Big Machine

Victor LaValle

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In Victor LaValle's 'Big Machine', readers are taken on a journey with Ricky Rice, a former heroin addict turned janitor, who receives a mysterious envelope that leads him to the Washburn Library in rural Vermont. Here, Ricky joins the Unlikely Scholars, a group of African American social outcasts tasked with searching for the Voice of God through paranormal investigations. As Ricky navigates his past in a suicide cult, battles doubt, faith, and addiction, he embarks on a cross-country mission to confront a rogue Scholar threatening the Library's message. LaValle's writing style blends elements of horror, spirituality, mystery, and coming-of-age, creating a story that is by turns funny, tragic, horrifying, and wondrous, leaving readers captivated and eager to turn its pages.

The narrative of 'Big Machine' unfolds with exuberance and unpredictability, weaving together themes of redemption, second chances, and the search for truth in a world of beliefs. LaValle's sharp and incisive take on race and religious fanaticism is balanced with humor and humanity in his characters, elevating what could be a bizarre horror story into a thoughtful examination of belief. The book's blend of mysticism, the paranormal, and stark reality, set against the backdrop of northern Vermont, invites readers into a world that is both strange and captivating, challenging them to explore the monsters within and the weight of carrying one's own story.

Characters:

Characters are richly drawn, flawed, and relatable, with compelling backstories that enhance their narratives as marginalized individuals.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is a blend of humor and seriousness, with descriptive and sometimes dense prose, uncovering social truths while engaging with humor.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot centers around a former addict, Ricky Rice, who is drawn into an enigmatic gathering of misfits tasked with investigating a supernatural voice, navigating themes of faith, doubt, and societal issues.

Setting:

The setting oscillates between a rural Vermont library and urban California, crafting a backdrop that mixes realistic and supernatural elements.

Pacing:

The pacing varies throughout the book, initially slow but builds momentum, especially as the narrative progresses into more intense scenarios.

DON’T LOOK FOR DIGNITY in public bathrooms. The most you’ll find is privacy and sticky floors. But when my boss gave me the glossy envelope, the bathroom was the first place I ran. What can I say? Lur...

Notes:

Ricky Rice, the main character, is a 40-year-old African American janitor in a bus station.

He has a troubled past as a former petty criminal and heroin addict.

Ricky receives a mysterious envelope containing a bus ticket to Vermont and a note urging him to honor a past promise.

He joins a group called the Unlikely Scholars at the Washburn Library, made up of others with similar troubled backgrounds.

The group is tasked with searching newspapers for clues related to a supernatural entity called 'The Voice.'

Ricky's past includes growing up in a suicide cult, which adds depth to his character's struggles with faith and doubt.

The novel explores themes of race, class, and the experiences of marginalized individuals in society.

LaValle uses a blend of genres including literary fiction, horror, science fiction, and magical realism.

The story takes Ricky and another character, Adele, on a dangerous mission to California, introducing supernatural elements that some readers found confusing.

Despite its dark themes, the novel contains humor and sharp social commentary.

Readers have noted that the narrative grapples with difficult questions about faith and human experience.

LaValle's writing style is described as unique, mixing hope and despair in a thought-provoking manner.

Many readers find Ricky to be a relatable character who faces the struggles of addiction, faith, and acceptance in a harsh world.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Triggers include themes of addiction, self-harm, cult trauma, psychological horror, and racial violence.

From The Publisher:

Ricky Rice is a middling hustler with a lingering junk habit, a bum knee, and a haunted mind. A survivor of a suicide cult, he scrapes by as a porter at a bus depot in Utica, New York, until one day a mysterious letter arrives, summoning him to enlist in a band of paranormal investigators comprised of former addicts and petty criminals, all of whom had at some point in their wasted lives heard what may have been the voice of God.

Infused with the wonder of a disquieting dream and laced with Victor LaValle's fiendish comic sensibility, Big Machine is a mind-rattling mystery about doubt, faith, and the monsters we carry within us.

Ratings (7)

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Reader Stats (8):

Read It (7)
Want To Read (1)

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