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A review by mnboyer
Hold the Dark by William Giraldi
1.0
PopSugar 2018 reading challenge #1
Full disclosure: I watched the film adaptation of this novel before I read the novel. I normally attempt to do this the other way around, as the book is genuinely the 'first' and usually 'better' rendition of an adaptation. I am not sure if this fact altered my rating of the novel... but perhaps it did a bit.
Where do I begin with how much I disliked this novel? I think I should start with the blurb that drew me in: children are being eaten by wolves in an isolated Alaskan village and a wolf behavior expert is asked to come and determine (1) if this is true and then (2) if it is true, hunt the wolf/wolves responsible. But, the blurb also notes that there is going to be a deeper mystery that is going to complicate what would otherwise be an interesting concept on its own. No, I do not want to see wolves get killed for eating children (whoopsies happen in the wilderness) but I do want to read a book about a man uncovering this mystery, tracking wolves, etc.
What I did not want to read is the absolute shit show that follows that initial opening. We find out almost immediately that our wolf expert (Russell Core) is not interested in hunting wolves. Actually, I'm fine with this (again, I don't actually want the wolves to be killed). It would still be interesting to let him "sleuth" this way through this town and the wilderness as he tries to figure out what the wolves are doing. Sure, they're starving so their motivations are pretty simple, but I'd still like to see Core sort through this. Track some wolves. You know, what I was promised when I read the blurb (whether it be the blurb on the book or the Netflix film, as it were).
Instead of focusing on this, we end up getting sucked into a tale about a mother (Medora) who has killed her child and her husband (Vernon) who has returned from the Iraq war (although we get a lot of details about what he was doing in Iraq before coming home). Throw in some indigenous pepperings of "tales" and "stories" and a "darkness" (sigh, they could have done this part so much better and should have done this part so much better -- please do not use indigenous communities as a plot/narrative device while also showing that culture no respect at the same time). Throw in some weird mask that is never fully explained (sigh, again, we're pulling from indigenous but also crapping all over it at the same time).
If you think that the "twist" of why Medora killer her child is going to be interesting, require deep investigation, etc., -- disappointed. The author delivers the 'why' rather plainly. And then you're left wondering: uh, okay, but you waited 7 years to kill the kid? Why, why, why -- no true answers. Just an answer that is supposed to make you think "wow, that's super interesting" although it never is. Also, why call someone in to find the kid's body (whether wolves or you killed the kid, could have just shushed and been fine). Was this a cry for help? If it was, the ending is... even worse.
If you think that there is going to be a deep discussion about PTSD, the effects of war on people, Vernon's general mental state as he goes across Alaska murdering people... again, you may be disappointed.
What you are going to get is a VERY easy to see coming from 100 miles in a snowstorm "wow" moment when it is revealed that Vernon and Medora are, indeed, husband and wife... but there's a deeper darker connection here. Shocking. Except, not really, because I saw it coming and you likely will too. And what was the point of this big revelation, this big shock, this big secret... did it make the story any better? No. No not at all. In fact it just makes you scratch your head more and say "why?" over and over again as you scream into a pillow.
Now, adaptation spoilers. General spoilers. Whatever. At the end Vernon does not kill Medora (as we all thought he may because, after all, she has killed their kid and he seems upset by this initially only to, idk, forget to be upset). Instead, the two shack back up (full on sex in front of Cole, who Vernon has attempted to murder) and wander off into the snow together with the body of their kid... what the bleep did I just read? And... why? Knowing that I did not enjoy the film much, why did I then decide to pick up this novel??? Oh yeah, because I thought it might be better and I wanted to give it a go -- regret, mistake, sorrow, disappointment flood me now.
Full disclosure: I watched the film adaptation of this novel before I read the novel. I normally attempt to do this the other way around, as the book is genuinely the 'first' and usually 'better' rendition of an adaptation. I am not sure if this fact altered my rating of the novel... but perhaps it did a bit.
Where do I begin with how much I disliked this novel? I think I should start with the blurb that drew me in: children are being eaten by wolves in an isolated Alaskan village and a wolf behavior expert is asked to come and determine (1) if this is true and then (2) if it is true, hunt the wolf/wolves responsible. But, the blurb also notes that there is going to be a deeper mystery that is going to complicate what would otherwise be an interesting concept on its own. No, I do not want to see wolves get killed for eating children (whoopsies happen in the wilderness) but I do want to read a book about a man uncovering this mystery, tracking wolves, etc.
What I did not want to read is the absolute shit show that follows that initial opening. We find out almost immediately that our wolf expert (Russell Core) is not interested in hunting wolves. Actually, I'm fine with this (again, I don't actually want the wolves to be killed). It would still be interesting to let him "sleuth" this way through this town and the wilderness as he tries to figure out what the wolves are doing. Sure, they're starving so their motivations are pretty simple, but I'd still like to see Core sort through this. Track some wolves. You know, what I was promised when I read the blurb (whether it be the blurb on the book or the Netflix film, as it were).
Instead of focusing on this, we end up getting sucked into a tale about a mother (Medora) who has killed her child and her husband (Vernon) who has returned from the Iraq war (although we get a lot of details about what he was doing in Iraq before coming home). Throw in some indigenous pepperings of "tales" and "stories" and a "darkness" (sigh, they could have done this part so much better and should have done this part so much better -- please do not use indigenous communities as a plot/narrative device while also showing that culture no respect at the same time). Throw in some weird mask that is never fully explained (sigh, again, we're pulling from indigenous but also crapping all over it at the same time).
If you think that the "twist" of why Medora killer her child is going to be interesting, require deep investigation, etc., -- disappointed. The author delivers the 'why' rather plainly. And then you're left wondering: uh, okay, but you waited 7 years to kill the kid? Why, why, why -- no true answers. Just an answer that is supposed to make you think "wow, that's super interesting" although it never is. Also, why call someone in to find the kid's body (whether wolves or you killed the kid, could have just shushed and been fine). Was this a cry for help? If it was, the ending is... even worse.
If you think that there is going to be a deep discussion about PTSD, the effects of war on people, Vernon's general mental state as he goes across Alaska murdering people... again, you may be disappointed.
What you are going to get is a VERY easy to see coming from 100 miles in a snowstorm "wow" moment when it is revealed that Vernon and Medora are, indeed, husband and wife... but there's a deeper darker connection here. Shocking. Except, not really, because I saw it coming and you likely will too. And what was the point of this big revelation, this big shock, this big secret... did it make the story any better? No. No not at all. In fact it just makes you scratch your head more and say "why?" over and over again as you scream into a pillow.
Now, adaptation spoilers. General spoilers. Whatever. At the end Vernon does not kill Medora (as we all thought he may because, after all, she has killed their kid and he seems upset by this initially only to, idk, forget to be upset). Instead, the two shack back up (full on sex in front of Cole, who Vernon has attempted to murder) and wander off into the snow together with the body of their kid... what the bleep did I just read? And... why? Knowing that I did not enjoy the film much, why did I then decide to pick up this novel??? Oh yeah, because I thought it might be better and I wanted to give it a go -- regret, mistake, sorrow, disappointment flood me now.