Reviews with content warning for Violence - A Short Stay in Hell

This concise 104-page book shines brilliantly. Drawing inspiration from Borges' story "The Library of Babel," "A Short Stay in Hell" is not only thought-provoking and entertaining but also deeply moving. The desire for the character to escape, the agony of repetition, the struggle of loving without direction – all resonate profoundly.

The narrative unfolds in a version of hell, one of many possible afterlife destinations. We follow Soren Johansson, a Mormon man in life, as he grapples with his fate in the afterlife for not adhering to the Zoroastrian religion. Sent to hell, he finds himself trapped in an infinite library filled with nonsensical books. Unable to die permanently, he must locate the book detailing his life story from any perspective to secure his release.

In his journey, Soren forges relationships of both friends and enemies, experiences heartbreak, and faces the challenges of eternal love in a place where nothing lasts. The fleeting joy of a profound connection shattered by human flaws and the quest for significance in a world devoid of meaning leaves a lasting impact. The quest for lost love mirrors the elusive search for his life story, adding layers of emotional depth.

"A Short Stay In Hell" is a hauntingly beautiful read that resonates with all. It's a must-read for everyone!

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emcampbel's review

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dark mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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stephanieluxton's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This book was not what I was expecting which isn't surprising since I went in totally blind without reading the description. I think that was an enjoyable way to read it, honestly!

But the book is about a mormon man named Soren who tried to live his best life then dies of cancer and finds himself in hell alongside quite a lot of other people who also were pretty regular people. Hell for Soren isn't the fire and brimstone you'd expect but instead is a basically eternal library containing every book that could theoretically exist and the only way the inhabitants can leave is by finding a books that perfectly portrays the story of their lives. This isn't exactly a spoiler, but contrary to the title, his stay is not short.

This book was interesting because it feels like it's more about immortality than anything else (because when you're already dead, you don't exactly die). I found this book to be sad. It explores themes of regarding madness of groups of people, love, loss, and being faced with an impossible task.

I don't know what the genre of this book is. There's a few parts that feel like horror but most of the book has a very somber feeling to it.

It's a short read so I definitely recommend picking it up. It's definitely different!

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itsjustgrumpy's review

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

What would you do with an eternity of self reflection and the inability to die for more than one day before resurrecting in bed? This wasn't just dark, but disturbingly reflective.

Edit: I've changed from 4 stars to 5 stars because this book has stuck with me. I think about it regularly, it lingers in the back of my head waiting to cleave whatever good mood I had.

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