Number 66- Watching Evil Dead- Josh Malerman

 

Last week I read 4 full books in 5 days.  This week I'm struggling to find the time to read one short book, let alone catch up on doing the write ups.  This was book 3 of the 4.  It was also the quickest of the week.

When I heard about this book (I follow Josh on his socials, so that was well over a year ago) I did wonder if I would like it, or even find it interesting.  But Josh has a habit of taking subject matter that I think doesn't sound promising and turning it into great stories by force of his writing. (who else could make a telepathic killer pig into one of the most terrifying literary villains I've read in recentish years?)

This is non fiction. Its the story of the night he introduced his then girlfriend (now wife) to the cinematic treat that is The Evil Dead. 

Part love story, part treatise on the creative process, part commentary on the genre, part confessional, part film analysis, part relationship drama, all driven by a manic energy that drags the reader (this one at least) through the book at a rate of knots.

The only thing I can really compare this with is Ray Bradbury's Zen in the Art of Writing. King's Danse Macabre is a close relative but not really comparable IMHO. I actually felt the prose was reminiscent of Bradbury quite frequently while I read this. That's one of the greatest compliments I can pay to a book.

A life affirming story of the roots of creativity. I loved this far more than I ever expected to.  Once again just down to the power of Malerman's writing. This is probably going to be in my top 10 for the year. An easy 8.5 or maybe 9/10