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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I finished Wolf in white van in January of 2015 and did not read a book as unique or effecting that year. It stirred something in me. When I first finished it I didn't know what to say, I considering it like a rubix cube turning it over and over but no knowing how to solve it ! It's broad in scope and subject yet deeply personal. I found it very raw and open, yet all the while holding the reader at a distance. Darnielle's pros may be be seen as simplistic by some but they are filled with unique and powerful imagery and emotions. These capture the wild imagination of the protagonist Sean. For Sean his imagination is a Source of comfort but also suffering, it isolates him for others yet gives him solace in that isolation. Other than the power of the imagination and isolation the novel also deals with causation. Why do people do the things we do? Why do some people just break? Ultimately it proposes that there is no reason when exams up close.
Darnielle's use of time and consciousness narratively is of a high craft that you see from few established authors. Those who may be sceptical about musicians turning their hands to high art, this novel is an example of one of the best endeavours to do so.
I believe I will have to read it through a few more times to really appreciate and understand the many levels of it but saying that I would highly recommend it.
Here ends another one of my crappy reviews.
Darnielle's use of time and consciousness narratively is of a high craft that you see from few established authors. Those who may be sceptical about musicians turning their hands to high art, this novel is an example of one of the best endeavours to do so.
I believe I will have to read it through a few more times to really appreciate and understand the many levels of it but saying that I would highly recommend it.
Here ends another one of my crappy reviews.
Not a fan. The story had potential, but there is no real moral to the story or reason behind anything. I guess that's the point, but this book did nothing for me.
ohhh john and ur silly little backwards story… also, what a narrator!
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Haunting tale of loneliness and alienation, and how fantasy can provide a necessary and healing escape for those who need it most.
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Having listened to Darnielle's music for many years, it's hard for me to evaluate this book on its own merits.
Thematically, Darnielle has been trying to speak for alienated youth for years. There is a line directly from this book to Jeff and Cyrus, a line that presumably continues to his pre-music career as a psychiatric nurse. This book is another in a series of demonstrations of his deep, deep empathy for outcasts and misfits.
I bet this would've been better as a concept album (a la Tallahassee), but it's terrific as it is. All the analogies, obsessions, and obscure references that one would expect.
Reading this caused me to reevaluate the Darnielle's recent albums, and for that alone it deserves five stars. Recommended for Mountain Goats fans. For everyone else, start with All Hail West Texas, work your way forward, and read this when you get done with Transcendental Youth.
Thematically, Darnielle has been trying to speak for alienated youth for years. There is a line directly from this book to Jeff and Cyrus, a line that presumably continues to his pre-music career as a psychiatric nurse. This book is another in a series of demonstrations of his deep, deep empathy for outcasts and misfits.
I bet this would've been better as a concept album (a la Tallahassee), but it's terrific as it is. All the analogies, obsessions, and obscure references that one would expect.
Reading this caused me to reevaluate the Darnielle's recent albums, and for that alone it deserves five stars. Recommended for Mountain Goats fans. For everyone else, start with All Hail West Texas, work your way forward, and read this when you get done with Transcendental Youth.
challenging
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
incredible incredible incredible book. i don't even have words for how much i love and would recommend this book. like john's music? you'll LOVE his writing