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Last Things David Searcy 9780452284630 Books

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Last Things David Searcy 9780452284630 Books

The first book I read by David Searcy was Ordinary Horror. I had some trouble getting through all that very detailed but minor suspense which never arrived anywhere particularly exciting. I had to read the last 5 or 6 pages of the book several times and still don't quite understand it, but perhaps that's the point.
I then read Last Things and had the same experience. There's too much detail and too much ambiguity, but I kept reading to see what happens. Last Things is more suspenseful and unsettling than Ordinary Horror, but I probably won't read this author again. I think he is a very good descriptive writer, but not to my liking.
If you want to read really good "horror", try William Gay.


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Last Things David Searcy 9780452284630 Books Reviews

I will give this book two stars just from the fact that Mr. Searcey got away with writing three page paragraphs. I am a struggling writer so it is hard for me to criticize another, but I really don't understand how he was able to get away with virtually everything I can't, and get published in hardcover to boot. I read the first four chapters and did not know what I just read. I finally forced myself to get into the book and actually finished it. When I reached the ending, I had to go huh? As I think back on the book, I can see that there was a really great story in there somewhere. Mr. Searcey has a talent for making you taste the dust, and smell the weeds in East Texas and some of his descriptions are just awesome. But, he writes in a style that is very hard to take. I have to say that reading his book was a chore. If this is "literary" horror, I know what to avoid. I almost sent this book back to the book club twice, but stuck it out and despite everything, I am still glad I did. Mr. Searcey, I wish you the best with the "intellectual" crowd.
Gilmore, Texas residents are becoming concerned with the weird events including the abnormal weather that seems to have engulfed the town. Scarecrows containing the rotted animals have begun to appear. When a child vanishes, the townsfolk become divided. Many believe the end of times has begun as her disappearance marks the start of the Rapture. Other feel someone more mundane and mortal is behind the events.
Loner Luther Hazlitt believes that what ever is going on has nothing to do with the Holy Spirit. A bit shook from an incident that leaves him mumbling "oh sh*t" as his nirvana, Luther, accompanied by his dog Yurang, obtains the help of Agnes Peeler. They plan to catch the culprit behind the weirdness. Deputy Sheriff Willis Beagle joins the team, but none of them know what they plan to trap.
The concept underlying the story line is brilliant and most horror fans will find refreshing. The heroic quartet are as far removed as one can get from being heroes yet are believable, making them fun charcaters. The townsfolk add depth and feel that the audience has entered a remote section of Texas. With all that going for it LAST THINGS should have been great. However, the problem is that sentences and paragraphs go on forever in a mimic of The Old Man and the Sea. Other than this quibble this is a great book.
Harriet Klausner
On the plus side, I was intrigued with a couple of the characters. Some of the dialogue is very realistic. On the minus side, the story was (I suspect) intentionally confusing, belabored, and therefore, for the most part, pointless. Scenes began with no sense of place or person; descriptions and musings frequently interrupted the action to the point that I could not hold onto the threads and had to go back and try to pick them up again. The ending offered little reward. What was trapped? I made it this far through this book and still, what or who was trapped? PW suggests that lovers of "high end horror" will enjoy this. Does horror have to be at once both vague and excruciatingly detailed to allow it the title of "high end"? Does it have to be inaccessible to make it literary? I think Searcy has some talent with words and phrases; now he needs to fashion a coherent story with his huge imagination.
I bought b this book after reading a comment by a favorite author that it was great and he couldn't put it down. I could not follow this book. Made no sense and was just an endless loop of... Nothing.I only finished it on principle but I still can not explain to anyone what this book was about. Because I don't know .
Read this and his first novel, ORDINARY HORROR, and feel unmoved by both.

Both have a "plot" -- ORDINARY HORROR Man buys strange plant to help prevent rodents from bothing his roses. Then...stuff happens but it's never clear. Then it's over.

LAST THINGS-- chickens and people die/disappear in a small town and an "end of days" church begins and then...stuff happens but it's never clear. Then it's over. Reminded me a bit of Peter Straub's FLOATING DRAGON. But not really!

I wish I could say both books had great and memorable characters -- but neither did. I wish both were so plot driven that I couldn't wait to turn the page. But neither is that compelling.

But I DID finish both books -- that in itself says something since we have so many reasons NOT to finish his books--dreadful pacing, long and uniwielding pacing, many loose ends. However, the reason I finished them was because I was hoping some thing would happen.

I think the problem is his books are being mis-marketed so we come in with an expectation that isn't fulfilled.

No, I won't read anymore books by him but he IS a good writer -- I'm just not clear what he's writing about.
The first book I read by David Searcy was Ordinary Horror. I had some trouble getting through all that very detailed but minor suspense which never arrived anywhere particularly exciting. I had to read the last 5 or 6 pages of the book several times and still don't quite understand it, but perhaps that's the point.
I then read Last Things and had the same experience. There's too much detail and too much ambiguity, but I kept reading to see what happens. Last Things is more suspenseful and unsettling than Ordinary Horror, but I probably won't read this author again. I think he is a very good descriptive writer, but not to my liking.
If you want to read really good "horror", try William Gay.