The book is pretty damn good. I'm glad I stumbled upon it. There were several chunks of the book where I was blown away and thinking I was flipping through a soon to be favorite of mine. Then a scene or side story would end in a way I thought could've been a bit better or there would be 20 pages here or there that underwhelmed me. I think the book suffered from its own expectations it created in my first few sittings.Overall, a really good book. I'm always a fan of the plight of society's underdogs, living on the edge and trying to figure things out. And just when you think they are about to break through, a 5th of whiskey, a brawl, or that rocky past derails all the progress and they regress back to their old self, the person they really are and can't escape. A spare, thoughtful book about people struggling to find a reason to live, learning about themselves and trying to fashion a life. The two main characters (Billy and Jack) are beautifully drawn - Billy in particular will haunt me. The way Carpenter captures the drives of the characters to fill gaps in themselves they can't even quite understand is so compelling - Billy's story of how he wound up in prison is breathtaking, as is the gradual unwinding of Jack's marriage. It's a very male book - the female characters are ciphers - but it's a stunning achievement nonetheless.
What do You think about Dura La Lluvia Que Cae (1964)?
In a league with Jesus' Son, hardcore, aching and beautiful.
—amymariana
Written in the late 60's, this one is hard.
—Sahra
