The Devil in Silver: A Novel

Victor Lavalle is a literary comedian. His writing is so humorous, yet smart and ripe. This look into the mundane world of a mental hospital, will have you at times laughing out loud. There is a story here that contains elements of horror and suspense, though to me, it never feels like a horror story. At the core, I think it's about facing and destroying one's own demons. That cleverness of writing shines brightly through this novel. The plot has been well rehashed, so no need for that here, but if you want to be entertained and learn a little something, you will have a great time with "The Devil"

This was a decent story and a decent read, workmanlike except for a few clumsily-handled POV switches. As other reviewers have said, the characters are the book's strongest point. The plot is predictable, and the handling of the thematic material is poor; it's pretty clear that LaValle's reach exceeded his grasp there.

Not sure why it was on the Publisher's Weekly Best Books of 2012, but it I'll go back to read LaValle's other work, for hints about what I missed that was special about this one.

First, I want to mention that LaValle writes beautifully. His prose made me want to slow down and feel individual sentences. But, that was very hard to do, because I just had to find out what came next.

LaValle managed to weave mental illness, Van Gogh, politics, and had a few pokes a pretentious people along the way. Yet, he managed to do this seamlessly and without making the reader wonder what it the heck he was trying to say.

Very much worth owning and re-reading.

This is a story about the often hidden humanity hidden within all people: especially those whom we least expect it from. That glorious thing which is our better self is embodied in the main character, Pepper.
Pepper gets arrested on a battery charge at the end of a night shift by some cops that don't want to put into

I really wanted to like this book. There were huge logic holes in the story ie; how easily Pepper accepted his commitment; and how a small 19-year-old girl beat up men. This strained credibility well before the "Devil" showed up. Many characters were straight from the sitcoms like the strange old lady with a heart of gold. The relationships were thin at best. It seemed the author grew tired of writing fiction and inserted some well-meaning but ham-handed sermons on the sad state of mental illness healthcare.

The plot was also all over the place. There was little horror, not much suspense.

Then again, maybe it's just me. The book has some wildly positive reviews. I don't understand why but then I am me and not you. There are some good parts and I wish those had been expanded.

I found this book incredibly boring. So it takes place in a mental ward and the beginning of the book is about as exciting as being in one. Very poorly written, the author makes terrible puns and then breaks the fourth wall just to apologize for the bad pun. The main character is vague, we never really get to know him. I rarely write reviews but felt like I should just say that this book was really not for me. Not a fan.

This book came recommended by the Books On The Nightstand podcast. As is my habit, I had a sample downloaded to my Kindle before purchasing. I probably end up buying only about 10% of the samples I get, and this was one that, after I'd finished the sample, I bought immediately. Terrific story and excellent writing! I was cheering for Pepper all the way; he was a character who felt so real I could almost reach out and touch him. Can't wait to read more by this author.

I enjoyed the story for itself and also thought that the way it was told and the setting made me think about how free each person truly is to make their own decisions in society generally. I ended up really connecting with the characters even though I started out feeling a little uncharitable toward the main character in particular. I had to pick up the prequel novella when I finished.

The Devil In Silver is an interesting book, but I don't think I enjoyed it. There were some strange characters and situations, and some of them were fun to read. However, it just didn't do enough for me. It was weird and frustrating, especially some of the characters and their motivations. I don't really know what to think about this book. I don't think I could fully recommend it.