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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
'I would have paid the rent if I could!'
- Fidlar
Through most of my 20’s I was working three jobs. One full time job as a delivery driver that didn’t offer benefits and two part time jobs on top of being a single dad. After grueling weeks I’d spend short amounts of time in my tiny one-room apartment of a split-level house (my daughter got the room, I had a cot in the corner) and wonder, what am I even working for if this is all I have? I mean, my child was taken care of, I wasn’t in fear of being thrown out, but I’d be at work watching customers throw my weekly paycheck’s worth of money around without batting an eye and that will start to drain on you. Especially watching the family homes on my street get foreclosed and slowly turn into college housing and wondering where these families were off to and hoping they were alright. I thought about these times a lot while reading Vlautin’s The Night Always Comes, a gritty neo-noir where the missing person is affordable housing in an ever-gentrifying present day Portland. This wild ride of working-class strife and shady dealings packs a hard punch with Vlautin’s direct prose as he moralizes over poverty, labor conditions, gentrification and mental health in this scream-until-your-voice-is-raw plea for humanity being pulverized in the gears of capitalism.
‘Isn’t that the American dream? Fuck over whoever is in your way and get what you want.’
The Night Always Comes follows 30 year old Lynette over the course of two days, from her double-job shifts that start at 4am while caring for her slightly older brother with developmental disabilities to a long, dangerous night on a hunt for money by any means necessary. Lynette has been planning to buy the home she lives in with her mother—needing the mother to get the loan to cover the other $200k on top of the $80k she has already saved due to bad credit from her very tortured past—when her mom suddenly backs out of the deal. Lynette plunges into the darkness beset by crooked deals and the men driven by desperation to stab her in the back. The plot is simple and this book comes crashing out the gates already gripping your throat and forcing you to see the grimy parts of life many turn their nose up at in order to pretend they aren’t complicit in it’s existence.
I was particularly drawn to this book from Matt’s review and when David’s review referred to the writing as ‘noir writing from Dostoevsky’ and, honestly, that is the best description. There is a strong moral undercurrent here on poverty conditions and those who’s happiness relies on the creation of these conditions all told in the style of a hard-boiled noir. Cigarette smoke in hard contrast in every scene, seedy back alley deals, rich dudes getting their sexual kicks at the expense of poverty stricken women...this novel is a gritty thriller with a very literary heart. In the first few pages there is tons of exposition, but it is all done as a shouting match between mother and daughter and really works without feeling heavy handed. The noir style also makes the frequent monologuing in the novel work without feeling like the pace has slowed down because there is so much frustrated tension dripping off every word.
‘For a lot of years the only way I used to know how to get control of my life was to get mad. It was the only way I knew how to stand up for myself.’
Lynette is a hell of a heroine and readers will quickly be drawn to her and root for her as if she was our Virgil taking us with her through the murky underworlds of Portland. Much of this reads like a white-knuckle redemption story, with Lynette so desperate to regain control over a life she watched spiral into near oblivion in her youth. Yet the scars of her former rage still linger in those she knew. Vlautin looks at the ways mental health struggle are only compounded in situations of poverty where there is not only a lack of a safety net and support system but how can one focus on their own care when constantly working to serve others needs (not to mention these jobs tend to require taking a lot of shit from customers and recognizing you are just a replaceable body in the profit-making machine). How can you rise above when so much of your energy is already expended surviving between shifts and then be expected to give your all at an exhausting job?
Through the long night in search of money, Lynette meets many people who might seem helpful at first but tend to give in to greed and turn against her. While the epigraph of the book quotes a failed politician, I’d prefer to not dignify him with a nod and instead quote Daniel Craig’s nameless character in Layer Cake: ‘But never get too greedy.’ Lynette’s actions feel justifiable to some extent, particularly as much of the money was owed her or she is acting in response to violence against her, whereas the other characters seem to act out of greed. Like a spaghetti-western film, those who violate justified morals or break their convictions tend to get their come-uppin’s, and fast.
Reading Lynette take a bat to an attacker is pretty satisfying, but the point isn’t some quick thrills. Vlautin probes at the conditions that make these people so desperate they’ll betray someone if they think they can get a little leg up or relief, even if only temporary (also everyone seems to ‘know a guy’ who can sell something). Which is the pulse of this novel: addressing gentrification. In 2017, Portland was named the 4th fasted gentrifying city in the United States. ‘Gentrification usually leads to negative impacts such as forced displacement,’ writes Emily Chong in Georgetown Law magazine, ‘a fostering of discriminatory behavior by people in power, and a focus on spaces that exclude low-income individuals and people of color.’ Vlautin’s cast is entirely white, which is quite unfortunate, but he does engage in the realities of those being forced out of their own homes by the rising cost of living. Lynette’s falling down home, for example, is going for $300k and she’s constantly told that is incredibly cheap.
‘Sometimes all you can do in life is have another bowl of ice cream. Sometimes that’s the only move you can make to keep yourself from going completely nuts.’
While the sketchy men that make up this novel are shown to be driven into desperation and violence through poverty (there are, to be fair, also the rich men in the novel who satisfy their carnal lusts on the poor which is even worse), the mother represents those who are crushed under the weight of futility. ‘Why should they bust their asses all day when they know no matter what they do they’ll never get ahead,’ she says of people facing the harsh realities of life. She is a prime example of a worker given just enough hours to make finding another job hard yet not enough hours to survive, and at an age where finding a new job is difficult when there are so many young people to fill the type of jobs she is qualified for. The people this country is definitely failing. She is a character that is so close to understanding, but in her rage against those who only look out for themselves she gives in to that same temptation. Yet still, she hits many good points on the way.
A friend of mine once said we should replace the stars on the American flag with the words ‘fuck you, I got mine,’ and that sentiment is alive and well in this novel. This is a story of someone trying so hard to do the right thing being constantly punched down at by those content to float by on success at the expense of others. Lynette is a reminder of the bigger picture that we must work together to achieve. There is a plea for class solidarity in this book, as all these characters struggling against each other to survive will eventually be forced out by the rising tide of gentrification when instead they should have worked together to ensure they all would have a space in the coming world.
On a quick side-note, I was getting some real [a:Raymond Carver|7363|Raymond Carver|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1613953222p2/7363.jpg] vibes from this book which was only amplified by the cover. Then I realized its because the editions of Carver I've read and this book all feature photography by Todd Hido.
Hard-hitting, fast paced, this is such an enjoyable book even in all its grime and grit. Vlautin has an important message and Lynette’s story is certainly an effective way to deliver it. This is also a novel that shows even when things don’t work out there may still be more paths to take forward, which is a type of ending I quite enjoy. This is a thrill-a-minute ride with a lot of heart. Oh, and for those wondering, my old apartment still stands. The homeowner passed away and it was bought by a group who turned the building into temporary housing for people in need. I’m glad to know the space where so many memories were made is now a space keeping safe people who need it most.
4/5
‘[I]f I remember anything about history, it’s that. The people who are written about are the ones taking. They don’t care who they hurt doing it, they really don’t, and I’m starting to understand why. Because it’s all bullshit. The land of the free and that whole crock of shit. It’s just men taking what they want and justifying it any way they need so they can get up in the morning and take more and...push people out of their homes so they can make more money.’
- Fidlar
Through most of my 20’s I was working three jobs. One full time job as a delivery driver that didn’t offer benefits and two part time jobs on top of being a single dad. After grueling weeks I’d spend short amounts of time in my tiny one-room apartment of a split-level house (my daughter got the room, I had a cot in the corner) and wonder, what am I even working for if this is all I have? I mean, my child was taken care of, I wasn’t in fear of being thrown out, but I’d be at work watching customers throw my weekly paycheck’s worth of money around without batting an eye and that will start to drain on you. Especially watching the family homes on my street get foreclosed and slowly turn into college housing and wondering where these families were off to and hoping they were alright. I thought about these times a lot while reading Vlautin’s The Night Always Comes, a gritty neo-noir where the missing person is affordable housing in an ever-gentrifying present day Portland. This wild ride of working-class strife and shady dealings packs a hard punch with Vlautin’s direct prose as he moralizes over poverty, labor conditions, gentrification and mental health in this scream-until-your-voice-is-raw plea for humanity being pulverized in the gears of capitalism.
‘Isn’t that the American dream? Fuck over whoever is in your way and get what you want.’
The Night Always Comes follows 30 year old Lynette over the course of two days, from her double-job shifts that start at 4am while caring for her slightly older brother with developmental disabilities to a long, dangerous night on a hunt for money by any means necessary. Lynette has been planning to buy the home she lives in with her mother—needing the mother to get the loan to cover the other $200k on top of the $80k she has already saved due to bad credit from her very tortured past—when her mom suddenly backs out of the deal. Lynette plunges into the darkness beset by crooked deals and the men driven by desperation to stab her in the back. The plot is simple and this book comes crashing out the gates already gripping your throat and forcing you to see the grimy parts of life many turn their nose up at in order to pretend they aren’t complicit in it’s existence.
I was particularly drawn to this book from Matt’s review and when David’s review referred to the writing as ‘noir writing from Dostoevsky’ and, honestly, that is the best description. There is a strong moral undercurrent here on poverty conditions and those who’s happiness relies on the creation of these conditions all told in the style of a hard-boiled noir. Cigarette smoke in hard contrast in every scene, seedy back alley deals, rich dudes getting their sexual kicks at the expense of poverty stricken women...this novel is a gritty thriller with a very literary heart. In the first few pages there is tons of exposition, but it is all done as a shouting match between mother and daughter and really works without feeling heavy handed. The noir style also makes the frequent monologuing in the novel work without feeling like the pace has slowed down because there is so much frustrated tension dripping off every word.
‘For a lot of years the only way I used to know how to get control of my life was to get mad. It was the only way I knew how to stand up for myself.’
Lynette is a hell of a heroine and readers will quickly be drawn to her and root for her as if she was our Virgil taking us with her through the murky underworlds of Portland. Much of this reads like a white-knuckle redemption story, with Lynette so desperate to regain control over a life she watched spiral into near oblivion in her youth. Yet the scars of her former rage still linger in those she knew. Vlautin looks at the ways mental health struggle are only compounded in situations of poverty where there is not only a lack of a safety net and support system but how can one focus on their own care when constantly working to serve others needs (not to mention these jobs tend to require taking a lot of shit from customers and recognizing you are just a replaceable body in the profit-making machine). How can you rise above when so much of your energy is already expended surviving between shifts and then be expected to give your all at an exhausting job?
Through the long night in search of money, Lynette meets many people who might seem helpful at first but tend to give in to greed and turn against her. While the epigraph of the book quotes a failed politician, I’d prefer to not dignify him with a nod and instead quote Daniel Craig’s nameless character in Layer Cake: ‘But never get too greedy.’ Lynette’s actions feel justifiable to some extent, particularly as much of the money was owed her or she is acting in response to violence against her, whereas the other characters seem to act out of greed. Like a spaghetti-western film, those who violate justified morals or break their convictions tend to get their come-uppin’s, and fast.
Reading Lynette take a bat to an attacker is pretty satisfying, but the point isn’t some quick thrills. Vlautin probes at the conditions that make these people so desperate they’ll betray someone if they think they can get a little leg up or relief, even if only temporary (also everyone seems to ‘know a guy’ who can sell something). Which is the pulse of this novel: addressing gentrification. In 2017, Portland was named the 4th fasted gentrifying city in the United States. ‘Gentrification usually leads to negative impacts such as forced displacement,’ writes Emily Chong in Georgetown Law magazine, ‘a fostering of discriminatory behavior by people in power, and a focus on spaces that exclude low-income individuals and people of color.’ Vlautin’s cast is entirely white, which is quite unfortunate, but he does engage in the realities of those being forced out of their own homes by the rising cost of living. Lynette’s falling down home, for example, is going for $300k and she’s constantly told that is incredibly cheap.
‘Sometimes all you can do in life is have another bowl of ice cream. Sometimes that’s the only move you can make to keep yourself from going completely nuts.’
While the sketchy men that make up this novel are shown to be driven into desperation and violence through poverty (there are, to be fair, also the rich men in the novel who satisfy their carnal lusts on the poor which is even worse), the mother represents those who are crushed under the weight of futility. ‘Why should they bust their asses all day when they know no matter what they do they’ll never get ahead,’ she says of people facing the harsh realities of life. She is a prime example of a worker given just enough hours to make finding another job hard yet not enough hours to survive, and at an age where finding a new job is difficult when there are so many young people to fill the type of jobs she is qualified for. The people this country is definitely failing. She is a character that is so close to understanding, but in her rage against those who only look out for themselves she gives in to that same temptation. Yet still, she hits many good points on the way.
‘Now it’s all fancy buildings and skinny people who look like they’re in magazines.’ ‘They whole time we’re wondering who can afford to live in these fancy new high-rises and where do they get the money to eat in all these new restaurants...for the life of me, I just don’t understand where so many people get their money.’
A friend of mine once said we should replace the stars on the American flag with the words ‘fuck you, I got mine,’ and that sentiment is alive and well in this novel. This is a story of someone trying so hard to do the right thing being constantly punched down at by those content to float by on success at the expense of others. Lynette is a reminder of the bigger picture that we must work together to achieve. There is a plea for class solidarity in this book, as all these characters struggling against each other to survive will eventually be forced out by the rising tide of gentrification when instead they should have worked together to ensure they all would have a space in the coming world.
On a quick side-note, I was getting some real [a:Raymond Carver|7363|Raymond Carver|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1613953222p2/7363.jpg] vibes from this book which was only amplified by the cover. Then I realized its because the editions of Carver I've read and this book all feature photography by Todd Hido.
Hard-hitting, fast paced, this is such an enjoyable book even in all its grime and grit. Vlautin has an important message and Lynette’s story is certainly an effective way to deliver it. This is also a novel that shows even when things don’t work out there may still be more paths to take forward, which is a type of ending I quite enjoy. This is a thrill-a-minute ride with a lot of heart. Oh, and for those wondering, my old apartment still stands. The homeowner passed away and it was bought by a group who turned the building into temporary housing for people in need. I’m glad to know the space where so many memories were made is now a space keeping safe people who need it most.
4/5
‘[I]f I remember anything about history, it’s that. The people who are written about are the ones taking. They don’t care who they hurt doing it, they really don’t, and I’m starting to understand why. Because it’s all bullshit. The land of the free and that whole crock of shit. It’s just men taking what they want and justifying it any way they need so they can get up in the morning and take more and...push people out of their homes so they can make more money.’
I love it when I find a new author I can obsess over. I knew about Willy Vlautin through his previous band Richmond Fontaine and I can say I’m a fan of his latest group The Delines. I’ve always been a bit wary about musicians turned authors but Night Always Comes blew away all those preconceptions.
Lynette is in trouble: she wants to buy the run down house she lives in as a way of being financially secure. However she can only do this with her mother’s help. Unfortunately her mother refuses to do so and Lynette has to try get scrounge up money in order to pay off the house. There are other problems as well, namely her troubled past and her autistic elder brother whom she takes care of.
The Night Always Comes is a gritty portrayal of American working class. There are thugs, trailer parks, hustlers, addicts. All the people are eking an existence, whether through dishonest or honest means. It turns out the being dishonest is a quicker way to get a lot of cash.
Lynette is a fantastic character: a hard working person whose honesty leads her into trouble. No matter what is thrown at her, and within this book she suffers, Lynette does not break down and takes her problems in her stride. She has flaws but she also conscious of them and tries to tone them down.
I’m a big fan of stories which are about working class people so I gravitated towards The Night Always Comes easily. Vlautin’s writing, is honest and unpretentious and is able to capture the mentality of the society he is writing about, something which I like as well. Like Denis Johnson or his English equivalent Ben Myers , Willy Vlautin gives a lifelike depiction of a certain class of people and makes it addictive reading.
Lynette is in trouble: she wants to buy the run down house she lives in as a way of being financially secure. However she can only do this with her mother’s help. Unfortunately her mother refuses to do so and Lynette has to try get scrounge up money in order to pay off the house. There are other problems as well, namely her troubled past and her autistic elder brother whom she takes care of.
The Night Always Comes is a gritty portrayal of American working class. There are thugs, trailer parks, hustlers, addicts. All the people are eking an existence, whether through dishonest or honest means. It turns out the being dishonest is a quicker way to get a lot of cash.
Lynette is a fantastic character: a hard working person whose honesty leads her into trouble. No matter what is thrown at her, and within this book she suffers, Lynette does not break down and takes her problems in her stride. She has flaws but she also conscious of them and tries to tone them down.
I’m a big fan of stories which are about working class people so I gravitated towards The Night Always Comes easily. Vlautin’s writing, is honest and unpretentious and is able to capture the mentality of the society he is writing about, something which I like as well. Like Denis Johnson or his English equivalent Ben Myers , Willy Vlautin gives a lifelike depiction of a certain class of people and makes it addictive reading.
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
this book gave me major anxiety but touches upon the realities of capitalism - we cannot win
i really liked the story, the messages, and lynette’s character. i didn’t love the writing style or the way that so much is told through dialogue and lacked much flow. still quite enjoyable though.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The action and dialogue in this book reminded me a lot of plays - particularly the repeated detail about how many times it took Lynette's car to start, and her mum's long rants. A bleak book with a hopeful ending. Read it in 2 days, so you know it's good!
dark
emotional
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