A modern masterpiece. (And the Ass Saw the Angel - Nick Cave)

Member Name: northers

Product:	And the Ass Saw the Angel - Nick Cave
Date:	06/06/09 (133 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fantastic characters, great style, compelling reading.

Disadvantages: Not suitable for everyone.

It's over fifteen years old, dog-eared and stained by cat vomit (thanks Kizzy) but my copy of Nick Cave's 'And the Ass Saw the Angel' takes pride of place on my bookshelf. If you are a fan of Nick Cave, you may or may not be aware of this, his first novel, but as you are indeed a fan, you owe it to yourself to hunt this modern masterpiece down at the earliest opportunity.

Speaking in a deep-south first person narrative drawl, the main protagonist in this story is Euchrid, a backward mute son of an abusive drunk mother and an uncaring, obsessive god-fearing father with a penchant for setting cruel, sadistic traps for various animals unfortunate to cross his path. It comes as no surprise that this upbringing moulds the young Euchrid in to a reclusive, bitter introvert who is both spurned by his parents and loathed by the majority of the townsfolk, the fanatically religious Ukulites.

This book is immense; a sprawling, fetid account of one boy's ascension from despised, unwelcomed spawn to that of town pariah and his eventual act of retribution upon the town and people that so failed him. Cave's ability to find a connection with the reader, leading to an inescapable feeling of empathy with Euchrid, the most anti of heroes within this dark, depraved cess-pit of a novel is matched only by a mirrored ability found in his song-writing.

As Euchrid grows older we see the arrival of Beth, the daughter of a local prostitute who dies in childbirth after being savagely beaten by the locals. Beth is taken in by the Ukulites, who regard her arrival as some sort of miracle. It is Euchrid's obsession with Beth and her elevation to saint-like status among the Ukulites that form the prelude to the main body of the book and its gruesome finale.

Cave's writing style seems to resonate with that of his songs; shot through with that characteristic southern American drawl, it really is hard to believe that Cave is Australian. Couple this with the regular biblical references and dialogue, then you almost have a hard copy of 'Henry's Dream', the album Cave released around the same time as this book.

So who is going to enjoy 'And the Ass Saw the Angel'? If you are at all interested in Cave's music, then it's obviously one to look out for. Those less familiar to his work should tread carefully, this is brutal, grubby, challenging writing, transporting the reader far away from any comfort zone. But the rewards are great, as a window in to a world of religious cults and deep-south depravity is slung ajar; the constant biblical ramblings of Euchrid's father and the mute commentator's repugnant trophy box, within which he keeps his own scabs and other bodily leavings, are just two examples of what is on offer.

Nick Cave, in my experience, divides opinion almost like no other; which side of the rusty barbed wire fence are you on?

Summary: A fantastic first novel