The Blood of the Lamb: A Novel [Paperback]

Peter De Vries (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2005

The most poignant of all De Vries's novels, The Blood of the Lamb is also the most autobiographical. It follows the life of Don Wanderhop from his childhood in an immigrant Calvinist family living in Chicago in the 1950s through the loss of a brother, his faith, his wife, and finally his daughter-a tragedy drawn directly from De Vries's own life. Despite its foundation in misfortune, The Blood of the Lamb offers glimpses of the comic sensibility for which De Vries was famous. Engaging directly with the reader in a manner that buttresses the personal intimacy of the story, De Vries writes with a powerful blend of grief, love, wit, and fury.

(20050622)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"With luck, a writer capable of producing both Slouching Towards Kalamazoo and The Blood of the Lamb will not remain unappreciated for long."—Adam Kirsch, New York Sun

(Adam Kirsch The New York Sun )

"My favorite novel of [2005] is the University of Chicago Press reprint of Peter DeVries’ The Blood of the Lamb, a tirade against faith inspired by the death of the author’s daughter. Not since Graham Greene’s The End of the Affair has a book rendered man’s rage against a hostile God so visceral.... DeVries’ Don Wanderhope moves deftly from manic hilarity to manic fury, and back again, as he tells his story. At the end, all humor drains away in a strange, explosive and utterly hopeless confrontation with the divine."—Maud Newton, Newsday

(Maud Newton Newsday )

"If Peter De Vries did not write the latter part of ''The Blood of the Lamb'' with his own life''s blood, I never have read a book that was so written. It plainly is autobiographical, and for poignant, sensitive treatment of the death of a beloved child it has scarcely a superior in contemporary fiction."

(Fanny Butcher Chicago Tribune )

"A masterpiece of realism and literary craftsmanship. It tells a poignant story without relying on sentiment or sacrificing humor."

(J.E. Bruns Catholic World )

About the Author

Peter De Vries (1910–1993), the man responsible for contributing to the cultural vernacular such witticisms as "Nostalgia ain't what it used to be" and "Deep down, he's shallow," was, according to Kingsley Amis, "the funniest serious writer to be found on either side of the Atlantic." But De Vries's life and work was informed as much by sorrow as by wit, and that dynamic is nowhere better seen than in his classics Slouching Towards Kalamazoo and The Blood of the Lamb. First published in 1982 and 1965, respectively, these novels reemerge with their sharp satire and biting pain undiluted by time.

Product Details

• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: University Of Chicago Press (June 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0226143880
• ISBN-13: 978-0226143880
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #296,976 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Book That Takes One's Breath Away, December 28, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Blood of the Lamb (Paperback)

Peter De Vries's *Blood of the Lamb* is a novel of singular depth and humanity. De Vries was America's greatest humorist in the fifties and sixties, but in this work, he deals, from autobiographical experience, with his young daughter's struggle against leukemia. Overflowing with love, wit, fury, energy, and human grace, this book goes to the core of things. It ranks with the greatest works of 20th-century American literature, and it will surprise you. De Vries is best known for his great work for *The New Yorker* and for comedic novels (many made into films) rich in puns, the anatomy of absurdity, and the depredations and joys of libido....but *Blood of the Lamb* is his transcendent work. It's out of print now, and used copies are often hard to come by. It's an exceptional and humanizing experience. It is a moving sublimation of irredeemable tragedy.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Humor, Drama, Spiritual Reflection, and Artistry., June 7, 2005

By 

Gabriel Bernstein "Gabriel Bernstein" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Blood of the Lamb: A Novel (Paperback)

Very pleased that the University Of Chicago Press has brought this book back into print. Now I can discard the looseleaf version that I photocopied from a friend and purchase this one. This is a poignant and funny book that, after reading you will never forget. Buy 3 or 4 copies of it, because you will want all your friends and relatives to read it too!

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Moving and Funny, June 6, 2000

By 

R. Albin (Ann Arbor, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Blood of the Lamb (Hardcover)

Like all of De Vries work, this is a very funny book devoted to a very serious subject. The serious subject is loss of faith, in this case elicited by the serious illness and eventual death of a young child. Based apparently on events within De Vries' own family, Blood of the Lamb has all the hallmarks of De Vries best work; superb humor, exceptionally witty word play, and great emotional power. The conclusion is remarkably moving. I have recommended this book to physicians in training to convey the incredible suffering experienced by families with ill children.