The Devil All the Time Audiobook

" An extremely dark story with interesting characters. Not for the faint of hearts. "

" What an ugly book. "From what Hank had seen of the man, he probably deserved killing..." In this line lies the problem of the whole novel. This is a character ruminating about a man he barely knows. This novel has nothing to do with realism, but somehow, it seems to want to be realistic. I don't believe that real people have thoughts like this. If there are people like this, I'm not interested in reading about their lives. There's nothing to explore here. All the characters are hateful and violent and it's all right there on the surface. There are an astonishing number of people murdered and no one seems to remark on it. I know other readers will cry "southern gothic" and "noir," but I'd like to know what larger idea is being explored here. What truth about life is being revealed with all this grotesquerie? I couldn't find it and somehow I can in O'Connor and Chandler. The violence is copious, yes, but gratuitous in that it makes little sense. Why on earth does Willard decide offering blood sacrifices to the prayer log is a good idea? Why does he keep on? It did not once prove efficacious. Then I realized that's what a southern gothic novel required. And all the sex recalls pornography in its bizarre and silly distortion of reality—all the men are donkey-dicked and the women are constantly getting bent over and/or sodomized (getting bent over is very big in this novel). I don't know if Pollock hates his characters but he certainly doesn't believe any good of them, which amounts to the same thing. I guess Arvin is the exception, but he's so ridiculously altruistic and inexplicably sentimental about his childhood home that he seemed like a cardboard cutout. Oh, and he murders a bunch of people, too. I read "Knockemstiff" and had the same feeling—a collection of stories about a bunch of depraved lowlifes with primal urges making disastrous decisions. I want to like this guy's stuff. I like dark fiction and stories about desperate people. I've heard him interviewed and seen him read and he seems like a kind and intelligent person. I just can't figure out why he can't manage to enlist my sympathy. "

" some really beautiful writing sprinkled throughout, but this one beats you over the head with seemingly senseless violence (including lots and lots of rape), without much of an exploration into the motivations and repercussions of that violence. worth a read if you like cormac mccarthy, and have a tough stomach for bleak fiction. "

" This is undoubtedly a good piece of fiction, but it was simply too violent and depraved for my taste. It makes me want to read something light and fluffy with a happy ending. "

" Bizarre but excellent (as if those two charecterists are exculisive of each other!!!). Dark Visions indeed, from Southern Ohio! "

" Interesting story. Reminds me of Crimes in Indiana. Not really any redeemable characters. Not one that I could connect with. "

" I'm maybe an hour out from the last paragraph but I feel like I'm still there. Donald Ray Pollock's got himself gold, here. "

" This is a dark, gritty, violent book. If that is something you are in to, it is a real page turner. If it isn't, well, you have been warned. "

" great story, fantastic writer. I am looking forward to reading more by this author. "

" Donald Ray Pollock can be counted among the classic American authors. "

" Couldn't put this down. Intriguing and tragic, one of the most atmospheric books I've ever read. "

" Well-written, but gruesome and gritty as all hell. It's described as Southern-gothic. I'd say that sounds about right. "

" I couldn't finish this book. It is described as raw fiction. Too raw for me. "

" I was not expecting to like this, but I loved it. I had thought of Pollack's work as unrelentingly bleak, but it really isn't. Meaty, funny, very real--a must read. "

" Grotesque and depressing. I loved it! "

" Here's a book that by all accounts, I should not have liked. It's brutal, vital, and dirty. Oh, but it was soooo well done. Donald Ray Pollock has been compared to Flannery O'Connor. He shouldn't be. Pollock's a million times better. "

" Very disappointing as I did like his first book of stories, Knockenstiff. I just couldn't continue. The beginning was strong, but petered out quickly as the flesh began to rot. Sorry. "

" This book was gory and weird and yet a really great read. Pollock used details that made his characters believable and sometimes even sympathetic. "

" This is a Southern Gothic master work. Brutal and unflinching in its portrayal of deeply flawed yet compelling characters. "

" Amazing. Raw. Honest and brutal. Couldn't put it down! "

" Interesting read - however a bit graphic and twisted. Not the best portrayal of human nature "

" Superb writing. So good, in fact, that I felt sullied for days after reading. Pollock claims to write about people he knows, people who could live next door. Absolute realism. A gritty, sad tale. "

" Great, unforgettable hillbilly noir. Review soon "

" Very dark, sometimes disturbing, and strangely satisfying. Overall, very good :) "

" Amazing. Twisted, vicious, flawed (at the very least!) characters, separate plots that flow together when needed...and an ending you couldn't have dreamed up. "

" Sick, twisted, keept me reading. I liked it. "

" like a train wreck where i couldn't look away. and every evil dude gets his just dessert. "

" This is a Southern Gothic master work. Brutal and unflinching in its portrayal of deeply flawed yet compelling characters. "

" I couldn't put this book down! The characters are painfully believable. The writing in clear in describing the era of early-to-mid 20th century Appalachia. The devil in plain sight is a constant theme in this book, but woven deftly. "