A review by litwrite
The Devil in Silver by Victor LaValle
3.0
Despite being billed as 'literary horror' not really sure this fits into the horror genre. Still thinking about it. Will write more when the dust settles.
A week later and I'm still not sure what to think about this novel. It was intriguing and interesting, but I'm not altogether sure that I really enjoyed it all that much. LaValle is obviously a very talented writer and I will for sure be checking out some of his other works, but I think perhaps I entered into this novel with the wrong mindset. I was waiting for the horror to come through but really this wasn't so much a straight up 'supernatural' horror that takes place in an asylum (Such as the 2nd season of American Horror Story) and more an indictment of the medical institutions that exist to care for mental illness a la the very excellent Titicut Follies.
I liked the unreliability of the narrators and the 'are they or are they not really insane?' aspect of the novel and its protagonists and felt LaValle handled it really well and it made the novel all the more intriguing but then I do feel he also goes on to undermine himself somewhat with some deus ex machina moments which just throw it back towards the supernatural and left me going 'huh?'
A bit jumbled for me so not a whole hearted endorsement, but definitely caught my attention enough that I would read other books by the author.
A week later and I'm still not sure what to think about this novel. It was intriguing and interesting, but I'm not altogether sure that I really enjoyed it all that much. LaValle is obviously a very talented writer and I will for sure be checking out some of his other works, but I think perhaps I entered into this novel with the wrong mindset. I was waiting for the horror to come through but really this wasn't so much a straight up 'supernatural' horror that takes place in an asylum (Such as the 2nd season of American Horror Story) and more an indictment of the medical institutions that exist to care for mental illness a la the very excellent Titicut Follies.
I liked the unreliability of the narrators and the 'are they or are they not really insane?' aspect of the novel and its protagonists and felt LaValle handled it really well and it made the novel all the more intriguing but then I do feel he also goes on to undermine himself somewhat with some deus ex machina moments which just throw it back towards the supernatural and left me going 'huh?'
A bit jumbled for me so not a whole hearted endorsement, but definitely caught my attention enough that I would read other books by the author.