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A review by koshpeli
Wolf in White Van by John Darnielle
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The book is told by the main character as he talks about his life surrounding two tragic events and their aftermath. The book skips through time and so the driving force is the book is to find out what exactly happened and why. But in some ways, it’s a portrait of a character and how he views the world. He would fit well into a mountain goats song, but because it’s book length, there’s more detail and depth to the character.
The main character developed and runs a roleplaying game played by mail and set in a dystopian future where a nuclear accident turns the US into a wasteland populated by militias, mutants, and other characters. Players send in moves and they get sent the results of their moves, each choice branching them out to new possibilities and closing the door on old ones. While players can write anything they want, the main character has to distill that move into one of a limited number of predetermined choices. It is stated many times that the goal of the game, to find and infiltrate the last safe place in the US is unreachable. Essentially this is a metaphor for the character’s life (or a reflection of how he sees the world). The book has a nihilistic feel and I didn’t love the conclusion, but learning about the game, some of the players, and some of the details of his life, mainly his fantasy life, his view of the world, were very interesting and kept me me reading.
The main character developed and runs a roleplaying game played by mail and set in a dystopian future where a nuclear accident turns the US into a wasteland populated by militias, mutants, and other characters. Players send in moves and they get sent the results of their moves, each choice branching them out to new possibilities and closing the door on old ones. While players can write anything they want, the main character has to distill that move into one of a limited number of predetermined choices. It is stated many times that the goal of the game, to find and infiltrate the last safe place in the US is unreachable. Essentially this is a metaphor for the character’s life (or a reflection of how he sees the world). The book has a nihilistic feel and I didn’t love the conclusion, but learning about the game, some of the players, and some of the details of his life, mainly his fantasy life, his view of the world, were very interesting and kept me me reading.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Suicide attempt