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A review by jjwalkerwrites
The Devil All the Time by Donald Ray Pollock
‘Arvin didn’t know which was worse, the drinking or the praying. As far back as he could remember, it seemed that his father had fought the Devil all the time.’
The Devil All The Time is Southern Gothic at its best in that it highlights people at their worst.
Set in rural Ohio and West Virginia, it jumps between different characters and storylines, offering an unflinching and haunting look at humanity’s underbelly. The way those storylines overlap, the way they’re written, and the hopelessness of it all creates a feeling that the Devil truly is at work all the time, and there’s nothing you can do but watch.
While it’s gripping and one that I highly recommend, be aware that this book doesn’t hold back. It’s violent, it’s ugly, and it’s disturbing. Not one for the faint of heart.
The Devil All The Time is Southern Gothic at its best in that it highlights people at their worst.
Set in rural Ohio and West Virginia, it jumps between different characters and storylines, offering an unflinching and haunting look at humanity’s underbelly. The way those storylines overlap, the way they’re written, and the hopelessness of it all creates a feeling that the Devil truly is at work all the time, and there’s nothing you can do but watch.
While it’s gripping and one that I highly recommend, be aware that this book doesn’t hold back. It’s violent, it’s ugly, and it’s disturbing. Not one for the faint of heart.