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A review by thomaswjoyce
In The River by Jeremy Robert Johnson
5.0
Different in tone from Johnson's previous (brilliant) work. And, in my opinion, one of the best books of the year.
Something a little different from Jeremy Robert Johnson with this book. I have found his other work to be quite strange and surreal (in the best possible way!). This seems to be more of a literary story, the horror provided by the loss of a child, and the parent not knowing the fate of the child, but dreading the worst. But the language used is beautiful, the dialogue between father and son beautifully written, as is the haunting and horrific inner thoughts of the father when he is on the trail of the boy. Johnson has the ability to force the reader to feel everything the father is experiencing, and it is very moving. I felt as though I had something in my eye on more than a couple of occasions whilst reading it. The mark of an expert storyteller.
With every book Johnson writes he further establishes himself as a master storyteller in genre. With this book, maybe it's fatherhood in particular, or life experience in general, but it feels like a more serious, more literary novel. And it leaves me excited to see what JRJ has in store for us in the future. Whether it's another book like this, something like his grotesque and gripping short fiction, or something completely different, I can't wait.
Something a little different from Jeremy Robert Johnson with this book. I have found his other work to be quite strange and surreal (in the best possible way!). This seems to be more of a literary story, the horror provided by the loss of a child, and the parent not knowing the fate of the child, but dreading the worst. But the language used is beautiful, the dialogue between father and son beautifully written, as is the haunting and horrific inner thoughts of the father when he is on the trail of the boy. Johnson has the ability to force the reader to feel everything the father is experiencing, and it is very moving. I felt as though I had something in my eye on more than a couple of occasions whilst reading it. The mark of an expert storyteller.
With every book Johnson writes he further establishes himself as a master storyteller in genre. With this book, maybe it's fatherhood in particular, or life experience in general, but it feels like a more serious, more literary novel. And it leaves me excited to see what JRJ has in store for us in the future. Whether it's another book like this, something like his grotesque and gripping short fiction, or something completely different, I can't wait.