Divine In Essence

Stories

Fiction - Anthology
216 Pages
Reviewed on 11/08/2024
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

Yarrow Paisley lives in Northampton, Massachusetts. He is the author of Divine In Essence (Whiskey Tit), I, No Other (Whiskey Tit), Mendicant City (Snuggly Books), and Furious in the Expanse (Eibonvale Press).

    Book Review

Reviewed by Gabriel Santos for Readers' Favorite

A collection of ten surreal short stories, Yarrow Paisley's Divine in Essence ranges from disturbingly beautiful to beautifully disturbing to truly unique literary experiences that defy classification. These tales share an ethereal, dreamlike quality that blurs the line between reality and fantasy and imposes peculiar forms of logic unaffected by common sense and the laws of nature. Examples include I In The Eye, following a boy who finds himself trapped inside the glass eye of his father's girlfriend and replaced in the outside world by a lookalike; Nancy & Her Man in which a dead man awakes from his slumber due to a tap-dancing woman with wings; and Mary Alice In The Mirror, a story about a girl confined in a mirror for decades.

Brief descriptions and attempts at summaries can hardly do the book justice. The narration stands out as the most notable aspect more than the plethora of absurd events and characters, Yarrow Paisley has a gift for finding unusual metaphors, drawing connections between the most seemingly unrelated things, and diving deep into the psyches of characters living through incomprehensible experiences. The stories are less about going from point A to point B and more about contemplating the abyss between the points, wondering if point B (or even point A) exists at all, and treading a delightfully tortuous path filled with mysterious sights just beyond our grasp. Divine in Essence is a challenging but rewarding read that will appeal to fans of surreal tales and literary journeys into the bizarre and the abnormal. That said, the stories can be oddly wholesome but also quite disturbing, touching on subjects such as incest and child abuse, as well as featuring grotesque imagery, so reader discretion is advised.

Doreen Chombu

Divine In Essence is a collection of horror stories by Yarrow Paisley. They feature macabre and grotesque elements that intertwine the supernatural with human emotions. The stories are divided into three parts, Divine, In, and Essence, followed by a bonus narrative. Each tale explores complex themes such as identity, trauma, and the haunting shadows of familial ties. From Helen's tragic rebirth in The Great Event to Hattie's fever-dream struggles in Fever Vision, the narratives captivate readers with surreal imagery and emotional depth. The collection culminates in the intense exploration of existential themes in Icarus in Bardot, ultimately weaving a tapestry of haunting beauty and reflection on the nature of existence, connection, and personal transformation across the ethereal landscapes of life and death.

Divine In Essence is a captivating collection that explores the complex relationships between parents and their children, obsession, and selfhood, and the haunting legacies left by both love and loss. Each narrative is rich with macabre elements, surreal experiences, and emotional intensity, presenting a haunting exploration of what it means to navigate a world filled with despair, longing, and an unyielding quest for connection. The book is structured well with specific sections, making it look neat and organized. The stories have complex poetic elements and thought-provoking dynamics. The plot twists were unexpected, adding depth to the character's identity or situation. This is perfectly demonstrated in a story about a sick child who was grieving the death of their mother. The chaos and unpredictable nature of the stories make them intriguing and a must-read for anyone who enjoys twisted tales that delve into human emotions and experiences.

K.C. Finn

Divine In Essence invites readers into a series of reality-bending narratives as author Yarrow Paisley presents an anthology of horror, surrealism, and weird fiction. Each story explores the surreal search for meaning within confinement as characters encounter unsettling realms: a boy trapped in his stepmother's glass eye, a fearless girl ghost's diary, a passive woman confined to a mirror, and more. Through ten tales, Paisley's unique, slipstream style melds occult horror, fabulism, and the weird to create a psychedelic tapestry that challenges perceptions and invites readers to break free from reality's constraints.

Author Yarrow Paisley crafts each story of this brilliant anthology with extraordinary precision and otherworldly flair, demonstrating a masterful command of the weird and surreal that I found utterly captivating from start to finish. The inventive use of language creates a dreamlike tone that balances eerie beauty with sharp wit, drawing readers into the bizarre yet oddly relatable struggles of a variety of well-narrated characters with focused descriptions and vivid, distinctive dialogue styles. The haunting imagery and precise, evocative prose bring to life a surreal universe that challenges the boundaries of horror. Paisley's exploration of human curiosity and the universal longing for freedom from life's constraints adds a powerful resonance that continued to haunt me long after I had set the stories down. Overall, Divine In Essence is a remarkable achievement that will challenge and delight readers who appreciate the more experimental edges of horror and surrealism, and I would certainly recommend the collection to anthology fans everywhere.

Chad Richins

Yarrow Paisley's Divine in Essence is a collection of stories that explores the fragile boundary between the physical and the spiritual. The stories revolve around otherworldly characters, each trapped in a strange situation—the body of a deceased mother kept in the house plumbing system, a little child trapped in his stepmother's glass eye, a girl's diary illustrating her adventures as a ghost, and a woman confined to a mirror. This collection of ten short stories is both enchanting and frightening, transporting readers to worlds where mortality, love, and the limitations of physical life are scrutinized. There are four sections, three stories for each; Divine, In, and Essence, with The Life of Cherry standing alone. The book urges readers to reflect on life's deeper, sometimes unspoken mysteries. The themes center on the futility of earthly pursuits, the eternal essence of the soul, and the spiritual threads that connect the past, present, and future. Each story serves as a stepping stone into a larger discussion about spirituality, mortality, and the power of dreams as a bridge between worlds. If you're wondering about how these ethereal threads develop, Divine In Essence will undoubtedly provide an intriguing, mind-bending read.
 
Reading Divine in Essence was both exciting and meditative. Yarrow Paisley's writing is poetic and scary, brilliantly capturing the otherworldly nature of each story with a pace that keeps the reader on edge, never knowing what bizarre twist may emerge next. I found the characters intriguing and realistic, with tragic and thought-provoking experiences, particularly as they navigate topics such as love, loss, and the fleeting nature of physical beauty and power. At a point, I feel like the story is a dream—wandering, bizarre, and filled with vivid imagery. The combination of mystical horror, fabulism, and surrealist themes makes the book hauntingly beautiful; a literary environment that is distinct and unusual. While it takes a reflective reader to properly understand its depth, I found the book's exploration of spiritual transcendence and the cyclical nature of life and death to be insightful. If you appreciate stories that challenge your perspective of reality and make you think about life's deepest mysteries, Divine in Essence is a must-read.

Frank Mutuma

Divine In Essence by Yarrow Paisley is a collection of supernatural stories. In The Great Event, Helen lives with her father after the death of her mother. Currently, the mother is a ghost, but she is not like other ghosts. Helen finds herself pregnant, but what is the nature of the being she is carrying? Your Mother Loves You talks about Jenna, who was initially Jon. The relationship between Jenna and her mother is complex, and after her mother leaves, she becomes her Grammy’s ward. It takes almost a year for Grammy to refer to her as Jenna. In Nancy and her Man, Herman hears someone dancing above his grave, which is proof of life. What follows is an engagement with Nancy and lots of dancing. How is this possible?

Divine In Essence by Yarrow Paisley is unique and wonderfully written. Once you start reading, there is no putting this book down. I loved the sarcasm and the subtleness, which made the book effective in passing on the intended message without alienating anyone. It also offers a glimpse into various issues in society and how various people react to them. This thought-provoking work also addresses issues that are rarely looked into, such as transgenderism. It got me thinking about transitioning and things like what age is appropriate for the involved procedures. The narration was excellent, and Yarrow also made sure the dialogues were well-crafted, which brought the stories and the characters to life. This was an amazing read, and I look forward to reading something else by Yarrow Paisley.