A book review: Diary of a Heretic
Title of the book: Diary of a Heretic
Author: Ross Stein
Publisher: Gray Area Press
Publication Date: 12th of April 2022
Genre: Historical fiction, Dark Fantasy, Gothic Fiction
Why I picked up this book:
I’ve said it before and (probably) will say it again but like everything else in my life, reading comes in waves. So after recently having finished some science fiction copies, the only logical thing to do next, according to my brain, was to swing in the opposite direction and fixate on some historical fiction. This is the first one and, if I know myself as well as I think, there will be more to follow.
When it comes to Diary of a Heretic specifically, it was a single line that immediately caught my attention:
Every man is possessed of one great sin.
Now I could psychoanalyse that sentence within an inch of its life but there are two things that truly struck me. I) the use of language, which immediately conjures up images of the literary greats from days gone past and II) the play on religion that the story undoubtedly heavily relies on.
Regarding the former – I am a sucker for flowery language, plain and simple. As for the latter, I did not grow up in a religious household and that is perhaps exactly the reason why religious-inspired fiction has always been fascinating to me.
About the author:
Ross Stein is a trainer, pilot, amateur blacksmith, golfer, smoker, drinker, reader, and writer with an affinity for travel, rare steaks, and solitude. In late 2019 he quit a job he hated to take a crack at this writing thing full time.
Heavily influenced by the brooding Russian greats of the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries (Mikhail Bulgakov retaining a special place in his heart), Ross also finds comfort and inspiration in the works of the Decadents, Dante, Georges Perec, Thomas Bernhard, Kurt Vonnegut, Denis Diderot, Jack Kerouac, and countless others.
He often finds himself in awe of the lyrics of Nick Cave.
Diary of a Heretic is the freakish spawn of more than ten years of pent-up writer’s block.
Synopsis:
Etienne Allard is a libertine. Carousing with prostitutes, gambling away his fortunes, and carrying on clandestine affairs with the married elite of Belle Époque Paris, he wiles away his days, and nights, drinking deeply from the cup of carnal delights both divine and devilish. But even pleasure has its limits.
So, when the infernal emissary Arman Sur appears with an offer of a life of sensual passions unimaginable in exchange for his soul, a deal is struck that will lead Etienne on a journey to the heights of rapture and the edge of madness.
Decades later, an ageless and aimless Etienne wanders the earth like Cain bemoaning his self-inflicted tortures. That is until fate intercedes, and the reappearance of a one-time enemy bearing a remarkable secret sets Etienne on a new journey to reap his own vengeance upon the devil and reclaim his lost soul.
Review of the book:
Oh wow. This book.
It is hard to figure out where to even begin my review. I have so many thoughts and yet, none at all.
I think first and foremost what stood out to me was how well researched this book felt. Admittedly I have little to no knowledge of what Paris in the late 1800s might have looked like, nor did I live through the roaring twenties in Philadelphia. However, either setting felt completely and utterly real. I could imagine myself walking the cobblestone streets of the City of Light, lounging on the banks of the Seine. I could see the small yet well-maintained watchmakers’ shop as if I had been there. Both these locations and every other one with it felt, in one word, tangible.
Another thing that Stein did remarkably well is balance his characters. No, Etienne is not a likeable person. I would not have begrudged Al if he had turned his back on the dishevelled husk of a man by the time their paths crossed again. Yet he is fully formed and alive, he is if nothing else, as human as you and me. He is a man who knew no boundaries when he was growing up and suffered the consequences. He learned the truest meaning of the phrase: ‘Pride comes before the fall.’
Which makes Al Valentine such a strong counterpart. He is gentle, calm and unassuming. He is the man who would have gone to the grave without any exceptional achievements and he would have been happy to do so. He embodies the fact that a life well lived is worth more than all the wealth in the world. Sweet, thoughtful Al. The duality works so well and I am grateful for it.
As for faults I hardly found any and the ones I did were minor. The pacing at the beginning of the book comes to mind. Until Ettienne first blunders through the doors of Al’s sanctuary, there is little going on. I felt my attention wane at times, though that was more than made up for further along.
Additionally, and this may oust me as a hypocrite, I struggled with some of the very graphic sex scenes. In the past, I have lambasted authors for using fumbled metaphors to describe carnal acts. That is certainly something I cannot accuse Stein of. He describes the sexual acts in such graphic detail there is absolutely nowhere to hide from them. Perhaps a little bit too much so, for me personally. Though I suppose this may in some small part be a homage to the authors that came before him and so heavily inspired his work.
All in all, this book is incredible. It’s blown my expectations out of the water, especially considering this was the debut of Ross Stein. Bravo sir. Bravo.
Now those were my thoughts or ramblings more like. What are yours? Are the dark, historical fictions right up your alley. Do you rejoice the uncomfortable? Or is this so far outside of your comfort zone you just can’t get behind it at all? Either way, let me know in the comment section below and, until then - just one more page!