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A review by kate_lemer
The Power of the Dog by Thomas Savage
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The way this book's written is fascinating. A combination of literary and flowery exposition with the author's own twist on the stream of thought. The key about reading it and not being bored is immersing yourself in the words. You need to let them flow and breath. As a reader, you stand removed from the plot. It is cold, clinical. At times it is shocking, but in my opinion, that's mainly because it's written in such a sterile way. The fancy writig is a nice juxtaposition to that.
The causal bigotry in this book adds an interesting twist to it, especially since it's delivered in such a way as to seem the characters think of themselves as 'accepting' and 'open'. The characters seldom do any sort of introspection, so you are free to do it yourself without the author forcing any opinions on you, demeaning your intelligence as a reader.
The characters are very interesting themselves. All of them quirky and psychologically damaged in their own way. Most of all Phil and surprisingly, Peter. Supposedly, Phil is a sadist set on torturing his brother's wife. I don't see, to be honest. He acts like a child, yes. He has anger issues, yes. But sadistic? No, she is just very frail and sensitive if silence can unsettle her in such a profound way.Phil is who I imagine the stereotypical white man from the U.S. to be, even now. Obsessed with being butch and appearing properly masculine. Intent on poiting out other people's failings and setting himself up as the obviously better one, because of course, he would never deign to demean himself like all those self-obsessed society-conscious idiots. Most of all, he is above all earthly pleasures. Not to mention his obsession with Bronco Henry. This all leads you to feel that underneath it all, there is a whisper of something else, tantalizing you. It's dispersed throughout the novel. An illicit affair, perhaps?
The biggest psychopath of them all is Peter, the son. He is so obsessed with his mother and creating a life for her just like the one he's assembled from cut out pictures in his scrapbook, that he murders a man for it.
The causal bigotry in this book adds an interesting twist to it, especially since it's delivered in such a way as to seem the characters think of themselves as 'accepting' and 'open'. The characters seldom do any sort of introspection, so you are free to do it yourself without the author forcing any opinions on you, demeaning your intelligence as a reader.
The characters are very interesting themselves. All of them quirky and psychologically damaged in their own way. Most of all Phil and surprisingly, Peter. Supposedly, Phil is a sadist set on torturing his brother's wife. I don't see, to be honest. He acts like a child, yes. He has anger issues, yes. But sadistic? No, she is just very frail and sensitive if silence can unsettle her in such a profound way.
The biggest psychopath of them all is Peter, the son. He is so obsessed with his mother and creating a life for her just like the one he's assembled from cut out pictures in his scrapbook, that he murders a man for it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Misogyny
Minor: Antisemitism