Es kommt naher: Ein Adventskalender der anderen Art

Name: Es kommt naher: Ein Adventskalender der anderen Art
Price: 16.50 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9783754372586

✍️ Markus Kessler

Reader Score

4.5

(1 review)

$16.50

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📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

A twenty-four story horror collection replacing sweets with supernatural tales for the advent season.

This volume functions as an alternative to standard holiday calendars by substituting chocolate with prose. Kessler utilizes the structure of the advent period to deliver isolated vignettes that challenge conventional expectations of Christmas figures. The text engages with the concept of Saint Nicholas acting erratically and examines the mysterious nature of the child in the stable. Each entry offers a distinct encounter with the uncanny, ensuring that the reader experiences a continuous thread of unease rather than comfort. The book operates as a curated selection of short fiction intended for daily consumption during the weeks leading up to Christmas. It appeals to an audience comfortable with ambiguity and dark humor, providing a literary experience that aligns with the genre's focus on fear and mystery.

Key Themes

ghosts in darkness Saint Nicholas madness mysterious stable child

Literary Context

This German-language work published in 2021 by Bod - Books on Demand reinterprets traditional European Christmas customs. It targets readers who find standard holiday narratives too tame, offering a subversive take on familiar seasonal icons and folklore within the context of a daily literary countdown.

Difficulty

● Easy

Recommended For Fans Of

Shirley Jackson · M.R. James · Angela Carter · Edgar Allan Poe

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Horror Fiction

🏛 Bod - Books on Demand 📅 2021 🌐 non-English 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9783754372586

📝 Description: Es kommt naher: Ein Adventskalender der anderen Art

Markus Kessler presents a unique literary advent calendar that diverges from traditional confections by offering twenty-four short stories designed for readers who prefer the unsettling over the sentimental. Published in 2021 by Bod - Books on Demand, this volume transforms the countdown to Christmas into a series of encounters with the supernatural and the bizarre. The collection draws upon established European traditions, featuring figures such as Saint Nicholas and the infant in the manger, but reimagines them through a lens of horror and mystery. The narratives explore themes of ghosts wandering through darkness, magical entities distributing gifts, and characters undergoing strange transformations. Kessler structures the book to provide a brief reading experience for each day of the advent season, catering specifically to fans of fantastic fiction who enjoy the eerie, the mystical, and the absurd. The content relies on established folklore but twists it to suit a darker sensibility. This work suits those who appreciate gothic atmosphere and supernatural intrigue during the holiday season. It does not appeal to readers seeking conventional festive cheer or traditional religious devotion without a twist of horror.

💎 Our verdict on Es kommt naher: Ein Adventskalender der anderen Art

“

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Horror Reads editorial team

Horror desk

Kessler successfully transforms the countdown to Christmas into a series of encounters with the bizarre, utilizing the advent structure to deliver isolated yet thematically linked stories. The book excels in its ability to reimagine familiar European folklore through a darker sensibility, creating a distinct atmosphere of mystery rather than relying on shock value. It suits readers who appreciate gothic ambiance and supernatural intrigue, offering a sophisticated alternative to traditional holiday cheer. While it may alienate those seeking conventional religious devotion or simple festive comfort, it rewards those willing to engage with ambiguity and dark humor. The collection provides a consistent tone of unease, making it a compelling choice for horror enthusiasts looking for seasonal reading that challenges rather than soothes.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

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Why this book is worth reading

Readers who find conventional holiday narratives too sentimental or lacking in depth will appreciate this collection's deliberate pivot toward the eerie and the mystical. It serves those who enjoy short, isolated vignettes that challenge traditional expectations of Christmas figures without offering comfort. The book is ideal for fans of dark humor and ambiguity who wish to experience a continuous thread of unease during the weeks leading up to Christmas. By substituting sweets with prose, it offers a literary alternative that aligns with the genre's focus on fear, mystery, and the uncanny. It appeals specifically to an audience comfortable with gothic atmosphere and supernatural intrigue, providing a curated selection of short fiction for daily consumption that prioritizes the unsettling over the festive.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Horror Reads —

Reader rating

4.5

Based on 1 reviews

Horror Reads editorial team

Kessler successfully transforms the countdown to Christmas into a series of encounters with the bizarre, utilizing the advent structure to deliver isolated yet thematically linked stories. The book excels in its ability to reimagine familiar European folklore through a darker sensibility, creating a distinct atmosphere of mystery rather than relying on shock value. It suits readers who appreciate gothic ambiance and supernatural intrigue, offering a sophisticated alternative to traditional holiday cheer. While it may alienate those seeking conventional religious devotion or simple festive comfort, it rewards those willing to engage with ambiguity and dark humor. The collection provides a consistent tone of unease, making it a compelling choice for horror enthusiasts looking for seasonal reading that challenges rather than soothes.