The Divine Farce by Michael S.A. Graziano is a book that stays with you.
Do you love existential horror? How about the feeling of dread that you sometime get when you ponder the afterlife? If you said yes to either of those questions, then this book is for you. If not then you might want to steer clear.
Myself, I loved The Divine Farce. I found it interesting, thought provoking and even fun, in a thrilling sort of way. It was the type of book that you learn something about the human experience and about yourself without even really realizing it, until later when you've had time to digest the words and messaging.
Its was a short book but high impact.
It was a page turner for me that I couldn't put down and I finished it in about a day. Its very short mind you, 120 pages or so.
Okay, so imagine three people living in a cement tube that is 24 inches (60cm) in diameter. They can't sit or lay down, they're living on top of one another and they're standing on a grate that takes away their urine and feces. There is no light to see, and there's a constant stream of pear puree (yes, fruit puree) raining down on them to hydrate and sustain them...
The author, Michael S.A. Graziano is a neuroscientist and apparently this is what his brain thinks about.
Its very philisophical.
Its surreal.
Its an absolutely bizarre premises, and its sooooo good.
The book does evolve beyond the cement tube and it only gets weirder. Basic survival at its most fundamental form.
Actually, the cover art of the book does a phenomenal job at catching the nature snd essence of the story, which is described as
> ...a reduction of human struggle to its lowest common denominator.
Thats well put.
As the title suggests its a twist on Dante's classic work The Divine Comedy.
It explores themes such as birth, the human struggle, the afterlife, love, and mainly purpose. There is more but overall it is existential by its very definition.
This is a book that you could spend some time analyzing and drawing all sorts of meaning from. Its also filled with suble symbols that act like Easter eggs but without being obvious or pretentious about it.
It reminded me of another novella that I absolutely loved called A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck. I read that one last year and I still think about it regularly to this day. The Devine Farce is similar in that regard. I'll be thinking about it for months to come. That I have no doubt.
My biggest criticism of it was that it wasn't long enough. When I finished it I immediately wanted more. That being said, it was a complete story. It said what it needed to say without additional filler. I also like that in a book. Often I'm finding short books to be more enjoyable for me these days, ones that I can read in a day or two or over a single week. Sometimes its better to be left wanting more then to get bored by something that grags on and on and having to really push yourself to complete. This book said everything in just 120 pages and it was enough. Embrace the claustrophobia and give this one a go.
Sounds claustrophobic and horrific - the cover is enough to turn me off! However you've made me intrigued...
Speaking of claustrophobia I'm quite intrigued by this film: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/apr/22/exit-8-movie-review-corridor-subway-station-mystery-video-game
I have exit 8 on my book list to read. I didn't realize that there was a movie. It looks interesting to me. I'd watch that for sure.
The divine farce was soooo good. Not as good as a short stay in hell but same vibe. I like weird books that make you think. I like existential ideas as well.
Trying to think of some similiar books I've read over the years - will get back to you if I think of one. I think I did existentialism in my earlier years - by the time you get to 55 you're a bit fed up with it haha!
Thats fair. If you think of any good ones I'll keep them in mind. My wish list for books right now is getting pretty large so might take me a while to get to it lol
Sounds like absolute hell. It's funny how our minds can't really grasp the idea of eternity. We think we can, but when you start to think about it, things really spiral. I don't think most people get that far.
Yes exactly. Thinking about eternity gives a strange feeling if you think about it too long or go too deep with it.
Thanks for the support!