Resolution
by David Ellis
Genre: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense / Short Stories
ISBN: 9798891322134
Print Length: 214 pages
Publisher: Atmosphere Press
Reviewed by Samantha Hui
Hauntingly tragic—a story collection that depicts the human experience as an amorphous beast
Though the plots for each of the stories vary drastically in David Ellis’s second collection, they are tied together by the common themes of madness, time, and autonomy (or, perhaps, the lack thereof). While drawing from many gothic and horror fiction themes and motifs, Ellis’s writing style is refreshing and filled with new twists and story structures.
“That was the first part: first to make you believe, and once you believe in something and it is real to you, then you can go inside.”
The book consists of four separate stories. “Polly Smeeker’s Ghost”is about a man who briefly witnesses the ghost of a young girl burning in his yard. When he sees the same ghost four days later, he begins seeking out the answers for who this ghost girl is and what this could mean for him and his family. In “Penlygon Mote,” a boy named Fergus is forced by his classmates to spend the night alone in an abandoned haunted house. The story derails when Fergus realizes he is not truly alone, nor is he the master of his own fate. “The Secret Room”is about a couple who wins a mail-in competition to spend a week in a castle, but upon arrival, as you might guess, not everything is as it seems. Finally, “Resolution”offers an eerie depiction of the horrors and confusion of dementia.
“He had remembered the torch, but that wouldn’t be enough; if he was to survive the night without attracting madness, he would need extra illumination.”
In this collection, Ellis shows off not only his mastery of prose but also his talent for poetry writing. Poems are scattered through the different short stories, but they are most often used in his final story “Resolution;” and they are haunting and quite beautiful additions.As the main character becomes more and more confused, losing track of his purpose, the story cuts to the poetry that is ultimately about both the joy and despair that comes with being alive. The poems elicit a sense of anxiety and doom in the reader, the same that the main character feels.
“Something shall come / Will kill me / Yet shall be mine. / I own the Beast, / That which destroys me / Belongs to me.”
There are so many other delightful creative choices implemented within these stories. I can’t help but feel ties to horror classics like “The Lottery,” “The Yellow Wallpaper,” and “The Fall of the House of Usher,” and I feel excited for readers to experience such moments of fourth wall breaks, surreal bodily morphing of characters, and horrific rebirth for the first time. All four of these stories are binge-worthy page turners that will appeal to all kinds of fans of the suspense genre.
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