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The Musings of He: A Gothic Journal of Madness and Memory
A forgotten author. An abandoned manor. A manuscript that was never meant to be read.Vattica Wilde was once the darling of London's literary elite-until his brilliance dimmed, and his name decayed beneath the weight of a single, forgotten masterpiece. A one hit wonder.
Shamed and desperate to reclaim his former glory, Vattica flees the city for a crumbling manor buried deep in the countryside. There, through rotted walls and whispering halls, he begins to write again. But the lines begin to blur between author and story, memory and hallucination, god and editor.
Reality unravels as Vattica details the constant shifting stairs. The peculiar whispers in the walls. The lines he cannot remember writing.
And Him.
What emerges is not a novel, but a requiem.
And it demands to be written.
Told through recovered journal entries and editorial notes, The Musings of He is a gothic descent into madness. As Vattica's manuscript darkens and a figure known only as He begins to speak, the line between author and authored begins to dissolve.
Shamed and desperate to reclaim his former glory, Vattica flees the city for a crumbling manor buried deep in the countryside. There, through rotted walls and whispering halls, he begins to write again. But the lines begin to blur between author and story, memory and hallucination, god and editor.
Reality unravels as Vattica details the constant shifting stairs. The peculiar whispers in the walls. The lines he cannot remember writing.
And Him.
What emerges is not a novel, but a requiem.
And it demands to be written.
Told through recovered journal entries and editorial notes, The Musings of He is a gothic descent into madness. As Vattica's manuscript darkens and a figure known only as He begins to speak, the line between author and authored begins to dissolve.
274 pages, Paperback
Published August 25, 2025
About the author
Elowen Greywell
3 books15 followersElowen Greywell is a writer of literary horror and atmospheric fiction, drawn to the quiet dread that lingers between madness, memory, and the human psyche.
Her work explores psychological descent, unreliable narration, and the spaces where history forgets to close its doors. Her debut novel, The Musings of He, is a gothic novel that blends fragmented journals, recovered artifacts, and literary obsession into a story about creation, decay, and the stories that consume their authors.
When she isn't writing, Elowen can often be found annotating century-old books, researching obscure historical ephemera, or wandering places that no longer appear on maps. Well, realistically, you’re more likely to find her in her bedroom shopping for clothes and haunted stuffed animals or playing video games.
She believes that every haunted story begins as a forgotten one.
On a less formal note:
I’m just a girl that enjoys literary prose, finding art in the disturbed, and the color pink. I believe writing as an art form should be fun, and strive to make my work as enjoyable for others to read and interact with as it is for me to create it. I hope I accomplish that in The Musings of He, and every work I release after it.
Her work explores psychological descent, unreliable narration, and the spaces where history forgets to close its doors. Her debut novel, The Musings of He, is a gothic novel that blends fragmented journals, recovered artifacts, and literary obsession into a story about creation, decay, and the stories that consume their authors.
When she isn't writing, Elowen can often be found annotating century-old books, researching obscure historical ephemera, or wandering places that no longer appear on maps. Well, realistically, you’re more likely to find her in her bedroom shopping for clothes and haunted stuffed animals or playing video games.
She believes that every haunted story begins as a forgotten one.
On a less formal note:
I’m just a girl that enjoys literary prose, finding art in the disturbed, and the color pink. I believe writing as an art form should be fun, and strive to make my work as enjoyable for others to read and interact with as it is for me to create it. I hope I accomplish that in The Musings of He, and every work I release after it.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 15, 2025
3.5-4ish range for me (sorry for bringing the overall rating down, I have pretty high standards). This was sent to me by a subscriber and I was very, very impressed by it. Written like the manic ramblings of a once-famous author who truly hates just about everything about the world he lives in, this book feels truly haunted which is something that very few books achieve. Wilde’s journey into Hollisby Manor feels like an extended fever dream that never lets the reader find their footing in a narrative style that won’t work for everyone, but certainly worked for me after the first 60 or so pages. The story takes a delightful turn about two thirds of the way through when we are given some essays and comments from outside observers on the cursed manuscript and I wish there were more of that in the novel. The ending touched me in a way that I honestly wasn’t expecting and has me itching to go back through the manuscript and see if there was more melancholy that I missed on my first time through. I also thoroughly enjoyed a section when I had to stand next to my bathroom mirror in order to read the reflected words from a secondary author sneaking their way into the story. Definitely worth checking out if you’re interested in reading something unconventional like House of Leaves, but are intimidated by the length and complexity of that novel. Will definitely be recommending this to quite a few of my friends.
September 7, 2025
ARC provided by publisher - Hillsather Publishing House - and Booksprout in exchange for an honest review.
The grand debut of Elowen Greywell - a gothic horror historical fiction with an unreliable narrator and slight hints of a more fantastical aspect, it starts off wearing the influences of Poe proudly on its sleeves. Vattica Wilde - struggling writer who hopes to make a comeback - secludes himself in Hollisby Manor, hoping that the rumored ghosts would be his muse and that his bestseller - Brothers of Gold - would not be a one-hit wonder.
But as his stay lengthens, he could swear the winds whisper prose to him, doors creak in rhythm to sentences, and his pen only traces invisible words that had always been on the paper. And as Vattica is visited by "He" in the middle of the night, it is proven in clarity - this is far more than a story about a descent into madness.
This is a story about stories.
"He" does not haunt Vattica in the traditional sense, rather choosing to give him slices of myths and legends, twisting this pastiche of Poe with fables, fairy tales, and even the creation mythology of the world itself. And in return, Vattica offers up his own - whether he wants to or not. As he puts ink to paper, putting stories of both parties into writing, he finds sentences rewritten, scratched out, and annotated [shown in the formatting of the novel itself].
Because "He" has taken the liberty of becoming the editor of this story, [dear reader].
The novel distorts as it continues, stitched together with
-
occurrences at the manor,
-
tales from "He",
-
Vattica's in-universe story,
-
publisher notes,
-
unsent letters,
-
and even modern-day excerpts from historians of a publishing house attempting to decipher the meaning of the newly found pages, discovered under heaps of mud, blood, and ink.
The main story "concludes" with several pages remaining, but with each new extra foundings in epistolary sense, sends the elusive manuscript into even stranger depths - effects of which are even felt in the real world itself.
But even moreso, facts about Vattica that he couldn't bring himself to admit in parchment.
Because Brothers of Gold was far from fiction - a heartbreaking truth twisted in sugar and made palatable.
[And even mold can be polished to shine golden.]
The Musings of He does not end with resolving climax - that was nearly a dozen chapters ago.
Only gasps of desperation written with remaining self and through shaking hands as if holding on to a buried truth was a last ditch effort to keep one self sane.
To be kept not in an unkempt grave.
Rewrite the bones. Leave the skin behind. You know this is the version He prefers.
The grand debut of Elowen Greywell - a gothic horror historical fiction with an unreliable narrator and slight hints of a more fantastical aspect, it starts off wearing the influences of Poe proudly on its sleeves. Vattica Wilde - struggling writer who hopes to make a comeback - secludes himself in Hollisby Manor, hoping that the rumored ghosts would be his muse and that his bestseller - Brothers of Gold - would not be a one-hit wonder.
But as his stay lengthens, he could swear the winds whisper prose to him, doors creak in rhythm to sentences, and his pen only traces invisible words that had always been on the paper. And as Vattica is visited by "He" in the middle of the night, it is proven in clarity - this is far more than a story about a descent into madness.
This is a story about stories.
“A lie, even lovely, cannot hide the rot. But a true story - told in bile and bone - will outlive God.”
"He" does not haunt Vattica in the traditional sense, rather choosing to give him slices of myths and legends, twisting this pastiche of Poe with fables, fairy tales, and even the creation mythology of the world itself. And in return, Vattica offers up his own - whether he wants to or not. As he puts ink to paper, putting stories of both parties into writing, he finds sentences rewritten, scratched out, and annotated [shown in the formatting of the novel itself].
Because "He" has taken the liberty of becoming the editor of this story, [dear reader].
“Add more teeth,” He scrawled once.
I obliged.
The novel distorts as it continues, stitched together with
-
occurrences at the manor,
-
tales from "He",
-
Vattica's in-universe story,
-
publisher notes,
-
unsent letters,
-
and even modern-day excerpts from historians of a publishing house attempting to decipher the meaning of the newly found pages, discovered under heaps of mud, blood, and ink.
The main story "concludes" with several pages remaining, but with each new extra foundings in epistolary sense, sends the elusive manuscript into even stranger depths - effects of which are even felt in the real world itself.
But even moreso, facts about Vattica that he couldn't bring himself to admit in parchment.
Because Brothers of Gold was far from fiction - a heartbreaking truth twisted in sugar and made palatable.
[And even mold can be polished to shine golden.]
I hope you read this.
And if you do… please forgive me.
Not for living. But for how poorly I have done it.
I will see you again.
Soon, I think.
He tells me so.
The Musings of He does not end with resolving climax - that was nearly a dozen chapters ago.
Only gasps of desperation written with remaining self and through shaking hands as if holding on to a buried truth was a last ditch effort to keep one self sane.
To be kept not in an unkempt grave.
September 8, 2025
I devoured this story so quickly, and I’m already wanting to re-read it because I enjoyed it so much.
The book is written in a different style than most I’ve read in the past year—and I mean that in the best way possible. No review I could leave would do The Musings of He justice, and I also don’t want to spoil anything; it truly needs to be experienced.
The plot is intriguing and eerie, the characters are brilliantly written, it’s poetic, captivating, and horror at its finest. Vattica Wilde is such an interesting and tragic character. I couldn’t stop reading once I picked it up. I’m looking forward to Elowen’s future works and can’t wait to descend into the madness of her next story. I read on my Kindle, but I’ll definitely be getting a physical copy soon.
If you haven’t picked up this book yet, please do. One of the strongest debut novels I’ve read this year.
The book is written in a different style than most I’ve read in the past year—and I mean that in the best way possible. No review I could leave would do The Musings of He justice, and I also don’t want to spoil anything; it truly needs to be experienced.
The plot is intriguing and eerie, the characters are brilliantly written, it’s poetic, captivating, and horror at its finest. Vattica Wilde is such an interesting and tragic character. I couldn’t stop reading once I picked it up. I’m looking forward to Elowen’s future works and can’t wait to descend into the madness of her next story. I read on my Kindle, but I’ll definitely be getting a physical copy soon.
If you haven’t picked up this book yet, please do. One of the strongest debut novels I’ve read this year.
August 30, 2025
How do I put this?
It’s amazing.
I held my breath while I read it.
The last chapter caught me off guard.
You read it and don’t even realize that SHE wrote it, not the character.
She is a MASTER of vocabulary and writing as the character.
I could SEE the manor in my head.
You have to reread it ti be able to notice EVERYTHING about it, yet notice enough in the first read.
The characters are three dimensional, and the story is not shallow in the SLIGHTEST.
This book, as an indie, deserves SO MUCH recognition.
It’s different.
It’s scary.
And if you have the time, BUY THE BOOK AND READ IT.
But I warn you.
You may hear…
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
It’s amazing.
I held my breath while I read it.
The last chapter caught me off guard.
You read it and don’t even realize that SHE wrote it, not the character.
She is a MASTER of vocabulary and writing as the character.
I could SEE the manor in my head.
You have to reread it ti be able to notice EVERYTHING about it, yet notice enough in the first read.
The characters are three dimensional, and the story is not shallow in the SLIGHTEST.
This book, as an indie, deserves SO MUCH recognition.
It’s different.
It’s scary.
And if you have the time, BUY THE BOOK AND READ IT.
But I warn you.
You may hear…
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
November 13, 2025
This book is perfect for lovers of Poe. It is truly like the ramblings of a mad man. It’s haunting and twisted and you feel his rage and his grip on reality slipping. It’s written in gothic style reminiscent of Poe and his era. I was engrossed in the story, I love that it is told through his journal and manuscripts, that really helped show his breakdown, his obsession with literary greatness, and isolation. Is He a hallucination? Is He an entity bent on causing harm? Is He the house? Is the manuscript writing itself? If you love Poe you know nothing is as it seems. You’ll get wrapped up in the fever dream and try to unravel it yourself.
November 8, 2025
Where you place this book on a scale of good to great is likely going to come down to your opinion on the writing style. The point of view character is a very full of himself author who speaks like he thinks he is the most eloquent man to ever live. This leads to a lot of grandiose descriptions for things that really do not need them. I want to be clear that this is absolutely intentional and fits the character perfect so I am not saying it is bad - I just personally found it a little much over the course of the novel. If I was allowed to give half stars this would be a 3.5. Great atmosphere.
April 23, 2026
My first official recommended-by-one-of-my-son's-friends book, and honestly not too shabby! It was recommended based on my love for gothic horror, and while it was more Tumblr-horror than I'm usually into, it kept me intrigued until the end. I would've liked to see a little more background story concerning the connection between Vattica and the house, but I'm picking up the metaphors the author's putting down and really kinda digging it.
November 4, 2025
Reading this book is like being in one long Edgar Allen Poe story, and I love it! The unreliable narrator, a sentient house that makes the Overlook Hotel seem inviting, a living manuscript...it's a great read. Just be warned that there are references to pedophilia, although the writing expertly evades going into detail.
January 19, 2026
Review to come - I rarely ever bother writing full reviews but this book deserves one. i absolutely loved it - & it's is the authors debut too?! Crazy.
Also, finally I feel like I had a use for the french diploma i was forced into when i was in school so now that part of my soul can finally rest lol
Also, finally I feel like I had a use for the french diploma i was forced into when i was in school so now that part of my soul can finally rest lol
November 5, 2025
This book settles darkly in the hollow of my mind carved by House of Leaves. That gaping abyss will never be truly filled, but it accepts this story as a welcome offering. The author bled ink onto its pages, and I ravenously consumed them.
Looking foward to her next works.
Looking foward to her next works.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews