Knockemstiff

In this unforgettable work of fiction Donald Ray Pollock peers into the soulof a tough Midwestern American town to reveal the sad stunted but resilientlives of ... » 

In this unforgettable work of fiction Donald Ray Pollock peers into the soulof a tough Midwestern American town to reveal the sad stunted but resilientlives of its residents. Spanning a period from the midsixties to the latenineties the linked stories that comprise Knockemstiff feature a cast ofrecurring characters who are woebegone baffled and depravedbut irresistiblyundeniably real. Rendered in the American vernacular with vivid imagery and awry dark sense of humor these thwarted and sometimes violent lives jump offthe page at the reader with inexorable force. A father pumps his son full ofsteroids so he can vicariously relive his days as a perpetual runnerup bodybuilder. A psychotic rural recluse comes upon two siblings committing incestand feels compelled to take action. Donald Ray Pollock presents his charactersand the sordid goingson with a stern intelligence a bracing absence of valuejudgments and a refreshingly dark sense of bottomdog humor. With an artisticinstinct honed on the works of Flannery OConnor and Harry Crews Pollockoffers a powerful work of fiction in the classic American vein. Knockemstiffis a genuine entry into the literature of place. «