I first encountered this book in a creative writing class I took a couple years ago in college. We read "Emergency" specifically, and I remember it leaving such a deep impression on me. I was floored by Johnson's writing style — it's such a unique mix of humor, surrealism, and almost horror that really grabbed me when I read it.
I ended up finding a pdf of this book around that time but I never got around to reading it 'til this year.
This book has horrified me; inspired me; made me feel seen; made me feel disgusted; made me laugh more than anything I've read in recent memory.
I read an interview with Denis Johnson where he claims that every scenario in the book either happened to him or to someone he knew. I'm sure there's layers of dramatizing and such present, but I do believe him when he says that. A lot of the stories sound too crazy to be true, but he writes them in such a human and empathetic way that I'm convinced these are real people, despite how surreal it gets.
I have so many thoughts on this book, but I don't have the words to describe them right now. But it certainly has left a very deep impression on me and I'll remember it for the rest of my life.
Gonna end this post with my favorite quote from "Dundun"
Will you believe me when I tell you there was kindness in his heart? His left hand didn't know what his right hand was doing. It was only that certain important connections had been burned through. If I opened up your head and ran a hot soldering iron around in your brain, I might turn you into someone like that.
by bronwynnin
2 Comments
I have not read this, but will look it up.
I can highly recommend Train Dreams if you haven’t read it.
This is such a good book and I wish I had not donated my copy to a classmate.