Thank God.
Thank God there are writers doing uncompromising, challenging work that defies all conventions and expectations. I'm also grateful to the publishers who give homes to their books.
Devil House is a title that conjures images of pulp fiction. Visions of Dennis Wheatley danced in my head when I heard it. Devil House is anything but pulp.
John Darnielle's previous book, Universal Harvester, barely made a blip on my radar. The title said little to me about the content of the novel, and I didn't give it much thought.
Devil House was published recently, and the brief synopsis made me think it is a story of Satanic Panic from the 80's. Which it is. Sort of.
Rather than a straightforward story of ritualistic murder, Devil House is a psychological study of a man who writes true crime books. The novel ponders the often thin line between fiction and nonfiction. It's a beautifully written look into the miasma in the mind of a writer.
Many will not wish to go where John Darnielle leads readers in Devil House. The narrative rambles, and it offers more questions than answers. You might say the novel has an unreliable narrator. I'll leave that up to individual readers. Darnielle leaves much to think about throughout the book and also well after its conclusion.
Devil House was my first Darnielle book, but it damned sure won't be my last. I intend to jump into Universal Harvester next.
I truly believe John Darnielle will be one of the big names in the genre. Or out of it. Devil House isn't exactly a horror novel. I think this book, with its mysteries and enigmas, is a stepping stone to bigger things for the author. This book puts him in a category with writers like Catriona Ward and Dan Chaon. Miles above the rest of the pack.
Written by Mark Sieber
Thank God there are writers doing uncompromising, challenging work that defies all conventions and expectations. I'm also grateful to the publishers who give homes to their books.
Devil House is a title that conjures images of pulp fiction. Visions of Dennis Wheatley danced in my head when I heard it. Devil House is anything but pulp.
John Darnielle's previous book, Universal Harvester, barely made a blip on my radar. The title said little to me about the content of the novel, and I didn't give it much thought.
Devil House was published recently, and the brief synopsis made me think it is a story of Satanic Panic from the 80's. Which it is. Sort of.Rather than a straightforward story of ritualistic murder, Devil House is a psychological study of a man who writes true crime books. The novel ponders the often thin line between fiction and nonfiction. It's a beautifully written look into the miasma in the mind of a writer.
Many will not wish to go where John Darnielle leads readers in Devil House. The narrative rambles, and it offers more questions than answers. You might say the novel has an unreliable narrator. I'll leave that up to individual readers. Darnielle leaves much to think about throughout the book and also well after its conclusion.
Devil House was my first Darnielle book, but it damned sure won't be my last. I intend to jump into Universal Harvester next.
I truly believe John Darnielle will be one of the big names in the genre. Or out of it. Devil House isn't exactly a horror novel. I think this book, with its mysteries and enigmas, is a stepping stone to bigger things for the author. This book puts him in a category with writers like Catriona Ward and Dan Chaon. Miles above the rest of the pack.
Written by Mark Sieber
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