And the Ass Saw the Angel (Essential Penguin)

Euchrid Eucrow, a mute born to an abusive mother and a father obsessed with animal torture, is an outcast in a valley of conservative religious zealots. He silently takes his mother's beatings, his father's indifference, and the hatred of an entire town. But though he may be silent, his tortured mind is chock full of terrible angelic visions and he goes mad, leaving one to wonder if he can be blamed for the vengeance he exacts on the people who have made his life so awful and so painful.

Sometimes this four star book was a little hard for me to take, but I couldn't put it down.

Review submitted by Captain Osborne

Dark poetry (1/1 people found this helpful)

Cave's obsession with all things grotesque could have led to this book becoming a vile carnival of obscenity. However, in the story of Euchrid Eucrow, the product of generations of inbreeding and hard drinking, we discover a refined literary talent. As Euchrid, vilified social outcast, is persecuted by his community, his delicate soul cries out from amidst the circus of hypocrisy betraying sensitivity well-disguised. A poignant and tragic tale, it delivers indictments of religious pomposity in prose poetry bordering on the bombastic.

Cave has writen a prose version of his Murder Ballads, bleak ending and generally unpalatable characters all present and correct. It's fantastic fiction.

If He Writes Another Novel, It'll Be Great (4/23 people found this helpful)

Oh, I so hope Nick Cave continues to write, because he is a great storyteller. But he better get a better editor. Great elements: great characters, great plot, great use of language, and all for naught, regrettably, and I'm still not sure why. (Yes, I am a fan of his music -- Murder Ballads reduces me to tears at times -- oh, what a remarkable translator of tragedy!) This book will be more interesting after he writes more novels. Can I recommend And The Ass Saw The Angel? -- alas no; you Nick Cave fans will read it and love it, but for you folks who aren't yet devotees, get his music; you will be shocked and beguiled, and you will become fans of that, I am sure.

Strange and classical in a literary way (15/18 people found this helpful)

This could have been written by Faulkner, Joyce et al. It's written in an early 20th century classical litereary style that evidently displays Cave's obvious talent and intelligence.

The story revolves around an ostracised boy who lives in kind of rubbish dump, akin to Stig of the Dump. He's pilloried by the locals for his apparent lack of intellect and disability. The locals in question inhabit a staunchly religious presbyterian town full of it's own foibles and strange characters, none of which will be too unfamiliar.

The dichotomy presented is extremely poignant - a holier than thou community that persecutes a pathetic, disadvantaged boy.

The prose is florid and overblown; sometimes you can almost hear it being read out by a strongly accented southern preacher, but it works.

The story builds to a truly tragic ending that simultaneously is uplifting as well.

A very accomplished book that wouldn't be out of place on the reading list of an English degree.

On the evidence of this Australia has an author who could, if he wanted, stand toe to toe with some of the other contemporary greats.

Profound insight rising form the pit of human depravity. (26/27 people found this helpful)

Knowing Cave's music well, it is perhaps not suprising that he would write a novel about imbreeds, murder, filth, religion, not to mention some of the most unusual narrative language one can find. I love this book, partly, I suppose, because it appeals to that undesirable aspect of everyone's nature that hungers for the grotesque and bestial. However, if this was all it satisfied, I would soon disregard it as gutter literature, there is a subtle and beautiful voice screaming through the vulgar exterior of the words. On the surface, it would appear that Cave is illustrating a damning perspective of Christianity - false profits, brutal extremism and insane fanatasism - but the occassional change in narration allow the reader to glimpse a faint enlightenment, made clearer through its juxtaposition with the external world of our narrator. I see it as an allegory for much of the human situation, exaggerating the dangers of blind faith but also warning against irrational rebellion. Even if you get nothing from analysis of this book (as you may see, I have great trouble articulating my thoughts), then read purely for the poetical descriptions and powerful characterisation. I assure you, you will go through at least eight contrasting emotions as you journey through it.

And the Ass Saw the Angel (Essential Penguin)

Nick Cave

Reader Reviews:

Dark Humor, Dark Book, Not for the Faint of Heart (0/0 people found this helpful)

Dark poetry (1/1 people found this helpful)

If He Writes Another Novel, It'll Be Great (4/23 people found this helpful)

Strange and classical in a literary way (15/18 people found this helpful)

Profound insight rising form the pit of human depravity. (26/27 people found this helpful)

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