wolf in white van

wolf in white van is really, really good. it’s been a couple weeks since i finished it and it still lingers. my mentor recommended it. when describing it to me, she emphasized how a straightforward synopsis would be inadequate. still, since i’m a pretty big fan of the mountain goats, a novel written by john darnielle is a pretty easy sell.

now that i’ve read it, i have to agree. providing a synopsis, a “what is this novel about”, is both difficult and reductive. it has less of a plot and more of a setting. we sit with the protagonist’s perspective, sitting with him in his memories and in his day-to-day. this presentation really suits the novel. the protagonist’s dissociative daydreaming wouldn’t be nearly as effective if we weren’t right there with him. rendering events out of order allows for the looming dread of finding out what’s already happened, the reveal of a thousand little tragedies.

wolf in white van’s ending is sublime, and it only works because the entire structure of the novel was propelling us towards it.

highly recommend, especially if you like the mountain goats.