Reviews
Advance Praise for I Love You But I''ve Chosen Darkness : "Intense, intelligent, and bristly. . . . angry and alive. . . . a virtuoso performance." -- The New York Times Book Review "Unequivocally triumphant. . . . Watkins shows readers -- and perhaps proves to herself -- that one does not have to choose the lesser of two evils. A woman can want motherhood and the rest of her life." --NPR "Our most significant rising writer of the American West. . . . I Love You But I''ve Chosen Darkness is a road trip story gone wild. . . . It''s career-redefining and absolutely bonkers in all the best ways." --Vulture "The brutal, arid, electric terrain of remote California and Nevada crackles across almost every page. . . . trippy and beautiful, slippery and seductive--a unique psycho-geography of a region that is integral to the American vision and yet seems to have too few literary chroniclers." -- Vogue "A beautifully arranged tackle box of everything Watkins does best -- cut-through-the-bone narrative of family apocalypses; custom blending of the historical, the unimaginable and the impossible; enchanting, terrifying encounters with the American West." - Los Angeles Times "Daring . . . Boldly imagined and authoritatively told, this ambitious novel reminds us that Watkins is one of the most visionary writers working today." -- Esquire "If the evocative name of the book doesn''t grab you, Vaye Watkins'' stylish prose likely will." --Thrillist "A simply incredible title, and the novel within definitely lives up to it. . . . a compelling portrait of a woman on the brink." --Hey Alma "[A] surreal, hilarious, and sneakily devastating hybrid of autobiography and fiction. . . . [with] a voice that blazes with ferocious wit and candor." --Lit Hub "Reckless and defiantly intelligent, Watkins detonates the ties that bind. ... Incandescent writing illuminates one woman''s life in flames." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred ) "A wily fusion of autobiography and imagination. . . . [Watkins is] reckless, infuriating, ribald, incisive, and hilarious. In the spirit of Edward Abbey, Hunter Thompson, and Joy Williams, Watkins has forged a desert tale of howling pain and a chaotic quest for healing mythic in its summoning of female power in a realm of double-wides, loaded dice, broken glass, and hot springs." -- Booklist (starred) "There''s some kind of genius sorcery in this novel. It''s startlingly original, hilarious and harrowing by turns, finally transcendent. Watkins writes like an avenging angel. It''s thrilling and terrifying to stand in her wake." -- Jenny Offill, author of Dept. of Speculation and Weather "This book is stupendously good. It practically vibrates in its ferocious frankness, and is so funny too that one can''t help but fall for this voice, even in the pain, because of the pain, with the pain. A marvel." --Aimee Bender, author of The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake and The Butterfly Lampshade Praise for Claire Vaye Watkins: "The most captivating voice to come out of the West since Annie Proulx -- though it''s to early Joan Didion that [Watkins] bears comparison for her arid humor and cut-to-the-chase knowingness." --Vogue "Watkins'' vision . . . is mercilessly sharp. She''s got a knife eye for details, a vicious talent for cutting to the throbbing vein of animal strangeness that scratches inside all of us." --NPR "Watkins writes with a brutal kind of beauty. . . . [that] forces us to confront things we''d probably rather ignore, but because we''re human, we can''t." --Los Angeles Times "The writing, with its tough sentimentality, is reminiscent of Denis Johnson''s, but Watkins has a style of mordant observation all her own." --Harper''s Bazaar "Clear-eyed and nimble in parsing the lives of her Westerners, one of Watkins''s strengths is not dodging that the simple fact that love can be tragic, involving, as it does, humans so flawed, so often tender and yet incapable." --The Boston Globe, Praise for Claire Vaye Watkins: "The most captivating voice to come out of the West since Annie Proulx -- though it's to early Joan Didion that [Watkins] bears comparison for her arid humor and cut-to-the-chase knowingness." --Vogue "Watkins' vision . . . is mercilessly sharp. She's got a knife eye for details, a vicious talent for cutting to the throbbing vein of animal strangeness that scratches inside all of us." --NPR "Watkins writes with a brutal kind of beauty. . . . [that] forces us to confront things we'd probably rather ignore, but because we're human, we can't." --Los Angeles Times "The writing, with its tough sentimentality, is reminiscent of Denis Johnson's, but Watkins has a style of mordant observation all her own." --Harper's Bazaar "Clear-eyed and nimble in parsing the lives of her Westerners, one of Watkins's strengths is not dodging that the simple fact that love can be tragic, involving, as it does, humans so flawed, so often tender and yet incapable." --The Boston Globe, Advance Praise for I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness : "Our most significant rising writer of the American West. . . . I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness is a road trip story gone wild. . . . It's career-redefining and absolutely bonkers in all the best ways." --Vulture "The brutal, arid, electric terrain of remote California and Nevada crackles across almost every page. . . . trippy and beautiful, slippery and seductive--a unique psycho-geography of a region that is integral to the American vision and yet seems to have too few literary chroniclers." -- Vogue "Daring . . . Boldly imagined and authoritatively told, this ambitious novel reminds us that Watkins is one of the most visionary writers working today." -- Esquire "A simply incredible title, and the novel within definitely lives up to it. . . . a compelling portrait of a woman on the brink." --Hey Alma "[A] surreal, hilarious, and sneakily devastating hybrid of autobiography and fiction. . . . [with] a voice that blazes with ferocious wit and candor." --Lit Hub "Reckless and defiantly intelligent, Watkins detonates the ties that bind. ... Incandescent writing illuminates one woman's life in flames." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred ) "A wily fusion of autobiography and imagination. . . . [Watkins is] reckless, infuriating, ribald, incisive, and hilarious. In the spirit of Edward Abbey, Hunter Thompson, and Joy Williams, Watkins has forged a desert tale of howling pain and a chaotic quest for healing mythic in its summoning of female power in a realm of double-wides, loaded dice, broken glass, and hot springs." -- Booklist (starred) "There's some kind of genius sorcery in this novel. It's startlingly original, hilarious and harrowing by turns, finally transcendent. Watkins writes like an avenging angel. It's thrilling and terrifying to stand in her wake." -- Jenny Offill, author of Dept. of Speculation and Weather "This book is stupendously good. It practically vibrates in its ferocious frankness, and is so funny too that one can't help but fall for this voice, even in the pain, because of the pain, with the pain. A marvel." --Aimee Bender, author of The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake and The Butterfly Lampshade Praise for Claire Vaye Watkins: "The most captivating voice to come out of the West since Annie Proulx -- though it's to early Joan Didion that [Watkins] bears comparison for her arid humor and cut-to-the-chase knowingness." --Vogue "Watkins' vision . . . is mercilessly sharp. She's got a knife eye for details, a vicious talent for cutting to the throbbing vein of animal strangeness that scratches inside all of us." --NPR "Watkins writes with a brutal kind of beauty. . . . [that] forces us to confront things we'd probably rather ignore, but because we're human, we can't." --Los Angeles Times "The writing, with its tough sentimentality, is reminiscent of Denis Johnson's, but Watkins has a style of mordant observation all her own." --Harper's Bazaar "Clear-eyed and nimble in parsing the lives of her Westerners, one of Watkins's strengths is not dodging that the simple fact that love can be tragic, involving, as it does, humans so flawed, so often tender and yet incapable." --The Boston Globe, Advance Praise for I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness : "Our most significant rising writer of the American West. . . . I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness is a road trip story gone wild. . . . It's career-redefining and absolutely bonkers in all the best ways." - Vulture "The brutal, arid, electric terrain of remote California and Nevada crackles across almost every page. . . . trippy and beautiful, slippery and seductive--a unique psycho-geography of a region that is integral to the American vision and yet seems to have too few literary chroniclers." - Vogue "Daring . . . Boldly imagined and authoritatively told, this ambitious novel reminds us that Watkins is one of the most visionary writers working today." - Esquire "A simply incredible title, and the novel within definitely lives up to it. . . . a compelling portrait of a woman on the brink." - Hey Alma "[A] surreal, hilarious, and sneakily devastating hybrid of autobiography and fiction. . . . [with] a voice that blazes with ferocious wit and candor." - Lit Hub "Reckless and defiantly intelligent, Watkins detonates the ties that bind. ... Incandescent writing illuminates one woman's life in flames." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred ) "A wily fusion of autobiography and imagination. . . . [Watkins is] reckless, infuriating, ribald, incisive, and hilarious. In the spirit of Edward Abbey, Hunter Thompson, and Joy Williams, Watkins has forged a desert tale of howling pain and a chaotic quest for healing mythic in its summoning of female power in a realm of double-wides, loaded dice, broken glass, and hot springs." -- Booklist (starred) "There's some kind of genius sorcery in this novel. It's startlingly original, hilarious and harrowing by turns, finally transcendent. Watkins writes like an avenging angel. It's thrilling and terrifying to stand in her wake." -- Jenny Offill, author of Dept. of Speculation and Weather "This book is stupendously good. It practically vibrates in its ferocious frankness, and is so funny too that one can't help but fall for this voice, even in the pain, because of the pain, with the pain. A marvel." --Aimee Bender, author of The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake and The Butterfly Lampshade Praise for Claire Vaye Watkins: "The most captivating voice to come out of the West since Annie Proulx -- though it's to early Joan Didion that [Watkins] bears comparison for her arid humor and cut-to-the-chase knowingness." --Vogue "Watkins' vision . . . is mercilessly sharp. She's got a knife eye for details, a vicious talent for cutting to the throbbing vein of animal strangeness that scratches inside all of us." --NPR "Watkins writes with a brutal kind of beauty. . . . [that] forces us to confront things we'd probably rather ignore, but because we're human, we can't." --Los Angeles Times "The writing, with its tough sentimentality, is reminiscent of Denis Johnson's, but Watkins has a style of mordant observation all her own." --Harper's Bazaar "Clear-eyed and nimble in parsing the lives of her Westerners, one of Watkins's strengths is not dodging that the simple fact that love can be tragic, involving, as it does, humans so flawed, so often tender and yet incapable." --The Boston Globe, Advance Praise for I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness : "A wily fusion of autobiography and imagination. . . . [Watkins is] reckless, infuriating, ribald, incisive, and hilarious. In the spirit of Edward Abbey, Hunter Thompson, and Joy Williams, Watkins has forged a desert tale of howling pain and a chaotic quest for healing mythic in its summoning of female power in a realm of double-wides, loaded dice, broken glass, and hot springs." -- Booklist (starred) "There's some kind of genius sorcery in this novel. It's startlingly original, hilarious and harrowing by turns, finally transcendent. Watkins writes like an avenging angel. It's thrilling and terrifying to stand in her wake." -- Jenny Offill, author of Dept. of Speculation and Weather "This book is stupendously good. It practically vibrates in its ferocious frankness, and is so funny too that one can't help but fall for this voice, even in the pain, because of the pain, with the pain. A marvel." --Aimee Bender, author of The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake and The Butterfly Lampshade Praise for Claire Vaye Watkins: "The most captivating voice to come out of the West since Annie Proulx -- though it's to early Joan Didion that [Watkins] bears comparison for her arid humor and cut-to-the-chase knowingness." --Vogue "Watkins' vision . . . is mercilessly sharp. She's got a knife eye for details, a vicious talent for cutting to the throbbing vein of animal strangeness that scratches inside all of us." --NPR "Watkins writes with a brutal kind of beauty. . . . [that] forces us to confront things we'd probably rather ignore, but because we're human, we can't." --Los Angeles Times "The writing, with its tough sentimentality, is reminiscent of Denis Johnson's, but Watkins has a style of mordant observation all her own." --Harper's Bazaar "Clear-eyed and nimble in parsing the lives of her Westerners, one of Watkins's strengths is not dodging that the simple fact that love can be tragic, involving, as it does, humans so flawed, so often tender and yet incapable." --The Boston Globe, Advance Praise for I Love You But I''ve Chosen Darkness : "Our most significant rising writer of the American West. . . . I Love You But I''ve Chosen Darkness is a road trip story gone wild. . . . It''s career-redefining and absolutely bonkers in all the best ways." --Vulture "The brutal, arid, electric terrain of remote California and Nevada crackles across almost every page. . . . trippy and beautiful, slippery and seductive--a unique psycho-geography of a region that is integral to the American vision and yet seems to have too few literary chroniclers." -- Vogue "A beautifully arranged tackle box of everything Watkins does best -- cut-through-the-bone narrative of family apocalypses; custom blending of the historical, the unimaginable and the impossible; enchanting, terrifying encounters with the American West." - Los Angeles Times "Daring . . . Boldly imagined and authoritatively told, this ambitious novel reminds us that Watkins is one of the most visionary writers working today." -- Esquire "If the evocative name of the book doesn''t grab you, Vaye Watkins'' stylish prose likely will." --Thrillist "A simply incredible title, and the novel within definitely lives up to it. . . . a compelling portrait of a woman on the brink." --Hey Alma "[A] surreal, hilarious, and sneakily devastating hybrid of autobiography and fiction. . . . [with] a voice that blazes with ferocious wit and candor." --Lit Hub "Reckless and defiantly intelligent, Watkins detonates the ties that bind. ... Incandescent writing illuminates one woman''s life in flames." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred ) "A wily fusion of autobiography and imagination. . . . [Watkins is] reckless, infuriating, ribald, incisive, and hilarious. In the spirit of Edward Abbey, Hunter Thompson, and Joy Williams, Watkins has forged a desert tale of howling pain and a chaotic quest for healing mythic in its summoning of female power in a realm of double-wides, loaded dice, broken glass, and hot springs." -- Booklist (starred) "There''s some kind of genius sorcery in this novel. It''s startlingly original, hilarious and harrowing by turns, finally transcendent. Watkins writes like an avenging angel. It''s thrilling and terrifying to stand in her wake." -- Jenny Offill, author of Dept. of Speculation and Weather "This book is stupendously good. It practically vibrates in its ferocious frankness, and is so funny too that one can''t help but fall for this voice, even in the pain, because of the pain, with the pain. A marvel." --Aimee Bender, author of The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake and The Butterfly Lampshade Praise for Claire Vaye Watkins: "The most captivating voice to come out of the West since Annie Proulx -- though it''s to early Joan Didion that [Watkins] bears comparison for her arid humor and cut-to-the-chase knowingness." --Vogue "Watkins'' vision . . . is mercilessly sharp. She''s got a knife eye for details, a vicious talent for cutting to the throbbing vein of animal strangeness that scratches inside all of us." --NPR "Watkins writes with a brutal kind of beauty. . . . [that] forces us to confront things we''d probably rather ignore, but because we''re human, we can''t." --Los Angeles Times "The writing, with its tough sentimentality, is reminiscent of Denis Johnson''s, but Watkins has a style of mordant observation all her own." --Harper''s Bazaar "Clear-eyed and nimble in parsing the lives of her Westerners, one of Watkins''s strengths is not dodging that the simple fact that love can be tragic, involving, as it does, humans so flawed, so often tender and yet incapable." --The Boston Globe
