Inspecting the Vaults

The 1993 edition includes the novella The Paradise Motel. It also includes a cover blurb from a Montreal Gazette review: "odd and unsettling ... murder, deformity and cruelty are treated as everyday occurrences." McCormack taught contemporary literature at the University of Waterloo while I attended......more

I was taken on so many travels, most of them deliciously twisted. McCormack brought me into character-driven worlds. Each of the characters' psyche - well crafted when confronted with the absurdity of their reality - so very pulling. For lovers of the macabre. Perfect for the fall.......more

Some interesting images, but little plot and a general feeling of "why?" There seems to be an interest in metatextuality and social repression (as well as a desire to shock) but like, not in a way that interested me. There's also a tendency to project some white-guy nonsense onto aboriginal cultures......more

Some truly creative and disturbing scenes of body horror. As others have noted about McCormack, he is more interested in mood and style than in plot. But the writing is good and the ideas strong, so I would consider checking out his later books.......more

There are some ups and downs in this collection, but I love McCormack. Terrific short stories you will find here: Inspecting The Vaults, The Swath, Captain Joe, Edward and Georgina, Festival.......more