The title tells you in an ultra-sarcastic way what this book is about. When Soren Johanssen dies, he assumes he's going to heaven since he's been a good Mormon boy all his life and followed all the rules.
However, in a waiting room hosted by a genial demon, we find out that Mormonism isn't actually the one true faith, and therefore he's going to hell to repent. I won't reveal which faith it is that gets the free pass to heaven, you will need to read the book to find that out for yourself.
He finds himself in an almost infinite library and tasked with finding the book that describes his life. If he can find that book, he can move on. That's easier said than done though.
It appears that mystical, infinite (almost) libraries are almost becoming a subgenre of their own. And it's one I approve of.
This is a much better example of the genre than The Midnight Library was. The humour works and the whole treatment of the theme is much better. I think Mark Lawrence's Library trilogy might still hold the edge for me though.
I really liked the characters in this. The scope of the task they face becomes horrifically clear very quickly. The fact that Peck manages to make a hell of eternal tedium into such an intriguing and more than vaguely disturbing story is nothing short of miraculous. It's difficult to say if the Hell of other people is better or worse than the Hell of Loneliness that Soren also endures.
The Hell in this is based on a short story by Borges this is openly admitted to in the book by the demon who decides which Hell to send our poor protagonist.
The world Peck builds is truly Hellish. Far worse and more imaginative than any lakes of fire and brimstone.
I know this is a book that is going to stick with me. It's also a dead easy read and very short- just over 100 pages, but more satisfying than a lot of novels four times that length.
Highly recommended.
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