‘You Should Have Left’ - Horror Novella by Daniel Kehlmann

Daniel Kehlmann is the best-selling and award-winning Austrian-German author. He is also one of the most translated German-speaking writers and his horror novella 'You Should Have Left' was a bestseller in Germany in 2016.

Kehlmann has become internationally recognized for his novel ‘Measuring the World’, translated into 40+ languages.

This short and sweet horror novella ‘You Should Have Left’ talks about the screenwriter who has rented a holiday home high in the mountains, intending to finish a screenplay for a movie sequel that supposed to relaunch his stalled career. He is accompanied with his wife Susanna and his 4-year-old daughter Esther.

The house was modern and beautiful, so change of the scenery and fresh air should get his creative juices to flow. It was all good at first, but soon things start falling apart: rooms are changing their dimensions and positions, some unfamiliar and unknown sentences show up in his notebook…

Although the story has some predictable moments and clichés, but overall it is fresh with a few surprising twists. There is also a background story about a disturbing and dysfunctional marriage, inferior feelings and insecurities, introspections and fears.

Soon you start wondering where is actually the problem? Is this forest cottage haunted or the story’s protagonist is slowly losing his mind, collapsing in emotional and mental breakdown?

A 92-page worth reading novella that you can finish in one or two sittings. Enjoy!