Intellectual depth and thought-provoking content interspersed with bizarre, otherworldly characters and happenings.
Part horrifying, part harrowing with a heavy dash of humor, Divine In Essence is an eclectic collection of strange stories. Bits of wisdom, musings on life, and esoteric ramblings are among the gleanings found within these transcendent tales by Yarrow Paisley. It’s impossible to define exactly what this anthology is, but it’s easier to summarize how it feels. It registers like the hazy reminiscence of a movie you might have seen decades ago that lodged in your psyche permanently, but incompletely. Those flashes of sweet but scary Eunice St. Clair, or the unsettling chill that still tingles the spine at the sound of Tangina Barrons’ unearthly voice. Although these women aren’t objectively terrifying, they evoke a sickly sense of dread, even decades later. Paisley demonstrates the same unsettling gift of creating stories that, even when they aren’t scary, splatterpunk, or supernatural, will make you believe you’ve just experienced these things.
Divine In Essence is a compilation as versatile as it is unconventional. The first story, The Great Event, showcases the essence of this collection’s unpredictable nature. Bardlike prose begins the tale of Helen, her spectral mother, and the dutiful Mr. Runcible. Elegance gives way to wry humor as we read about Mr. Runcible’s peculiar care for his family, then disgust as he carries out his demented brand of household management. From there, Helen’s story becomes unshackled from reality and traditional storytelling. This opening entry sets the chaotic pace in a collection tailored for unsqueamish, undaunted, and unintimidated audiences.
Yarrow excels at setting ostensibly innocent scenes, using charming protagonists as bait, then trapping readers in a room with all their most deep-seated terrors, particularly those tied to the intricate challenges of being human. The circular story Mary Alice in the Mirror is whimsical and mysterious, but also sorrowful and profound. The implications for this enchanted lady-in-the-looking glass are more than our mundane, shared eventuality, a disorienting mix of hope and despair. Nancy & Her Man features a delightful opening inner monologue and a pert, fairy-winged dancer. The upbeat scene slides into inevitable territory, ending on a decidedly melancholy note, though not before offering encompassing advice: “It is a relief to refrain from knowing things.” The author’s work distinguishes itself through its intellectual depth and thought-provoking content interspersed with bizarre, otherworldly characters and happenings. Though targeted at a niche audience, this trailblazing collection will profoundly impact any who engage with it deeply.