BEASTS OF THE EARTH
James Wade, whose first two novels were praised as “rhapsodic” and “haunting,” delivers his most powerful work to date—a chilling parable about the impossible demands of hate and love, trauma and goodness, vividly set in the landscapes of Texas and Louisiana.
Beasts of the Earth tells the story of Harlen LeBlanc, a dependable if quiet employee of the Carter Hills High School’s grounds department, whose carefully maintained routine is overthrown by an act of violence. As the town searches for answers, LeBlanc strikes out on his own to exonerate a friend, while drawing the eyes of the law to himself and fending off unwelcome voices that call for a sterner form of justice.
Twenty years earlier, young Michael Fischer dreads the return of his father from prison. He spends his days stealing from trap lines in the Louisiana bayou to feed his fanatically religious mother and his cherished younger sister, Doreen. When his father eventually returns, an evil arrives in Michael’s life that sends him running from everything he has ever known. He is rescued by a dying poet and his lover, who extract from him a promise: to be a good man, whatever that may require.
Beasts of the Earth deftly intertwines these stories, exploring themes of time, fate, and free will, to produce a revelatory conclusion that is both beautiful and heartbreaking.
PRAISE FOR BEASTS OF THE EARTH
“Wade’s pitch-perfect, personality-driven dialogue sings in the voice of life, and his ability to meld existential thought, situational metaphor, and cinematic setting is a full-bodied experience…A soul-deep exploration of a wounded man in crisis, James Wade’s Beasts of the Earth…secures his position as an author of extraordinary merit.” —New York Journal of Books
“James Wade writes a terrific story, but that isn’t what makes him so good. Wade is a craftsman. His books should be read slowly, to luxuriate in his word choices, his sentence structure, his character revelation. That is why he is a joy to read.” —James L. Haley, Spur Award–winning author of the Bliven Putnam Naval Adventures
“I found myself rooting for the characters throughout their near-Biblical tribulations, and the storyline kept me turning the pages, desperate to find out what would happen next. Here we have a novel that blends realism with existentialist philosophy to redefine contemporary Southern fiction. Don’t miss this tour de force of modern literature.” —David Heska Wanbli Weiden, Spur and Anthony Award–winning author of Winter Counts
 |
| “Beasts of the Earth is a beautiful gut-punch of a novel.” —Stacey Swann, author of Olympus, Texas |
Honestly, I did not know what to expect from this story, Beasts of the Earth. The cover is slick. I knew from one of the former books, River, Sing Out by James Wade I would be taken on a phenomenal journey. Wade did not disappoint. Beasts of the Earth is a poetic and haunting fiction book of place and time set in Texas and Louisiana.
Violence is part of James Wade’s writing but he is gifted with his words making them come off to the readers as more poetic than violent. In Beasts of the Earth the bloodshed and aggression are softened by the lyrical writing around the setting.
This story revolves around Harlen LeBlanc who is an unassuming guy living, yet not fully living under the radar. When an unthinkable crime occurs, he helps to clear a friend of the crime. Intermixed in this story is the past of Harlen and why he has become the person he has. Hands down this book is immersive in both the past and present and it’s deeply haunting. You can almost feel the swampland of Louisiana jumping off the pages.
Roger Clark, the narrator, makes Wade’s words more haunting. Clark’s voice is rich and deeply expressive. It’s a deepness that envelopes your ears and heart. Clark’s changing from the various characters even from a girl to a boy never broke its cadence. Without a doubt, Clark’s voice conveys Beasts of the Earth as an unforgettable story. This is the first audiobook I heard through the Netgalley app. I encountered no problems. Through their app, I was able to hear the story perfectly well at 1x speed.
I highly recommend Beasts of the Earth as an audiobook. It is a haunting, unforgettable story that jumps off the pages and embeds into your psyche as you listen. It is truly a galvanizing story written by Wade and brought to life by Clark.
James Wade lives and writes in the Texas Hill Country with his wife and daughter. He is also the author of River, Sing Out and All Things Left Wild, a winner of the prestigious MPIBA Reading the West Award for Debut Fiction, and a recipient of the Spur Award for Best Historical Novel from the Western Writers of America.
|
10/11/22 |
Review |
|
|
10/11/22 |
Review |
|
|
10/12/22 |
Audio Review |
|
|
10/12/22 |
BONUS Promo |
|
|
10/13/22 |
Review |
|
|
10/13/22 |
Review |
|
|
10/14/22 |
Audio Review |
|
|
10/14/22 |
Review |
|
|
10/15/22 |
Review |
|
|
10/16/22 |
Review |
|
|
10/17/22 |
Review |
|
|
10/17/22 |
Review |
|
|
10/18/22 |
Review |
|
|
10/19/22 |
Audio Review |
|
|
10/20/22 |
Review |
|
|
10/20/22 |
Review |
Forgotten Winds 
Totally agree that the narrator adds a whole extra dimension to the story. Both are outstanding to me, too. Thanks for the review.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re so welcome!
LikeLike
Terrific review, Christena, and I agree about the narration. I read the book first then listened to the audio and that added another layer of enjoyment.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, thank you, Maryann.
LikeLiked by 1 person