A Short Stay in Hell

A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck makes you question what it means to exist. It turns the concepts of religion, love, humanity, and eternity on their heads. Throughout the story, a major theme is infinity and vastness, but the novel somehow still manages to make you feel trapped and incredibly claustrophobic. Soren Johansson, a faithful Mormon, has been sent to Hell. Except it's not the fire-and-brimstone Hell that is so familiar. He’s been sent to the Library of Babel, a seemingly limitless space filled with every book that has been or ever could be written. While not infinite, it spans light-years, and in order to escape, Soren must find his life’s story in the sea of books.

Surprisingly, this novel focuses less on Soren’s search for his ticket to escape than you’d expect. Instead, it focuses more on the humanity of the situation. Soren is not alone in the library. Many others have been sent there as well. Soren forms bonds with the others, and his relationships are a huge part of the story. Through the chapters, Soren jumps hundreds of years, and with each jump comes new characters and relationships, specifically with a woman named Rachel. Soren finds meaning in hopelessness through her, and in their desolate situation, she becomes his light. It's interesting to see someone be able to find love in Hell, but it’s also somehow the least crazy thing that happens in that library.

If you want a book that makes you reconsider your whole life, I’d give this book a try. It's not an easy read, as there are some very difficult and uncomfortable concepts and quite a bit of graphic violence. As you read, you watch Soren and the people around him devolve into sorrow-stricken shells. But aside from all of that, the true horror of this novel is the concept itself. Is there anything worse than being stuck in Hell? 

As I stated earlier, it's not an easy read, but if you want something that makes you really think, check out A Short Stay in Hell.