Comfort Me with Apples

De: Catherynne M. Valente

Narrado por: Karis Campbell

Sophia was made for him, her perfect husband. She can feel it in her bones. He is perfect; their home together in Arcadia Gardens is perfect; everything is perfect. It's just that he's away so much - so often. He works so hard. She misses him, and he misses her. He says he does, so it must be true. He is the perfect husband, and everything is perfect.

But sometimes Sophia wonders about things - strange things, dark things - the look on her husband's face when he comes back from a long business trip, the questions he will not answer, the locked basement she is never allowed to enter. And whenever she asks the neighbors, they can't quite meet her gaze.... But everything is perfect - isn't it?

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So good it required immediate replay

I loved this story so much so I had to listen to it twice. I was already familiar with the author but this book in particular has made her my absolute favorite.

Listened to based on a rave review from Reddit…

The narrator was great. However, the story was just a little weird for me. Not what I was expecting in the slightest, especially by the end of it. Had a very similar same story line to Don’t Worry Darling just with a different ending. I should have read reviews before I listened but was told to go into it blindly!

strange story

“Comfort Me with Apples” is an incredibly strange strange story. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Karis Cambell.

The story opens with a list of rules for living in Acadia Garden. The protagonist, Sophia, loves her husband and feels she was made for him. This is repeated much in the story. Her voice is pleasant and she happily defers to anything and everything her husband tells her to do, which adds a strange vibe. But everything about Acadia Garden alerts the listener to “something is awry”. But, what?

It’s a quick story, there are clues. And when the story got to the end, I couldn’t believe what I did not pick up in clues.

This is a very bizarre story. I’m conflicted because I didn’t like the story from the start. Yet, I kept listening, and kept not liking it. Yet…..I listened to the end…and I was duped! I give it 5 full stars for duping me in such an open way. Most of the story though…it’s like an uncomfortable Twilight Zone episode!.

I get why this has been rated lower, but I did enjoy the nuances of the story.

Amazing!

This book is unlike anything you will ever read. So unique. I highly recommend this book!

Best to Go in Blind

Another review I saw urged readers to go into this story without reading anything about it, and that was stellar advice. Just read it and see how long it takes you to figure it out. Such a fantastic and chilling little piece.

Sooo good

I loved everything about this book It was strange and thrilling and kept me captivated with every word. It felt like a fresh of breath air and a genre where books sometimes can feel a little bit samey so I highly suggest this if you're looking for something new It was really really good. and the ending was just perfect.

short and entertaining

It's best to go in fairly blindly. I thought the length was perfect for the story. An enjoyable read.

I immediately needed to know everything

I loved the storyline. It hooked me in immediately and I needed to eat up the entire story. I loved the unraveling and how real it felt. It felt like I was right there with her unraveling myself.

Beautiful and haunting

I pre-ordered this and was a little disappointed at first because I didn’t realize that this was a novella. However, I shouldn’t have been. This book is just so well written. I’ve listened to it multiple times now because I hear something new each time. I even bought that hard cover book because I loved the Audible version so much I want to read it myself as well. The story is suspenseful and unexpected and so well-written. The narrator’s voice is lovely to listen to and so perfect for this story, giving the main and supporting characters so much depth. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

Predictable

The first half is unique and curious and I’m totally invested. But it then starts to fall apart in interest as it then becomes very predictable all the way up to the end.