December Shorts : The Devil on the Staircase by Joe Hill

   

Finding time to read can sometimes be a challenge, especially during the Holiday season. I have a bunch of great anthologies so I thought I would pick one or two stories from them and do some mini reviews.


This anthology came out a few years ago and I'm really surprised that I didn't see a lot more press on it. One of my favorite authors Joe hill has a twisted little tale in this book called The Devil on the Staircase. In this story we hear the tale of a young boy born in the village Sulle Scale. it is a village of steep hills and winding stone steps. The narrator spends his days helping his father drag bricks up and down the mountain and upon his father's death, then he begins lugging wine for an affluent dealer.

Still his life is empty and his lust for his cousin Lithodora. His passion and jealously of the one who holds claim to Lithodora's heart causes him to commit a horrible crime. In his flight he stumbles down one of the many hidden paths of the mmountains, a path that leads deep into the earth and his darkest desires.


I really enjoyed this tale . The text in the story moves around the page giving one the feeling of of downward movement.