Dan Glaister – A Melancholy Event

‘A Melancholy Event’ by Dan Glaister is a novella with less than 200 pages, but it still packs an eerie punch. This is a story that really makes you question the narrative of what is real or not.

Stephanie is a young girl who is struggling to deal with her father leaving the family home. Her mother favours her brother and her brother just ignores her, so ultimately she is lonely and is frequently alone. She discovers some papers in the attic they document a dual in 1807. The very minute she has read the papers, the dual becomes her obsession one that consume her very soul. Her determination to recreate the dual becomes her sole purpose in life but to what end?

A novella that cranks up the uncertainty of Stephanie’s reality. This is such an atmospheric and eerie read. I found myself feeling quite unnerved at certain points in the story, I also had goosebumps as well. The fact that the outcome of Stephanie’s obsession is known really early in the book made it all the more melancholy for me.

Dan Glaister’s writing successfully gives us a haunting and disturbing book at the same time as creating an enthralling, intensive and all-encompassing experience. This book is actually based on the real final fatal Duel that took place in 1807.

A story that is so thought-provoking, especially when you find that the battle took place. It did give me shivers up my spine as I read that. If you enjoy an intense, very original and quick read then you really should read this book.

Thank you to Random things Tours for asking me on this unusual and highly entertaining blog tour and Unbound Digital for my copy of the book.