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A review by thomasgoddard
Jesus' Son by Denis Johnson
5.0
Jesus’ Son by Denis Johnson
Thanks to the podcast 'Backlisted' (website address at bottom of review) for lighting a fire under my bum on this one.
I read Train Dreams on Sep 10, 2020 and I fell in love with it. But I did what I usually do... I accepted that I loved the author, but slipped into my habit of trying not to exhaust an author’s whole catalogue too quickly. I have this pressing fear that I’ll reach the end of all there is to read and feel bereft or something.
Or else I just feel that if you know an author is good, there is plenty of time to read the rest.
But life is short. And great work can be re-read if it is all that spectacular.
Let me tell you, this is one that I will certainly be revisiting.
A blistering collection of short stories that are just maddeningly good. Every time I read one there was some new literary trick that got played on me. So that I was just in awe of the skill. The precision of writing on display is a real treat to a fellow writer.
How Johnson manages to say so much in such a concise way is baffling, but the text is just alive with meaning. There are things said that really make you tilt your head. I found myself re-reading more than one story by the time I’d finished. And I shared a good deal of passages with my partner.
I can’t tell you how good this is. You have to experience it for yourself. This is the quickest read you’ll have and if you’re not careful it will leave you feeling like you just saw a train zip past. With all the stuff inside just zipping away along with it. You need to take some time. Slow for it and it’ll keep you hooked.
If you only read one book by Denis Johnson... you’re just a lunatic... one book will mean another and another and another. I already have The Laughing Monsters queued up on my shelf!
https://www.backlisted.fm/
Thanks to the podcast 'Backlisted' (website address at bottom of review) for lighting a fire under my bum on this one.
I read Train Dreams on Sep 10, 2020 and I fell in love with it. But I did what I usually do... I accepted that I loved the author, but slipped into my habit of trying not to exhaust an author’s whole catalogue too quickly. I have this pressing fear that I’ll reach the end of all there is to read and feel bereft or something.
Or else I just feel that if you know an author is good, there is plenty of time to read the rest.
But life is short. And great work can be re-read if it is all that spectacular.
Let me tell you, this is one that I will certainly be revisiting.
A blistering collection of short stories that are just maddeningly good. Every time I read one there was some new literary trick that got played on me. So that I was just in awe of the skill. The precision of writing on display is a real treat to a fellow writer.
How Johnson manages to say so much in such a concise way is baffling, but the text is just alive with meaning. There are things said that really make you tilt your head. I found myself re-reading more than one story by the time I’d finished. And I shared a good deal of passages with my partner.
I can’t tell you how good this is. You have to experience it for yourself. This is the quickest read you’ll have and if you’re not careful it will leave you feeling like you just saw a train zip past. With all the stuff inside just zipping away along with it. You need to take some time. Slow for it and it’ll keep you hooked.
If you only read one book by Denis Johnson... you’re just a lunatic... one book will mean another and another and another. I already have The Laughing Monsters queued up on my shelf!
https://www.backlisted.fm/