Comfort Me with Apples

By: Catherynne M. Valente

Narrated by: 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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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.

Blind oddity

This was weird.
Like… beautifully written, unsettling, biblical fever dream weird.

It’s super short, so I went into it mostly blind and I HIGHLY recommend doing the same because figuring out what is actually happening is half the experience.

The whole thing feels wrong in that quiet, uncanny way where everything seems too perfect. And the further it goes, the more uncomfortable and bizarre it becomes.

The religious symbolism and the play on God/Adam/Eve/the “only son” thing was definitely interesting. Not usually my go-to theme, but it worked here because it felt more eerie and psychological than preachy.

Quick, strange, unsettling little novella. Glad I read it.

go in blind

short and sweet but gorgeously haunted i was so excited when I put it together

Was expecting female rage

This story was not at all what I expected. It was entertaining enough to continue to the end, but only because I expected the female character to have her AHA moment and flip her perspective. That never happens. I loved the imagery in this book and the narrator was great. I just wanted more depth.

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.