4 out of 4 stars
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Ex Parte: Episodes of Existential Fiction by Sheli Ellsworth is a collection of short stories that span across diverse genres and subject matters. From the very first page, the author's prowess with words radiates from the pages. This is evident through how she artfully transports the reader into the minds of various individuals, some of them being a prison warden, a commercial sex worker, an ex-wife, first-time parents and a restauranteur.
Each story is told from a one-sided perspective of an individual, hence the title: Ex Parte. This aspect adds a flavourful richness to the storyline as I often speculated about where the other parties involved stood on any given matter. The narration of the stories also differs with some narrated from the first person point of view while others are narrated from the third person point of view. The multiple episodes of reflective dialogue interspersed throughout the book provide a glimpse of the much needed bigger picture.
The writing is fast paced and I must admit that from the moment I read the first paragraph of a story, I couldn't stop until I arrived at its last full stop. Throughout the book, I was glad to read a 19th-century prison wardens journal and the chronicles of a homeless woman. I was especially intrigued when I was also glimpsed into the reality that a person suffering from sleepwalking wakes up to. The suspenseful nature of many of the tales had me wishing that I was reading a full book on them instead of just a few pages. It is also worth mentioning that each story perfectly reads as a stand-alone with the author's mastery of language consistent throughout the book.
Many of the scenarios captured in this book may seem foreign to most people, but after feeling the narrators' deepest emotions, the words will leave you pondering and having a refreshed perspective on things. The themes tackled in the book include compassion, resilience, grief, motherhood amongst many others. No matter the setting, these are very much applicable in modern day life.
While this was an enjoyable read, I found myself going through some of the stories more than once in order to fully decipher the deeper meaning embedded in the words. I have no complaints about this because the experience was worthwhile. There are also many quotable quotes plus nuggets of wisdom sprinkled throughout the book. Anyone looking for a thought-provoking and insightful read will find refuge in the author's brilliant expressions.
For a work of such caliber, it was prudent of the author to have it professionally edited. I only noticed minute typos like a missing word, an extra space between words and varying indentation on the table of contents. Because these did not in any way detract from the reading experience, I eagerly look forward to reading more works from this author. I will, therefore, rate this book 4 out of 4 stars and recommend it to anyone seeking an intellectually stimulating read.
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Ex Parte: Episodes of existential fiction
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