I am still new to audiobooks as a whole, especially fictional stories as my mind has a tendency to wander and I end up missing key points. This is still the case but with Beasts of the Earth it was done so masterfully that I stopped everything I was doing and just sat and listened, finishing the entire book in one sitting.

The narrators voice is so country and so incredibly soothing! This is the first time I’ve heard him narrate but he does it with such precision and perfection that it’s obvious that he was born to be a narrator, especially with this type of story. This is a very dark and depressing tale, but one that was enthralling nonetheless. The narrator’s timber really helps set the mood for this brooding narrative, taking you deep into the story in such a persuasive way.

The evil that abounds, especially when it comes to Monday, is disgusting to say the least. I could feel the darkness wafting through the speakers as I listened to his words and actions. The authors words paired with the brooding narration paint quite a vivid picture, and it ain’t pretty.

I will say that the vulgar language of several of the characters was definitely not my taste but it did fit right in with the overall vibe. It was so bad in the beginning that I debated on stopping it and adding it to my DNF list, but something told me to look past it, and not give up, and I’m glad I didn’t. This was a truly immersive experience that I have to give much praise.

*I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book which I received from the publisher through NetGalley. All views and opinions expressed are completely honest, and my own. ( )

Thank you to James Wade for providing a copy of his book Beasts of the Earth for my review.

Michael Fischer is a young boy living hand to mouth with his mother and younger sister, Doreen. Forbidden from attending school so he can provide food for the family, Michael risks his life to steal fish from a neighbor's traps. He and his sister share a mattress in their house in the swamp. His life goes from bad to worse when his father returns from a stint in prison, doing time for raping a young girl. When forced to commit a soul-crushing act, Michael flees his home.

Harlen Leblanc is a mild-mannered man with the simplest of lives. A maintenance man at the local high school, he lives in an almost empty duplex with any of the niceties of life. But he has a keen eye for those who are in need and goes out of his way to spread kindness. When a high school girl is found murdered on campus, his young co-worker is accused. Harlan’s attempt to help the boy backfires and he finds himself questioned for the crime and suddenly shunned by those he’d help, as if all his good works were wiped away in an instant.

The two stories intersect in a painful, heart-rending finale. For Harlan, the psychological scars of an abusive, cruel childhood are impossible for him to overcome. After a lifetime of battling his demons, he gives in to them, understanding fully what he is, what he will always be. He realizes that the man Michael becomes was forged by the evil fire of his father and once tempered cannot change.

To say that this book is a difficult read is no exaggeration. Wade scrapes together the worst of human behavior: rape, murder, child abuse, pedophilia, and prostitution and spins a gritty, painful tale. But his prose is lyrical, almost poetic. His languorous descriptions of a wide Texas sky or a hot Louisiana swap juxtaposed with the violent narrative gives the book a seductive duality that is hard to put down. How does beauty co-exist with the ugliness in the world? What makes a man good, what makes him evil and can those traits live inside the same person? ( )

Beasts of the Earth by James Wade is very highly recommended literary fiction.

Two timelines are followed in the novel. First, in 1987 Harlen LeBlanc is an employee of the grounds department at Carter Hills High School in Texas. He is a quiet man who keeps to himself and his routines. When his coworker and recent high school graduate, Gene Thomas, is discovered holding the dead body of a former girlfriend, he is charged with her murder. LeBlanc is certain that Gene is not responsible and he sets out to find the guilty party.

In Louisiana in 1965, 12 year-old Michael Fischer tries his best to protect his younger sister and survive with his fanatical mother. He steals from trap lines in the bayou to provide for his family. Then his father, a child rapist and murderer, returns from serving his prison sentence. His father's evil actions eventually result in Michael fleeing and finding help and safety with an older man who is dying, but more importantly is a kind and good man who rescues him. He teaches Michael to be good and care even when the world around you is bad and uncaring.

This is a beautifully written, descriptive novel that skillfully intertwines the two stories in the alternate time lines. The narratives in the two timelines are both tightly plotted and create suspense in events that are surely coming in both story lines. Although crimes and investigations occur, Beasts of the Earth is not a procedural or investigative novel. It is a pensive, thoughtful novel reflecting on what it means to be a truly good person in a world full of wickedness and corruption. Even in the most forlorn and bleak moments, there is still a small measure of hope and, perhaps, redemption for the characters.

Beasts of the Earth is a visceral, disturbing tale that explores polarizing themes, including hate and love, fate and free will, trauma and goodness. It poetically yet starkly confronts how to deal with evil and guilt all while moving steadfastly toward a heartbreaking ending.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Blackstone Publishing via NetGalley.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2022/10/beasts-of-earth.html ( )