The Printer From Hell

I picked this up because the goofy title appealed to me. I was expecting something comically horrific like [b:The Mall of Cthulhu 2797251 The Mall of Cthulhu Seamus Cooper https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1270796766l/2797251.SY75.jpg 2823035], but instead this is thoroughly bleak, with plenty of detailed descriptions of torture and gore. So no matter what, my enjoyment was going to be less than anticipated.Layered on top was a completely unlikable protagonist, whose minimization and secret-keeping were so frustrating and unrealistic that I just checked out completely. If not for that factor, I'd say this is a decent tale of otherworldly terrors and creeping dread. As it is, I'd say if you want bleak and creepy, just read [b:The Visible Filth 24791985 The Visible Filth Nathan Ballingrud https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1422818046l/24791985.SX50.jpg 44426756] - it's much better written, and the protagonist is still unlikable, but more well-written and understandable.

Fragile masculinity kills a story featuring a printer and a guy with a fantastically fragile sense of his masculinity. The idea behind this story wasn't bad but the execution was just okay for me.