as a writer. While not for someone new to Vandermeer, those who have enjoyed his other works will be drawn in by familiar elements in entirely new settings. Moreover, his poetry is original, well written and an intriguing break from his fiction.

Jake Mohlman

Rating:
Summary: Interesting compilation
Review: "The Day Dali Died" probably isn't the best place for people who are new to Jeff Vandermeer to make his acquaintance, as it doesn't offer enough material to truly appreciate his talent. However, for those who have already read "City of Saints and Madmen" and "Veniss Underground", this collection should provide interesting insight into Vandermeer's later, more polished works. A slim collection, it can easily be read in a sitting or two, but there are elements that echo and foreshadow themes found elsewhere in his writing.

"The Day Dali Died" contains three types of writing poetry, flash fiction (stories only a page or two in length) and more traditional short stories that run from five to ten pages. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by the poetry; I knew that Vandermeer had begun his career as a poet, and had later moved on to fiction. I assumed that this change of direction was the result of a lack of talent, but many of the poems were actually quite good. There are too many to consider in great detail, but there are a few highlights worth mentioning. "Flight Is For Those Who Have Not Crossed Over" explores cruel hope in a place where by all rights there should be none. "Four Theories Of Earth-Moon System Formation" covers exactly what the title suggests, but in a remarkably engaging and original way. Finally, there is my personal favorite "An Afterlife" which beautifully, yet poignantly, considers the ultimate fate of our greatest monuments and to a degree ourselves.

For the most part, the short fiction is likewise good, but the entries are bookended by two remarkable pieces that display the full range of Vandermeer's talent. First is "The Songs a Dead Whale Sings" which describes a bizarre milieu that hints at the wonder, absurdity and the sometimes capricious violence of his Ambergris stories. At the other end of the spectrum is "At the Crossroads, Burying the Dog"; Vandermeer has perfectly captured the pain of losing a pet, and more than that, what a pet means to our emotional development. On the surface, this piece seems utterly foreign to Vandermeer's other work. However, his use of the second person presages the second section of "Veniss Underground", and it is interesting how personal the voice becomes. Secondly, the story is infused with a pathos and dark humor that is familiar from many of the Ambergris stories.

Certainly not the best of Vandermeer, "The Day Dali Died" nonetheless is an engaging collection that offers intriguing glimpses into the author's development as a writer. While not for someone new to Vandermeer, those who have enjoyed his other works will be drawn in by familiar elements in entirely new settings. Moreover, his poetry is original, well written and an intriguing break from his fiction.

Jake Mohlman

Rating:
Summary: Far better than I expected.
Review: Jeff Vandermeer, The Day Dali Died (Prime, 2003)

I picked this up as a kind of another-chance book after being so profoundly unimpressed with the opening pages of Veniss Underground that I couldn't bring myself to read the novel. The Day Dali Died is a collection of half poetry and half stories, and it certainly rings better than the opening pages of Veniss Underground; the poetry is surprisingly accomplished, the fiction a bit more on the inconsistent side, but coming down heavily on the side of "readable." Special mention should be given to "At the Crossroads, Burying the Dog," one of the most original stories I've read on the subject of loss in quite a while.

Without a doubt there is much to like here, but not much really jumps out and grabs you by the throat; a good, solid collection, but there are others worth exploring first. ***