I just finished reading the novel, Pines, by Blake Crouch – and after shutting myself indoors for the last few days to finish it, I must give major kudos to Mr. Crouch. This review may have come a little bit too late, considering that the book came out in August of 2012 – but the timing is also perfect since the second in the Wayward Pines series is coming out in September.
Up until very recently, I have never heard anything about this book or the author. My lovely girlfriend actually turned me on to this book, telling me that various reviews mentioned this book in the same sentence as David Lynch’s and Mark Frost’s early 90’s masterpiece of a surreal and quirky town rocked by murder, Twin Peaks. Well, as soon as I heard that, being the enormous Lynch fan that I am, I just had to have this book. And in the afterword of Crouch’s novel, which I read first, he spends a couple pages fondly remembering his parents letting him stay up late on Thursday nights to watch Twin Peaks, and just being absolutely enamored with the show and it’s ridiculously off-kilter cast of characters. He is careful, however, to reiterate that he is in no way attempting to re-create the early 90’s cult classic, but simply trying to recapture the way the show made him feel when he first watched it. In other words, without Twin Peaks, there would be no Pines.
I’m going to do my best here to not give anything away about the novel, and it’s proving to be quite difficult to talk about it without doing so. But here is my best effort. To give a very brief overview: Secret Service Federal Agent Ethan Burke wakes up following some kind of horrible accident that takes place in the quintessential American small town, Wayward Pines. At first, he awakens with little to no memory of what happened or who he is. So, he begins exploring this seemingly quaint, peaceful slice of paradise up in the Idaho mountains. With the town of Wayward Pines, we’re talking white picket fences, manicured lawns, wholesome family block parties – think David Lynch’s ideal American small town with a dark underbelly. The first thing I loved about this novel is that it wastes absolutely no time at all getting right into the action and the thick of the ever-so-twisty plot. From page 1, I was thrust right into what turns out to be a wild, funny, brutal and intense story. Did I mention brutal? Word of advice – this book is definitely NOT for the squeamish. So, like I said, Crouch thrusts the reader right into Ethan’s ever-intensifying conflict where we follow his every step and falter…and he falters quite a lot, which makes for very interesting moments between him and other characters.
It is the quick and punchy dialogue between the characters that really makes Crouch shine. His writing is nothing spectacularly beautiful – it’s not poetry. But that’s fine – it’s not meant to be. He writes in a very clear and concise manner, using character interactions to move the plot along at a breakneck pace. The people we meet are all very colorful, and the speed at which we are introduced to all of them makes it feel as if we’re on one of those bizarre boardwalk haunted house rides. It’s all very hokey, but kind of unnerving in a way that we cannot quite articulate. The dialogue between Ethan and the wackos he meets along the way is often startling and hilarious, especially through Ethan’s eyes. Crouch’s prose definitely gives off a very noirish atmosphere – like I said, very minimal but to the point. I could not help but keep turning pages hungrily as I dove further and further into the madness that is Wayward Pines.
Crouch’s ability to truly make us empathize with his main character is also another strong point. As time passes in Wayward Pines, and Ethan finds himself no closer to any answers, we truly begin to feel how desperate his situation is becoming. At times, he has absolutely nobody to turn to, cannot seem to make contact with family, friends or colleagues outside town and nobody believes he is who he says he is. It very much starts to feel like a house of mirrors – very claustrophobic in the best possible way. As we, along with Ethan, start questioning his own sanity, you cannot help but feel that there is something else going on…something much deeper and sinister. I know, this actually sounds like the perfect formula for any given thriller. But Crouch’s subtle touches in dialogue and hyper-violence leaves the reader with an almost supernaturally heightened sense of awareness. And it’s this heightened awareness which makes the reader turn the page faster and faster until we become reclusive – laying on the couch for 4 hours munching on pretzel chips, completely ignoring the outside world.
What it all comes down to – what truly makes this book work on so many levels is it’s compulsive readability. You are constantly trying to wrap your mind about what has happened, what is happening, and trying like hell to figure out what it all means. As Ethan struggles to get answers, so do we. Well, how did it end, you ask? I won’t say. But, I will say that, in my honest opinion, the ending works. I found it to be very satisfying, and I wasn’t left feeling empty or cheated – like we so often are in thrillers and mysteries both on the screen and between pages. Is it a straight out of left field twist ending? Well, that’s up for debate I guess. And I would be so happy to debate the book with anyone who reads this review and then goes on to read the book (hint hint). The clues are all there. So, in a way, the ending fits with the feel of the rest of the novel. While it is not as cerebral as most of David Lynch’s work, it does manage to successfully pay homage to the king of cerebral surrealism. If any of you should make the decision to read this book, just remember that it is a thriller. It’s not a deep, spiritual or philosophical meditation on life – although there is definitely some commentary on the human condition here. However, Crouch is cautious not to get too caught up in any type of social commentary and lose site of the narrative. If you’re looking to kill some time, and get lost in the lives of some truly memorable characters, this novel will surely please.
-AF
You really know your stuff… Maintain the good work!