Plot Summary

The Devil All the Time

Donald Ray Pollock
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The Devil All the Time

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2011

Book Brief

Donald Ray Pollock

The Devil All the Time

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2011
Book Details
Pages

272

Format

Novel • Fiction

Setting

Ohio • 1950s

Publication Year

2011

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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Super Short Summary

Set in Ohio and West Virginia in the years following World War II, Donald Ray Pollock's novel, The Devil All the Time, intertwines the lives of desperate characters, including a PTSD-suffering veteran, a couple of serial killers, and corrupt preachers, all struggling with their inner demons and external horrors. Please note that the narrative includes graphic violence, sexual exploitation, and religiously motivated abuse.

Dark

Gritty

Mysterious

Unnerving

Melancholic

Reviews & Readership

4.3

41,469 ratings

81%

Loved it

14%

Mixed feelings

5%

Not a fan

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Review Roundup

The Devil All the Time by Donald Ray Pollock receives praise for its vivid characters and gritty portrayal of post-war American life. The narrative's dark and violent themes are both compelling and disturbing, though some readers find them excessively grim. Pollock's writing style is a highlight, but the relentless bleakness may not appeal to all.

Who should read this

Who Should Read The Devil All the Time?

Readers who enjoy dark, Southern Gothic tales with gritty realism and complex characters would appreciate Donald Ray Pollock's The Devil All the Time. Fans of Cormac McCarthy's No Country for Old Men or Flannery O'Connor's Wise Blood will find the novel's blend of violence, redemption, and moral ambiguity compelling.

4.3

41,469 ratings

81%

Loved it

14%

Mixed feelings

5%

Not a fan

Book Details
Pages

272

Format

Novel • Fiction

Setting

Ohio • 1950s

Publication Year

2011

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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