What I Read: The Institute For Creative Dying by Jarred Thompson

About the book

(blurb from Exclusive Books):

You wouldn’t know it was there, the unnumbered house behind the iron-grille gate, just below the craggy rocks of Northcliff ridge. To the untrained eye the rambling property might seem neglected, with its tangle of trees and untamed indigenous bush. But there is purpose here, and a peaceful, subterranean, focus on all that withers and dies. Five strangers – a model, a former nun, a couple in crisis, and an offender newly released from prison – have come here, to this place, to discover an end to life as they’ve known it. Placing their trust in their hosts, the Mortician and Mustafa, the five open their minds and bodies to an alternative experience. Not all of them will survive – or at least not in the way they imagined – but all of them will be shown the limits of their living. 

My Thoughts

Only after reading this book, I realised that “Creative Dying” was a thing. Google is your friend.  Yes, you can check it out, there is an actual movement, with their website quoting the following:

“Creative Dying: A philosophy that aims to bring together ancient wisdom with modern palliative care to facilitate healing and approach death as a time for growth.”

This website is insightful – do check it out!  www.creativedying.org

“No one ever asks us if we want to be alive, doc.  It just happens.  Why wouldn’t it be the same with death?  We’re always getting things we don’t ask for.”

Well, even before that realisation (i.e., that this movement isn’t just a wonderful concept imagined by the author), this approach to our end of life makes sense to me.  And before reading the book, I honestly didn’t think that such an option exists.  It can be depressing to think about our last months on earth – and this book made me ponder my own mortality a lot – but what if you can end your time on earth with calm acceptance and peace?

“Comfort is one of our top priorities.  The best decisions are made from a position of comfort.”  I looked down a little, looking back the way I came.  “Fear is normal,” says Mustafa, noticing my slacked pace.  “If you’d like to turn back now, you’re welcome to.  This isn’t Sodom and Gomorrah.”  His body faces forward, but his face is turned back to me.  “I don’t want to be afraid.” 

So, do we have such an institute in South Africa?  Richly pictured by author Jarred Thompson, this mysterious house in Northcliff in Johannesburg had me fascinated from the get-go.  He sure knows how to set the scene.  From the imposing house to the gorgeous, luxurious gardens I was there, every step of the way.  The treehouses and opulent rooms were vivid in my mind’s eye.

“From the balcony I watch fish rise and fall in the rock pools.  Must be nice to be surrounded by all that water, moving through it as it moves through you.  No matter what you do or where you go, when you’re a fish water will always be there, holding you, even as you sleep.”

But of course, the book is not about the house itself, it is all about the inhabitants and guests.

The custodians of this institute are the Mortician, and her partner, Mustafa.  As the plot unfolds, it was fascinating to hear the stories of each of the guests Daniel, Lucas, Dianne, Tobias, and Angelique.  How did they end up here?  What will they get from this experience?  And yes, morbidly but justly, will not survive their stay?  Told from each of the role character’s point of view, every page is a new reveal, another layer that is peeled away.

And even behind that question, I must also state that it isn’t just about who death and dying. What is one’s mental state of mind when you know that the end is here. Where does that journey take you. How do you accept it – if possible?

“She thought about their time at Bridge Builders Hospice: how people passed through those bedrooms like ghosts on wrecked rowboats, incapable of redirecting course from the approaching cliff.  She had witnessed it many times: the moment dying became a letting, and the currents plunged their patients, headfirst, into waterfalls so misty it was like sailing through cloud.  Resist it nor not, it made no difference.” 

Whilst trying to answer the question about the meaning of life and find an angle for the existential human crisis, can it be that there is maybe something more sinister or suspect at play at this secretive residence?  What is the Mortician and Mustafa’s motivation?

“Being here reminds me of the immensity that’s oddly quite comforting. Depending on what story you’re telling.  The supercluster of galaxies that we’re part of – Laniakea – has given us these few billions of years, to play.” 

“What does Laniakea mean?”

“Immeasurable heaven.”   

The book is filled with complex characters, diverse personalities, and intriguing ethical dilemmas.   The author’s insight into the human condition, alternative therapies and morality is highly commendable.

“Dianne, when you’re reconciled to the reality that you have been dying, that death is the condition of your survival, your growth, the very earth you walk on… you feel a shift, an appreciation.”

• Immersive plot
• Morally grey characters
• Vividly descriptive
• Thought-provoking
• Relatable characters

“This was the difference between cured and healed, she thought.  One you leave behind, another you live with.”

“The Institute for Creative Dying” is wildly imaginative, deeply moving, and unique, I throughly enjoyed this.

What a wonderful debut novel!

With thanks to Exclusive Books for the opportunity to read this book!

The Details:

PUBLISHED BY:  Pan Macmillan South Africa
EAN:  9781770108370
DATE PUBLISHED:  01 February 2023

About the Author:

Jarred Thompson:  https://www.panmacmillan.co.za/authors/jarred-thompson