The Weight of This World

Publisher's Summary

Critically acclaimed author David Joy, whose debut, Where All Light Tends to Go, was hailed as "a savagely moving novel that will likely become an important addition to the great body of Southern literature" (The Huffington Post), returns to the mountains of North Carolina with a powerful story about the inescapable weight of the past.

A combat veteran returned from war, Thad Broom can't leave the hardened world of Afghanistan behind, nor can he forgive himself for what he saw there. His mother, April, is haunted by her own demons, a secret trauma she has carried for years. Between them is Aiden McCall, loyal to both but unable to hold them together. Connected by bonds of circumstance and duty, friendship and love, these three lives are blown apart when Aiden and Thad witness the accidental death of their drug dealer and a riot of dope and cash drops in their laps. On a meth-fueled journey to nowhere, they will either find the grit to overcome the darkness or be consumed by it.

©2017 David Joy (P)2017 Penguin Audio

Critic Reviews

“Bleakly beautiful...[a] gorgeously written but pitiless novel about a region blessed by nature but reduced to desolation and despair.” (Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review)

“Scenes unfold at a furious pace, yet contain such rich description that readers will do well to read slowly, savoring Joy's prose.... Joy's work perfectly aligns with the author's self-described ‘Appalachian noir’ genre, as a sticky film of desperation and tragedy cloaks everything his characters touch. April, Aiden and Thad are hopelessly conflicted, dripping with history and heartache, yet they cling to unique dreams about what life could look like if they carried a bit less weight of the world upon their shoulders.” (Associated Press)

“Joy is a remarkably gifted storyteller. The life he fuels into his characters is so high-test that if they are not lying face down in a pool of blood by novel’s end, they keep rambling through the mind.... How these characters deal with their demons gives redemption a new dimension.” (Charlotte Observer)

Listened to the whole thing in less than 24 hrs

I couldn't stop. Loved the story and the narration was fantastic. Did not disappoint. Kudos.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Dark glimpse into a hopeless reality for many

The reality experienced by the two boys is hard to face but more real than one wants to imagine. This book seems to go along with the stark reality of Hillbilly Elegy.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Enjoyed it.

This book will take you to a place most of us would deny exists in America. It is a place of despair that some never have a choice in escaping.

Joy goes it again

Loved the narrators performance. This is not a romance. This is not a feel good story. But if you want a gripping, truly engrossing story that actually makes you feel, Joy is it. The writing is so beautifully done it brings tears to my eyes.

Nothing to root for- depressing read. Boring Story

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

drug addicts

What does MacLeod Andrews bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

As always MacLeod Andrews brings life to the story, his voice was the only positive here

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

total depression- I almost stopped listening. Characters are unrelatable- no one is the hero or heroine.....this reads like a missive for someone in utter depression. Boring story line- totally predictive as the characters are not interesting at all. No crescendo- nothing to look forward to as the story goes on. Hard to stay engaged.

Any additional comments?

Can't get this time back- wish I had aborted mission 1/4 way though when I thought to, I kept hoping something interesting would happen. Depressing on all levels, story line is predictive as characters do drugs and then make bad choices.....been done already.

2 of 4 people found this review helpful

Why is this happening?

This book may make you feel like you are drowning in an ashtray filled with misery, trash, and whiskey. I don't need the happy ending but I kept asking why is this happening? Obviously drugs, PTSD, poverty, rape, etc. and maybe that's enough to explain why the three main characters take certain actions. Or maybe the point is that when you're born into this situation there's no way out. These three do find the salvation they seek, somewhat, in three divergent ways. Salvation seems to be the common denominator. I loved Joy's Where All Light Tends to Go, even though it is brutally depressing, so I looked forward to The Weight of This World. I won't go as far as saying I was disappointed but the story wasn't as tight. Again, it was three people, closely entwined going about without a plot that ties it all in together. Two minutes into this book you'll say Holy $hit! and you'll close the book with the same words. The middle maybe disjointed, but if you're in the mood for a book where Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn are deadbeat thieves and homicidal meth addicts pick it up.

Well written but women sordid story

The true story of the underclass something like notes from the underground people who never have a chance in life. Unfortunately none of the characters are very appealing and their actions are gruesome and appalling. The author is a good writer and loves to describe The countryside. This book is not for the faint of heart