The Ivory Obelisk
by Eli Kale
Style: Literary Fiction / Psychological
ISBN: 9798363229916
Print Size: 316 pages
Reviewed by S.A. Evans
Hidden truths and damaged bonds in a masquerade ball—a deeply felt psychological novel.
The Ivory Obelisk is a story in regards to the type of remorse that comes from suppressing grief. Our predominant character, Fabian Loxley, is an 87-year-old businessman of a pharmaceutical firm. His predominant goal is to distract himself from recurring nightmares and the work required of him within the firm’s latest merger.
He’s brimming with remorse for the alternatives he’s made, whereas his expensive buddies attempt to assist in any means they’ll. These buddies include Gianni, an Italian chef, Sebastian, an Austrian butler, and Alden, Fabian’s arguably longest friendship. At one level Alden evens says, “One minute, he’d be effective; the following minute, he’d be staring off into house or misplaced in a glass of whisky.” I imagine that’s the easiest way to explain Fabian. An outdated flame of his even talked about, “Remorse and guilt are robust issues to deal with generally. You’ll be able to’t let it eat you” It’s with all this that the query arises: can Fabian face his internal demons earlier than it’s too late?
Whereas on the best way to a masquerade social gathering to rejoice the merger, Fabian will get right into a automobile accident, leaving his physique in crucial situation. Nonetheless, in his unconscious state, issues take a flip—the masquerade ball he finally ends up at is stuffed with varied characters from his private life.
Considering that is all a dream or nightmare (seeing because the manor the social gathering takes place in is identical manor from his frequent nightmares), Fabian tries to make sense of what’s occurring. When Alden seems, Fabian learns that the one means for his bodily physique to remain alive is to make amends to the individuals he wronged previously and finally heal from the guilt and grief he’s harbored for years.
From room to room, Fabian makes the rounds to greet the company earlier than trying to make the apologies. Alden urges Fabian to rush for the reason that apologies should be made earlier than Fabian’s bodily physique dies. As soon as an vital visitor named Gordon goes lacking, everybody splits up in teams and tries to search out him earlier than time runs out for Fabian to get the emotional closure he wants.
“Opening my eyes, I noticed a tear in one in every of his, however his face was stuffed with defeat and empty of hope.”
Since time slows all the way down to seek for Gordon, flashbacks maintain the tempo shifting and present a lot wanted backstory as to why Fabian seems like he must atone for his wrongdoing. Whereas some flashbacks happen with unnatural transitions, all of them play a job in displaying us what sort of man Fabian is. With an enormous social gathering like this one—and every one being an individual from actual life—there are a whole lot of characters to maintain straight. However Eli Kale succeeds in one thing I’ve by no means seen earlier than: a research of regret at a masquerade ball.
Grief and remorse are dealt with with nice creativity on this novel. It reveals how the gravity of these issues can weigh on an individual over time and that it’s higher to bridge connections whilst you can and know you probably did all you might as an alternative of bottling it up. The tales of the company and buddies are heartwarming, and it’s an entertaining thriller to search out out who died, why they’re nonetheless there, and the way a lot they meant to Fabian. The story’s title has a touching goal too. In case you love emotionally-charged tales informed by the lens of psychological fiction, it’s essential to learn The Ivory Obelisk.
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