Down to a Sunless Sea
by Mathias Freese
Published by Wheatmark Book Publishing
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Reviewed by Edith Knehans
Teacher and psychotherapist Mathias Freese has found his literary calling in the surreal stories he writes. Of particular note is Freese’s new collection of short stories, Down to a Sunless Sea.
Sunless Sea provides a wide range of reading, from the journalistic to the darkly humorous. The stories allow for the foibles of human nature, not excusing character flaws, but elevating the rest of us to a level of understanding not readily available in many works of this genre.
The call to empathy is rife in Freese’s stories. In “I’ll Make It, I Think” the lead character’s physical challenges are based on a relation of Freese’s, giving Freese a intimate character insight on an emotional as well as intellectual level. Other stories reflect the pain and intensity Freese has experienced in his own life, expressed in a way that we can’t help but feel the depths of despair of the characters he draws out though their individual suffering.
Though the stories in this collection depict the more menacing side of human nature, Freese does give greater dimension to his characters though the glimpses of light that shines into their “sunless seas.”
This is a read recommended for those that relate to the condition of human isolation as well as well as the existence of personal humanity.
Armchair Interviews says: Stories with powerful and personal impacts.