A Short Stay in Hell: A Fascinating Exploration of Infinity and Despair

A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck is one of those books that sneaks up on you. It’s short, less than 200 pages so, you could read it in an afternoon, but it left me staring at the wall afterward, questioning everything. I gave it 4 stars because it’s haunting, thought-provoking, and I have not read anything like it before.

The premise? A guy named Soren dies and finds out that, surprise! He picked the wrong religion. So now he’s in a version of Hell run by Zoroastrians. And his punishment? He has to find the book that tells the story of his life… in a library that’s basically infinite.

Hell Is a Library. Literally.

I know, it sounds kind of funny at first. But this library is terrifying. It’s endless. Every possible book that could ever exist is in there and most of them are just gibberish. And Soren has to wander through it, searching for his book, with no real hope of ever finding it.

“Finite does not mean much of you can’t tell any practical difference between it and infinite” – Steven L Peck, A short stay in Hell.

The library that Soren has to search through is essentially an enormous but finite collection. It’s huge beyond comprehension. And even though the library is technically finite, its size is so vast that it feels infinite to anyone trapped there. You can’t practically tell the difference between finite and infinite in this case, because the library is impossibly large and searching it is endless. So, the library’s finiteness doesn’t matter so, it feels infinite, making escape or finding meaning nearly impossible.

Deep Thoughts, Big Questions

However, this book isn’t just about Hell, it’s also about meaning, memory, and what it means to be human. Soren starts off thinking he’ll just power through, but the longer he’s there, the more he realizes how fragile hope really is.

“Anticipation is a gift. Perhaps there is none greater. Anticipation is born of hope. Indeed it is hope’s finest expression. In hope’s loss, however, is the greatest despair.”

For Soren, anticipation and looking forward to something better is what keeps him going. It’s a form of hope, the reason he keeps searching the library for a way out. Anticipation gives him purpose and energy. But when that hope fades or disappears, it brings the deepest despair. Without hope, Soren faces the crushing reality of endless searching with no meaning or end. This tell us how central hope and anticipation are to Soren’s mental and emotional survival. They’re what give him strength, and losing them means losing everything.

Final Verdict

I gave it 4 stars because it’s brilliant, but also kind of emotionally exhausting, in the best way. If you’re into philosophical fiction, or just want something that’ll mess with your brain a little, A Short Stay in Hell is totally worth it.