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Robin's Reviews > The Devil All the Time
The Devil All the Time
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by
Robin's review
bookshelves: 2020, american, southern-gothic, thriller, horror, debut, noir
Jun 12, 2020
bookshelves: 2020, american, southern-gothic, thriller, horror, debut, noir
Christ's image is everywhere - but the Devil's carnage is too, in this compulsively readable, blood-soaked thriller.
Although he's less "artiste" than Flannery O'Connor and William Gay (the crowned Queen and King of Southern Gothic), Donald Ray Pollock holds his own among such venerated company. His prose is taut, hard-boiled, and so is the tension he creates. There's a sick decadence here. It's ripe with all the grotesque ingredients necessary for such a story: twisted revival meetings, a travelling freak show, a husband/wife serial killer team, a predatory preacher, poverty, chicken livers, and death. Death, death, death.
Jesus' serene face hangs on the wall but what's hanging over the prayer log? I don't know, but it smells bad. And it's dripping.
There's such a bounty of twisted characters, writhing in derelict existences, it's hard to find any hope. Pollock doles out hope in miserly portions, mainly in the form of characters trying to find their way through the mire. Arvin and his adoptive family are such people. People who want peace and don't wish harm on others. But that doesn't mean harm won't come.
There's so much savagery, it becomes commonplace. This world is relentless in its failure to reflect the Saviour's heart. The few who don't participate in moral bankruptcy look on in bewilderment. And so do we.
But there is justice for the reader. Pollock may not have the answers, but he delivers, in breakneck fashion, a certain satisfaction. I will read more by this guy, just as soon as I catch my breath.
“It's hard to live a good life...It seems like the Devil don't ever let up.�
4.5 stars
Although he's less "artiste" than Flannery O'Connor and William Gay (the crowned Queen and King of Southern Gothic), Donald Ray Pollock holds his own among such venerated company. His prose is taut, hard-boiled, and so is the tension he creates. There's a sick decadence here. It's ripe with all the grotesque ingredients necessary for such a story: twisted revival meetings, a travelling freak show, a husband/wife serial killer team, a predatory preacher, poverty, chicken livers, and death. Death, death, death.
Jesus' serene face hangs on the wall but what's hanging over the prayer log? I don't know, but it smells bad. And it's dripping.
There's such a bounty of twisted characters, writhing in derelict existences, it's hard to find any hope. Pollock doles out hope in miserly portions, mainly in the form of characters trying to find their way through the mire. Arvin and his adoptive family are such people. People who want peace and don't wish harm on others. But that doesn't mean harm won't come.
There's so much savagery, it becomes commonplace. This world is relentless in its failure to reflect the Saviour's heart. The few who don't participate in moral bankruptcy look on in bewilderment. And so do we.
But there is justice for the reader. Pollock may not have the answers, but he delivers, in breakneck fashion, a certain satisfaction. I will read more by this guy, just as soon as I catch my breath.
“It's hard to live a good life...It seems like the Devil don't ever let up.�
4.5 stars
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Reading Progress
January 6, 2019
– Shelved
June 7, 2020
–
Started Reading
June 7, 2020
–
20.0%
June 11, 2020
–
Finished Reading
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Jun 12, 2020 12:15PM
A delightfully grisly write-up, Robin! :D I have this one on my list and when I saw that you were reading it, I couldn't wait to hear your thoughts on it. Even though I haven't yet read it, I had a hunch it would satisfy you ;)
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I was so excited when I saw you were reading this, and I must say you do it justice with this pitch perfect review. Your paragraph regarding the prayer log is stunning, brought it all rushing back to me.
I haven't read this, but you do know how to tempt me, Robin!
Loved your Review, loved the sentence, 'Pollock doles out hope in miserly portions.'so apt.
I've been to a few twisted revival meetings in my time!
Telling me, I have been to one and that was really enough. The frenzy got me, there was so much screaming 'Jesus' I was sick to my bones. Thanks!
Candi wrote: "A delightfully grisly write-up, Robin! :D I have this one on my list and when I saw that you were reading it, I couldn't wait to hear your thoughts on it. Even though I haven't yet read it, I had a hunch it would satisfy you ;)"How did you guess, Candi? :D I'm such a sucker for the Southern Gothic when done well. Damn. This is definitely more commercial than O'Connor and Gay but that's okay. It's a wild, maggoty ride. (Thanks so much for your lovely comment.)
Zoeytron wrote: "I was so excited when I saw you were reading this, and I must say you do it justice with this pitch perfect review. Your paragraph regarding the prayer log is stunning, brought it all rushing back to me."Thank you, Zoey! I adored your review, too. What a story - have you read any more of Pollock's work?
Fede wrote: "I haven't read this, but you do know how to tempt me, Robin!"You're sweet, thanks, Fede. There's something about this genre (Southern Gothic) that draws me in. The grotesque and the divine, side by side... I find it so fascinating.
I read and reviewed this, but GR seems to have abolished it. I totally agree with your review and have read a couple others of his. There's just something (???) about Pollock that makes you need to read on, despite the violence and hopelessness.
Robin wrote: "Zoeytron wrote: "I was so excited when I saw you were reading this, and I must say you do it justice with this pitch perfect review. Your paragraph regarding the prayer log is stunning, brought it ..."Yes, I have read "The Heavenly Table" and loved it, too. Still to be read is "Knockemstiff".
David wrote: "Great review."Thanks, David!
Still wrote: "Brilliant!"Thanks, Still - great to see your five stars for this, too!
Sonia wrote: "Loved your Review, loved the sentence, 'Pollock doles out hope in miserly portions.'so apt."Thank you, Sonia. You definitely have to look closely to find any glimmer of hope here. But oddly, that's part of why the book works so well.
Paul wrote: "I've been to a few twisted revival meetings in my time!"Me too, Paul. Me too.
I've been to ones where the "speaker" ripped the phone book in half with his bare hands. Yup.
In this book, the speaker doused himself with spiders. < shudder >
Sonia wrote: "Telling me, I have been to one and that was really enough. The frenzy got me, there was so much screaming 'Jesus' I was sick to my bones. Thanks!"
It's definitely a surreal experience that I look back on with a fair bit of bewilderment, that's for sure, Sonia.
Ripped the phone book in half! Talk about muscular Christianity!
I remember going to one of those old tent revival meetings as a child with my father and brother. Never again. It was frightening. Too much of the holy spirit, I suppose. We made our getaway just as they were getting ready to do the Jericho March, whatever that was.
“It's hard to live a good life...It seems like the Devil don't ever let up.�
Well, he's been on my ass, I can tell you.
I was brought up in a Pentecostal Church, so I know the revival meetings well!
Hmmm. I can't say that my finger is twitching to click "Add!"
Diane wrote: "I read and reviewed this, but GR seems to have abolished it. I totally agree with your review and have read a couple others of his. There's just something (???) about Pollock that makes you need to read on, despite the violence and hopelessness."Hi Diane. How aggravating, for you to have a review disappear like that! When I was looking at my friends to see who had read this one, I was looking for your name specifically as I know this one would have been on your list. What is is about the Southern Gothic that is so mesmerising?? Yes, Pollock writes a compelling story, and I'll definitely read him again. Have you read The Heavenly Table?
Zoeytron wrote: "Yes, I have read "The Heavenly Table" and loved it, too. Still to be read is "Knockemstiff"."Okay, good to know. I love that name - Knockemstiff - and can hardly believe it's an actual place Pollock used to live!
J. Sebastian wrote: "Sounds completely awful."Well. Yes, I guess it was, in the very best way, for me. I adore Southern Gothic writing and this is high calibre stuff.
Loved The Heavenly Table! Even more than this one. That review seems to have survived.
Julie wrote: "Hmmm. I can't say that my finger is twitching to click "Add!""LOL! :-)))
Paul wrote: "Ripped the phone book in half! Talk about muscular Christianity!"Oh yes, and the whole time people were screaming and praising God and jumping up and down... I was a young teenager and it seemed way out there to me, but at the same time somewhat normalised (I was raised in a Pentecostal church too!).
Zoeytron wrote: "I remember going to one of those old tent revival meetings as a child with my father and brother. Never again. It was frightening. Too much of the holy spirit, I suppose. We made our getaway just as they were getting ready to do the Jericho March, whatever that was."Zoey, I feel like if you haven't been to one of these things, see it with your own eyes, it's hard to believe that they actually happen outside the pages of one of these books. But they do....
Tony wrote: "“It's hard to live a good life...It seems like the Devil don't ever let up.�
Well, he's been on my ass, I can tell you."
You too, Tony?
Julie wrote: "Hmmm. I can't say that my finger is twitching to click "Add!""I can't say I'm surprised, my dear. :D
Our reading tastes diverge and re-converge in interesting ways. I'd safely say this book wouldn't be your thing at all. But sure was mine!
Haven't read anything by Pollock, but the picture you put forward does intrigue me. Definitely adding this to my tbr.
Robin, you're earning a title of your own. "Scholar of Southern Gothic." Perhaps "Keeper of Southern Gothic." I would attend your Zoom class and I hate Zoom. I can see how decay and fear of the South sprouting forth in your writing. I can't wait to read your novel, but will satisfy myself with your imaginative and wild book reports until then.
Diane wrote: "Loved The Heavenly Table! Even more than this one. That review seems to have survived."Oh wow. I'm going to have to add that one, then. Something vicious to look forward to. Thanks, Diane.
Chandrachur wrote: "Haven't read anything by Pollock, but the picture you put forward does intrigue me. Definitely adding this to my tbr."Hi, Chandrachur. Have you read anything in the genre before? It's dark as anything I've read, and relentless. Something about it utterly fascinates me. If you read this, I'll be really interested in hearing your thoughts.
Can't believe this is now a movie! Bet it's not as savage as the book,
Joe wrote: "Robin, you're earning a title of your own. "Scholar of Southern Gothic." Perhaps "Keeper of Southern Gothic." I would attend your Zoom class and I hate Zoom. I can see how decay and fear of the South sprouting forth in your writing. I can't wait to read your novel, but will satisfy myself with your imaginative and wild book reports until then."Aww. Well I'm definitely a fangirl of the Southern Gothic, that's for sure. And I think elements of it can't help but sneak into my writing. My editor liked to call it "Montreal Gothic", which made me quite happy indeed. Oh, decay and fear! Oh, death and despair! :D Thanks so much for your kind words, Joe.
Steven wrote: "Can't believe this is now a movie! Bet it's not as savage as the book,"What! This is a film?? This is NEWS.
I just looked it up. Huh. Robert Pattinson is in this? He's kinda dreamy in a sparkly-vampire way, but does he belong in this world?
WOW. I’m sure there wasn’t a single drop of sentimentality in this one, Robin. I’m also sure all the characters from Crossing to Safety would have died if they were in it. Never heard of this author before.... Hum...
Another BLOODY brilliant review!!! ;)
Greta wrote: "I really like how you transport the feelings from that book!"Thank you, Greta! It's more like the book transported ME, if you know what I mean.
Pedro wrote: "WOW. I’m sure there wasn’t a single drop of sentimentality in this one, Robin. I’m also sure all the characters from Crossing to Safety would have died if they were in it.Never heard of this author before.... Hum...
Another BLOODY brilliant review!!! ;)"
Well shucks, thank you, Pedro! Yeah, I'm pretty sure all Stegner's characters would have been eaten alive in this story. No one's mincing around in this book, writing poetry, or wishing they were writing poetry, sighing with self-satisfaction at picnics or fighting over who packed or didn't pack the tea. :D
I loved your review! I lament that I did not do a proper one myself. There’s a Netflix adaptation in the works, not sure if I want to replace my memory of this book though.
Ned wrote: "I loved your review! I lament that I did not do a proper one myself. There’s a Netflix adaptation in the works, not sure if I want to replace my memory of this book though."Hi, Ned, thank you! Wasn't this great? Hm... I'm always suspicious of book/film adaptations, especially ones that I really loved. Such an opportunity for disappointment! But when done well....
Fantastic review, Robin! Just finished this, and I definitely share your enthusiasm for this VERY dark novel, as well as your fascination with the Southern Gothic genre overall. “Compulsively readable, blood-soaked thriller,� INDEED! By the way, don’t waste your time on the movie. It was dreadful. One of the worst book to movie adaptations I’ve ever seen. Didn’t capture even a fraction of the greatness of the book.
James wrote: "Fantastic review, Robin! Just finished this, and I definitely share your enthusiasm for this VERY dark novel, as well as your fascination with the Southern Gothic genre overall. “Compulsively readable, blood-soaked thriller,� INDEED!By the way, don’t waste your time on the movie. It was dreadful. One of the worst book to movie adaptations I’ve ever seen. Didn’t capture even a fraction of the greatness of the book."
Thanks so much James, and I'm thrilled to see your 5 stars for this. Thanks also for the heads up re: the film version. I think I'll pass. I had this awful feeling about it. Robert Pattinson?? I have nothing against him as an actor, honest, but I just didn't see him in this at all.
Even more odd and off-putting than Pattinson’s inclusion in the film is the fact that he’s cast as Reverend Teagardin of all characters! I want to meet the person who read this book and then thought to themselves, “You know who’d be PERFECT to play a lecherous Southern predator preacher?!? That heartthrob from Twilight!� 🙄🤦♂️�His performance is the worst part of an already terrible film. He plays it so over the top as to be almost camp, which isn’t how I read that character at all. Anyhow, Tom Holland was cute and well cast lol, but other than that it was trash.
I know, I saw that. HUH? Teagarden of all characters is right. I'm sorry you had to watch it for the both of us, but I appreciate the favour you did for me all the same.
