Helpmeet by Naben Ruthnum
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Dr. Edward Wilk is dying. Wasting away from the inside out by a relentless disease. All Louise wants for her husband is some peaceful final days, and to that end, they decide to move out of the city and to the abandoned orchard where Edward was born and grew up. But it soon becomes apparent that Edward’s illness may not be natural, and those peaceful last days are unlikely.
I really enjoyed this novella. Helpmeet was reminiscent of the gothic horror of the 19th century, with a strong dose of body horror mixed in for good measure. It was some pretty graphically detailed body horror, I hasten to add, so if that is something that you don’t enjoy or avoid, then this mightn’t be the book for you.
There isn’t much I can really say about the story without spoilers, as it is so short, and the details of the illness are woven into the entire plot, but I can say that the characters were compelling, faults and all, and the body horror was spot on for me. There’s nothing quite like a healthy and vital person rapidly deteriorating before your eyes to remind you that humans are fragile, and our bodies are… squishy. There is an interesting twist at the end that I felt paid off very well.
As I said above, Helpmeet is written in the style of the 19th century gothic tale. As such, there is some romance, something unusual is happening, and the main characters are isolated by their circumstances. It isn’t just the story beats that feel like they came straight out of the past however. Even the writing style, evocative and perhaps a little antiquated, feels like it would fit right in with its predecessors. And yet, there is enough modernity to ensure that its right at home with its contemporaries also.
All up, I adored this novella. Despite being short (I was able to read it in about an hour and a half), it felt like the perfect length to tell the tale. It was able to give the reader everything they needed for the story to hit home, without unnecessary bloat. If you enjoy gothic fiction, body horror, and an intriguing twist to tie it all together, then I seriously recommend you read Helpmeet.
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Rebecka O'Malley 