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Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite
Nine Rooms in the House by Dave Ellis begins with John, who moves through silent farmland, keeping animals alive and retracing the path that led from crowded towns to empty fields. His account settles on memories that still press against his present, and those memories connect to the later life of Virgil, whose days with Alison and their son gain force as his breathing fails, and as moments from years earlier return with new weight. After Virgil’s final moment, he walks through linked rooms shaped by scenes he once moved through without notice, guided by a dog. The story then turns again as Virgil reaches Somercote and steps into a version of daily life that feels familiar yet slightly misaligned, drawing him through streets and tasks that appear unchanged while hinting at a larger structure holding him in place.
Nine Rooms in the House by Dave Ellis is a really unique read, broken down into four “books” that all streamline into a single novel. John's story was my favorite, and it reads so well as a standalone that I would 100% read an entire story on what he went through. That said, Virgil is no less interesting, just more philosophical. He's the guy we get to know best, and he has a brilliant dog, so he's aces to me! I love that Ellis drops in characters that, at first, feel like the same kind of interlopers that we, the readers, are. But they too become more than mere setting ornaments. Janice’s brisk authority, Alan’s dry humour, and Alistair Finlay’s wandering habits breathe life into Virgil’s world. I adore Tariq and his selection of whisky, with a side of small talk. Overall, this is a well-written novel, and Ellis does an excellent job of drawing all the pieces together, turning a dream-like state into a fully fleshed-out story.
