As part of my goal to read 40 books while I am 40 years of age, I decided I should read at least one fiction book. I enjoy fiction, but I rarely seem to make time to read it. So when I read a glowing recommendation by Relevant Magazine in their Jan/Feb 2013 edition for Maltman’s second novel ever, I decided to put Little Wolves on my list.
The story is set in the 1980s in SW Minnesota, about 200 miles from the Twin Cities. There isn’t one clear protagonist, but rather the story follows two separate individuals living in the small town of Lone Mountain. Clara is new to town, feeling inextricably drawn to the area by her own blurry past. Grizz, on the other hand, was practically born from the dirt of the community, and wrestles with the dirt of his own past and the painful decisions of his son.
Clara and Grizz each wrestle with their own demons and ghosts while the town wrestles with what looks like a horrific, but textbook murder/suicide. As Clara tries to understand where she comes from, and Grizz tries to understand why his son committed such a horrendous crime, their separate paths begin to converge, but not in the tried-and-true format many mainstream movie-goers and popular book-readers might expect.
And here lies some of the strengths and weaknesses of the book. Little Wolves defies genre. It is part psycho-thriller, part murder mystery, part character study, part horror story, part movie script, part mythology, and more. You never quite know where the book is going, nor what type of story you are reading. And just when you think you might have a sense of direction, Maltman throws you into a spin that makes you say, “What?” aloud, and yet you keep plunging ahead. Some readers will love the ride, but others will be driven mad by the story’s unfolding.
One thing that will help many keep reading is Maltman’s ability to paint through words. He is part poet. His descriptive writing style engages all of your senses, even though technically only your sense of sight is at work. I’ve read some books by authors who aim for descriptive details to make the book more “real.” But all they accomplish is making the book drudgery to read. Not Maltman. His thorough descriptions are beautiful, yet quite brief…
…as are his sentences. I have noticed that books today are starting to read more like blogs or tweets. When I’m reading on a computer screen or skimming for information, I appreciate the brevity. But when I am wanting to be immersed into a story, I find the shorter sentences distracting and keeping the story at arm’s length. I found myself wanting to see how Maltman would resolve the story and tie the loose ends together, but I didn’t feel a ton of empathy or emotion for the main characters. And with such good characters, I should have been more drawn to them.
As a pastor, I must briefly mention the “spiritual” aspects to the book. Maltman clearly has an understanding of small country churches, and especially Lutheran churches and their theology. He doesn’t paint a bad picture of the pastor (Clara’s husband) like some authors might, but neither does he make him look like a saint. A couple of Biblical stories and references are made, but they are treated on the level as the Beowulf and Old English pagan references. The Holy Ghost is considered just as real as “regular” ghosts - then again, neither might be real. I found Maltman’s inclusion of the life of a Lutheran church and its young new pastor intriguing, treating the subject with neither praise nor disdain, but it wasn’t a deeply integral part of the story.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. I’m glad I made the time to read this work of fiction as part of my 40th year of life. But I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as I had hoped based on the Relevant recommendation. While Maltman is definitely a very talented writer, I don’t think most Americans would enjoy the book. It just isn’t as mainstream of a read as many of the popular books that have become movies. The only way I see this book attaining high attention is if it was made into a movie in the hands of the right director, which then might lead people to read the book for themselves. Otherwise, I think LIttle Wolves will mostly be enjoyed by English majors who can appreciate Maltman’s work and enjoy his unique ride.
Rating: 3 out of 5 coyotes
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