A Tree or a Person or a Wall by Matt Bell is a collection of dark and disturbing short stories that delve into themes of captivity, loneliness, marriage, existential horror, and the repercussions of human folly. The stories feature a wide range of characters, from refugees to mutant gang members, and explore post-apocalyptic worlds, dystopian societies, and surrealistic scenarios. Bell's writing style is haunting and evocative, with a focus on beautiful language and thought-provoking imagery that lingers with the reader long after finishing the book.

Characters:

Characters are complex, often reflecting the darker sides of humanity, with children symbolizing innocence within a corrupted world.

Writing/Prose:

The prose is characterized by beautiful, evocative writing that melds darkness with artistry, reminiscent of classic literary styles.

Plot/Storyline:

The narratives delve into human folly and the consequences of moral decline, including allegorical representations of captivity, technology reliance, and societal issues.

Setting:

Settings are bleak and unsettling, frequently evoking apocalyptic or desolate landscapes that enhance the overall themes of decay.

Pacing:

The pacing is diverse, sometimes languid and contemplative, while at other times propelling the reader into action and anxiety.

EVEN BEFORE THE MAN WITH rough hands brought the boy to the locked room, even then there was always already the albino ape sitting on the chair beside the nightstand, waiting for the man and the boy t...

Notes:

The longest story in the collection is 'Cataclysm Baby', featuring freakish children born into a damaged world.

Bell explores dystopian themes, often focusing on moral degradation and humanity's impact on the planet.

'The Receiving Tower' tells of elderly soldiers who forget their mission while waiting in a military installation.

'The Collectors' is based on the real-life Collyer brothers, highlighting society's struggle with hoarding.

The title story, 'A Tree or a Person or a Wall', features a boy imprisoned with an albino ape, symbolizing complacency and evil.

Bell's writing is characterized by lyrical prose that evokes a haunting mood.

He is known for creating literary allegories filled with disturbing imagery and surreal plots.

Many stories tackle human follies like bigotry, technology dependence, and the quest for eternal youth.

'Doll Parts and Dredge' involves different crimes connected by water, exploring themes of loss and obsession.

'Her Ennead' takes a creative look at pregnancy through a whimsical lens.

'The Migration' reflects on the treatment of refugees, critiquing societal attitudes towards outsiders.

Bell's stories often feature children and explore themes of captivity and loss of voice.

'Arguing Against My Own Interests', a bitingly humorous take on tragedy, follows a family's harrowing experience.

His work is described as difficult yet transformative, evoking strong emotional responses from readers.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings for A Tree or a Person or a Wall may include themes of childhood trauma, captivity, psychological distress, and depictions of moral degradation.

From The Publisher:

"Blurs the often fine lines between literary and genre fictions, allegory and horror, magical realism and bizarro . . . An unforgettable reading experience" ( The New York Journal of Books ).

A nineteenth-century minister builds an elaborate motor that will bring about the Second Coming. A man with rough hands locks a boy in a room with an albino ape. An apocalyptic army falls under a veil of forgetfulness. The story of Red Riding Hood is run through a potentially endless series of iterations. A father invents an elaborate, consuming game for his hospitalized son. Indexes, maps, a checkered shirt buried beneath a blanket of snow: they are scattered through these pages as clues to mysteries that may never be solved, lingering evidence of the violence and unknowability of the world.

Named one of the best books of the year by the Chicago Review of Books , A Tree or a Person or a Wall brings together Matt Bell's acclaimed short fiction-the story collection How They Were Found and the acclaimed novella Cataclysm Baby -along with seven dark and disturbing new stories, to create a work of singular power.

What can you read after
A Tree or a Person or a Wall?

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A Tree or a Person or a Wall

Matt Bell

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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

From The Publisher:

What can you read after A Tree or a Person or a Wall?

What can you read after
A Tree or a Person or a Wall?