Then Came The Evening: A Novel (2009) - Plot & Excerpts
Then Came The Evening has a measured rhythm, ticking along at a sedate, reflective pace. In terms of sense of place, themes and characters it reminded me of the writing of Daniel Woodrell. And like Woodrell, Hart is a fine wordsmith. The characterisation is well observed and I particularly liked the awkward, stilted conversations between the three main characters; the way scenes unfolded in ways shaped by conflicting emotions and unexplained irrationalities. Hart also does a fine job of capturing the landscape of Idaho and the fine web of relationships in small communities. The only thing stopping this book from being a knockout is some of the plotting. I got the sense that so much time had been spent on the prose and characterisation that this ended up being a little neglected. A fraction ragged throughout, about two thirds of the way in the story started to unravel a little, particularly the thread following Bandy. That said, the story comes to a satisfactory resolution that isn’t clichéd. Overall, a book worth spending time with and enough promise to suggest that Hart might join Woodrell as a great writer of country noir. One of the review excerpts in the back of this book described it as in the same style as Cormac McCarthy. I agree with that, and would also describe this book as similar in some ways to Willy Vlautin's novels. So I give the book four stars because, although it was good, I've read better. There are a few holes in the story line, and the ending is somewhat unsatisfactory (not in content, but in style -- there's a lot of dramatic build up to a rather quick and abrupt conclusion that does not resolve the matter entirely, or even seem like a logical place to conclude). That said, the concept is intriguing, and the characters original, and the writing is starkly beautiful at certain points (at others it seems to plod). Overall, I liked it a lot, thus, four stars.
What do You think about Then Came The Evening: A Novel (2009)?
I liked it, but wanted more on the Tracy character and some on the house repair. I won this book.
—Alexandra
I won this on first reads and am eagerly awaiting it!
—Tiaaarrr
