Last Days Paperback – February 9, 2016

This book is probably the first ive ever read to tackle the topic of cults so head on. Cliches like serial killer cults or devil worshipping cults have no place here. Instead, its a group of men that self mutilate to attain closeness to some divinity. Strange? Very. But not to its inhabitants.Our main character is klein. He is not a hero or even an anti hero, probably an unhero. He doesnt want anything to do with this world yet somehow it drags him in. He has very little in the way of redeeming qualities and only participates in the events of the novellas due to outside forces compelling him. Klein fights his way out the clutches of not one, but two cults.The content of the story itself is fairly simple. Someone is murdered, klein is brought in to solve. Questions of reality pop up, among other themes and it ultimately boils down to philosophy. Despite that, althat has been mentioned, the story never boils down to blaming the brotherhood or accusing religious sects to be inherently violent. Evenson has a personal history with religious sects, and his humility and respect towards these that shine through as strongly as his critiques.

This is my first Evenson, won't be my last. It's darkly comic and ultra violent. The subject matter and delivery is VERY Roald Dahl, which is a good thing. Our protagonist is pragmatic and delightfully simple - I want to leave; I'd rather not be killed; Who do I have to kill so people will stop bothering me. He reminds me a lot (sans the violence) of the put-upon protag in Douglas Adam's Hitchhiker's Guide. Much of the dialog is stylistically an Abbot & Costello routine (Who's on first?), with our hero on the frustrated side of the conversation.I see some reviews praising the "sparse" narrative, but actually that's not quite right. Many earlier passages were detailed (a scene in a hospital excruciatingly so), with later passages skimmed over in that sparse way. It felt uneven, like the author wanted to get it over with.Social faux pas warning: After reading this book, the next time someone introduces themselves to you as "Paul", you might break out laughing hysterically. Just trust me.

I could tell you sort of what is like: Harry Crews, James M. Cain and Sam Peckinpah are sequestered in a monastery, their every thought and act meticulously documented by a syphilitic John of Patmos. That’s the closest I can get.It’s almost cartoonishly violent and there’s a deep wellspring of... certainly religion, or even Christian apologia, or do I mean theodicy? running through it.Throw in freakish cultists who seem more like midway exhibits on a long drunk, an enormous amount of medical equipment, bandages, hospitals, nurses... did I mention blood? and a main character who somehow reminds me of the Continental Op (less a man than an empty set of clothes used to move plots forward)... it’s a bit heady.I can’t say I recommend it, but I can’t say I don’t, unless you are squeamish about violent and painful injuries explored in loving detail. In which case I wouldn’t recommend Evenson at all. I don’t mean that as an indictment, he is just a deeply weird dude, like If Ligotti had been raised Mormon or something.

I shouldn't have believed all the rave reviews; even the 3 critical reviews are gentle. The story is obviously meant to have shock value but I found it extremely boring. I ditched the book at 46% thinking it couldn't get any better and would probably get much worse. A lot of amputation for sure, with perhaps a hint of cannibalism, or perhaps not, but who cares. If you're into watching mud dry, read this book.

Hardboiled till the yolks are dark, greenish blue, Last Days tells of a PI with no history inducted by force into an investigation of a killing within a bizarre cult. The deadpan delivery of grotesqueries makes them somehow digestible, while the narrative is consistently compelling. I detect a redemption theme, but it requires the tortuous thinking engendered by high school English teachers in the '60s (What did the writer mean by . . .?). I don't know why, but it brought to mind Camus' The Stranger--perhaps it's the deliberate emotional abstractedness in the telling.

If you like non-traditional, weird "detective stories," that are well written with strong dialogue, this is a book you will probably enjoy. But this book is not strictly a detective story, weird fiction, or experimental book, although I would say it has strong elements of all three of those classifications. I'm a very picky reader and stop reading most books I pick up because they are not well written or not terribly creative. I was enthralled with Last Days. There were a few scenes that were pure fiction gold and had me thinking about them day later.

Last Days is one hell of an absorbing and genuinely fantastic read. I had been hearing a lot of Brian Evenson lately and wanted to give him a try, so I read through the synopsis of his books and this one seemed to be the most up my alley. After reading it, I can guarantee you I will be picking up more by this author. Evenson's voice is beautifully original and the only other author I can slightly compare him with is the late great Tom Piccirilli, which is the highest compliment I can give someone.The story and descriptions are strikingly sparse, allowing the reader to fill in the blanks. But the other advantage of this writing style is that it gives Evenson the ability to move things along a breakneck pace. His brutally spontaneous violence is a joy to read and had me savoring each page with delight. I never knew what was going to happen next and his dialogue is beyond perfect, very similar to the style of the brilliant David Mamet. This incredibly original story is one I will not soon forget and gets my highest recommendation.