"A Short Stay in Hell" by Steven L. Peck - Book Review

 

   Honestly, I went into this book blind, only knowing that it was a unique take on a depiction of hell. If I were you, I would do the same thing because this book is one hell of a ride - no pun intended - and not knowing much about it improved my experience! However, if you're one of those people who enjoys knowing more about a book before you dive into it, I got you. Below is the synopsis that Peck gave. 

As a faithful Mormon, Soren Johansson has always believed he'll be reunited with his loved ones in an eternal hereafter. Then, he dies. Soren wakes to find himself cast by a God he has never heard of into a Hell whose dimensions he can barely grasp: a vast library he can only escape from by finding the book that contains the story of his life.

    I honestly think that synopsis gives you all that you need to get hooked on this book; however, if you want more, I want to highlight Peck's writing style. He has the perfect blend of wittiness and ironic humor that makes it feel like you're eating a savory snack. I know that shorter novels are more prone to being worse than full-length novels, but this book stands out above most! Peck uses the length of this book to his advantage and gives the reader just enough info that you get a full grasp of the story, but leaves out some bits to leave you room to ponder on it all. I'm a huge sucker for books that make you think and this book will definitely do just that. 

    If I were you, I would leave it at that, pick up the book and start going to town on the story! It'll truly be worth your while. However, if you want to continue reading this review, I have to warn you that there will be spoilers. With that being said, please give this book a chance! 

Warning: There will be spoilers ahead. Proceed only if you're not planning on reading the book!

      This book is by far the best book I've read this year. Most of the time, it takes a good bit for me to really vibe with a story (definitely not because I spent years getting a degree in creative writing), but A Short Stay in Hell checked all the boxes for me. The plot moved at a great pace, and you got a great sense of each of the characters (even though we only get to see some of them for one section).  It can be very hard to get through an entire story in such a short format, but Peck pulled it off stunningly. It truly amazes me how he was able to portray an eternity of damnation and utter insanity in a little over 100 pages. 

   In the beginning, Peck introduces this idea of hell to the reader, and just like Soren, you think that getting out of this damnation would be a lot easier than it is. Sure, it would take a good bit, but Soren would get through it and actually has a chance of making it out. However, Peck masterfully throws the reader more information about what this mysterious library is and how insane of a feat finding Soren's book would be. It causes you to go through the same rollercoaster of emotions that Soren goes through in the eons where he is trapped. The fact that this library has every single book that has been written on top of every book that could be written is an ungraspable idea, but Peck writes it in a way that is easy to understand. With each book that Soren picks up, you lose more and more hope for our unfortunate protagonist. The way that Peck pulls this off is masterful. 

    I fully believe that the section that highlights Peck's writing is the third act of the book. In this section, Soren has been trapped in hell for an unfathomable amount of time. He ended up losing the love of his life and fell down to the untouched levels of the library without anyone in sight. He goes centuries without seeing anyone, and you can see the toll it's taken on Soren as he talks about his time. However, one day, he spots a woman falling down the center of the library. Without hesitation, he jumped off the platform he was on and used his momentum to catch up to the women. Even though she was unconscious, Soren thought that she was attacked and thrown off of the platform she was originally on; he still thought that being around at least a body was better than another century completely alone. The whole section that follows after the woman wakes up is phenomenal. The way that Peck describes Soren's actions in very animalistic ways is outstanding and really captures what someone would be like after being in isolation for an unfathomable amount of time. It honestly gave me chills reading it, and it became my favorite section of the novella. 

On top of all of this, I also want to highlight just how well Peck captures this unfathomable stretch of time for someone to experience while also trying to accomplish a task that is just about impossible. It is so hard to emulate the emotions that Soren goes through throughout the story because it's simply something no human can physically experience. However, Peck not only tackles the task but also does so ingeniously. This book made me go through an entire slew of emotions, feeling all of Soren's highs and painful lows, which doesn't happen a lot for me. Peck also carefully takes the reader by the hand and guides them through the whole process that Soren goes through as he starts to realize that he has no chance of getting out of this hellscape. No matter how many books Soren could pull out, the possibility of finding one part of his life story is so low, and finding all of the books is far lower. Seeing Soren go through this realization on top of his hopes of ever getting to experience paradise again is devastating and will rip your soul apart to the point that it won't be able to be repaired. It's terrible to see Soren fully realize just how cruel being put in his personal hell is, and it proves that this afterlife succeeds in torturing its helpless and ignorant inhabitants. 

At the end of the day, this book is amazing and Peck is incredibly talented author. I will always suggest this book to people who're looking to experience something new and are looking to go on a rollercoaster of emotions throughout the entire trip. This book needs to be more popular and appreciated, and I won't stop until this happens. 

Please let me know your thoughts and other book recommendations if you have any!