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The Visible Filth
This gripping novella of terror by Shirley Jackson Award–winning author Nathan Ballingrud is the basis for the film Wounds starring Dakota Johnson, Armie Hammer, and Zazie Beetz!
An eerie dread descends upon a New Orleans dive bartender after a cell phone is left behind in a rollicking bar fight in the novella “The Visible Filth,” which has been adapted for film by director Babak Anvari—premiering at the Sundance film festival!—and starring Armie Hammer, Dakota Johnson, and Zazie Beetz. Wounds will release on April 12th, 2019.
An eerie dread descends upon a New Orleans dive bartender after a cell phone is left behind in a rollicking bar fight in the novella “The Visible Filth,” which has been adapted for film by director Babak Anvari—premiering at the Sundance film festival!—and starring Armie Hammer, Dakota Johnson, and Zazie Beetz. Wounds will release on April 12th, 2019.
80 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2015
About the author
Nathan Ballingrud
69 books1,128 followersI'm the author of North American Lake Monsters: stories, coming from Small Beer Press in July 2013. I'm currently at work on my first novel and several more short stories. I live with my daughter in Asheville, NC.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 216 reviews
March 22, 2016
This is what horror is made of. Incomplete, disturbing images on a cell phone. Text messages pleading for help. Strange sounds that might be talking, or perhaps something else. A computer image of a dark, dank tunnel, from which something is emerging. Foul odors, scuttling roaches, and creeping, indeterminate dread. This novella took me to a different frequency, and I relished every moment. Nathan Ballingrud, I want more.
March 16, 2019
So I have the collection WOUNDS: Six Stories from the Border of Hell as an ARC but being the impish little horror fan that I am, I saw that one of the stories, THE VISIBLE FILTH is getting the silver screen treatment. The movie should be out this summer, 2019 and I wanted to get a jump on it (cuz spoilers). However, after reading the story--I doubt I'd be able to watch a movie version! Too scary!
*rolls up sleeves*
Let's discuss (spoiler free as per usual)
This short story, about 70 pages, was my first read of author Nathan Ballingrud and it could not have made a more lasting impression on me.
There are two levels of interest that play off each other in THE VISIBLE FILTH; almost like Ballingrud is some kind of wordslinging-magician, expertly trained in the art of misdirection, "Look over here, Reader. Watch these young, immature people engage in toxic relationships while I work on something sinister over here in your periphery."
Every time Ballingrud peeled back the curtain to reveal a glimpse of what stirred behind the scenes, he simultaneously orchestrated the characters to shuffle about and cover it up again. As a result, the tension building is extraordinary; ultimately setting the stage for an eye-popping, mind-blowing ending.
Truly amazing.
I loved the way the protagonist, Will, seemed 100% incapable of making any reasonable life choices. It's this man's inability to do anything right that makes him the worst (or best?) possible person to have to deal with the craziness befalls him.
There's no way I'm going to even suggest what transpires in these pages. Just picture me urging you to read this, sliding the book towards you with a wicked grin on my face and an evil twinkle in my eye. My hope for you is that you don't heed my warning to read this in the daylight. I hope you think that you're immune to horror and nothing gets under your skin...
I hope this one rattles your cage pretty good and you sleep with the lights on.
"There's something in the room with me."
Goodnight!
*rolls up sleeves*
Let's discuss (spoiler free as per usual)
This short story, about 70 pages, was my first read of author Nathan Ballingrud and it could not have made a more lasting impression on me.
There are two levels of interest that play off each other in THE VISIBLE FILTH; almost like Ballingrud is some kind of wordslinging-magician, expertly trained in the art of misdirection, "Look over here, Reader. Watch these young, immature people engage in toxic relationships while I work on something sinister over here in your periphery."
Every time Ballingrud peeled back the curtain to reveal a glimpse of what stirred behind the scenes, he simultaneously orchestrated the characters to shuffle about and cover it up again. As a result, the tension building is extraordinary; ultimately setting the stage for an eye-popping, mind-blowing ending.
Truly amazing.
I loved the way the protagonist, Will, seemed 100% incapable of making any reasonable life choices. It's this man's inability to do anything right that makes him the worst (or best?) possible person to have to deal with the craziness befalls him.
There's no way I'm going to even suggest what transpires in these pages. Just picture me urging you to read this, sliding the book towards you with a wicked grin on my face and an evil twinkle in my eye. My hope for you is that you don't heed my warning to read this in the daylight. I hope you think that you're immune to horror and nothing gets under your skin...
I hope this one rattles your cage pretty good and you sleep with the lights on.
"There's something in the room with me."
Goodnight!
May 6, 2015
Very little of what is classified as horror fiction or contemporary Weird fiction scares me, and that's okay, because I don't read this style of literature to be frightened. I don't like to be frightened. Truly terrified. Who does, really, if we are being totally honest with ourselves? There are plenty of undertakings one can pursue if genuine fear (not thrills, or shock) is the end result, and I don't see me or anyone else I know heading down those paths, either in a literal or metaphorical sense.
Instead, I read this style of fiction for the wonder of it all, and while the atmospherics can sometimes be unsettling, they usually just end up being cool, or interesting, or awe-inspiring in their fantastical rendering. But in terms of true terror, that is reserved for the decidedly non-fiction realm of real life monsters that burn down villages and break into your homes and hunt women and defile children and devour innocence like they're on some sort of infernal time clock. For all but the true believers, supernatural fiction is fantasy, and fantasy is never scary, as how could something that is admittedly not real serve as a threat to the safety and well being of me and my loved ones?
But Nathan Ballingrud, who does write horror and Weird fiction as well or better than anyone else tapping the keys today, is straight-up scary. Not him personally, as he's a lovely fellow. But the people, places, and things he unleashes onto the page can often be horrifying in all the full-bodied definition of the word. And I like it. My Lord, do I ever like it.
Perhaps its the sense of authenticity of the characters and settings, both of which wear the weight of imperfection like a favorite pair of jeans. Most likely, this conjuring of discomfort from within the reader comes from the way deeply buried human flaws are exhumed, dissected, and laid bare to the humid air, then left there for all to witness, without apology. The abomination of the cut wide human soul. That's unsettling stuff, and that's what Ballingrud writes, like the Larry David or Ricky Gervais of dark fiction. Squirms coated with gooseflesh.
After wowing the horror fiction world in 2013 with the release of his debut collection North American Lake Monsters, which earned him nothing less than a Shirley Jackson Award and the fierce admiration of his peers, Ballingrud continues to build his lasting legacy of pitch black, uncomfortable fiction with his new novella The Visible Filth, published by This Is Horror (an outfit I hadn't heard of prior to ordering this book, but will return to as a customer based on the professionalism and care provided by owner and managing editor Michael Wilson). This is a taut story, shot through with suspense that binds together the strips of shapeless horror of seemingly everyday people and circumstances like a filthy quilt sew with piano wire.
The story is set in New Orleans, but it could be a slice of life in any city or small town where there are bars and college students and eroding relationships. And roaches. And cell phones. This is horror with a firm sense of place, but it is also universal enough that you can feel it churning on your neighborhood block. The evils done and the threats posed aren't ripped from a pulp mag. They could be taken from the morning paper, from text drenched in terrified mystery.
None of the four main characters are incredibly likable, nor fully happy, which seems an honest appraisal of life amongst twenty- and thirty-somethings dwelling in and around the bar scene, no matter the zip code. The leads are flighty and morose and devoted to self medication, spiritually empty in that vaguely nihilistic way of slacker narcissists. A love triangle threatens to destroy an already unstable square, but before this can happen, a random act of violence in a dingy barroom is all that it takes to link a hidden vein of depravity into the group, and plunge these players into a glistening black tunnel that unspools in front of them, the ghastly terminus unknown.
The Visible Filth, like much of Ballingrud's exceptional writing, is an exercise in indefinable - but somehow familiar - horror beyond our control, or even our explanation. Monstrous things are happening just below the veneer of normal life, and all you can do is watch. And you do watch, despite revulsion, and despite your shame. The fact that you like it unlocks something inside you, and you sit, at a bedside, the roaches gathering patiently, and you wait for what is coming.
Instead, I read this style of fiction for the wonder of it all, and while the atmospherics can sometimes be unsettling, they usually just end up being cool, or interesting, or awe-inspiring in their fantastical rendering. But in terms of true terror, that is reserved for the decidedly non-fiction realm of real life monsters that burn down villages and break into your homes and hunt women and defile children and devour innocence like they're on some sort of infernal time clock. For all but the true believers, supernatural fiction is fantasy, and fantasy is never scary, as how could something that is admittedly not real serve as a threat to the safety and well being of me and my loved ones?
But Nathan Ballingrud, who does write horror and Weird fiction as well or better than anyone else tapping the keys today, is straight-up scary. Not him personally, as he's a lovely fellow. But the people, places, and things he unleashes onto the page can often be horrifying in all the full-bodied definition of the word. And I like it. My Lord, do I ever like it.
Perhaps its the sense of authenticity of the characters and settings, both of which wear the weight of imperfection like a favorite pair of jeans. Most likely, this conjuring of discomfort from within the reader comes from the way deeply buried human flaws are exhumed, dissected, and laid bare to the humid air, then left there for all to witness, without apology. The abomination of the cut wide human soul. That's unsettling stuff, and that's what Ballingrud writes, like the Larry David or Ricky Gervais of dark fiction. Squirms coated with gooseflesh.
After wowing the horror fiction world in 2013 with the release of his debut collection North American Lake Monsters, which earned him nothing less than a Shirley Jackson Award and the fierce admiration of his peers, Ballingrud continues to build his lasting legacy of pitch black, uncomfortable fiction with his new novella The Visible Filth, published by This Is Horror (an outfit I hadn't heard of prior to ordering this book, but will return to as a customer based on the professionalism and care provided by owner and managing editor Michael Wilson). This is a taut story, shot through with suspense that binds together the strips of shapeless horror of seemingly everyday people and circumstances like a filthy quilt sew with piano wire.
The story is set in New Orleans, but it could be a slice of life in any city or small town where there are bars and college students and eroding relationships. And roaches. And cell phones. This is horror with a firm sense of place, but it is also universal enough that you can feel it churning on your neighborhood block. The evils done and the threats posed aren't ripped from a pulp mag. They could be taken from the morning paper, from text drenched in terrified mystery.
None of the four main characters are incredibly likable, nor fully happy, which seems an honest appraisal of life amongst twenty- and thirty-somethings dwelling in and around the bar scene, no matter the zip code. The leads are flighty and morose and devoted to self medication, spiritually empty in that vaguely nihilistic way of slacker narcissists. A love triangle threatens to destroy an already unstable square, but before this can happen, a random act of violence in a dingy barroom is all that it takes to link a hidden vein of depravity into the group, and plunge these players into a glistening black tunnel that unspools in front of them, the ghastly terminus unknown.
The Visible Filth, like much of Ballingrud's exceptional writing, is an exercise in indefinable - but somehow familiar - horror beyond our control, or even our explanation. Monstrous things are happening just below the veneer of normal life, and all you can do is watch. And you do watch, despite revulsion, and despite your shame. The fact that you like it unlocks something inside you, and you sit, at a bedside, the roaches gathering patiently, and you wait for what is coming.
October 19, 2019
OCTOBER 2019 UPDATE Hulu made a film, WOUNDS, of this novella! (Free Hulu trial for non-subscribers at the link.) Plus the edition I reviewed is O.P. but Saga Press's edition offers an ebook for only $2.99!
Rating: 4* of five
My #review of THE VISIBLE FILTH
is live today at Expendable Mudge Muses Aloud, better known as "my blog."
Keep the lights on.
Rating: 4* of five
My #review of THE VISIBLE FILTH
is live today at Expendable Mudge Muses Aloud, better known as "my blog."Keep the lights on.
May 27, 2016
For this review, I am referring to this as The In-Visible Filth. Throughout most of this novella the entity remained under the surface, just out of reach. That can make for good tension in a book, and more often than not I like that slow building of intensity. It makes me think something lies just around that next corner, before popping out with a pee-in-your-pants scare. Honestly, The Visible Filth did have some of that (minus the pee-in-my-pants), but those “almost scares” were muddled up by the side story, and the final payoff just wasn’t there. When the appearance finally occurred, I of course asked, “if that was it? My kindle offered no response. Why did I read it? Most other reviews are 4+ positive. And, I have heard that the author has written a great collection of short stories in North American Lake Monsters: Stories. As it happens, I borrowed The Visible Filth for free thanks to Amazon lending, so nothing lost. Maybe I should have just bit the bullet and purchased his other collection.
May 6, 2015
A genuinely disturbing novella about a New Orleans bartender with crumbling relationships with two women (one he lives with, one he childishly pines for) and a crumbling life, really. After a nasty bar fight a cell phone with odd/disturbing photos and a video is found and things spiral into madness from there. Haunting, creepy, and uncomfortable (in the best way), and filled with images that will stick with you in even in sunlight.
June 30, 2016
Having greatly enjoyed Nathan Ballingrud's fantastic story collection "North American Lake Monsters" it was with perhaps too high a hope that I purchased this chapbook novella.
The story leaves too many questions unanswered, not that there is anything wrong with that, however, the reason some things occur within the guidelines of the story itself are totally withheld from the reader.
The main character is naive bordering on dumb making foolish decisions which can be ok, however within the context of the story he just becomes a dumbass.
My expectations were so much higher for this story. On a more positive note, I have never run across this British publisher prior to this, and am looking forward to other offers from them.
Perhaps this was a "trunk" story from the author whom I will surely keep an eye open for.
The story leaves too many questions unanswered, not that there is anything wrong with that, however, the reason some things occur within the guidelines of the story itself are totally withheld from the reader.
The main character is naive bordering on dumb making foolish decisions which can be ok, however within the context of the story he just becomes a dumbass.
My expectations were so much higher for this story. On a more positive note, I have never run across this British publisher prior to this, and am looking forward to other offers from them.
Perhaps this was a "trunk" story from the author whom I will surely keep an eye open for.
May 23, 2019
Ummmm.... I didn't get it. Written well, yes, with the smooth turn of a phrase and a few seriously disturbing bits tossed in.
But what happened? I mean, what the hell happened?? I don't understand the rave reviews. Where was the story??
But what happened? I mean, what the hell happened?? I don't understand the rave reviews. Where was the story??
February 14, 2018
There is an undefinable creepy factor at work in this one with much more going on than gets translated to the written page. You’re going to need to read between the lines a little bit. You won’t be finding any answers either.
Well written with finely drawn characters and an increasingly eerie vibe as the tale progressed. I dug it, but thought it could have been a lot more. 3+ Stars and probably more than that. I need to let it gel for a while and reserve the right to adjust my stars at a later time.
My first Ballingrud. I am interested to see what else this author can do and will definitely be seeking him out.
Well written with finely drawn characters and an increasingly eerie vibe as the tale progressed. I dug it, but thought it could have been a lot more. 3+ Stars and probably more than that. I need to let it gel for a while and reserve the right to adjust my stars at a later time.
My first Ballingrud. I am interested to see what else this author can do and will definitely be seeking him out.
April 29, 2016
An insightful character study, commanding an effective build of dread and the inexplicable. It’s also as fresh and surprising as everything else that I’ve read by the author. One of the best final pages I can remember reading in horror too. I think I may have actually shuddered.
December 17, 2020
Scary - Yes
Grotesque - Oh, Yes!
AH-man-I -shit-my-pants-scary - Naaah!!
The Visible Filth is a psychological horror Novella by Nathan Ballingrud.
I loved the way it's written. Word-wise with lots and lots of Aesthetics as the author claims and also the Psychological horror part. There are moments in the book that are extremely Gore and quite scary however, it stops right there.
The protagonist, Will - A Bartender finds a phone in his bar after a brawl and what happens later is a result of his actions
Unfortunately, Nathan doesn't give it out straight to the reader which means, you would need to carefully access and re access the situations going on & frankly I don't enjoy such books the most.
As per my interpretation of the Novella ,
It ends abruptly without too much info on Who was doing What and Who got impacted!
Not recommending this to anybody!
Peace
Grotesque - Oh, Yes!
AH-man-I -shit-my-pants-scary - Naaah!!
The Visible Filth is a psychological horror Novella by Nathan Ballingrud.
I loved the way it's written. Word-wise with lots and lots of Aesthetics as the author claims and also the Psychological horror part. There are moments in the book that are extremely Gore and quite scary however, it stops right there.
The protagonist, Will - A Bartender finds a phone in his bar after a brawl and what happens later is a result of his actions
Unfortunately, Nathan doesn't give it out straight to the reader which means, you would need to carefully access and re access the situations going on & frankly I don't enjoy such books the most.
As per my interpretation of the Novella ,
It ends abruptly without too much info on Who was doing What and Who got impacted!
Not recommending this to anybody!
Peace
June 23, 2022
I've been meaning to read this for ages, especially after how much I love Ballingrud's collection North American Lake Monsters years ago, and I'm glad that I finally did. It's been a while since I've read anything from this author and I had forgotten how good he is at creating these complex, flawed, and sometimes downright awful characters that I can't quite tear my gaze away from, no matter how many terrible decisions they make. I was captivated from the very start of the story and was never quite sure where things were headed, making it an incredibly suspenseful little novelette. My only complaint, and the reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5, is that the ending felt a little rushed. After 60 pages of build-up and well-developed dread, I was a little surprised by how quickly the climax came and went, and wish it had been even 5 or 10 pages longer. That said, I enjoyed The Visible Filth a lot and I'm glad I was given this reminder of why Nathan Ballingrud's work in the NALM collection was so influential on my adult horror reading preferences.
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April 7, 2024
Lo leí tras haber visto la película, que tiene un 4,1 de media sobre 10 en IMDB, y que tampoco me pareció tan mala pero que definitivamente no es para echar cohetes (la mejor reseña que tiene allí bordea el spoiler pero es acertadísima: «Drunk aggro guy tries to cheat on his girlfriend while being haunted by a vaguely defined evil entity and there's cockroaches.»). Desde luego el libro es mejor, porque la atmósfera desasosegante está más lograda. Sin embargo la insistencia en que el protagonista es un borrachuzo que no quiere pensar en lo deprimente que es su vida resulta un poco cargante. En cualquier caso, si te gustan las novelas de terror que mezclan una indeterminada amenaza sobrenatural con temas de angustia existencial, lo uno alimentándose de lo otro hasta crear un mal rollo verdaderamente opresivo, apúntate esta en la lista y también el nombre del autor, que, sin haber leído nada más suyo, estoy segura de que tiene cositas muy interesantes.
Read
July 21, 2024Well-written, especially the characters. The problem is that the ending felt rushed and seemed like the author was trying too hard to be ambiguous after a suspenseful buildup. I did like it overall, but felt a moment of “that’s it?” after it was over; there were a lot of cool elements (and interesting people) introduced throughout the course of the novella, but they weren’t explored as in-depth as I would have liked. When it comes to the horror genre, I normally prefer novellas and short stories over novels, but I think this is one of the cases in which the story would have been better served if it were just a bit longer.
Still, I like Ballingrud’s prose style; his talent is obvious and I’d be interested to try more of his work.
Still, I like Ballingrud’s prose style; his talent is obvious and I’d be interested to try more of his work.
March 30, 2015
By witnessing, we become complicit. In Nathan Ballingrud’s unsettling and captivating novella, The Visible Filth, a simple act, a bit of curiosity, turns into something much darker—a poison that seeps into our flesh, unable to look away, a plague brought forth, the page becoming our undoing.
July 23, 2016
Well HELL! That was the scariest thing I've read in quite a while. So sensible of me to read it at 10:00 last night, too. Bartender Will idly pockets a cell phone while cleaning up after a brawl in his bar. He forgets all about it until it receives a few text messages once he's gone home for the night.
"The messages were from somebody named Garrett: I think something is in here with me. And then, sent two minutes later: I'm scared."
Whoa, Garrett, me too! I got this from ILL after Ballingrud caught my eye with his short story "Skullpocket" on io9 and am I glad that I did? Yes because it's thrillingly well written and scary as all get out, but also no, not at all, because now I have a lot of dark things in my head that kept me from being able to roll over in bed & turn my back to the door last night. While the the denouement was poetically grotesque ("It was a blood-rimmed crater into dark precincts") but not as horrifying as the rest of it, Ballingrud succeeded admirably in terrifying the shit out of me with all of the little details leading up to the . They're not spoilers per se, but I'm going to put them behind a cut because stumbling across one every time I turned the page really added to the mounting sense of "Oh boy, I am making a terrible mistake by continuing with this because I'm not going to be able to close my eyes tonight." This was 64 pages of flat out freak out for me, and for B as well, because he'd read it a few weeks ago unbeknownst to me and refused to discuss it at all even in the sunlight this morning. Well done, Nathan Ballingrud!
"The messages were from somebody named Garrett: I think something is in here with me. And then, sent two minutes later: I'm scared."
Whoa, Garrett, me too! I got this from ILL after Ballingrud caught my eye with his short story "Skullpocket" on io9 and am I glad that I did? Yes because it's thrillingly well written and scary as all get out, but also no, not at all, because now I have a lot of dark things in my head that kept me from being able to roll over in bed & turn my back to the door last night. While the the denouement was poetically grotesque ("It was a blood-rimmed crater into dark precincts") but not as horrifying as the rest of it, Ballingrud succeeded admirably in terrifying the shit out of me with all of the little details leading up to the . They're not spoilers per se, but I'm going to put them behind a cut because stumbling across one every time I turned the page really added to the mounting sense of "Oh boy, I am making a terrible mistake by continuing with this because I'm not going to be able to close my eyes tonight." This was 64 pages of flat out freak out for me, and for B as well, because he'd read it a few weeks ago unbeknownst to me and refused to discuss it at all even in the sunlight this morning. Well done, Nathan Ballingrud!
July 29, 2016
What a fascinating novella. Nothing is wasted in the story. This is my favorite kind of horror--subtle, gathering momentum through each perfectly drawn scene, and taking shape from the worries, fears, and disappointments of every day existence. Without any sensationalism or implausible leaps, Nathan Ballingrud conveys a pervasive dread, a sense of evil creeping inexorably into every crevice of the protagonist’s world.
The story begins with an apparently idle observation. Will notices an abundance of cockroaches in the New Orleans bar he tends. Later he watches a vicious fight between two patrons. When an acquaintance jumps in to stop the violence, Will becomes aware of his own hesitation.
Following the fight, Will finds a cell phone left behind by a customer. Will pockets it with the intention of returning it to its owner. Instead he begins a strange personal journey.
I won’t describe the rest of the story because the final, chilling scenes rely on the slow build Ballingrud has masterfully constructed, based on the circumstances and psychology of the main character. The story chronicles Will’s growing awareness that there is something not right about his life, his outlook, his soul. This is one of the best modern tales I’ve read on the banality of evil and its cancer-like ability to attach to, and gradually overwhelm, our consciousness.
I'm not surprised the novella was a finalist for a Shirley Jackson Award. Highly recommended.
The story begins with an apparently idle observation. Will notices an abundance of cockroaches in the New Orleans bar he tends. Later he watches a vicious fight between two patrons. When an acquaintance jumps in to stop the violence, Will becomes aware of his own hesitation.
Following the fight, Will finds a cell phone left behind by a customer. Will pockets it with the intention of returning it to its owner. Instead he begins a strange personal journey.
I won’t describe the rest of the story because the final, chilling scenes rely on the slow build Ballingrud has masterfully constructed, based on the circumstances and psychology of the main character. The story chronicles Will’s growing awareness that there is something not right about his life, his outlook, his soul. This is one of the best modern tales I’ve read on the banality of evil and its cancer-like ability to attach to, and gradually overwhelm, our consciousness.
I'm not surprised the novella was a finalist for a Shirley Jackson Award. Highly recommended.
May 31, 2015
Nathan Ballingrud writes certifiably creepy stories, that is safe to assume from the general reception of his debut collection, the Shirley Jackson Award-winning collection NORTH AMERICAN LAKE MONSTERS. I will defintely concur
While he does write scenes that can make my skin crawl, the thing that really stands out to me is the emotionally devastating treatment of interpersonal relationships. THE VISIBLE FILTH, like many of his stories, features a troubled couple who have thoughts and feelings that will be painfully recognizable to anyone who has been there. Ballingrud hypnotizes you with precise and painful descriptions as the relationships change or decay, then abruptly snaps your head back into the truly weird and unsettling things that going on.
This is a great story with a great presentation. The cover has beautiful art from Pye Parr, the layout is very clean and easy to read, and at 64 pages you are getting a substantial story. I would have actually liked it to be longer, maybe a novel, but only because I really enjoy Ballingrud's writing and I'm greedy. The story is suitably mysterious, maybe it is best left that way. Still... Absolutely recommended.
While he does write scenes that can make my skin crawl, the thing that really stands out to me is the emotionally devastating treatment of interpersonal relationships. THE VISIBLE FILTH, like many of his stories, features a troubled couple who have thoughts and feelings that will be painfully recognizable to anyone who has been there. Ballingrud hypnotizes you with precise and painful descriptions as the relationships change or decay, then abruptly snaps your head back into the truly weird and unsettling things that going on.
This is a great story with a great presentation. The cover has beautiful art from Pye Parr, the layout is very clean and easy to read, and at 64 pages you are getting a substantial story. I would have actually liked it to be longer, maybe a novel, but only because I really enjoy Ballingrud's writing and I'm greedy. The story is suitably mysterious, maybe it is best left that way. Still... Absolutely recommended.
August 28, 2018
This was a very well written novella.
The story was very enticing, and I flew through it only to hit a finish line that made me stop, look back and wonder: wha?
Look, I'm cool with ambiguities in storytelling, but I'm not cool with "That's it, now YOU figure out what happened and why, ha ha!!!"
No, I paid money for you to tell me a story, pal. That's a freaking cop out as far as I'm concerned and I don't appreciate it.
What saves this from ultimately suffering a one-star rating is the fact that this guy is a talented writer, and some of the imagery and ideas are deliciously unsettling. In fact, I'm still thinking of them a day later. And the fact that I only invested a couple of hours of my life for it.
But, shit. I'm left to make up my own ideas about what this all means and what the hell happened? OK, you got me, ha ha.
I won't buy your books again, ha ha.
The story was very enticing, and I flew through it only to hit a finish line that made me stop, look back and wonder: wha?
Look, I'm cool with ambiguities in storytelling, but I'm not cool with "That's it, now YOU figure out what happened and why, ha ha!!!"
No, I paid money for you to tell me a story, pal. That's a freaking cop out as far as I'm concerned and I don't appreciate it.
What saves this from ultimately suffering a one-star rating is the fact that this guy is a talented writer, and some of the imagery and ideas are deliciously unsettling. In fact, I'm still thinking of them a day later. And the fact that I only invested a couple of hours of my life for it.
But, shit. I'm left to make up my own ideas about what this all means and what the hell happened? OK, you got me, ha ha.
I won't buy your books again, ha ha.
August 20, 2016
Alluring cockroaches, mysterious ailments, New Orleans... this had a lot of filth to love. One of the characters really got into my head and I've been thinking of his music ever since. This book was discussed on Episode 065 of the Reading Envy Podcast.
December 1, 2016
Morose and macabre. A brilliantly vivid portrait of painfully pathetic characters, and absolutely squirm-inducing scenes of horror. I dropped the book when I was finished with it. In the best literary way possible, I feel unclean.
February 23, 2018
I really enjoyed the start of this, it had a real eeriness. As i slowly went on i started to feel dread at what Will was going through. But unfortunately the more it went on the more it just fell away.
We see Wills girlfriend becomes obsessed with the tunnel she is watching at night but nothing is explained as to why she just sits there, even near the end she ends up urinating in her chair she's that transfixed by it. But the following day, Will breaks up with her over coffee and i was thinking "Whats with this domestic stuff?" Wasn't someone in the house? Wasn't Carrie basically a zombie when you came home?
Don't get me wrong I like having to work on a mystery, i love ambiguity, but this just felt like ambiguity to avoid having things make sense because the author didn't know himself.
Maybe this should have been a 300 page novel because it had big potential and could have really gone to some dark places.
We see Wills girlfriend becomes obsessed with the tunnel she is watching at night but nothing is explained as to why she just sits there, even near the end she ends up urinating in her chair she's that transfixed by it. But the following day, Will breaks up with her over coffee and i was thinking "Whats with this domestic stuff?" Wasn't someone in the house? Wasn't Carrie basically a zombie when you came home?
Don't get me wrong I like having to work on a mystery, i love ambiguity, but this just felt like ambiguity to avoid having things make sense because the author didn't know himself.
Maybe this should have been a 300 page novel because it had big potential and could have really gone to some dark places.
March 14, 2020
“The Visible Filth” is an incredibly potent story! Bartender Will finds a cell phone forgotten by a patron, and then makes the mistake of answering a text message on it. Darkness permeates this story the whole way through, and Ballingrud plays with our expectations of violence as the mental states of various characters shift in response to Will’s discovery of, and subsequent obsession with, this cell phone. There’s plenty of grisly imagery throughout, as well some hair-raising moments of pure haunting dread, such as a computer monitor broadcasting the image of a tunnel and what lurks inside. This one really got under my skin, and it’s a story that lingers well after you’ve finished reading it thanks to its ambiguities.
June 24, 2019
Solid writing, with a creepy uncertainty hovering over the story. A bit of a silly ending though.
May 6, 2015
You will not be prepared for this story. You may think, as I did, that having read North American Lake Monsters, you'll have an inkling about what to expect from Nathan Ballingrud. But, like me, you will be wrong in this assumption. This is an author who strives to challenge us with each new offering, all the while employing a unique blend of visceral imagery and quiet, creeping dread. Perhaps there is no truer testament to that than his latest work, The Visible Filth.
Being deeply impressed with Ballingrud's debut, I did not hesitate to order this chapbook from Michael Wilson's This is Horror. And I must confess: even if I weren't familiar with Ballingrud, I likely would have purchased it anyway solely based on the artwork. Artist Pye Parr has done a wonderful job with minimal use of color. It's a haunting image to look at, regardless of its connection to the story.
The novella's main character, Will, works as a bartender at a dive in uptown New Orleans. He's a listless fellow, sharing an apartment with a woman he doesn't love and generally going through life on autopilot. Despite a rather active social life, Will appears emotionally isolated; his only joy stemming from an intense affection he has for Alicia, an old friend and frequent patron of the bar. As luck would have it, however, she is already in a relationship, leaving Will with the burden of a love that can only ever exist as one-sided.
The characters are well-defined and relatable, so of course Ballingrud wastes no time leading them straight into hell. A bloody confrontation occurs at the bar one evening, causing Will to discover a smartphone left behind by a college student involved in the brawl. He takes it home for the night, keeping it safe with the intention of returning it to its owner. Only, someone begins sending disturbing text messages to the phone. Not long after that, things much worse than messages begin to arrive; things that eventually lead Will and the people in his life to a conclusion that will leave your jaw fixed solidly to the floor.
Ballingrud has a gift for creating damaged characters. Put another way: he is exceptionally versed at showing us who we truly are. His fiction often serves as a mirror, allowing us to see the dirt and grime coating what we’d always thought was so pure. While reading The Visible Filth, you will find yourself sympathizing with the very worst facets of his characters, and you will feel ashamed for doing this. Yet, there will be another part of you that revels in that shame, a part that is intrigued and made more complete for feeling it. The reason for this is simple: Ballingrud populates his stories with us: men and women plagued by strange emotional disturbances, endlessly striving for connection where there may be none. We are merely insects making our way in the dark, forever seeking refuge from the light.
In this effective novella, Nathan Ballingrud shows us the filth inside each of us. He opens us up, allowing the grime to spill outward like a billowing nest of roaches. He strips the paint from our walls to reveal what's been crawling underneath, squirming and skittering and hissing ever so softly.
Addendum:
I have noticed some other reviewers voicing dissatisfaction with Ballingrud's use of ambiguity in this story. They appear to feel let-down that certain aspects of the narrative are implied rather than unequivocally presented to them. While I respect that opinion, I wholeheartedly disagree with it. As stated above, I believe the strength of Ballingrud's fiction to be his ability to meld the subtle with the violent and visceral, a blend that gives his work a distinct and unique texture. I applaud authors who don't reveal every aspect of a story, trusting instead in the reader's ability to formulate their own conclusions. I firmly believe the things you don't see are often more terrifying than the things you do.
Being deeply impressed with Ballingrud's debut, I did not hesitate to order this chapbook from Michael Wilson's This is Horror. And I must confess: even if I weren't familiar with Ballingrud, I likely would have purchased it anyway solely based on the artwork. Artist Pye Parr has done a wonderful job with minimal use of color. It's a haunting image to look at, regardless of its connection to the story.
The novella's main character, Will, works as a bartender at a dive in uptown New Orleans. He's a listless fellow, sharing an apartment with a woman he doesn't love and generally going through life on autopilot. Despite a rather active social life, Will appears emotionally isolated; his only joy stemming from an intense affection he has for Alicia, an old friend and frequent patron of the bar. As luck would have it, however, she is already in a relationship, leaving Will with the burden of a love that can only ever exist as one-sided.
The characters are well-defined and relatable, so of course Ballingrud wastes no time leading them straight into hell. A bloody confrontation occurs at the bar one evening, causing Will to discover a smartphone left behind by a college student involved in the brawl. He takes it home for the night, keeping it safe with the intention of returning it to its owner. Only, someone begins sending disturbing text messages to the phone. Not long after that, things much worse than messages begin to arrive; things that eventually lead Will and the people in his life to a conclusion that will leave your jaw fixed solidly to the floor.
Ballingrud has a gift for creating damaged characters. Put another way: he is exceptionally versed at showing us who we truly are. His fiction often serves as a mirror, allowing us to see the dirt and grime coating what we’d always thought was so pure. While reading The Visible Filth, you will find yourself sympathizing with the very worst facets of his characters, and you will feel ashamed for doing this. Yet, there will be another part of you that revels in that shame, a part that is intrigued and made more complete for feeling it. The reason for this is simple: Ballingrud populates his stories with us: men and women plagued by strange emotional disturbances, endlessly striving for connection where there may be none. We are merely insects making our way in the dark, forever seeking refuge from the light.
In this effective novella, Nathan Ballingrud shows us the filth inside each of us. He opens us up, allowing the grime to spill outward like a billowing nest of roaches. He strips the paint from our walls to reveal what's been crawling underneath, squirming and skittering and hissing ever so softly.
Addendum:
I have noticed some other reviewers voicing dissatisfaction with Ballingrud's use of ambiguity in this story. They appear to feel let-down that certain aspects of the narrative are implied rather than unequivocally presented to them. While I respect that opinion, I wholeheartedly disagree with it. As stated above, I believe the strength of Ballingrud's fiction to be his ability to meld the subtle with the violent and visceral, a blend that gives his work a distinct and unique texture. I applaud authors who don't reveal every aspect of a story, trusting instead in the reader's ability to formulate their own conclusions. I firmly believe the things you don't see are often more terrifying than the things you do.
April 24, 2022
Not sure how original the story is, as it certainly feels like the “apathetic guy with no prospects and bad relationships” character trope is familiar… but regardless, the writing is incredible and the story certainly freaked the hell out of me.
March 16, 2016
Reading Nathan Ballingrud's tremendously wrenching "The Visible Filth" irresistibly calls to mind a line that begins a story by Joyce Carol Oates: "How madness enters our lives."
Ballingrud's tale is an examination of just that, whether in the literal sense of the communication devices we take for granted (a laptop; a cell phone) that open our lives to the world in ways we can't always anticipate, or in the metaphorical sense of the petty vanities and jealousies that chip away at love affairs and friendships.
The story is simple: there's a fight in a bar, and someone leaves a cell phone behind. The bartender, being a good citizen, takes the phone home for safekeeping, but can't keep himself from prying when the device starts receiving strange text messages later that night. One thing, as they say, leads to another.
If you're familiar with Ballingrud's essential collection of short stories, "North American Lake Monsters," you'll be ready for the exacting detail with which he pries apart human relationships, and the fun he has spinning familiar Gothic tropes forward for the contemporary world. There's a sinister old tome here, for example, but it's a tertiary player behind the kinds of things you can see on your computer screen or that your phone's camera can show you.
The horror is all the more effective for being suggested, mysterious, partially explained: the way things are, as it happens, in "real life." "The Visible Filth" is a short, tantalizing hint of what Ballingrud is capable of. I'm very excited to see what he does next.
Ballingrud's tale is an examination of just that, whether in the literal sense of the communication devices we take for granted (a laptop; a cell phone) that open our lives to the world in ways we can't always anticipate, or in the metaphorical sense of the petty vanities and jealousies that chip away at love affairs and friendships.
The story is simple: there's a fight in a bar, and someone leaves a cell phone behind. The bartender, being a good citizen, takes the phone home for safekeeping, but can't keep himself from prying when the device starts receiving strange text messages later that night. One thing, as they say, leads to another.
If you're familiar with Ballingrud's essential collection of short stories, "North American Lake Monsters," you'll be ready for the exacting detail with which he pries apart human relationships, and the fun he has spinning familiar Gothic tropes forward for the contemporary world. There's a sinister old tome here, for example, but it's a tertiary player behind the kinds of things you can see on your computer screen or that your phone's camera can show you.
The horror is all the more effective for being suggested, mysterious, partially explained: the way things are, as it happens, in "real life." "The Visible Filth" is a short, tantalizing hint of what Ballingrud is capable of. I'm very excited to see what he does next.
October 16, 2016
Ballingrud’s North American Lake Monsters was a debut collection that put him firmly on the literary horror map. Horror from a different angle. Writing that sings.
The Visible Filth follows Will and his girlfriend by default, Carrie, as well as his actual love interest, Alicia, her new boyfriend, Jeffrey, and Eric, “a plug of muscle and charisma,” who turns into an asshole when he drinks too much. That drinking leads to a bloody fight at the bar Will works at (and where Eric lives upstairs), after which Will finds a cell phone left behind by a group of college kids. What the cell phone contains infects both Will and Carrie, and sets a harrowing row of dominoes tumbling, ending in a place so bleak and shocking it knocked me sideways. Actually, replace dominoes with cockroaches, as they’re scuttling around everywhere in this horrific tale.
Seems Ballingrud had fun writing this tale, leisurely mounting the terror until it’s almost intolerable. But as with everything I’ve read from him, he writes it with such shimmering precision, one cannot look away. Even if one really, really wants to. It’s all rather mesmerizing.
Perhaps with his words, he’s infected the reader, just as the cell phone did to poor Will.
The Visible Filth follows Will and his girlfriend by default, Carrie, as well as his actual love interest, Alicia, her new boyfriend, Jeffrey, and Eric, “a plug of muscle and charisma,” who turns into an asshole when he drinks too much. That drinking leads to a bloody fight at the bar Will works at (and where Eric lives upstairs), after which Will finds a cell phone left behind by a group of college kids. What the cell phone contains infects both Will and Carrie, and sets a harrowing row of dominoes tumbling, ending in a place so bleak and shocking it knocked me sideways. Actually, replace dominoes with cockroaches, as they’re scuttling around everywhere in this horrific tale.
Seems Ballingrud had fun writing this tale, leisurely mounting the terror until it’s almost intolerable. But as with everything I’ve read from him, he writes it with such shimmering precision, one cannot look away. Even if one really, really wants to. It’s all rather mesmerizing.
Perhaps with his words, he’s infected the reader, just as the cell phone did to poor Will.
September 2, 2016
Nathan Ballingrud's novella The Visible Filth was published as a standalone novella by This is Horror, and was a finalist for the 2015 Shirley Jackson Award. It tells of Will, a likable but somewhat burned-out bartender who, in the aftermath of a brawl in the bar where he works nights, finds a cell phone. The calls he receives on that phone change him, at once repelling him and drawing him in. Frightening, disturbing, and always confidently written, The Visible Filth exerts a visceral, almost physical impact upon the reader. This is one of the best things I've read in years! Memorable, and strongly recommended.
August 12, 2015
With The Visible Filth, Nathan Ballingrud continues his winning streak. A novella that digs in deep and leaves you feeling both grimy and haunted. The tale of a sad sack bartender who finds a mysterious cell phone after a bar fight, this story will stick in your brain long after you've finished it.
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