A Short Stay in Hell
Ratings113
Average rating4.1
Wasn't at all shocked to find out the author was writing a YA dystopian after this because that's exactly how it read. Idk if this is anti-art to say but this concept would work so much better as a film.
I loved this book! It is definitely a book that sticks with you after you are done reading it and makes you question everything.
Absolutely engrossing, fun and haunting all that same time. A great take on what the afterlife may be. If only Zorastrism wasn't used because it has a funny name. Otherwise, brilliant.
I’m conflicted on this book. It is very imaginative and I can understand why it captures people. It is very short and a breeze to get through, but it also doesn’t say particularly much. It is a thought exercise more than a fully formed journey. But definitely an existential crisis in book form!
I read this small book before bed and then couldn't sleep the rest of the night. The contemplation of eternity is always daunting, but Steven L. Peck's work here made this a truly visceral experience for me, despite it even being a finite “eternity” driving the main premise of the book (see excerpt below).
Definitely worth a read if you can stomach a “short stay in hell” during your read.
Favorite passage:
“Could I keep living like this forever? How could I continue existing in this Hell? And yet there was no choice. Existence goes on and on here. Finite does not mean much if you can't tell any practical difference between it and infinite. Every morning the despair gripped me, a cold despair that reached inside, creating a catatonic numbness.”
A Short Stay In Hell succeeds in portraying its conceptions about hell without being agonizing.
yeah this is terrifying. if i ended up here i'd give up on day one i am NOT finding that book
This one got me. You could definitely relate to the main character as he is wandering through the book stacks. Making friends, enemies and lovers. It was an amazing journey and I am happy to have read it.
“Existence goes on and on here. Finite does not mean much if you can't tell any practical difference between it and infinite.”Echt coole uitwerking van De Bibliotheek van Babel (uit: [b:De Aleph en andere verhalen 60211888 De Aleph en andere verhalen (Dutch Edition) Jorge Luis Borges https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1643128589l/60211888.SY75.jpg 2707897]).
Rating: 3.86 leaves out of 5-Characters: 3/5 -Cover: 4/5-Story: 3/5-Writing: 5/5Genre: Fantasy, Philosophy, Religion-Fantasy: 2/5-Philosophy: 5/5-Religion: 5/5Type: EbookWorth?: YeahHated Disliked Meh It Was Okay Liked Really Liked LovedI would like to note that I am not religious. I will compare what was written in the book.The book started off pretty strong. I will admit I never heard of this religion before, nice to learn something new from a book. I did look up about Zoroastrianism hell and I am not a fan of how things are handled for evil people. There were a lot of WTF moments and I am not sure how I feel about how he handled someone else's religion? I mean how there were gangs and rapes and shit?But besides that I do like the fact that Steven opened a door to something new. He pushed me in a direction I wouldn't have gone to otherwise. I love a book that makes me think and has me going out looking for answers. I was going to give it a 3 but with some thinking and discussion I am happy to round it to a 4.
I'm really trying, and that will be enough.
I'm wondering about the word choice in the title as the stay was definitely not short, which might be why I am disappointed as I was expecting something different. The number of years our main character, and many others, have to spend in Hell and look for their book with kiosks and food that can be summoned, with time that seems to match our Earth clock.. Is this Hell or Heaven or something in between?? The number of religious references also took me aback, but it might be a good fit for you if you enjoy such concepts and delve deeper into the differences and its philosophy.
I think it wasn't what I expected, which is why I'm underwhelmed and yet overwhelmed XD
Loved part 1 but the other parts were not as interesting, very confusing, and felt like they were part of a different book. The writing also felt pretentious.
Disturbing and thought provoking
Very well written and unnerving story. I do recommend this as it will definitely make you think. My only criticism is with how it ends, but that says more about me and my desire for a clear-cut happy ending. But that's probably the point of the story anyway.
A compelling and short riff on the concept of the Library of Babel as put forward by Borges. A library is (near) infinite and contains every variation of every written work. It's hell, which is not eternal. You can get out if you find the book containing your life experiences. Milleniums pass. Stuff gets bleak.
I didn't think a book of this slimness, of this brevity, could be so densely mind-bending, depressing, and depraved of resolution. But I suppose that was the ultimate sentiment this book was trying to achieve, and I believe it succeeded. While not seemingly a biased indoctrination, Peck still manages to write in not only a thought-provoking philosophical style (makes sense since he's a philosophy scholar) but in a paranoiac (though not fear-mongering) and terrifyingly human way. The story seems to walk a fine line between being rather humorously dark and almost intentionally presumptuous or convictive in its approach to religion. But I realize he's not being intentionally manipulative in order to indoctrinate, but rather is very much intentionally tapping into (and creatively confronting) an almost universal fear humans have about what we believe is true and, perhaps more importantly, why it's important for humans to question everything—even what we think we're certain of.
Completely different from what I expected. Such a short book, but such a profound view of what makes us human.