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The Devil in Silver

The Devil in Silver
A Novel
by Victor LaValle
Published in USA Aug 2012,
432 pages.

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Rated 5 of 5 of 5 by Bob S. (Lawrenceburg, IN)
multiple genre
If you want to connect gentle humor with biting satire, wonderful insight into human character with a psychological thriller, then Victor LaValle's "The Devil in Silver" is your book. Even through the scenes of Gothic horror runs a affirmation of the goodness of human nature when we are free and able to make choice in the most difficult places--as Frankl points out, our lives have meaning as we give them meaning. Wonderful plot writing, fascinating characters, and the wacky bunch that make up this worthy successor to "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." Here you'll find the joy, despair, and hope of those in mental hospitals, but without the dark pessimism that pervades so much of the literature.

Rated 4 of 5 of 5 by Monica G. (San Antonio, TX)
Intellectual Horror?
Is there any such thing as an "intellectual" horror story? Before I read, The Devil In Silver, I probably would have said, "Yes, but you don't see it often enough."

Don't think that because the bulk of this story occurs in a mental hospital, that you're going to read the typical "mental hospital" type story. And don't think because the Devil (yes, THAT devil) is a main character that you're going to read a typical horror story.

You will be reading an intelligent, witty, original story about a man who is committed to a 72 hour stay in a hospital psych ward that turns into a much longer stay than expected. You will be reading about a microcosm of life that is influenced by the people that inhabit the psych ward and the devil that influences them.

The dialogue is snappy. The characters are interesting. The storyline is engrossing. It is definitely worth the read.

Rated 5 of 5 of 5 by Kathleen W. (Appleton, WI)
The Devil In Silver
I simply cannot stop thinking about the characters in this book. I can't say that I enjoyed The Devil in Silver because it is so disturbing, but it is very well written and definitely worth reading. I kept reminding myself that this is fiction, this is fiction, but am haunted by the thought that it might actually be based on reality.

Rated 5 of 5 of 5 by Daniel A. (Naugatuck, CT)
The Devil in Silver
This is a well written and amazing book. It has the undertones of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", but instead of dealing with Nurse Ratchett, there's a monster in Ward 4 as the main protagonist, Pepper would say.
There are many twists and turns in this story, and I couldn't put the book down. I enjoyed reading it.
I highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a good mystery thriller.

Rated 5 of 5 of 5 by Jeanette L. (Marietta, GA)
The Devil in Silver
The story takes place in New Hyde mental hospital in Queens, NY where Pepper is taken after an altercation with undercover police even thought he does not belong there; Pepper realizes that he is now locked in a mental hospital. The first friendly face that comes to greet him is Dorry a long time patient who feels a friendly face should be the first thing anyone sees as she gives Pepper a tour of his new home. Many of the mayor players are very well developed giving us a look at the treatment of mental patients. I loved this book I had a hard time putting it down and when I did the characters remained with me.

Rated 3 of 5 of 5 by Bink W. (Sopchoppy, FL)
Lost my interest
One of the few books that I have not finished. Good character development and some truly horrific episodes. As a mental health professional and nurse, I found the story to have a fair measure of accurate representation of some institutions in the past, but was annoyed by all of the stereotypes. Both of treatment and characters. I'll probably give it another try in a month or so.
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