I'm reading John Darnielle's books in reverse order.
I began with Devil House. When a noted reviewer/influencer wrote about how the novel went nowhere and was way too vague, I was immediately interested. I tend to enjoy things the others find incomprehensible.
I did indeed enjoy Devil House, and I liked Darnielle's second novel, Universal Harvester even more.
This led me to John Darnielle's music, which he does with The Mountain Goats. The Goats are critically revered but not exactly populist entertainment. Like his books, The Mountain Goats are too intelligent and challenging for mass appeal.
I waited a bit, so as to not gulp down all Darnielle's works too quickly, but I made my way to Wolf in White Van fairly quickly.
I don't think Wolf in White Van will replace Universal Harvester as my favorite of his books, but it might be his best novel.
This is a difficult book. Think Peter Straub at his most obtuse. Wolf in White Van is an abstract labyrinth of a story with a disjointed structure.
Wolf in White Van is an innermost study of Sean Phillips, a man who, in his teens, suffered a disfiguring injury. His appearance is repellent to others and he lives a reclusive existence. During his recovery Phillips devised a mail-order role playing game and has a few hundred subscribers.
The game, Trace Italian, is intricate and complicated. Players go on a post apocalyptic quest and have to make perilous decisions along the way. Sean's mind is also a labyrinthine place of shadows and dark corners.
Wolf in White Van moves in non-linear circles through Sean's past as the book travels forward back to the beginning of his misfortune.
It's a sad, lonely story, but Sean's mind is not an unpleasant place to be. He is remarkably free of resentment and he looks for positive aspects of every situation. It's almost cheerful, in a tragic, horrifying way.
Looking back at my own future history, I will remember 2022 as the year I discovered one of my favorite writers. And my favorite musicians. John Darnielle works on levels beyond the aspirations of most of the others. He requires work on the part of his readers and listeners, but it's worth the effort.
Written by Mark Sieber
I began with Devil House. When a noted reviewer/influencer wrote about how the novel went nowhere and was way too vague, I was immediately interested. I tend to enjoy things the others find incomprehensible.
I did indeed enjoy Devil House, and I liked Darnielle's second novel, Universal Harvester even more.
This led me to John Darnielle's music, which he does with The Mountain Goats. The Goats are critically revered but not exactly populist entertainment. Like his books, The Mountain Goats are too intelligent and challenging for mass appeal.
I waited a bit, so as to not gulp down all Darnielle's works too quickly, but I made my way to Wolf in White Van fairly quickly.
I don't think Wolf in White Van will replace Universal Harvester as my favorite of his books, but it might be his best novel.
This is a difficult book. Think Peter Straub at his most obtuse. Wolf in White Van is an abstract labyrinth of a story with a disjointed structure.
Wolf in White Van is an innermost study of Sean Phillips, a man who, in his teens, suffered a disfiguring injury. His appearance is repellent to others and he lives a reclusive existence. During his recovery Phillips devised a mail-order role playing game and has a few hundred subscribers.
The game, Trace Italian, is intricate and complicated. Players go on a post apocalyptic quest and have to make perilous decisions along the way. Sean's mind is also a labyrinthine place of shadows and dark corners.
Wolf in White Van moves in non-linear circles through Sean's past as the book travels forward back to the beginning of his misfortune.
It's a sad, lonely story, but Sean's mind is not an unpleasant place to be. He is remarkably free of resentment and he looks for positive aspects of every situation. It's almost cheerful, in a tragic, horrifying way.
Looking back at my own future history, I will remember 2022 as the year I discovered one of my favorite writers. And my favorite musicians. John Darnielle works on levels beyond the aspirations of most of the others. He requires work on the part of his readers and listeners, but it's worth the effort.
Written by Mark Sieber
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