A review by pagespoursandpups
Beasts of the Earth by James Wade
4.0
Haunting. Gritty. Somber. Poetic. Engrossing.
These are a few of the words that came to mind as I finished reading this book. It is a heavy and somber story- but one that is written so poetically that it’s a hard one to put down. Wade leads the reader through two timeframes - each one slowly unwinding until the two intertwine.
“Man and anti-man, and each edging through a darkness both real and imagined, a mirror image of the other and neither betraying the whereabouts of the soul, stolen away, hidden, and all things black before it.”
In the 1965 story, young Michael is growing up without a childhood as he acts as guardian of his younger sister and provider for the family, When his father returns from prison, evil descends on the house. He finds his way out of the town, full of regrets and anger. He forges a friendship with Remus, who takes him in and teaches him the survival and life skills his father never did.
In the 1985 story, Harlan LeBlanc lives a simple, solitary life. He thrives on routine. He is a quite man who eats the same lunch everyday, works as the groundskeeper at the school but seems to be harboring a secret. When one of my his co-workers is accused of murder, Harlan is determined to discover who the real culprit is. While he puts himself in dangerous situations, the focus of the investigation shifts to him.
In this haunting, beautifully descriptive story, the reader is swept into the small town in Texas. There is always a question regarding the reliability of the narrator. Like a constant whisper in the background, the presence of mental illness, penance and justice can be heard throughout. It amazed me how Wade could suffuse such gritty subjects with eloquent and lyrical descriptions of the landscape and tapestry of the desolate town.
“The rain left the colors of the country deeper, more pronounced, as if the droplets themselves had been painted to match the world. The dirt lots turned overnight to mud and the dead lawns sprouted thistle weed and clover and all that blossomed would soon perish beneath the September sun or the winter to follow—fire or ice.“
This is a heavy story and may not be right for everyone, but those that read the synopsis and choose to pick it up are in for a treat. Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone books for the ARC to read and review. Pub date: 10.11.22
These are a few of the words that came to mind as I finished reading this book. It is a heavy and somber story- but one that is written so poetically that it’s a hard one to put down. Wade leads the reader through two timeframes - each one slowly unwinding until the two intertwine.
“Man and anti-man, and each edging through a darkness both real and imagined, a mirror image of the other and neither betraying the whereabouts of the soul, stolen away, hidden, and all things black before it.”
In the 1965 story, young Michael is growing up without a childhood as he acts as guardian of his younger sister and provider for the family, When his father returns from prison, evil descends on the house. He finds his way out of the town, full of regrets and anger. He forges a friendship with Remus, who takes him in and teaches him the survival and life skills his father never did.
In the 1985 story, Harlan LeBlanc lives a simple, solitary life. He thrives on routine. He is a quite man who eats the same lunch everyday, works as the groundskeeper at the school but seems to be harboring a secret. When one of my his co-workers is accused of murder, Harlan is determined to discover who the real culprit is. While he puts himself in dangerous situations, the focus of the investigation shifts to him.
In this haunting, beautifully descriptive story, the reader is swept into the small town in Texas. There is always a question regarding the reliability of the narrator. Like a constant whisper in the background, the presence of mental illness, penance and justice can be heard throughout. It amazed me how Wade could suffuse such gritty subjects with eloquent and lyrical descriptions of the landscape and tapestry of the desolate town.
“The rain left the colors of the country deeper, more pronounced, as if the droplets themselves had been painted to match the world. The dirt lots turned overnight to mud and the dead lawns sprouted thistle weed and clover and all that blossomed would soon perish beneath the September sun or the winter to follow—fire or ice.“
This is a heavy story and may not be right for everyone, but those that read the synopsis and choose to pick it up are in for a treat. Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone books for the ARC to read and review. Pub date: 10.11.22