You've Lost a Lot of Blood

Okay, boys, girls & nonbinarys pals, time for another ‘what the hell did I just read?’ which always seems to be the case when it comes to LaRocca and his books. They could probably write a 500 page book on blood drying on a plaster wall and I would think it’s a masterpiece, a sensation to the world, something so magnificent that us readers don’t deserve it.You’ve Lost a Lot of Blood is a clever, sneaky and thrilling novella. I went into this having no clue what to expect, I didn’t even have any expectations set, yet this little monstrosity managed to surpass what I tend to expect from Eric.This novella is a…novella within a novella. I don’t want to give much away because you seriously need to go into this knowing nothing. Nothing. Hell, even if I wrote paragraph upon paragraph of what this book entails, it still wouldn’t prepare you for the roller-coaster that LaRocca so brilliantly crafted. If you’ve read THGWSWLS, you’ll definitely appreciate the format of this book, how the novella is constructed with texts, poems and transcripts, all crafted into one disturbing little archive.We follow several characters, Martyr, Ambrose, Tamsen & Presley, alongside several other characters who are just as important to the book as the main characters. As I said, I don’t like giving spoilers, I hate even giving hints into what to expect, but your brains ain’t ready to comprehend what Eric LaRocca has created. You’ve Lost a Lot of Blood is a mind boggle, it had my brain churning non-existent gears, it had me swiping to past pages to make sure I was reading correctly because I was not coping. The novella was building so much dread and anticipation that I felt like I was suffocating, wanting to know what was going to happen, what is happening. I promise you, by the end of the book, you’ll be left speechless because this story takes you on a disturbing and anxiety-inducing ride.I’ve said countless times before, LaRocca is changing this genre. His writing, their ideas, how he’s able to craft such magnificent stories and how well they’re able to draw the reader in, strap them to the chair and keep them there is a talent I admire.I’m borrowing a quote from the great Zimpago- “You’ve Lost a Lot of Blood will be an experience like no other.”

The story within a story didn’t interest me at all, the dialogue between the two leads were the most interesting parts of this book.

You've Lost a Lot of Blood is my third Eric LaRocca read and, evidently, will not be my last. There are so many clever elements at play in this book. The whole fictional universe in which it exists and the mystery around the author are fascinating. But for me, the most compelling element was the fragmented titular novella at the book's heart. Unsettling from the very first page until the shocking end, I had no idea where it was going, but I knew I was powerless to do anything but read on. As with everything LaRocca, there are segments of prose which are awe inspiring. Well worth your time.

I'm prefacing my review by saying I'm leaning toward 2.5 stars, and I have literally just finished the book.I love the concept: telling the story of a killer through snippets of their own work and recordings. It's smart and imaginative, and that's something I enjoyed in other works I have read by the author. However, the content has left me somewhat confused.It might be because it's 10 past 6 on a Friday, and I haven't yet had my coffee, or I may just need to sit and mull it over again. One thing I can say, though, is that it hasn't put me off reading more by LaRocca.

I loved this book, really enjoyed the story within the story and how it linked up at the end and kind of became a book about art itself. Will definitely be reading more by this author.

I finished this book really quickly, it's only short. And it jumps from storyline to storyline, it's a sort of compilation of stories going on. Definitely worth a read just to see if you follow it.

Quite an odd one this. It's as if you're reading two stories at once - Martyr and Ambrose, Tamsen and Presley. I really didn't care for the Martyr/Ambrose parts but really enjoyed what was happening to Tamsen and Presley.I'm not 100% clear as to the connection the two parts represented, but they appeared to share the centipede reference.I found it difficult to picture a lot of what the author described, I think this affected my enjoyment of the story. However the wires, oil and machinery was great!

Some horror gives in the the temptation of being all one or the other. A full gorefest where violence just exists in isolation and humanity and the mind are for other parts. 'You've Lost a Lot Of Blood' steers away from this. It embraces the reality that the mundane and the horrific can live inside each other, share a moment in time. It has you inside the action, not just observing it. The author drops things now and then that you pick up like breadcrumbs, lending the story an atmosphere many other books leave til the final moment.The characters are rich and varied, and their voices ring true and distinct. LaRocca gets under your skin and pulls you into their flawed and fraught inner lives. By the end you will know that you could read these characters for easily the length of another book and not be bored, but also that that part of the beauty of 'You've Lost A Lot Of Blood' is that like for those in the story, their next steps are forever a mystery to you.

Totally got absorbed in the story and read it in one rainy afternoon. Creepy, well written, and kept me interested the whole way through.Loved it.

Llegó en la fecha esperada y en perfectas condiciones.Muchas gracias.

After reading "Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke", I've been following Eric LaRocca's work with bated breath, and I preordered this book on faith in the author alone- honestly, this is my recommended way to experience it: totally blind and with no idea what you're getting into. But I'd be loathe to say nothing, because this is one of my favorite books I've read in a GOOD while, and one I'll be thinking about nonstop.You've Lost A Lot Of Blood is multilayered, nonlinear and at times opaque, but these are all to its strength. One narrative is the fiction-in-a-fiction novella "You've Lost A Lot Of Blood" by author Martyr Black; the other narrative is an account of Martyr's published works, audio logs and journals. Over time the two weave together, and in the end the book leaves you going back and combing through previous chapters and works for hints, clues, details. I finished reading it and immediately started compiling notes on publication dates so that I could piece the sections into chronological order; I'm absolutely ITCHING for my friends to read this so we can theorize and discuss it together.At its heart, this book speaks to a narrative about queerness and desire and self that feels *deeply* relatable and stuck with me; multiple times when reading, I commented to friends that it felt like LaRocca plucked his narrative out of my dreams, so specific was it to my interests and tastes. Without spoiling the central ethos, this is a book to read if you've loved any of the following: House of Leaves, The Secret History, Exquisite Corpse, NBC's Hannibal, or Netflix's Bly Manor. Afterwards, I recommend making a cup of tea and sitting down with friends and chat about the relationship of the book to its thematic peers, and how that relates to Martyr Black's story and work as a creator. Overall an incredible piece of work, one that I can already tell I'm going to reread.

The "found horror" vibe is absolutely impeccable. I loved the bits of dialogue between Martyr and Ambrose, as well as Martyr's poems. But the real kicker was of course Tamsen's story. Makes me want a more classic type of gothic horror from this author, as I'm sure they'd handle it perfectly!

About the book: This is my first horror read and let me tell you, this book is not for people who are easily disturbed by brutality and less you know about the plot of this book, the more you'll enjoy it. Take my words and go into this book with no knowledge of what it is about. I ended up loving it and definitely happy that I made this purchase!Product quality: The book came in a common plastic package with no bubble wrap or extra protection yet it was delivered to me in a good condition. There's no visible dents, creases, scratches or tear.It's a 5 star for both quality of the product and the book itself.