Devil House
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david &
Devil House by John Darnielle

Edition
ISBN 9780374212230

Reviews

Photo of kat
kat@reedymiffy
2 stars
Nov 14, 2024

A book called the ‘Devil House’ and it’s not a horror novel.

+5
Photo of Leticia Leal
Leticia Leal@theillumiletty
3 stars
Dec 18, 2023

I am kinda mad because I work at the library and I checked this book out to a patron and said, “Oh, I am reading this book too!” and he said, “How are you liking it?” I replied, “I am about half way through and I am enjoying it thus far!” Now the patron is going to come back and try to talk to me about it and I will have to say, “I didn’t get it.” I don’t like that.

Photo of Kari Oanes
Kari Oanes@karimarie
4 stars
Aug 24, 2023

This is the kind of book you read and you don’t think it’s scary until you have to get up in the middle of the night and then all of a sudden you absolutely cannot stand being in the dark. A slower paced read about the true crime genre that really made me think about my participation in horror and crime culture generally.

+6
Photo of fira
fira@orufrey
4 stars
Jun 16, 2023

i went into it not knowing that to expect and it still wasn't anything i could've expected. it gets a bit convoluted at times, like trying to keep hold of a thread that goes everywhere, but it was a new reading experience i enjoyed; really made me think about the things you can do with The Craft, the experiments and risks you can take.

Photo of Jerilynn Hallett
Jerilynn Hallett @jerilynnhallett
3 stars
Feb 24, 2023

This is not a Horror book…at all!

Photo of Simon Lund Larsen
Simon Lund Larsen@marsnielson
5 stars
Feb 6, 2023

What a strange and wonderful book. Highly recommend starting with the author's Wolf in White Van to get a feel of how he writes. And highly recommend listening to the audiobook read by the author himself.

Photo of Patrick Cartelli
Patrick Cartelli@patcartelli
4.5 stars
Jan 26, 2023

I'll probably come back to this review to expand thoughts but -

I found Devil House to be surprising. I'm not one for true crime and I think a lot of this book helps me describe why. Also a refreshing use of the physical format.

Anyway, it's the only book I've ever finished that made me go "wait, what?" and immediately start it again.

+4
Photo of August Stone
August Stone@unfortunatecrowboy
3.5 stars
Dec 20, 2022

Devil House hit emotional peaks for me at a few different points that left me uncertain about when the next turn would be.

In the end the story was surprisingly caring, thoroughly human, and only mildly stomach-turning.

+3
Photo of alina s
alina s@asupernova
2 stars
Aug 23, 2022

I don’t fuck with the Mountain Goats and this novel proves why

Photo of Madhuri Sridhara
Madhuri Sridhara@madhurireads
2 stars
Apr 19, 2022

DNF at 56% I saw the other reviews and tried my best to keep at it but this is where I end my journey with this book. This is a complex tale of of a true crime writer who after writing a few books, comes upon the less known story of "The Devil House', which I'm sorry to say isn't as spine-tingling as it sounds. Rather, this book is about the narrator trying to do justice to the story of what really happened at Devil House by writing the truth in as much as truth can be written about something that happened a long time ago. It's meta, it's a great idea but unfortunately I didn't resonate with the story at all. There were times where I was lost because there is no set format to the book. It tells multiple stories, including one about "The White Witch" which is about the narrator's first book. This is actually an interesting story. But the main story about Devil House is long and boring. I'm sure there are others who will find it interesting and will love it but it just wasn't me. To me, the entire book was lost in clunky writing and shifting formats. Thanks to Netgalley and Scribe UK for the e-arc.

Photo of Gemma McCarthy
Gemma McCarthy@geesmcc
3.5 stars
Aug 10, 2024
Photo of Paige
Paige@paigeawesome
4.5 stars
Nov 18, 2023
+8
Photo of Lauren Robinson
Lauren Robinson@lozrobinson5
3 stars
Jul 26, 2023
Photo of Carli McNaught
Carli McNaught@theteessider
0.5 stars
Apr 9, 2023
Photo of Paige Wanner
Paige Wanner@turntopaige22
1 star
Nov 7, 2022
Photo of Ari lute
Ari lute@ari8d
2.5 stars
Sep 15, 2022
Photo of Mary Coggins
Mary Coggins@marymason
2.5 stars
Aug 11, 2022
Photo of Andreas Jennische
Andreas Jennische@ajennische
4 stars
Jul 12, 2022
Photo of Meg
Meg@emvy
4 stars
Jul 3, 2022
Photo of Jemima Scott
Jemima Scott@readwithmims
2.5 stars
Jun 8, 2022
Photo of Diesel Cheung
Diesel Cheung@insectcondo
3.5 stars
Apr 23, 2022
Photo of Austin Wagner
Austin Wagner@wagneram
3 stars
Feb 19, 2022
Photo of Amanda Gilson
Amanda Gilson@dinkycrow
3 stars
Feb 13, 2022
Photo of LC
LC@lower_colon
3 stars
Jul 5, 2024

Highlights

Photo of kat
kat@reedymiffy

It was a dark miracle of forgetfulness, a gift of near-erasure. There are few such gifts in a world like ours.

Page 36
Photo of kat
kat@reedymiffy

My mother is a prophet of ruin.

Page 4
Photo of fira
fira@orufrey

For every iconic pair of murderer's eyes staring blankly into a police photographer's lens, there are unremembered dead in small towns across the country going back centuries.

Photo of fira
fira@orufrey

I think of the candle maker who wants to be king. I try to let him at least hold the keys to the castle in his hand, even if he never gains entry.