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The Delphi Room
Is it possible to find love after you've died and gone to Hell? For oddball misfits Velvet and Brinkley, the answer just might be yes. After Velvet hangs herself and winds up trapped in a bedroom she believes is Hell, she comes in contact with Brinkley, the man trapped next door. Through mirrors that hang in each of their rooms, these disturbed cinemaphiles watch the past of the other unfold - the dark past that has led to their present circumstances. As their bond grows and they struggle to figure out the tragic puzzles of their lives and deaths, Velvet and Brinkley are in for more surprises. By turns quirky, harrowing, funny, and surreal, The Delphi Room explores the nature of reality and the possibilities of love.
- GenresHorror
250 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2013
6 people are currently reading
346 people want to read
About the author
Melia McClure
3 books20 followersMelia McClure is the author of the novels All the World's a Wonder (March 2023) and The Delphi Room. Her fiction has been shortlisted in the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation National Literary Awards, and she was a long-time editor of Meditation & Health magazine, an internationally distributed publication with a loyal readership throughout the United States and Canada as well as in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Indonesia. Melia grew up dancing and acting, and now, when not penning strange tales populated by eccentric characters, she can be found collecting vintage coats, dabbling with paint, and perfecting her Charleston.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
February 24, 2020
Dazzlingly imaginative, and very very weird in the best way. It's hard to follow, though. Don't read this unless you're prepared to give it your undivided attention. Even then, you may lose a few threads, as I did, and find yourself staring at the last line without quite knowing how you got there. Well worth the read, but proceed with caution and a quiet space to absorb every word.
December 27, 2013
Loved the book but thought the ending was weak...
September 28, 2013
This book grabbed me on the first page. I was trying to save it for my vacation, but simply couldn't wait to see what happened to Velvet & Brinkley. The format of the book is most unusual, but very readable. The characters, although dead are so alive and believable, and the subject matter dark, but laced with delicious humor. I found myself laughing out loud at times. This writer paints a perfect picture. You can see and feel the characters and their surroundings as if you are there, and the story is sensitive and unpredictable. Don't miss this one. Everyone will be talking about it
September 24, 2013
Oh my God. Literally no words.
October 4, 2018
Purple prose, bizarrely heightened dialogue that only works during the sections written out like a script (these characters always act like they are in a bad play, but some sections actually have set directions), weird ideas about what it means to be mentally ill, medication is bad! (shouted, repeatedly, by the main character, even though she's killed herself for refusing to take it), both characters have absolutely monstrous mothers who are also somehow the exact same character, references to film that seem to just exist so you know how much the author knows about film, just really obnoxious pretentious characters. But somehow still actually pretty engaging?? The plot was good. The "hell" setting was really good. The switches between first-person, epistolary, and script were fun and often clever. So uh a mixed bag I guess.
dnf
February 13, 2019DNFd @ 46%
I started reading this book the other day because the premise sounded interesting. Although I found the writing a bit clunky from the beginning, I thought it worked well for the main character's story.
Velvet is a pretty depressing girl and doesn't start the story in a good place. So where she ends up isn't a surprise. But what starts out as an interesting story soon turns into a bit of a borefest. I didn't enjoy the letters she exchanges with Brinkley. And couldn't get into the script-like flashbacks they see in their mirrors.
I lost interest really fast and when my mind starts to wander, it's time to walk away.
It's too bad because I thought the bizarre nature of this book was its best asset, but soon gets lost in a dull exchange. I wanted to stick around to find out more about Shadowman, and less about crazy mothers. Oh well.
I started reading this book the other day because the premise sounded interesting. Although I found the writing a bit clunky from the beginning, I thought it worked well for the main character's story.
Velvet is a pretty depressing girl and doesn't start the story in a good place. So where she ends up isn't a surprise. But what starts out as an interesting story soon turns into a bit of a borefest. I didn't enjoy the letters she exchanges with Brinkley. And couldn't get into the script-like flashbacks they see in their mirrors.
I lost interest really fast and when my mind starts to wander, it's time to walk away.
It's too bad because I thought the bizarre nature of this book was its best asset, but soon gets lost in a dull exchange. I wanted to stick around to find out more about Shadowman, and less about crazy mothers. Oh well.
August 15, 2019
This had a great concept. I was convinced this was a ‘limbo’ type situation until the twist at the end. However I wish the characters were more interesting. The interactions between Velvet and Brinkley were realistic but I didn’t connect with them on any level. For such a short word count there was a lot of trauma shoved into their descriptions which made it feel forced. Overall it was a great idea that lacked likeable characters.
2/5 👗
#TheDelphiRoom #MeliaMcClure #GoodReads #Bookstagram #AugustTBR
2/5 👗
#TheDelphiRoom #MeliaMcClure #GoodReads #Bookstagram #AugustTBR
June 12, 2020
I probably need to have another read of this. It definitely is a book that requires your undivided attention and at times I probably didn't focus and numerous times felt lost. It's a very peculiar book all around and still not entirely sure what I think. The ending felt very weak compared to the rest of the book. Decided 2 stars was a true representation of how I felt at the end, but some of that may be my own doing.
August 18, 2017
A delightful read. Interesting characters and a good twist on the ending.
August 10, 2016
(This review also appears at the Court Street Literary Collective, LTD, at http://courtstreetliterary.com/archiv...)
“My mother was on her way over the day I hung myself.”
With this startling, mysterious line, author Melia McClure begins The Delphi Room, a fascinating and engrossing novel that is at times beautiful, heartbreaking, terrifying, and perplexing. It’s even funny. Often, it’s all of these things simultaneously.
After taking her own life, a young woman, Velvet, lands in a kind of afterlife where she’s relegated to a room full of artifacts from her childhood. The room also contains other notable items: a mirror, a writing desk, and a pad of paper. Though she tries every way she can think to escape, Velvet is trapped in the room. She’s not alone, though--before long, she discovers that the room adjacent to hers is occupied by an also-dead man named Brinkley.
Through letters passed between their spaces, along with viewed episodes from each other’s lives--seen through the mirrors in their respective rooms--Velvet and Brinkley start to become intimately acquainted. For Velvet, these pivotal life scenes revolve around her relationship with her mother, her mother’s troubled love life, and Velvet’s often volatile connection with her own friend Davie. Brinkley’s scenes mostly focus on his interactions with his mother.
These viewed life episodes make up a significant portion of the novel and are presented in screenplay format, which is an interesting and effective authorial choice for a number of reasons. It not only reflects both characters’ professed love and appreciation for cinema, but it allows us to “see” the scenes from a distant, presumably objective point of view, creating the impression that we’re seeing what actually happened rather than relying on the character’s account. It’s also significant that both Velvet’s and Brinkley’s mothers are presented as dead ringers for Hollywood golden age stars, Mae West and Rita Hayworth, respectively.
It’s not quite that simple, though. Some of Velvet’s episodes also feature a dark entity called the Shadowman, a person she’s known for most of her life. Similarly, a number of Brinkley’s clips—which we see through Velvet’s mirror—feature his own “other,” the silent film actress Clara Bow. Both the Shadowman and Clara Bow appear from time to time, advising Velvet and Brinkley during trying situations. (Now that I think about it, “advising,” while technically a suitable word, has too benign a connotation, but you’ll have to read the novel to find out what I mean. And read it you should.)
The Delphi Room, as I mentioned earlier, is engrossing, and it’s a difficult thing to quit. Not only is McClure’s prose lush, beautiful, haunting, and, as I mentioned before, often funny. She also draws us through the story by tantalizing us with questions: How did Brinkley die? Is he lying to Velvet? Is she lying to us? Who is the Shadowman? How did Velvet and Brinkley become the way they are? What’s the purpose behind them being in this mysterious place? Is there a purpose at all? Is what’s happening to them real? Does that even matter?
Not surprisingly, the tension between subjective and objective reality is a theme McClure returns to again and again throughout the novel. “It’d always irked me how doctors outright dismissed the reality of people they couldn’t see,” Velvet muses. “What a limited and selfish perspective. Not to mention condescending. Reality is by its very nature subjective, to varying degrees.”
Here’s the bottom line: When I first finished reading The Delphi Room, I couldn’t think of what I wanted to say about it. I had to take some time to formulate my thoughts and assess what I'd read. Sometimes it’s easy to review a book, to tell readers the most important aspects of the story, the major points and themes, to pass judgment on whether it “works” or not. Not to say that those kinds of books are inferior, not at all, but with this one, there are so many rich elements and such complex personal histories woven throughout, that I wanted to take care in writing about it, to make sure I did it justice. Because I believe it’s such an imaginative, daring, and important work, I felt it was especially important that I get that across.
Generally, I’m hesitant to mention the length of time it takes me to finish a book, not wanting to create the impression it’s an “easy read.” With this novel, though, it’s significant that I read it in one sitting and that I sacrificed valuable sleep time in doing so. It was well worth it.
So, read The Delphi Room. Me? I’m going to read again.
“My mother was on her way over the day I hung myself.”
With this startling, mysterious line, author Melia McClure begins The Delphi Room, a fascinating and engrossing novel that is at times beautiful, heartbreaking, terrifying, and perplexing. It’s even funny. Often, it’s all of these things simultaneously.
After taking her own life, a young woman, Velvet, lands in a kind of afterlife where she’s relegated to a room full of artifacts from her childhood. The room also contains other notable items: a mirror, a writing desk, and a pad of paper. Though she tries every way she can think to escape, Velvet is trapped in the room. She’s not alone, though--before long, she discovers that the room adjacent to hers is occupied by an also-dead man named Brinkley.
Through letters passed between their spaces, along with viewed episodes from each other’s lives--seen through the mirrors in their respective rooms--Velvet and Brinkley start to become intimately acquainted. For Velvet, these pivotal life scenes revolve around her relationship with her mother, her mother’s troubled love life, and Velvet’s often volatile connection with her own friend Davie. Brinkley’s scenes mostly focus on his interactions with his mother.
These viewed life episodes make up a significant portion of the novel and are presented in screenplay format, which is an interesting and effective authorial choice for a number of reasons. It not only reflects both characters’ professed love and appreciation for cinema, but it allows us to “see” the scenes from a distant, presumably objective point of view, creating the impression that we’re seeing what actually happened rather than relying on the character’s account. It’s also significant that both Velvet’s and Brinkley’s mothers are presented as dead ringers for Hollywood golden age stars, Mae West and Rita Hayworth, respectively.
It’s not quite that simple, though. Some of Velvet’s episodes also feature a dark entity called the Shadowman, a person she’s known for most of her life. Similarly, a number of Brinkley’s clips—which we see through Velvet’s mirror—feature his own “other,” the silent film actress Clara Bow. Both the Shadowman and Clara Bow appear from time to time, advising Velvet and Brinkley during trying situations. (Now that I think about it, “advising,” while technically a suitable word, has too benign a connotation, but you’ll have to read the novel to find out what I mean. And read it you should.)
The Delphi Room, as I mentioned earlier, is engrossing, and it’s a difficult thing to quit. Not only is McClure’s prose lush, beautiful, haunting, and, as I mentioned before, often funny. She also draws us through the story by tantalizing us with questions: How did Brinkley die? Is he lying to Velvet? Is she lying to us? Who is the Shadowman? How did Velvet and Brinkley become the way they are? What’s the purpose behind them being in this mysterious place? Is there a purpose at all? Is what’s happening to them real? Does that even matter?
Not surprisingly, the tension between subjective and objective reality is a theme McClure returns to again and again throughout the novel. “It’d always irked me how doctors outright dismissed the reality of people they couldn’t see,” Velvet muses. “What a limited and selfish perspective. Not to mention condescending. Reality is by its very nature subjective, to varying degrees.”
Here’s the bottom line: When I first finished reading The Delphi Room, I couldn’t think of what I wanted to say about it. I had to take some time to formulate my thoughts and assess what I'd read. Sometimes it’s easy to review a book, to tell readers the most important aspects of the story, the major points and themes, to pass judgment on whether it “works” or not. Not to say that those kinds of books are inferior, not at all, but with this one, there are so many rich elements and such complex personal histories woven throughout, that I wanted to take care in writing about it, to make sure I did it justice. Because I believe it’s such an imaginative, daring, and important work, I felt it was especially important that I get that across.
Generally, I’m hesitant to mention the length of time it takes me to finish a book, not wanting to create the impression it’s an “easy read.” With this novel, though, it’s significant that I read it in one sitting and that I sacrificed valuable sleep time in doing so. It was well worth it.
So, read The Delphi Room. Me? I’m going to read again.
October 29, 2013
Compelling Premise
Can two misfits find love after death?
This is the interesting question at the heart of The Delphi Room, although I might suggest that the book also explores the question of finding love for oneself after death.
In a beautiful opening chapter, Velvet commits suicide at the urging of her psychosis Shadowman. Afterward, she finds herself alone, locked in a room in what she believes is Hell. Her only companion is another recently deceased prisoner who is locked in a room of his own. He has a psychosis of his own in the form of Clara Bow.
As the two of them learn about each other (in a manner both novel and effective — see below), they also learn about themselves and we see each reflected in the life of the other.
Reflections and the shifting nature of perception are explored on a number of levels and wrapped in sumptuous prose. It’s a literary mille feuille, if you’ll excuse the metaphor. (I probably shouldn’t write when I am hungry!)
Lush Writing and Creative Design
The crown of this particular mille feuille is rich, velvety descriptives. We perceive the settings, both in the characters’ purgatorial present, as well as their rebroadcast pasts, in a way that is sharper, yet softer, than we do the everyday physical world. For me, this conveyed a heightening of senses after death and gave a dream-like sheen to the experience.
Velvet and Brinkley learn about each other by turns via notes passed through a grate and vignettes played out in mirrors in their respective rooms. You might think that the narrative shifts would present transitioning and contextual problems for the reader, especially for a story told in the first person.
As it turns out, not so much.
Great writing style and creative book design (the vignettes are formatted as excerpts from a screenplay) keep the context clear and make the transitions effortless. A big tip of the chef’s toque to the author as well as to ChiZine designer Danny Evarts for making it work so very well.
I have to confess that I didn’t absolutely love either Velvet or Brinkley, but I was utterly captivated by the various layers of reflection and perception at play. I was constantly drawn forward through the story and felt the loss when it was over.
Note: Melia McClure will be reading from The Delphi Room on Wednesday, November 13th at 8:00pm as part of ChiSeries Toronto.
Can two misfits find love after death?
This is the interesting question at the heart of The Delphi Room, although I might suggest that the book also explores the question of finding love for oneself after death.
In a beautiful opening chapter, Velvet commits suicide at the urging of her psychosis Shadowman. Afterward, she finds herself alone, locked in a room in what she believes is Hell. Her only companion is another recently deceased prisoner who is locked in a room of his own. He has a psychosis of his own in the form of Clara Bow.
As the two of them learn about each other (in a manner both novel and effective — see below), they also learn about themselves and we see each reflected in the life of the other.
Reflections and the shifting nature of perception are explored on a number of levels and wrapped in sumptuous prose. It’s a literary mille feuille, if you’ll excuse the metaphor. (I probably shouldn’t write when I am hungry!)
Lush Writing and Creative Design
The crown of this particular mille feuille is rich, velvety descriptives. We perceive the settings, both in the characters’ purgatorial present, as well as their rebroadcast pasts, in a way that is sharper, yet softer, than we do the everyday physical world. For me, this conveyed a heightening of senses after death and gave a dream-like sheen to the experience.
Velvet and Brinkley learn about each other by turns via notes passed through a grate and vignettes played out in mirrors in their respective rooms. You might think that the narrative shifts would present transitioning and contextual problems for the reader, especially for a story told in the first person.
As it turns out, not so much.
Great writing style and creative book design (the vignettes are formatted as excerpts from a screenplay) keep the context clear and make the transitions effortless. A big tip of the chef’s toque to the author as well as to ChiZine designer Danny Evarts for making it work so very well.
I have to confess that I didn’t absolutely love either Velvet or Brinkley, but I was utterly captivated by the various layers of reflection and perception at play. I was constantly drawn forward through the story and felt the loss when it was over.
Note: Melia McClure will be reading from The Delphi Room on Wednesday, November 13th at 8:00pm as part of ChiSeries Toronto.
May 22, 2016
2.5 stars, but I did like it. No spoilers, promise.
It's hard to review a book objectively, but I think this piece deserves it. It's extremely creative and refreshing, and I do recommend it to anyone who reads this. It's very short, my copy was only 165 pages.
Like most Canadian film, and in this case I think it's a perfect parallel, this Canadian author examines identity, depressing childhoods and adds a quirky twist to it that is both mesmerizing and disturbing. Canadian cinema is more often weird than generic, and I think the author was probably inspired by this. Part of the novel is written in script format, as a play or screenplay, as we look into the characters lives before they came to the Delphi Room. These parts were my favourites.
The reason I can't rate this higher was due to the long letters the two characters write back and forth to each other. I didn't find them very interesting. However, it made the story possible so I'm not saying they should have been taken out. I also find myself a little bit put out by the non-ending. I'd have liked a little bit more into the future, but that wasn't the theme of this short novel so I suppose I can't complain about that either.
It's hard to review a book objectively, but I think this piece deserves it. It's extremely creative and refreshing, and I do recommend it to anyone who reads this. It's very short, my copy was only 165 pages.
Like most Canadian film, and in this case I think it's a perfect parallel, this Canadian author examines identity, depressing childhoods and adds a quirky twist to it that is both mesmerizing and disturbing. Canadian cinema is more often weird than generic, and I think the author was probably inspired by this. Part of the novel is written in script format, as a play or screenplay, as we look into the characters lives before they came to the Delphi Room. These parts were my favourites.
The reason I can't rate this higher was due to the long letters the two characters write back and forth to each other. I didn't find them very interesting. However, it made the story possible so I'm not saying they should have been taken out. I also find myself a little bit put out by the non-ending. I'd have liked a little bit more into the future, but that wasn't the theme of this short novel so I suppose I can't complain about that either.
January 9, 2014
I loved The Delphi Room so much, and can hardly wait for the next book by Ms. McClure. I won't spoil it for anyone, but I think this book has perhaps the best, most beautifully written ending to any book, ever. I found it deep, dark, and funny. One of my many favorite lines: "Reading a man's handwriting is like seeing him naked."
I have a hunch that Ms. McClure is channeling something larger, and I see her as an integral part of an understanding and interested in spiritual themes such as the afterlife, and what it really means to inhabit a body and die, which are currently emerging through more mainstream literature and film. This gives the book a wonderful timeliness, and is a welcome anecdote for those of us seeking something deeper than the current zombie post-apocolypse motif.
I have a hunch that Ms. McClure is channeling something larger, and I see her as an integral part of an understanding and interested in spiritual themes such as the afterlife, and what it really means to inhabit a body and die, which are currently emerging through more mainstream literature and film. This gives the book a wonderful timeliness, and is a welcome anecdote for those of us seeking something deeper than the current zombie post-apocolypse motif.
March 2, 2022
A beautiful, heartwrenching story beginning with a woman, Velvet, hanging herself.
In doing so she becomes entangled with the man next door, Brinkley, in this startlingly original novel.
The depiction of the Afterlife, and the use of filmic imagery stays with you long after reading, I genuinely enjoyed reading this original, and affecting novel.
Seamless weaving of narratives puts you firmly inside the minds of Brinkley and Velvet,
it explores a new version of the Afterlife(lives?) in a highly original and distinctive way.
many thanks Netgalley for letting me read this proof.
In doing so she becomes entangled with the man next door, Brinkley, in this startlingly original novel.
The depiction of the Afterlife, and the use of filmic imagery stays with you long after reading, I genuinely enjoyed reading this original, and affecting novel.
Seamless weaving of narratives puts you firmly inside the minds of Brinkley and Velvet,
it explores a new version of the Afterlife(lives?) in a highly original and distinctive way.
many thanks Netgalley for letting me read this proof.
February 26, 2014
This is a book I'd recommend to all of you who enjoy being carried away by beautiful prose, while exploring and learning more about the quirkiness of the human mind. An emotional roller coaster ride - scary, funny, disturbing - leaving you wanting for more. A story exquisitely composed by an author with a compassionate heart, and a desire to nudge us towards a deeper comprehension of how differently we perceive as well as cope with the challenges of life.
November 15, 2013
Simply a wonderful beautifully written novel of finding love after you have given up and in am impossible place. McClure writes a story through letters passed through a wall and instead of being choppy for the reader it flows. The characters were enduring or even likable in my opinion, but the descriptions and the way the author wrote about feelings pulls you into the story despite the characters. Would recommend to those looking for something a bit different and enjoys true literary works.
October 23, 2014
I enjoyed this book very much. McClure takes a lot of chances with this book and for the most part she brings them off. It's very experimental in nature, which I liked, and included Old Hollywood Movie references along with sections written as a screenplay.
I think McClure set the bar pretty high for herself, and met those goals. This isn't your ordinary paranormal romance, but something much deeper, much more visceral. Give it a peek.
I think McClure set the bar pretty high for herself, and met those goals. This isn't your ordinary paranormal romance, but something much deeper, much more visceral. Give it a peek.
September 30, 2013
Wow!!! I started reading it and couldn't put it down. It immediately captures you. I finished it one day! The imagination, and the character development is really something else. It's brilliant writing! It's dark and surreal but very quirky and humorous at the same time. I highly recommend it.
November 2, 2013
This book captivated me from the very beginning and held my interest through the entire book. I don't tend to finish many books as I get tired of them, so this is a definite good sign. Melia's writing is awesome and she just makes you want to continue reading.
May 13, 2015
First of all, what an interesting (and horrifying) vision of hell: a small room where you are trapped, alone, with nothing to do forever. Yikes.
Interesting story, if rather depressing. I kept reading, though, so it didn't get me down too much.
Interesting story, if rather depressing. I kept reading, though, so it didn't get me down too much.
February 11, 2014
Unbelievable, page-turner to the very end. Fascinating and thought-
provoking. Loved the ending, loved every word of this book! The letters the characters write to each other are highly entertaining, full of colour, wit and emotion. Would love to see this book made in to a movie.
provoking. Loved the ending, loved every word of this book! The letters the characters write to each other are highly entertaining, full of colour, wit and emotion. Would love to see this book made in to a movie.
November 23, 2013
From the first word to the last, this poetic, totally original novel
captivates. Makes you think about life, death, love and reality in new
ways. And it makes you laugh. Riveting.
captivates. Makes you think about life, death, love and reality in new
ways. And it makes you laugh. Riveting.
December 15, 2013
Darkly funny, hauntingly moving, startlingly original. This book is like no other. It grabs on and won't let go.
December 2, 2015
Not a bad idea and the first half was fair but in the end I just found it too disjointed for me to stick with so I read the last few pages and moved on.
December 27, 2013
Absolutely must read! I couldn't put it down!
December 30, 2013
What an exquisite, profound, harrowing, funny book. I adored the ending -- it is surprising and moving, a perfect end to an extraordinary reading experience.
March 10, 2014
I was interested in the beginning and the end. Started brushing through the middle just cause it was getting boring. I was also hoping for a little more at the end.
May 13, 2014
From the first page of this novel, I loved it, loved it, loved it. It is gripping and I couldn't put it down. Best book ever!
May 3, 2017
This book was a surreal experience. It probably takes more than one reading to get the whole of it. But I enjoyed being a fly on the wall in the after-lives of Velvet and Brinkley. What were their lives like before they ended up supposedly dead in separate rooms, with mirrors that allow them to see glimpses of each other's lives before they got here?
Are they really dead? Are they in Hell? Did their lives have meaning? Can they change things if they aren't dead?
Such an interesting novel. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Are they really dead? Are they in Hell? Did their lives have meaning? Can they change things if they aren't dead?
Such an interesting novel. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews