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drmroberts's review against another edition
3.5
I adore Darnielle's musical work and this book felt like reading an extended version of a Mountain Goats song with some great characters.
The book had me captured completely at parts and not so much at others, but on the whole it was a good read.
This novel shares what make his lyrics so great and it really delves into the details, sometimes mundane, and finds a beauty in them. The world is built around those little details and it immerses all the senses. The characters are complete and deeply rooted in this world l, even if we only get a slice of them in time.
One part hits harder than the rest and that would be the section aboutthe aftermath of The White Witch, told through the mother of one victims .
This section plants that seed of beginning to think about the effects of glorifying true crime, the obsessiveness over it and need to find any new evidence despite the trauma that lives on through those it directly impacted.
The ending goes back to that question and although it was an unexpected ending, I did enjoy it.
The book had me captured completely at parts and not so much at others, but on the whole it was a good read.
This novel shares what make his lyrics so great and it really delves into the details, sometimes mundane, and finds a beauty in them. The world is built around those little details and it immerses all the senses. The characters are complete and deeply rooted in this world l, even if we only get a slice of them in time.
One part hits harder than the rest and that would be the section about
This section plants that seed of beginning to think about the effects of glorifying true crime, the obsessiveness over it and need to find any new evidence despite the trauma that lives on through those it directly impacted.
The ending goes back to that question and although it was an unexpected ending, I did enjoy it.
brebrowning15's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
asherstrife's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
itacuz's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was a really cathartic read for my experience of having fallen hard off true-crime fascination. I don't want to put judgement on an entire genre, but in the podcastification of true crime, the water gets murky in regards to what is respectful to victims and what is exploitive. Not everything fetishizes trauma, but enough does that I leave most stories with an uneasy feeling.
Devil House sets the perspective and moral debate of true crime through the lens of a true crime novelist grappling with his own involvement, both through his previous novels and one he is actively struggling with. Messages from previous subjects, current neighbors to prior crime scenes, and others from his past all converge into a conversation that took me by surprise. A neat twist ties up the thesis he outlines the rest of the novel with and gives closure to the book in a way I found immensely satisfying.
In pursuing the moral dilemma, Darnielle writes some really engaging and exciting true crime, all fictionally written by the author in Devil House. The book is divided into the three sections, layered in an ABCBA format that plays off itself fluidly to it's conclusion. The middle section is a bit of a curveball, but I think it serves the story well and does so in an interesting way that makes sense by the time you get to it. I say all this as a die-hard fan of John Darnielle's band The Mountain Goats, so take it with whatever amount of salt you deem necessary.
Devil House sets the perspective and moral debate of true crime through the lens of a true crime novelist grappling with his own involvement, both through his previous novels and one he is actively struggling with. Messages from previous subjects, current neighbors to prior crime scenes, and others from his past all converge into a conversation that took me by surprise. A neat twist ties up the thesis he outlines the rest of the novel with and gives closure to the book in a way I found immensely satisfying.
In pursuing the moral dilemma, Darnielle writes some really engaging and exciting true crime, all fictionally written by the author in Devil House. The book is divided into the three sections, layered in an ABCBA format that plays off itself fluidly to it's conclusion. The middle section is a bit of a curveball, but I think it serves the story well and does so in an interesting way that makes sense by the time you get to it. I say all this as a die-hard fan of John Darnielle's band The Mountain Goats, so take it with whatever amount of salt you deem necessary.
jobustitch's review against another edition
2.0
Not a lot of horror. Pacing was weird and I had a few “what is going on here” moments. Meh.
achillesheeled's review against another edition
4.0
What happens when somebody tells a story that has real people in it? What happens to the story; what happens to the teller; what happens to the people?
4.5. started slow but i loved the second half
4.5. started slow but i loved the second half
koseto_tliterature's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
This is not a horror novel.
This is a fiction true-crime-like story that makes no sense. There are either loose or no connections between the individual parts of this book. The White Witch and Devils House sections (specifically the first sections in the front half of the book) are interesting and brought this up to a 1.5-2 star rating. Everything else, zero. The ‘Song of Gorbonian’ section doesn’t fit with the (already convoluted) narrative. The author also loves to flaunt his medieval writing skills in random paragraphs in the first few sections. It also felt like the author was trying to make a big reveal at the end, but it was flat, uninteresting and honestly, I just wanted to be done with this book.
This is a fiction true-crime-like story that makes no sense. There are either loose or no connections between the individual parts of this book. The White Witch and Devils House sections (specifically the first sections in the front half of the book) are interesting and brought this up to a 1.5-2 star rating. Everything else, zero. The ‘Song of Gorbonian’ section doesn’t fit with the (already convoluted) narrative. The author also loves to flaunt his medieval writing skills in random paragraphs in the first few sections. It also felt like the author was trying to make a big reveal at the end, but it was flat, uninteresting and honestly, I just wanted to be done with this book.