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A review by klindtvedt
In the Valley of the Sun by Andy Davidson
3.0
Haunting & Darkly Poetic but Slowly Paced...
"In the Valley of the Sun" is a purposely disjointed, haunting novel that sings its bleak, darkly poetic composition so quietly into your ear, you leave it unsure of its meaning... Here, author Andy Davidson creates a stark and bitter emotional landscape that burdens your consciousness with its endless, seemingly empty search for truth and meaning. His slow, laborious prose pressing harshly against your soul, leaving you feeling heavy and pained.
You leave this book unsure of Travis's redemption or destruction. You walk away feeling anger, emptiness, but also enlightenment. You walk away pondering the many shades of grey between the simplistic concepts of "good" and "evil". And you certainly leave this book with a chill down your spine and a cold emptiness in your gut.
However, so slow is Davidson's pacing, so long and winding are the paths of his characters, I had to slow my normal reading speed down to a glacial crawl in order to properly digest the impact of each sentence upon the next. This book was the first one I've ever had to read with a pen and paper at my side. Just so I could plot events, connections, and circumstances in order to understand the origins of the horrors unfolding before me within its pages. And while the premise is grand. His character development and western frameworking, as well as, his different take on vampires and vampirism, unique and appreciated. The use of parts over chapters spanning vastly different times, characters, and subplots. In conjunction with the sloth-like speed of the first three quarters of it, create a confusing web of "cause and effect" scenarios far beyond what I am willing to endure. I only have so much literary patience, and sadly here it ran out halfway through. Which, made it difficult to stay focused and fully enjoy. Ultimately, for me, this book was just too slow to keep my full attention.
"In the Valley of the Sun" is a purposely disjointed, haunting novel that sings its bleak, darkly poetic composition so quietly into your ear, you leave it unsure of its meaning... Here, author Andy Davidson creates a stark and bitter emotional landscape that burdens your consciousness with its endless, seemingly empty search for truth and meaning. His slow, laborious prose pressing harshly against your soul, leaving you feeling heavy and pained.
You leave this book unsure of Travis's redemption or destruction. You walk away feeling anger, emptiness, but also enlightenment. You walk away pondering the many shades of grey between the simplistic concepts of "good" and "evil". And you certainly leave this book with a chill down your spine and a cold emptiness in your gut.
However, so slow is Davidson's pacing, so long and winding are the paths of his characters, I had to slow my normal reading speed down to a glacial crawl in order to properly digest the impact of each sentence upon the next. This book was the first one I've ever had to read with a pen and paper at my side. Just so I could plot events, connections, and circumstances in order to understand the origins of the horrors unfolding before me within its pages. And while the premise is grand. His character development and western frameworking, as well as, his different take on vampires and vampirism, unique and appreciated. The use of parts over chapters spanning vastly different times, characters, and subplots. In conjunction with the sloth-like speed of the first three quarters of it, create a confusing web of "cause and effect" scenarios far beyond what I am willing to endure. I only have so much literary patience, and sadly here it ran out halfway through. Which, made it difficult to stay focused and fully enjoy. Ultimately, for me, this book was just too slow to keep my full attention.