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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
I had been looking forward to reading this book since I saw the cover of it on NPR's book concierge last year. It was different than I expected. If I had to pinpoint a specific problem it would be the lack of a plot and also the uncertain timeline. I will say I gained a much better appreciation for the book after listening to it discussed on Nate Cordory's podcast, Reading Aloud (http://readingaloud.wolfpop.com/audio/20378/book-club-wolf-in-white-van). Still a fan of The Mountain Goats and I appreciate what John Darnielle was going for, it just did not work for my personal taste.
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
(Disclaimer: I am a huge Mountain Goats fan)
I don't remember a book affecting me so deeply and so completely in a very long time. Darnielle's prose is masterfully minimalistic (no surprise as he is a lyricist) and conveys so much with a single sentence. His main character's isolation and interactions with the outside world will have you alternately pulling out your hair and sighing with empathy.
While the reverse chronology may not appeal to some, Darnielle handles it very well. The chapters engage with each other in a way that reverse chronology books usually don't, making it a very well constructed and suspenseful experience.
But above all, the book works. It makes you think. It makes you cry. It doesn't give you an easy experience with a deeply complex/complicated psyche of a very unhappy (or at least resigned) person. It doesn't pull punches and it doesn't hold hands. Nor does it answer every question with a nice little bow on top. But if you're looking for a book that masterfully combines symbolism, cynicism and artistry, look no further than Wolf in White Van.
I don't remember a book affecting me so deeply and so completely in a very long time. Darnielle's prose is masterfully minimalistic (no surprise as he is a lyricist) and conveys so much with a single sentence. His main character's isolation and interactions with the outside world will have you alternately pulling out your hair and sighing with empathy.
While the reverse chronology may not appeal to some, Darnielle handles it very well. The chapters engage with each other in a way that reverse chronology books usually don't, making it a very well constructed and suspenseful experience.
But above all, the book works. It makes you think. It makes you cry. It doesn't give you an easy experience with a deeply complex/complicated psyche of a very unhappy (or at least resigned) person. It doesn't pull punches and it doesn't hold hands. Nor does it answer every question with a nice little bow on top. But if you're looking for a book that masterfully combines symbolism, cynicism and artistry, look no further than Wolf in White Van.
mysterious
reflective
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
Barely any wolves.
Not a single van at all.
Never finished game.
Not a single van at all.
Never finished game.
I approached John Darnielle's first novel with some hesitation. I know him from his music and he lives in the area and travels in similar circles, despite being a good bit older than me. I thought I might read it because I knew someone would eventually ask me if I did and I wanted to have something to say. I'm more than a little surprised by how wonderful the book is. Whatever small connections I have with the guy are totally irrelevant. Wolf in White Van is an amazing novel. The story is slight - a man living with a traumatic and disfiguring injury reaches out to a world he can no longer enter physically via a mail-based role playing game. Darnielle examines imagination and creativity. There is beautiful language. There are uncompromised characters. But mostly the novel is about escape, who needs it and why, and what forms it can take. This is a rock solid debut. Excellent!
It took me a couple years to actually read this, after it was given to me as a gift. My sister thought I would find it interesting given my roleplaying game hobby.
The timeline jumps around a lot, moving mostly backwards from the present. But it takes the entire novel for you to get to the act that set the narrator's life in motion. The constant shift could be a bit jarring at times and make it complicated to unravel the tale (although I think that was the point)
All in all it was an interesting and unique story. While the constant time jumping annoyed me, it was really what gave the story its impact. It would not have been as interesting if told in a straightforward, chronological order.
The timeline jumps around a lot, moving mostly backwards from the present. But it takes the entire novel for you to get to the act that set the narrator's life in motion. The constant shift could be a bit jarring at times and make it complicated to unravel the tale (although I think that was the point)
All in all it was an interesting and unique story. While the constant time jumping annoyed me, it was really what gave the story its impact. It would not have been as interesting if told in a straightforward, chronological order.
I really did not like this story.
I would have rated it one star but it is written well, just no plot to speak of really and what is here is an easy pass.
Also, the description is very misleading, the paper rpg stuff is basically not in the book for how little it matters to the plot overall.
I would have rated it one star but it is written well, just no plot to speak of really and what is here is an easy pass.
Also, the description is very misleading, the paper rpg stuff is basically not in the book for how little it matters to the plot overall.