‘Ushers: A Short Story’ – Joe Hill

 

Page Count: 29 Pages

It’s all starting to get a little intense over here… It’s mostly work related. to be honest, and that’s fair enough, given that my job is coming to an end at the end of the month. There’s still a fair bit to hand over and I’m right in the middle of not wanting to leave (it’s a good company to work for) but really looking forward to the holiday that I’m planning on taking in September. I’ll have earned it ;o)

Anyway… That was a roundabout way of saying that while three books read isn’t a bad return for this week, I ran out of time (and steam) to finish off a fourth. That’s ok though, that’s what the weekend is for ;o)

I did have a few minutes spare though and ‘Ushers’ looked like it could be an interesting read so…

Martin Lorensen is a twenty-three-year-old counselor for disturbed teenagers. He’s bright, compassionate, attractive, and outgoing. He’s also—and this is the most interesting thing—not dead. Martin has improbably survived not one but two deadly disasters that claimed dozens of lives. The kid is riding one hell of a lucky streak. Two federal agents think there is something darker at play. Now that they’ve arranged to interview Martin, they want answers. Martin is ready to share everything he knows. One thing is for certain: when it comes to escaping death, luck doesn’t figure into it at all.

‘Ushers’ wasn’t a bad way to spend half an hour. Okay, there were no real surprises here (at least, not to me) but that almost feels beside the point. Again, at least to me…

On the face of it, ‘Ushers’ is a beautifully drawn story about the prelude to death with an intriguing ‘mythology’ supplied by the only man who can actually see what is happening. Hill is a natural storyteller and I found it really easy to get into the ebb and flow of the plot.

What ‘Ushers’ is really about though, for me, is the weight that this knowledge leaves on the shoulders of Martin Lorenson and how he deals with it. ‘Ushers’ really invited me to consider what it must be like to see death arrive for specific people, and the price that Martin pays when he tries to warn people. There are no surprises here but seeing Martin carry that load with grace, and good humour, does make for an unsettling read; a strangely inspiring one as well. We could all do with being a little more like Martin Lorenson ;o)

Not a chilling read then but definitely a read that will stay with me for a little while. And that reminds me, I have that collection of short stories lurking about somewhere...