The Head: A Novella

by Robyn Braun

A surreal and penetrating tale of academia, work, life, and surviving trauma.

On the morning of her thirtieth birthday, Dr. Trish Russo, a math professor at Cascadia University, discovers a disembodied but living infant head on her dresser. Attached to nothing, somehow it still manages to wail and produce tears. Unsure what else to do, she takes it with her to work, if only to keep her neighbours from complaining about the head's terrible cries.

At the university, her colleagues are mortified, not of the head itself, but that Trish has brought it into the office with her. She is soon put on leave and hopes that visiting her parents might provide some solace and advice on what she should do with the head. But no matter where she turns, Trish finds no help and is instead vilified for not knowing what to do with this impossible thing that has happened to her.

The Head is a bizarre journey through trauma, bad relationships, and toxic workplace culture.

"Intelligent, spooky, original, and fall-down funny, THE HEAD runs in dark layers from page one." —Jason Emde, author of LITTLE BIT DIE

"Robyn Braun's THE HEAD pulses with the abject horror of those worrying parts of your being you can't put your finger on but just can't seem to throw away." —K.I. Press, author of EXQUISITE MONSTERS, TYPES OF CANADIAN WOMEN, SPINE, and PALE RED FOOTPRINTS

"A stunning achievement: compelling, disturbing, and thought-provoking, the sort of book that stays with you long after you finish it." —Michelle Barker, author of MY LONG LIST OF IMPOSSIBLE THINGS, and THE HOUSE OF 1000 EYES

"Astonishing and smart. THE HEAD will leave you thinking long after the last word." — Robin van Eck, author of ROUGH

"Propulsive and darkly comedic, THE HEAD, takes a good honest look at what it means to carry childhood trauma into adulthood. A whirlwind read that will make you laugh, cry, grit your teeth, and ultimately, feel at peace. Highly recommend!" —Shelly Kawaja, author of THE RAW LIGHT OF MORNING

160 pages, Paperback

Published May 7, 2024

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It is totally bizarre but somehow super relatable. If you like allegorical books give this one a go. I was deeply uncomfortable when reading this and not because of the disembodied head so take that as you will. My one gripe would maybe be the ending but I am not a huge fan of super vague endings (I like a neatly wrapped up bow thanks) so that's more of a me thing.

4.2/5

[Mila · Rating 4 out of 5]

I honestly didn’t know what to expect when I picked up this book, and I definitely wasn’t expecting it to resonate with me so much. This novella painted a harrowing picture of dealing with trauma and dealing with how it affects how you start to interact with other people. I was deeply uncomfortable while reading this book, but I think that is a good thing.

[Jill Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

How can a story so absurd be so jarringly relatable? That's the thought that kept circling my brain as I followed Trish while she tries to handle a situation she didn't ask for when friends, family, and coworkers just don't wanna help. Despite a wild premise, the themes and emotions Braun explores hit hard. I only wish it had been about 25 pages more to get me fully to Braun's ending.

[Daniela Ch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting concept. Started off very repetitive but the second half was better. Character doesn’t necessarily develop until the end of the last 2 pages of the novel and then the author just explicitly tells you about the development.

[Artemis Fedorchuk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely ver Kafkaesque and it was a good read… but the last chunk was veryyyyy unsatisfying. I saw the ending coming, Braun executed it well, and I probably won’t think about this book ever again in a week’s time.

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surreal but with a hopeful ending.

[Nikki Vogel · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a profound and horrifying story. This one will stay with me forever.

[princessluni · Rating 3 out of 5]

New levels of bizarre (complimentary)

[Samoyes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an anxiety inducing book about being concerned with how people view you. It puts a spotlight on how we cannot control people’s perceptions no matter how much we try, and that women are particularly subject to this critical gaze and how quickly our standing can be altered. The pacing of this book was so good with the tension building every step of the way. I often found myself cringing at the main character’s choices and actions just hoping and wishing for her horror of having a disembodied baby’s head from following her.

[Kiera · Rating 3 out of 5]

Went to the bookstore, looking for weird books, obviously finding a living head in your room fit that description. However, I was not prepared for what this book represented. This book put me through a lot of different emotions with my own trauma and was very healing in a way. Thank you for writing it.