Customer Reviews

The Hereafter Gang

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Washington Post review, quoted above, says it better than I can hope to. This is a really great book. As the review says, "It is one of the great American novels. Try to find it." Unfortunately, you've always had to dig to find this book. As I write this, it's been out of print for eight or nine years. If you were not already familiar with the sf/fantasy/horror/fantastic/genre scene of specialty publishers, you'd have had a hard time knowing this book was ever published. Neal Barrett is just too off the wall for mainstream publishers to understand or categorize for marketing purposes.

Unfortunately, not much has changed for The Hereafter Gang. Mojo Press, like Ziesing in 1991, has done a great job presenting this book, and I thank them for finally bringing it back into print. Luckily, though, in the year 2000 we now have the internet and Amazon.com, and souls like yourself have a slightly better chance of stumbling across this great book.

The Hereafter Gang is definitely different--from most other books, and from the rest of Barrett's awesome body of work. I guess you could call it "magical realism." It has elements of the fantastic, but it's not a genre or "category" book. It will appeal to those with an appreciation for fantastic fiction, but the sheer brilliance of the writing will also hook those with a more traditional literary bent. As you can surmise from the above Washington Post review, Barrett really goes out on a narrative limb here, but he pulls it off impressively. Buy this before it goes out of print again.

You should also try the rest of Barrett's work, though you might need to comb the used book stores for the stuff that's out of print. His "Aldair" series is a great mix of Mark Twain and Robert E. Howard--intellectual heroic fantasy. The more recent "Blues" series of books are like no other mystery/crime fiction I've ever read (except for maybe Joe Lansdale). "Through Darkest America" and "Dawn's Uncertain Light" will thrill you as well.

I went to some effort track this book down, and 'gotta say, it didn't do much for me. The novel follows Doug, a 50+ Texan who hasn't done much in life (except lots of different ladies), as he tries to quit his job and marriage and hit the road. He keeps running into a odd characters who spin him odd tales about their lives. At times these can be funny and compelling, but mostly the book just drifts along as Doug dreams odd dreams and slips into the afterlife. The characters tend to be rather enigmatic, and other than being generally good-natured and ready to enjoy life, it's hard to get much of a sense of them. Doug's afterlife is a paradise in the form of a friendly small town filled with his childhood toys, treats, and heroes (cowboys and WWI German aces) as well as his adult foods and the lovin' of his fantasy woman. Things get progressively less interesting as he tries to figure out what he's supposed to do next. There's some nifty use of language and turns of phrase, but on the whole, it's not m cup of tea and it's not a trip I'd recommend to any of my friends.

...because it will be a better world if you do.

This is one of THE funniest, most charming & bawdy books I've ever read. I love the author's vision of heaven & Jesus in Adidas sneakers with a wicked backhand. (somehow the idea of Jesus as a jock isn't so hard to take)

Barrett's obvious smarts & his witty love of words reminds me a lot of Tom Robbins. If you're a fan of Robbins-you'll love Barrett. They have a similar style & outlook. I think of Robbins as a Souther writer while Barrett is definitely Texan.

This particular novel has a highly original view of the afterlife & why we must endure the things we do while living.

I think one of the things I especially enjoyed was the protagonist's stream-of-consciousness ramblings about sitting on his porch wasting time. He talks about "watching the cat eat a leaf" and it cracked me up. There is no way I can do Barrett's wicked sense of humor justice, so I won't try. Just read the book. I swear you'll be laughing out loud.

And I don't think I've ever read anything that makes me hungrier! I wouldn't recommend this book to a vegetarian. But if you like cold beer & spicy ribs...

I've read a lot of fiction. Most good, some bad. I would rate Barrett's "Hereafter Gang" amongst some of the best fiction ever put on paper. See if you don't agree.

... at ArmadilloCon science fiction convention in Austin, Texas - in 1991. The book was just out in hardcover and on everyone's "must read" list. The book was a limited edition from a small press, though, and out of my price range. Luckily, I had some influence with the local public library and got them to put it on the acquisitions list. They bought it, I read it, and I've been a Barrett fan ever since.

Take the ones that are available in this order. The Hereafter Gang, Dead Dog Blues, Pink Vodka Blues, Skinny Annie Blues, and Bad Eye Blues.

Buy these books then hold onto your ribs. You've got some serious laughter ahead.

And Neal . . . I'm delighted you finally got that trade paper deal on The Hereafter Gang. If I could just convince you to bring Howie Ryder back from China I'd be a happy camper.

I read this book when it first came out in 1991...Nothing is what it seems, and it's all VERY funny. So glad it's back in print finally! Not for the easily embarrassed or offended though! It's a wild ride!

I just finished my first Neal Barrett, Jr novel, The Hereafter Gang. It was a determined effort. While Mr. Barrett is witty and cynical, insiteful and irreverent, his writing style is difficult at best. Brilliant and difficult. I will read another of his novels, but not for a while. I need to relax after this effort and read something a bit more convential. But, I am glad I stuck with it and finished. I can't get one line out of my head: "I heard a cat catch a leaf." Brilliant stuff.