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Paul Bryant's Reviews > The Devil All the Time
The Devil All the Time
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UPDATE
Well, finally the movie arrived (on Netflix) and it's.... just about adequate. Yeah, that good. I mean, everything is in place, kind of, (aside from Mr Robert Pattison, how did he get in there with his weird accent) but like the movie Trainspotting it's sooooo watered-down. Bookreaders will know this feeling. I note that Donald Ray Pollock himself is the narrator in this movie version (and he has a great voice) so he must have liked it but for me, naaah. Read the damn book, it's great.
And now back to the original review.
*
ճ’s chick lit
Dick lit
Mick lit
Flick lit
Trick lit
Sick lit
Quick lit
And now
Hick lit!
Well, yes, an affectionate term which I learned from one of the various great reviews of this novel on ŷ, which probably doesn’t need another rave review, you all got the message now that Donald Ray Pollock is the real deal by now, but I feel compelled to tell you again.
Because I’ve not been having such a great time with novels recently. A kind of chill has settled over our relationship. Neither of us wants to be the one to say anything. But many times I avoid looking my shelf-of-unread-novels in the eye. I think about the golden days when we were discovering something new about each other it seems nearly every other week. Now, I don’t know, the spark’s gone. We've lost that lovin' feelin'. Maybe.
Well, that’s what I was half-articulating in that murky algae-filled bottom layer of my semiconscious mind. ճ’s a lot of dank rotted stuff down there. I can’t face it, ugh. That’s why it's down there.
But The Devil All The Time, with its own-brand 90-miles-an-hour-down-a-dead-end-street amphetamine rush of gap-toothed whiskey-stained paraplegic-pedophilic shotgun-blasting animal-crucifying holy rolling raping rural delights has perked me up, plumped my feathers, slapped me round the kisser with an empty pack of Five Brothers, bought me a ticket to Meade, Ohio, and, because there’s nothing so sweet as reading about lives you can be grateful you’re not living, put a lopsided smile back onto the front of my head.
I recommend this book as long as you don’t mind if the odd maggot drops down onto your shoulder as you read.
Well, finally the movie arrived (on Netflix) and it's.... just about adequate. Yeah, that good. I mean, everything is in place, kind of, (aside from Mr Robert Pattison, how did he get in there with his weird accent) but like the movie Trainspotting it's sooooo watered-down. Bookreaders will know this feeling. I note that Donald Ray Pollock himself is the narrator in this movie version (and he has a great voice) so he must have liked it but for me, naaah. Read the damn book, it's great.
And now back to the original review.
*
ճ’s chick lit
Dick lit
Mick lit
Flick lit
Trick lit
Sick lit
Quick lit
And now
Hick lit!
Well, yes, an affectionate term which I learned from one of the various great reviews of this novel on ŷ, which probably doesn’t need another rave review, you all got the message now that Donald Ray Pollock is the real deal by now, but I feel compelled to tell you again.
Because I’ve not been having such a great time with novels recently. A kind of chill has settled over our relationship. Neither of us wants to be the one to say anything. But many times I avoid looking my shelf-of-unread-novels in the eye. I think about the golden days when we were discovering something new about each other it seems nearly every other week. Now, I don’t know, the spark’s gone. We've lost that lovin' feelin'. Maybe.
Well, that’s what I was half-articulating in that murky algae-filled bottom layer of my semiconscious mind. ճ’s a lot of dank rotted stuff down there. I can’t face it, ugh. That’s why it's down there.
But The Devil All The Time, with its own-brand 90-miles-an-hour-down-a-dead-end-street amphetamine rush of gap-toothed whiskey-stained paraplegic-pedophilic shotgun-blasting animal-crucifying holy rolling raping rural delights has perked me up, plumped my feathers, slapped me round the kisser with an empty pack of Five Brothers, bought me a ticket to Meade, Ohio, and, because there’s nothing so sweet as reading about lives you can be grateful you’re not living, put a lopsided smile back onto the front of my head.
I recommend this book as long as you don’t mind if the odd maggot drops down onto your shoulder as you read.
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Reading Progress
May 17, 2013
– Shelved as:
to-read-novels
May 17, 2013
– Shelved
July 14, 2013
–
Started Reading
July 14, 2013
–
47.89%
"had to put this one down otherwise I won't get anything else done today. At least four stars are already in the bag."
page
125
July 15, 2013
– Shelved as:
novels
July 15, 2013
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-43 of 43 (43 new)
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yes, it surely won't be everybody's beach read for the summer. I think this book has the power to curdle milk at 50 yards.
Entirely OT, this, but I'm reading a novel that heavily features a character called Paul Bryant.
Karen, you are referring to The Stranger's Child - this is already the subject of a law suit - please see the following account. I am not at liberty to comment further. http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Thanks for looking up all those images. I have no idea what this book is but clicked on this just to see what you chose for all the ick-lits.
ah yes, ick lit. I forgot about that. Also, squick lit. Both quite similar but not identical to sick lit.
Casque of Amontillado - Brick lit? Or is it this:
If only Kafka had chosen another insect, "Metamorphosis" could have been Tick Lit.
Very creative!May I suggest books about someone named Rick?
Certain sports books might be kick lit.
"...with its own-brand 90-miles-an-hour-down-a-dead-end-street amphetamine rush of gap-toothed whiskey-stained paraplegic-pedophilic shotgun-blasting animal-crucifying holy rolling raping rural delights..." Oh boy! *wipes eyes* just my kind of book LOL
Great review- as always, Paul but I have a feelin' your review might be the better part of it. I'll check our library anyhow!
nah, I guarantee you'll love it or your money back. Can't say fairer.
well, I invented that one, but yes, Irish literature is a thing. "Mick" is a little bit derogatory, but so is "hick" and "chick" and "dick". Actually they're all derogatory.
Paul wrote: "well, I invented that one, but yes, Irish literature is a thing. "Mick" is a little bit derogatory, but so is "hick" and "chick" and "dick". Actually they're all derogatory."it's more than a "little bit" derogatory, it's a degrading ethnic slur that, IMO, diminishes your otherwise entertaining review (and what, but for this and other slick lit terms you coined, could have been a persuasive review). and, yes chick & dick are plainly derogatory, but "hick" lit, well, that's just plain funny.
There's also a category I call "Grit Lit". This sounds like it dwells there too. "Hell at the Breech" - Tom Franklin, his novels are a prime example. If you liked this, you would like those. Very hick too.
I could have had Vick Lit too - like The Crimson Petal and the White and so on. Durn it!
Great review, sounds like just the thing when someone is looking for a disturbing sort of pick-me-up.
that's just what it is - thanks Jason
You're so right about that chill in the relationship. But this book just pushed me back on track. It was brilliantly written.
so glad to find a fellow pollocker - he has a new one coming our way quite soon...
Actually, this type of story falls under a legit category of grit lit.
I'm not sure I'll read the book, but I loved your review. Unless this compares to 'American Psycho'?
aargh, nothing compares to AP - in terms of pure misogynism anyhow, and also in vile torture scenes. Mr Pollock is better than all of that. Of course all the cool fanboys love AP, but that's the way of the world.
It was very restrained and tasteful of you not to include an entry for "Thick lit". But what's wrong withCrick lit
Paul wrote: "aargh, nothing compares to AP - in terms of pure misogynism anyhow, and also in vile torture scenes. Mr Pollock is better than all of that. Of course all the cool fanboys love AP, but that's the wa..."'American Psycho' was satirical -- an unreliable narrator, I think (I hope). That turns it into something other than the torture porn it'd otherwise be.
and there's a lot of books on this subject too
but you have to draw the line somewhere
Hi Michele'American Psycho' was satirical -- an unreliable narrator, I think (I hope). That turns it into something other than the torture porn it'd otherwise be.
this is what many people will say, but my point is that it does not matter what the intention of the author is if he presents fifty or so pages of disgusting torture and dismemberment of women. Satirical intention or not, the presentation of such scenes is intrinsically misogynist.
You mean stick lit? I'm not sure what that would be. Do you have an example?
AP, or anything by BEE or Jay MacInerny, is total prick lit.
ah yes - you are both right!
or Harry Lit, as in Harry Crews lit.
/book/show/4... - this stick lit always goes down well with kids I babysit. I’ve read it so many times I know most of it off by heart. Would novels about the internet be click lit? (Or for Americans, maybe that would be books set in high schools.)
lol. the comment thread is even better than the review! and the review is great.
Thanks, Paul--will avoid the movie until I've read this. X
This is also in the ‘grit lit� category for me
certainly pretty tough going for the reader.... the movie, by the way, has the worst fake spiders scene ever. The movie should have been grittier.
So, I have to thank you for this review (and the comment section) because it helped me to understand why I like this book so much so far. Jesmyn Ward is incredibly gritty and I love her books. Apparently grit is my flavor! (I prefer grit lit because it's more inclusive 😁 if you'd like to branch out to other grittier locales and peoples, I highly recommend JW!)
I found it under Grit Lit lol
there’s nothing so sweet as reading about lives you can be grateful you’re not living
Oh, my, yes. It's what I felt when reading Gone Girl.