A review by jennydoesnotgetit
Jesus' Son by Denis Johnson

5.0

It is amazing how one small collection can offer so much while sticking to a consistent set of characters and a consistent style. There’s comedy (e.g. “Emergency”), terror (“Two Men”), and sudden, beautiful transcendence (“Work”). There are many surprising moments that, while unexpected, feel inevitable after the fact. I’m not sure how he does it. Nor am I succeeding in explaining what “it” is. There’s magic here.