Cover art matters – ask anyone who has ever written a book. I knew exactly which photo I wanted on the cover of Wookie Is Not His Real Name and fought to make that happen. While the old saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover” is beyond accurate, readers are either attracted to a book cover or they aren’t and sometimes the cover can mean the difference between buying the book or passing it by. People do this with bottles of wine too. Sometimes the label garners attention and patrons end up buying a type of wine they might not have purchased otherwise.
Written by Willy Vlautin, the cover of The Horse caught my eye. A horseshoe, guitar pick, and whiskey glass. I love horses and music, so of course that was appealing to me, and the overall theme had “country song” written all over it. So even though the back cover synopsis sounded extremely depressing, I bought it. Switching back and forth between present day and previous timelines, the novel is about Al Ward – a talented songwriter and guitar player who can’t quit booze. His alcoholic uncle gets him started drinking way too young and it ends up ruling his life. In fact, he spends most of his life being both drunk and hungover at the same time (sounds awful) which is horrifying because he really doesn’t want to be that way. At all. Al is a good guy with a kind soul. He cares about music and the people he meets – even when they don’t care about themselves. I can’t decide which is his more catastrophic downfall – the alcohol or his willingness to always put himself last.
Although this plot might sound a bit too familiar – the struggling musician who can’t stop drinking – Al’s sadness is a different kind of sadness. The root of Al’s drinking is severe anxiety. He worries so much that it makes him physically ill and, in his mind, the only remedy for calming his nerves is alcohol. It’s a vicious cycle. As far as the music goes, it breaks my heart that he’s stuck playing multiple sets a night for Reno and Vegas casino patrons who pay more attention to gambling and drinking than the music. Those kinds of gigs are beyond grueling and it’s hard to read about all the people who take advantage of Al. He meets some extremely damaged characters along the way and some of them bring him even further down. Also, it breaks my heart that he, to his detriment, allows this to happen repeatedly.
In present day, Al lives alone on an old mining claim (long story about how he got there) that is freezing, isolated, and offers very few supplies. His existence (if you can call it that) exemplifies how people can get stuck in their lives and sometimes need someone to pull them out or they don’t survive. One morning an injured horse appears out of nowhere and Al makes it his mission to save it which serves as the present day narrative. Of course, I love that. Thankfully, Al has also met people who actually care about him as much as he cares about them – and who ultimately save his life. The most important of those people turns out to be Lonnie and, towards the end of the novel, we get more insight into Al from Lonnie than from anyone else – including Al himself.
So now the question is whether or not I’d recommend this book. Yes and no. As a music fan and writer, I appreciate Al’s inherent ability to write songs that make heads turn. I also appreciate his deep love of music and how he always carries a guitar and a spiral notebook with him. In terms of content, the shady and often dangerous characters that change the trajectory of his life are horrifying to read about. It’s a sad book – that’s a fact. But the moments that shine a light on friendship, creativity, and the ability to overcome are Vlautin’s strengths. His musicianship clearly shows as the details he provides about the people and places Al encounters are road-worn, weary, and well-written. And those moments are definitely worth reading.
Quotes
“It’s for writing me the songs like you said you would. No one ever does what they say they’re gonna. Not ever. But you did, and I won’t forget it.”
“He destroyed his life in hopes of saving it.”
“He could see the horse’s swollen eye sockets…and the hard scars of its life printing out a history across its body.”
“A voice not good enough for anything but explaining a song.”
“Al listened to their conversation. He picked out stories they would tell, phrases they’d use, and began writing songs around those.”
“It was the song…that they had been waiting for Al to write.”
“It wasn’t much but it was something.”
“You’ve been a good friend to me and I should have known.” “At least we’re both okay now.”
“It takes a lot of energy to change who you are.”
“Most people wouldn’t cross the street to do something decent, and you walked thirty miles in the snow, and you’re a drunk, lazy musician.”
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