Willy Vlautin
Willy Vlautin | |
|---|---|
Vlautin at the National Book Festival 2025 | |
| Born | Willy C. Vlautin[1] 1967 (age 58–59) Reno, Nevada, U.S. |
| Occupation | Writer, musician |
| Genre | social novel |
| Notable works | The Motel Life, Don't Skip Out On Me,The night always comes |
| Website | |
| www | |
Willy C. Vlautin (born 1967) is an American author, musician and songwriter. He was the lead singer, guitarist and songwriter of Portland, Oregon rock band Richmond Fontaine (1994–2016) and is currently a member of The Delines. Born and raised in Reno, Nevada, he has released 14 studio albums since the mid-nineties with Richmond Fontaine. He is the author of several novels, including The Motel Life, Northline, Lean on Pete, The Free, Don't Skip Out On Me, The Night Always Comes, and The Horse.
Career
Music
Vlautin first found success as the lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter in alt-country group Richmond Fontaine.[2] They recorded eleven studio albums and toured extensively in Europe, where they have a particularly strong following, as well as in Australia and the US, before splitting in 2016. Vlautin is currently a member of The Delines.[3] In December 2008 he had released the spoken word EP A Jockey's Christmas, followed by his debut solo album, The Kill Switch, in October 2019.[4]
Numerous references to Richmond Fontaine songs later appeared in Vlautin's prose work. His novel Northline is named after a song from their Winnemucca album, and the protagonist is named for "Allison Johnson", the title of a song on Post to Wire. Both his lyrics and fiction feature Reno's Fitzgerald Hotel as a recurring location.
Writing
Vlautin's first book, The Motel Life was published in 2007 and received critical acclaim.[5][6] It was an editor's choice in the New York Times Book Review and named one of the top 25 books of the year by the Washington Post. Polsky Films released a film adaptation, starring Emile Hirsch, Stephen Dorff, Dakota Fanning and Kris Kristofferson, in November 2013. The film was praised by critics across the US and won three prizes at the Rome International Film Festival: Audience Choice, Best Screenplay, and Editing.
His second novel, Northline,[7][8] was also critically hailed. George Pelecanos chose it as his favorite book of the decade.[9][10] The first edition of this novel came with an original instrumental soundtrack, performed by Vlautin and Richmond Fontaine bandmate Paul Brainard. Like his songwriting, Vlautin's fiction is highly evocative of the American West; all three of his novels being set in and around Oregon, Nevada and New Mexico. His books explore the circumstances and relationships of people near the bottom of America's social and economic spectrum, itinerant and often alcoholic.
Vlautin's third novel, Lean on Pete, is the story of a 15-year-old boy who works and lives on a rundown race track in Portland, Oregon, and befriends a failed race horse. The Sunday Herald stated, "Lean on Pete confirms his status as one of the most emotionally charged writers in America..." Eileen Battersby of the Irish Times stated "As one boy’s journey, Lean on Pete is as real as blood: as a novel it is remarkable. Willy Vlautin, romantic and realist, has written something special that will make you shudder, weep, rage and wonder at how such things happen and do, and how some individuals such as Charley can suffer them, absorb the grief, and somehow survive. How good is contemporary US fiction? This good: catch your breath good.”[citation needed] Cheryl Strayed of The Oregonian states "By the time ‘Lean on Pete’ reaches its sweet but unsentimental end, Charley Thompson isn't a character in a novel, but a boy readers have come to love. ‘Lean on Pete’ riveted me. Reading it, I was heartbroken and moved; enthralled and convinced. This is serious American literature."[citation needed] Lean on Pete won two Oregon Book Awards: the Ken Kesey Award for Fiction and the Peoples Choice Award. A movie based on the book was released in 2017.
Influences
Vlautin has cited writers such as John Steinbeck, Raymond Carver, Barry Gifford, Sam Shepard, and William Kennedy as influences.[11] As a songwriter, he has been inspired by the work of Tom Waits, Shane MacGowan, John Doe, and Australian musician Paul Kelly.[12]
Accolades
He received the Silver Pen Award from the University of Nevada, Reno Friends of the University Library in 2007 and was inducted into the Nevada Writers Hall of Fame in 2016.[13]
Don't Skip Out on Me was a finalist for the 2019 PEN/Faulkner Award.[14]
Vlautin won the 2025 Joyce Carol Oates Prize issued by the New Literary Project.[15]
Selected bibliography
- The Motel Life (2006)
- Northline (2008)
- Lean on Pete (2010)
- The Free (2014)
- Don't Skip Out On Me (2018)
- The Night Always Comes (2021)
- The Horse (2024)
- The Left and the Lucky (2026)
References
- "BUS RIDE TO RENO". ASCAP. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
- McKay, Alistair (2007). "Richmond Fontaine – Thirteen Cities". CD Review. Uncut. Archived from the original on October 12, 2008. Retrieved July 4, 2009.
- Ben Walsh (2016). "Richmond Fontaine: 'We're ending the band while we all still like each other'". The Independent. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
- "Willy Vlautin, The Delines – The Kill Switch". discogs.com. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
- Wray, John (June 24, 2007). "The Motel Life". New York Times. Book Review. Retrieved July 4, 2009.
- Gibbs, Jonathan (April 25, 2006). "The Motel Life". The Independent. Book Review. UK. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved July 4, 2009.
- Smart, James (December 20, 2008). "Northline". The Guardian. Book Review. UK. Retrieved July 4, 2009.
- Marshall, John (May 1, 2008). "Down-and-out tale 'Northline' showcases up-and-coming Portland writer Vlautin". Book Review. Seattle Post Intelligencer. Retrieved July 4, 2009.
- Flood, Alison (March 2, 2010). "Authors choose their favourite books of decade". The Guardian.
- "George Pelecanos and the Power of the Prison Library". September 14, 2018.
- Dicks, Brett Leigh (July 6, 2006). "Willy Vlautin Rides West with Richmond Fontaine". Santa Barbara Independent. Arts & Entertainment. USA. Retrieved January 16, 2017.
- Marshall, John (May 5, 2008). "Willy Vlautin plays a tune for his book". Interview. Seattle Post Intelligencer. Retrieved July 4, 2009.
- "Nevada Writers Hall of Fame". library.unr.edu /University of Nevada, Reno. Archived from the original on August 25, 2018. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
- "Announcing the 2019 PEN/Faulkner Award Winner | The PEN/Faulkner Foundation". www.penfaulkner.org. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
- "Jennine Capó Crucet & Willy Vlautin Win 2025 Joyce Carol Oates Prizes From New Literary Project". New Literary Project. Retrieved August 12, 2025.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Willy Vlautin.
- Willy Vlautin discography at Discogs
- Willy Vlautin on spotlighting working-class American life in his novels and music, PBS Newshour, June 29, 2026
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The Motel Life
 Paperback cover | |
| Author | Willy Vlautin |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Nate Beaty |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Faber and Faber |
| Publication date | April 5, 2007 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Pages | 224 pp |
| ISBN | 978-0-571-22808-9 |
| OCLC | 76798237 |
| Followed by | 'Northline' |
The Motel Life (2006) is the debut novel by musician and writer Willy Vlautin. It tells the story of two brothers from Reno, Nevada, whose lives are thrown into turmoil following a tragic accident. It was made into a movie starring Emile Hirsch, Stephen Dorff, and Dakota Fanning, and released in November 2013.
Plot
Frank and Jerry Lee Flannigan are two down-and-out brothers who live a meager existence in Reno, Nevada. Both men are high school dropouts who live in cheap motel rooms, work at odd jobs for money, and drink heavily. One night, while driving drunk during a blizzard, Jerry Lee accidentally hits and kills a teenage boy on a bicycle. Although the accident is the boy's fault, there are no witnesses, and Jerry Lee is certain that the police will put the blame on him. He convinces Frank to leave town with him and flee to Montana. Along the way, Jerry Lee abandons Frank in Wyoming and then burns the car in a secluded Idaho forest. Both men return separately to Reno.
The police seem to take no interest in the case, so both men attempt to settle back into their Reno lives. Frank adopts an abused, half-frozen dog he finds during a snowstorm. Acting on a tip from a friend, he scrapes together $400 and bets it on the Tyson-Douglas boxing match, winning more than $5,000. He also tracks down the family of the dead teenager and stands outside their home, watching them come and go. Jerry Lee, meanwhile, becomes consumed by guilt and attempts suicide, shooting himself in the leg. He survives and lands in the hospital. On the day of the Tyson-Douglas fight, the police come to question Jerry Lee; they have discovered the burned-out wreck of his car in Idaho. Once again, Jerry Lee convinces Frank to flee Reno.
Frank uses his winnings to buy a used car. He leaves $1,000 at the home of the dead teenager, sneaks Jerry Lee out of the hospital, and heads to the town of Elko, Nevada, to hide from the police. Frank's ex-girlfriend Annie lives in Elko, and he secretly hopes to run into her. But Jerry Lee's wounds are far from healed and he quickly becomes very sick.
Characters
- Frank Flannigan – Protagonist and the novel's narrator. A gifted storyteller, he was once a promising baseball talent but dropped out of high school soon after the death of his mother. He drinks heavily and has ulcers.
- Jerry Lee Flannigan – Protagonist. Frank's older brother and a talented artist. As a teenager, he lost the lower half of one leg in a train accident. He is depressed and feels that he is a failure, feelings which are greatly magnified after he hits and kills the teenager.
- Mrs. Flannigan – Frank and Jerry Lee's mother. She dies from an unspecified disease when the boys are 16 and 14, respectively.
- Jimmy Flannigan – Frank and Jerry Lee's father. He has a gambling addiction and eventually walks out on the family after rendering them penniless.
- Earl Hurley – A used-car dealer and Frank's ex-employer. He tries to mentor Frank, although it is often in vain.
- Tommy Locowane – Frank and Jerry Lee's long-time friend. He saves Jerry Lee's life after the train accident. He has a terrible gambling addiction and, in desperation, gets Frank to wager heavily on the Tyson-Douglas fight in an attempt to erase a $2,000 gambling debt.
- Annie James – Frank's old girlfriend. Annie's mother forces her into prostitution; when Frank catches Annie in the act, he breaks up with her. He later travels to Elko in the hopes of meeting her again.
- Wes Johnson Denny – A teenager who rides his bicycle into the path of Jerry Lee's car during a blinding snowstorm. He is killed in the ensuing collision.
- Old Man Jenkins (The dog) – Tango Hecklin
Reception
"The Motel Life" received a favorable review from New York Times critic John Wray, who wrote: "Slighter than Carver, less puerile than Bukowski, Vlautin nevertheless manages to lay claim to the same bleary-eyed territory, and surprisingly – perhaps even unintentionally – to make it new.".[1] Johnathan Gibbs of The Independent noted: "The brothers' relationship is at the centre of the book. Vlautin is clearly reaching back past Bukowski and the others to the granddaddy of all tragic road stories, that of Lenny and George in Of Mice and Men.".[2]
Adaptation
The novel was adapted into a film by Alan Polsky and Gabriel Polsky. It debuted in the United States on 8 November 2013 in select theatres.[3]
References
- "Let's Get Lost"
- "The Motel Life"
- "The Motel Life Film Official Page". Archived from the original on November 7, 2013. Retrieved November 6, 2013.
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Title
Creator
Published
Type
All-time views
Rod Dixon, Colleen Harris, Susanna Childress, Kilean Kennedy, Scott Walker, Jeffrey M. Hopkins, Loreen Niewenhuis, John Seay, Josh Makowski, Josh Smith
Jul 30, 2010
315
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The Left and the Lucky by Willy Vlautin
4.54.5 out of 5 stars (254)
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The Left and the Lucky by Willy Vlautin
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The Horse by Willy Vlautin and Bolinda audio
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The Night Always Comes by Willy Vlautin
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The Motel Life by Willy Vlautin
4.24.2 out of 5 stars (461)
Free by Willy Vlautin
4.14.1 out of 5 stars (513)
Don't Skip Out on Me by Willy Vlautin
4.44.4 out of 5 stars (52
Lean on Pete by Willy Vlautin
4.14.1 out of 5 stars (1K)
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From Australia
Dr. S. Shurville
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Australia on 14 August 2014
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Al James
1.0 out of 5 stars The reviews were mostly good, but . . .
Reviewed in Australia on 29 October 2020
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This was awful. Filled with horrible people, cruelty to animals and people, with all hope being crushed as soon as you thought things were going to get better. Way too depressing and I don't understand why anyone would write it, let alone read it.
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Roger W. Wright
5.0 out of 5 stars In the Spirit of Carver--a writer's own voice.
Reviewed in the United States on 20 August 2013
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This is a great story. It really needs no analysis. It is spare, evocative writing that puts you in the story and makes you feel it.
But for those of us who can't stop ourselves from asking "Why?". . .one can't help but turn to the American master, Raymond Carver. There are echoes of Carver all over this book. And the author readily acknowledges his debt to Carver. But as this story unfolds and then stays with you, even after you read it weeks ago, it stays with you; the realization dawns that what you just read really is not "like" Carver, it is in the spirit of Carver. Vlautin has his own voice. Strong, clear and deep. Carver comes to mind when you read this book. So does Richard Ford. The story takes place in "Richard Ford territory. But what makes the story memorable is the fact that Vlautin has his own very distinctive voice. One that I look forward to listening to for years to come. This is a really good book!
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Glenn
5.0 out of 5 stars Third Triumph
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 29 September 2011
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This third novel consolidates Vlautin's skill and significance as a contemporary writer and it also continues the stylistic American tradition of simple storytelling in terms of naturalistic dialogue and straightforward expression. The honest and believable first person narrative of 15 year old Charley Thompson provides the perfect vehicle for such simplicity, but of course whatever the techniques and personas and situations used, the depth of feeling and meaning is conveyed with an immediacy and emotive impact that is compelling.
Charley's story is similar in many respects to the themes and contexts of Vlautin's previous two novels: journey as escape and self-discovery; hardship [against the self, both physical and mental, but especially loss and death], and the kindnesses, indifferences and nastiness of humanity.
It isn't a significant difference, but I don't feel this story is either as bleak or as hopeful - Vlautin's potent novelistic paradox - as its predecessors. That isn't to say it is neutral. Charley's hardships are many and continue to come at him, but apart from two specific moments of violence he copes well [for his age] and we as readers are not made to dwell on these as Charley continues to move forward and beyond these quickly - though not in the physical reality of his trek across significant distances. Nor is it as thematically hopeful in as much as although Charley encounters many examples of kindness and support I don't feel the book ends with such a certain affirmation of this - though the reader is allowed to decide/imagine for themself.
The novel is rich in its ensemble of characters with more variety and range than in the previous two books. Charley is, as I've said, totally believable and he is also hugely likable in his vulnerability, work ethic, survival instinct and youthful exuberance.
Horses and horseracing are an interesting contextual reality for much of the story and Vlautin has clearly used his interest in and knowledge of this to provide yet more credible and engaging settings for the book. There is also a brilliant pattern of experiences - many shown quickly or even just recalled by Charley in reminiscences with others - which seem to tumble out of Vlautin's own actual experiences. That or it is just more from his rich and vivid imagination. It's a wonderfully 'easy' read and in many ways for me as rewarding from that simple experience as much as the heartfelt tale.
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Paul Hickey
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful piece of minimalist writing
Reviewed in France on 21 January 2015
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Wonderful piece of minimalist writing and a mirror of life on the wrong side of the tracks in the US.
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Shravan Kumar Swarup
3.0 out of 5 stars Love and thoughtfulness will always win
Reviewed in India on 16 January 2022
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The story line and the way it reflected the love and concern of the young man for thr horse.
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Schuyler T Wallace
4.0 out of 5 stars A GRITTY TALE OF A RESOURCEFUL YOUNGSTER
Reviewed in the United States on 15 June 2017
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Willy Vlautin writes about common folk on the edge of the human condition who don’t have much going for them. He tells their story in a style that is certainly not elegant but still creates intense interest and empathy. In “Lean on Pete” he tells of a fifteen-year old boy whose life is a procession of missteps that no boy that young should have to suffer through. A horse becomes his only source of pleasure in a world of distress.
Charley Thompson lives with his worthless father who tries to raise him as best he can, although Charley really doesn’t need him because the boy is immensely self-sufficient and resourceful. Although he has to misbehave in order to eat or try to get some sleep, his sense of responsibility haunts him when he has to steal or lie. The little bit of money his father tosses him before going missing for weeks on end doesn’t last long and he struggles to exist. He cries a lot, not a surprise because he is still just a boy, but is indicative of his distress.
Charley finds a job at a run-down racetrack doing odd jobs for a worthless promoter, Del Montgomery, who has a string of nags who don’t win much money and create a constant drag on his scanty resources. Lean on Pete, a five-year old quarter horse that’s the best of the lot gets special attention from Charley and the animal captures the boy’s heart like nothing else ever has. The boy schemes and steals to indulge the horse then discovers that Montgomery has decided to sell it to a Mexican kill factory for dog food, glue, or whatever. After a drunk beats Charley’s father to death, Charley has no one to care for him and, desperate to save his only friend, he steals Del’s run-down truck and horse trailer, loads up Pete, and sets out to find an aunt last known to have lived in Wyoming.
The truck craps out in the desert, and Charley and Pete are forced to hoof it. The route is long, tough, and painful. Food and water are scarce. The terrain is unforgiving to their legs and feet. The people encountered are devious and dangerous. Their journey becomes a desperate trek that the author describes in lean and realistic prose.
The language in this book is coarse, the life is revolting, the characters have no redeeming qualities, and Vlautin lays it all out in riveting detail. The underlying grief is palpable and the desperation of each minute hangs heavy over the entire story. It’s not a pretty tale that many readers will find to be too unsavory, but I (warning) think the ending provides an acceptable answer for Charley’s distress and, although unconventional, some relief to the reader.
Schuyler T Wallace
Author of TIN LIZARD TALES
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Alexander Bryce
4.0 out of 5 stars Willy Vlautin can write
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 20 September 2024
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I read The Motel Life recently and enjoyed Willy Vlautin’s style of clean, engaging writing. This one is even better . Recently and dramatically orphaned young Charlie decides to go it alone rather than risk going into care . So the 15 year old tough, intelligent young sets out on an epic journey across several states to find his only relative , an aunt he met several years ago.
He “ borrows “ or as he believes rescues a clapped out racehorse from his SOB employer the despicable Del . Together they meet with kindness and downright evil along the way. Charlie’s ingenuity keeps them alive and moving without an address towards his aunt’s home town.
After a couple of chapters I found myself thinking “ come on Charlie you can do it” and I was with him on his odyssey all the way. That’s how good a writer Mr. Vlautin is.
A great read from beginning to end.
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JJCL
3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting point of view
Reviewed in the United States on 4 January 2014
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This reminds me of "Grapes of Wrath". A gritty realistic subject that could easily reflect real life. The point of view from a child who basically has no one to rely on but is able to exist on the edges of society is an eye opener. Some of the scenes are all too real and believable. The race horse business is also portrayed in a light that is probably closer to the truth than a book like Sea Biscuit from the standpoint of animal treatment. I was entertained. It held my interest. Not my favorite simply because I prefer sweetness and light to realism when I read for entertainment. I did like the ending. It fits the way I like books to end. I would recommend it to anyone who reads a lot for escape from their own reality and needs a thought provoking read.
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DB
5.0 out of 5 stars Enthralling
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 4 June 2026
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I loved this. Superficially it is a story about a lonely 15 years old boy and a past-his-best quarter horse. But it is also the story of the seamier side of American life which I suspect is the fate of far too many. I couldn't bear to put it down but didn't want to finish it either. Would the ending be sad or happy.? And no, I won't reveal it - you must read it yourself to find out!
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Dale
5.0 out of 5 stars True pain & whimsical fortunes in a mean world
Reviewed in the United States on 27 June 2019
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I am a slow reader, but this book tossed me into a sped read so brilliant and amazingly written that there was to step up my leisurely slow speed. As a book it’s amazing lead character shines and p
Beats the odds in a quest to find a woman who may not even want to know him... the pursuit takes him into the arms of some pretty seam characters and with comes the Pete whom he tells things to.!
It is one hell of a read and it honors a good soul!
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Cila Drucker
1.0 out of 5 stars Did not enjoy it
Reviewed in Canada on 27 April 2018
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I cannot write =17 words of praise, as I did not enjoy this book, I was bored, sorry why do you insist on a specific number of words?
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mr blue
3.0 out of 5 stars A Huck Finn of Our Times?
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 June 2012
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What an odd novel this is! Almost devoid of figurative language it reads like a diary with dialogue. A boy journeys from the the north-west coast of the USA to the prairies in search of a relative he hopes will adopt him. He has no money and for part of the way he has a horse. He meets a cast of characters, some friendly, some not. He has only his own resourcefulness to deal with them. Blink and you miss it but at one point only he is said to be black; this appears irrelevant to the story. Odd again. Suspense is minimal for we learn early that he can deal with everything that is thrown his way. It should be tedious but it isn't. In fact it's strangely affecting. Read one chapter and you've read them all but I did read them all. Another book by the same author? No thanks.
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Zea Mays
4.0 out of 5 stars Willy Vlautin tells the stories of the troubled people we judge and leave aside.
Reviewed in the United States on 26 May 2018
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I saw Lean on Pete in the theater and read the book. The person who heard this as an audiobook read by the author must have been in for a treat. I liked both the movie and book and I've read two of the author's other novels, so far.
As mentioned in other reviews the writer has a very straightforward style that you read through quickly. While Lean on Pete is about a 15 year old, I think all of the stories seem kind of easy to pick up. Whether a bookseller/librarian feels comfortable shelving them with YA is another question. That is because YA, maybe, but PG -no. As the writer himself says - if the character makes bad choices, the character gets beat up. ( I believe Willy Vlautin when he says how hard it was to write certain scenes for Allison in Northline because I think his conscience then had him write the male character into some bruising scenes.) I am in the middle of asking myself how my young person would understand the characters and situations Vlautin puts on paper. I think he writes them knowing that they are exactly who understand fallout from bad decisions because they are who are experiencing real consequences for their first times and most prone to immediate aftermaths of making one choice over another or as I try to tell my young-adults, 'you're on the frontlines of your own decision making'.
I love the idea that this is the way the author thinks things through which is how he describes his writing Lean on Pete. His being attracted to racing and Portland Downs and meanwhile seeing no glamour and all the brokenness of the lives ( man,woman,horse) entwined there.
Other readers have mentioned you find yourself asking after or wanting to check back with the characters in these novels. For me, that was especially true in the novel, The Free. That's not a comment about anything missing from this book or Charley. It's just that I accepted the ending.
For the movie, I thought the director made good choices about scenes that would not add anything and he made a composite character out of some of the book's minor ones.
There are some very well-written, well-considered reviews here. I'll just say I think these are important books for our time. We are some stratified sets of people, living out very different lives that don't intersect much. In the book the author nods to this (?) when as for example, an unnoticed Charley with all the real-life things he's facing runs through a college campus.
Maybe some change begins at recognizing the depth to people's story lines especially the ones of people we previously would not let in.
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andy weston
5.0 out of 5 stars Vlautin at his best
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 December 2017
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I have greatly enjoyed two books by Willy Vlautin and still have one to read, I hope he is busy writing more. His influences and music tastes are very similar to mine, so probably not a total surprise. Vlautin is a musician also, and his songs tell a similar type of story is hardship in small town America as his books do.
Lean on Pete is a coming of age roadtrip story that pulls at the heart strings. Charley Thompson is 15 years old. The only life he has known has been a rough one, living with his father, but he has talent at football and trains hard. His life changes though when first his father moves away from Portland, then dies. From the title we know that a horse has a big influence in Charley's life from this stage. He meets many characters all on the rough side of life and goes through many experiences that a 15 year old should never go through.
Though I greatly enjoyed the book it isn't as strong as This Motel Life for me. Perhaps a little but to tearjerking involving the horse as Vlautin does. But a stand-out paragraph is the one were Charley (who narrates) speaks about all the dreadful things he has seen at his age, and says that he deals with that by going out running, running so hard that it is impossible to think of any of these things. I have read quite a bit about Vlautin and his life. I think he must be a runner, I haven't read that anywhere, but for him to write something like that my guess is that he is.
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Yakov Pyatnitskov
5.0 out of 5 stars A touching story
Reviewed in the United States on 23 April 2019
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I first watched a movie while on a plane. The story didn't let me go and I got the book. And it didn't disappoint.
The language is simple and somehow reminds me of Jack Kerouac. This simplicity is only a benefit to the story. I found it difficult to put it down EVEN after I knew the plot because it is very vivid. You eat, sleep and travel with Charley.
You live his life in the pages of the book. You experience his struggles, you get angry, you get insecure, you hide 20$ bills in your socks, you stock up on frozen cheeseburgers when you have money. And you start to love horses.
I immediately bought several other books by Willy Vlautin after I finished.
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WCA
4.0 out of 5 stars Doomed brotherhood
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 29 February 2016
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If you like Bukowski and Fante, then the chances are you'll like Vlautin. He writes of the same dispossessed and hopeless types of people eking a way through life. In this case it's a young man who bonds with a horse he works with, and sets off on a doomed adventure alongside. I'd say this is his best book so far.
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TJP
4.0 out of 5 stars Perilous Journey
Reviewed in the United States on 8 December 2017
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
Suppose you wandered into your neighborhood bookstore and randomly selected a paperback from a random shelf and opened it to a random page and read from it for a few minutes. You encounter a teen-age boy leading a horse down a remote stretch of federal highway southeast of Burns, Oregon. He has left a stolen pickup, frozen in third gear, and a horse trailer by the side of the road. It is an August night in the high desert and the temperature is plummeting. The boy is telling stories to the horse and, if you had read any previous work by the author, a spark of recognition might ignite inside you, as you smile and say to yourself: “This reads like a Wily Vlautin novel.”
Wily Vlautin did write Lean on Pete, his third novel, published in 2010. It is full of typical Vlautin characters; young men with old men’s teeth, plus-plus-plus size women who sweat through thrift shop clothes, broken-down vehicles and way too many people who barely broke even at life in the 20th century and are way out of their league in the 21st. Not every character smokes, chews, drinks beer, swears profusely or has multiple tattoos: it just seems that way. Lean on Pete was also the name of a real racehorse at Portland Meadows, a venue not unlike some of the characters in the novel: past its prime. The boy is 15-year old Charley Thompson, who had to transition from a sophomore-to-be at Portland’s Jefferson High School to a young man on the run with no money, no support system, no plan, motivated only by the vague possibility of reuniting with an aunt living in Rock Springs, Wyoming.
Vlautin gives us a brief glimpse of life inside a group home for teen-age boys, where rituals of indifference are performed daily by a husband and wife management team. Earlier in the novel, he presents a much fuller picture of life inside a minor league horse racing facility with unflattering portraits of the people who train, ride and watch. And, throughout the novel, there is an on-going presence of what tenured sociology professors might call “food insecurity” but what Charley Thompson would call “being really hungry and thirsty.” That is to say, Lean on Pete, the novel, features a lot of “dinner” scenes where chili is being eaten cold out of the can with a plastic fork and washed down with water from a hose.
Portland, Oregon, to an outsider, is becoming a city of incompatible and somewhat stereotypical opposites: upwardly mobile millennials and homeless road warriors. More than a few of Vlautin’s characters are a rent increase or a layoff notice away from joining the ranks of the latter.
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Straightforward
5.0 out of 5 stars A touching account of an innocent abroad
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 February 2010
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Willy Vlautin seems to love to cause his characters as much grief as he can - in 'The Motel Life' they stumble from one bad break to another, on an ever-dwindling supply of cash and fuel, and in 'Lean on Pete' the narrator, Charley Thompson, has similar misfortunes happen to him too. It seems to be a developing trademark of Willy's...
Charley is a 15 year-old kid who wants a bit of stability in his life - he's not a rebel, a drinker or a drop-out, he's just someone who has no mother and an extremely unreliable father who leaves him alone for days at a time to party. In fact, he's a sensible, sensitive person who adapts to misfortune with stoic non-judgement. He just gets on with things.
The writing is in the first person, and is very lean - every word deserves to be there. Vlautin writes with a stark matter-of-fact style that brings the innocence of Charley Thonpson to the fore - it's a very believable voice that gets you rooting for him right from the start.
In many ways, Vlautin seems to be taking on the mantle left by Charles Bukowski, John Fante and John Updike - he's describing the world of the outsider, USA style. Charley forms an emotional bond with a mistreated racehorse (the eponymous 'Lean on Pete'), and he seems to subconsciously sympathise with the animal because they both have had unlucky breaks, although this is never expressly written.
Lean on Pete is generous in spirit, gently-written in that the characters are allowed to speak for themselves, and always honest. It really reminded me how nice it to have some food after a couple of days of going without. If you like to root for the underdog, then this is for you.
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Purple Pat
1.0 out of 5 stars Unbelievable Fluff
Reviewed in the United States on 2 February 2014
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The worst selection I have ever chosen.
A fourth grade student would have had a better look at traveling from town to town, country roads to Interstates on a stolen horse.
Just when the young man was hungry, he found food. Not only for him but the horse also.
When he was wet, he found dry accommodations.
How in the world was this book allowed to be a choice for Amazon readers.
I didn't choose any books for a good while because I had always received honest reviews and books with merit,
A complete waste of time!
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Paul Jeater
5.0 out of 5 stars Hope at the end of the tunnel
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 February 2010
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This is Willy Vlautin's third novel, he tells of an America unseen on TV and rarely documented in film. It is a land of drifters,losers, alcoholics and gamblers, in the American West. Into this world is pitched 15 year old Charley Thompson. This is a story of survival , of living on your wits and one boys relationship with a horse.
The style of the book, Charley tells the story, makes you desperately want to know what happens next. For me it led me to stay up half the night to finish it. For those familiar with Willy's role as singer/songwriter for the band Richmond Fontaine, you'll recognise the mood, the locations, and ultimately the hope that remains when faced with improbable odds.
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KB
4.0 out of 5 stars Lean On Pete
Reviewed in the United States on 11 September 2025
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I live in Portland and the story has lots of long gone landmarks. Good read... there is hope.
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Lynn Hough
4.0 out of 5 stars Lean on Pete
Reviewed in the United States on 15 September 2016
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I came across this book because an author I enjoy reading and follow on Goodreads had read it for his book club and really enjoyed it. Prior to that, I had never heard of it before. That is how I find out about a lot of great books though – reviews by others on Goodreads. Anyone can find out about books on the best seller list but reviews and recommendations by others introduce me to many more wonderful books, new and old.
This novel is about a 15 year old who is pretty much on his own – he doesn’t know his mother and his father is never around. Throw in the fact that his father moves him around fairly often and therefore doesn’t have friends to lean on, he is truly raising himself. He finds friendship at a local race track in an aging horse named Lean on Pete. After a tragic event leaves him completely alone, he starts a journey to find the only other relative he knows – his aunt that he hopes still lives in Wyoming because that is where he is heading. At times the journey seems a little repetitive in what he encounters, but overall a very good story.
Although this is a coming of age story and some consider it YA, I don’t think some of the content is suited for tweens or younger teens. I consider this more for the older YA crowd.
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Annette
5.0 out of 5 stars portland to laramie
Reviewed in the United States on 16 June 2010
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I'm a huge fan of Willy Vlautin's songs and stories and Lean on Pete is no exception. Vlautin's sparse matter-of-fact prose suits his stories of down-and-outers, misfits and losers (or "loosers" if you happen to be new to writing reviews or ranting on craigslist). His characters are so vividly drawn, mostly through their actions and words. Believe me, Willy gives great dialogue. Yes, there were times when the redundancy of Charley's life told in minute detail made me antsy. I didn't want to dilly-dally; I was anxious to see what would happen next. Contrary to what a previous reviewer wrote - and I thought he had some valid points and wrote a great review - I did root for Charley and I did care about him. Just as Charley pushed past his physical pain in the hope of making the football team, so did he push past his emotional pain in order to survive. Should he give into his grief, the kid'd be a gonner.
As I read Lean on Pete, I couldn't help but make some comparisons to Annie Proulx's "Postcards." I remember reading that book years ago and with each page thinking gosh, I hope something good finally happens. It never did. Charley does meet some kind people along his journey which gave me hope that Vlautin's book would have a happy ending - or at least an ending with some hope of happiness. You'll have to read it yourself to find out. In the meantime, enjoy the read and the ride.
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VitaLuna63
4.0 out of 5 stars Charley’s journey proves everyone has a story
Reviewed in the United States on 21 June 2019
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This was a fascinated but stilted read. The narrator was the 15 year old boy living it. The things he sees in his trip. It makes you realize so many people are struggling but most try and be good people. And the ones struggling recognize their own story in others and try and help.. kind words and food. I’ll never look at strangers the same again. We all have our own demons.
I realized how Lucky I am to have a warm bed and many who love me after this. And found myself hoping charley did as well. I wanted him to have a chance to not just heal but blossom. And the way the book ended allowed me to imagine just that.
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Robert I. Campbell
4.0 out of 5 stars Like it. But his best, no.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 July 2015
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Unfair to say "hoist by his own petard", but the brilliance of The Motel Life will stay for me forever and this book doesn't quite live up to it. Like I say, can't diss Mr Vlautin for not repeating the magic of This Motel Life, that would be unfair. But if you're actually reading this review "wondering where to start", I'm just sayin'
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Margaret
4.0 out of 5 stars Modern Mark Twain
Reviewed in the United States on 25 May 2016
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Sad but captivating story about Charley a young teenager searching for life's basic requirements. It reminded me of the Mark Twain Tom Sawyer/Huck Finn novels. Charley is pitted against insurmountable obstacles but he is never sentimental or self-pitying. He is a likable character who just does not get a break. I found myself really caring about him. There is no hope in this but it is still hard to put the book down. The characters are well drawn. My one issue is that I felt in the end, the security, safety and love that Charley finds are fragile and will not last. A little downbeat but worth it.
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J. Brunkal
4.0 out of 5 stars who leaves 15 year old Charley pretty much on his own
Reviewed in the United States on 28 July 2014
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A surprisingly engrossing coming of age story. Charley Thompson, the main character, lives with his Dad, who leaves 15 year old Charley pretty much on his own. His mother left when Charley was very young. To earn spending money Charley gets a job at the horse racing track working for an untrustworthy character named Del. He gets into all kinds of jams, and is unable to ask for help due to his distrust of the adults in his life. The ending is satisfying, although important issues are left unresolved, just like in real life.
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Clare_Ireland
5.0 out of 5 stars Heartbreaker
Reviewed in the United States on 3 June 2013
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
I like Willy Vlautin's novels, but this was definitely his best yet. It's a deceptively simply written story of a boy's attempts to survive on the edges of society. As his life deteriorates, he is forced to seek work at a racing track where he ends up squatting. There are moments of hope but another disaster always threatens, making this a constantly tense read. During the boy's journey through adolescence and across west America, he is gradually stripped of all material things and any constancy in his human relationships. All he is left with is the horse (Pete) and what seems like the impossible dream of finding a home and love.
How else to describe this novel? It's like a cross between Cormac McCarthy's 'The Road' and Michael Morpurgo's 'War Horse'. And it made me cry more than any other book in recent times. Read it!
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Kacey 46
4.0 out of 5 stars Did not finish...so why give it 4 stars?
Reviewed in the United States on 17 July 2019
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I read about a third of this book before abandoning it due to the subject matter. The writing was tight and the characters well developed. In fact it was the well-drawn characters who were my reason for saying goodbye to the book. The trainer was just too sleazy, the dad too self-absorbed, and watching the kid work so hard just to get by was depressing. If you liked Steinbeck's "Grapes of Wrath" you'll probably like this one.
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CATHRYN OSBORN
3.0 out of 5 stars Leaves me wanting more!
Reviewed in the United States on 22 January 2022
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I chose this because I'm a sucker for horses. But I was taken on a journey I didn't expect. I was was happy to see him steal the horse because it was obvious the horse was being "taken to the glue factory". But having the horse did the way it was was a little overboard! Then for him to find his aunt and finally be safe and loved.....and you end the book!! Are you planning on writing a sequel to this book or what!?!
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david spencer
5.0 out of 5 stars He is a fantastic author
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 28 August 2024
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All his books are good. Buy them.
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Annie
4.0 out of 5 stars A good but difficult read
Reviewed in the United States on 20 February 2018
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
I honestly don’t know how to feel about this book. I loved the writing style and really loved the characters, all beautifully written - but the story is just so sad. It was almost depressing, and the situations were so real it made it even sadder. I really started to stop hoping that the kid would even survive the tale. It was realistic and harrowing and beautiful and ugly and gritty and wonderful and at times hard to read. But I am rather glad I read it.
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Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Saw the movie
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 May 2018
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
Had to read the book. Enjoyed both very much. The book giving more details of a life on the road and the hardships facing a young man making his way on his own with a horse for his friend.
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Karen M. Taylor
5.0 out of 5 stars Probably more suitable for those who are highschool age and older, due to occasional graphic content. Definitely worth the read
Reviewed in the United States on 6 February 2018
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I can't say enough about this book. Very eye-opening as to how youth and adults alike can fall through the cracks in society. The protagonist Charley struggles to do the right thing; but faced with homelessness, poverty, no education, and no guardian; the right thing is not always a choice that's on the table. I couldn't put this book down. I was really rooting for him during all of his setbacks, and very happy and relieved for him in the end. Mr. Vlautin has done a fine job of drawing the reader into Charley's plight. If a reader enjoyed Orphan Train, and The Goldfinch then I would highly recommend Lean on Pete.
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Kindle Customer
3.0 out of 5 stars A Hard Life
Reviewed in the United States on 23 December 2021
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This book was a sad story about a young orphan who had to fend for himself. I loved the story, although it became a bit repetitive. I also didn’t appreciate the F word and other foul language. I suppose the author thought this was necessary to make it more realistic. It got pretty raunchy in places! Not my type of book!
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TAC
4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoy an absorbing story
Reviewed in the United States on 1 October 2017
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I had difficulty getting anything else done when reading this book. Charley
Is very likable and interesting to observe as he works through the challenges of his life. I gave it 4 stars as there is a lot of repetition and much of what Charley goes through just doesn't seem believable. The well drawn characters, however are the story's strength, and make up for some of the plot's weaknesses.
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David C
5.0 out of 5 stars Another Classic
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 June 2022
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Another Classic from a master story teller. A very absorbing plot full of suffering and sadness. The ending is short but lifts ones spirit with its promise of better things.
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BGrover
4.0 out of 5 stars My first Vlautin book, but not my last.
Reviewed in the United States on 14 October 2017
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This book really reminded me of Cynthia Voight's book Homecoming. Charley is a great hardworking kid that can't catch a break. I loved his resilience and resourcefulness. I think this book has several layers that teens would enjoy and relate with. Throughout the book I just wanted him to find one caring adult whom he could trust. Something every kid needs.
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Dierdra McGill
2.0 out of 5 stars Hated the authors writing style
Reviewed in the United States on 12 March 2014
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Lean on Pete took me awhile to read for a few reasons, life was busy, but also because I just never got that into it. The story was okay at best, but I hated the writing. There were no “errors” but I hated the style. For instance, the author often says I pet him. While this is “correct” it just did not flow well for me. The author also would say the same thing over and over, but never worded differently. An instance of this was when Charley would drink water, he would drink as much as he could. This was repeated every scene there was water in, which was often for a while there.
I would not read another one of Willy Vlautin’s book not because the story was horrible, but because I really hate the authors writing style. If you can get past that you may enjoy this book.
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Joan
4.0 out of 5 stars Sad, sad story!
Reviewed in the United States on 19 June 2019
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I wish the author had given this book a happy ending. So much suffering deserves an upbeat ending. I have to admit, though, the author's version is more realistic than my wished for resolution. I also wanted Pete to have a hopeful future!
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Cynthia C. Huntington
4.0 out of 5 stars Good book
Reviewed in the United States on 16 February 2014
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This was a pretty good book, as I do love horses, but there are some moments in it that made me very sad. It was definitely a book that could have been written by a homeless person, or someone who just hasn't found his way in life. It was a compelling read, but not such a happy book in general.
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Geoff Price
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Version of a Great Book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 June 2020
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Willy Vlautin is a wonderful author, songwriter and musician [check out his group The Delines]. This film does an excellent job of capturing the spirit of the book, with some first-class performances. Highly recommended.
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Man of Kent
5.0 out of 5 stars an excellent read! So easy to follow the plot
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 20 May 2018
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
an excellent read! So easy to follow the plot, which has similarities to "Kestrel for a Knave". I have not seen the film adaptation but I read the book as the film has not been released locally.
Now reading other books books by the same author.
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Jerry Kromberg
4.0 out of 5 stars Lean on Pete shows need for "street smarts"
Reviewed in the United States on 18 June 2014
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Thoroughly enjoyed the book. It grabbed my attention right away and kept me interested throughout the story. It followed the young man's quest for survival following his abrupt entry to "being alone". The boys' trip was reminiscent and likened to a "poor mans' Holden Caulfield from "Catcher in the Rye". The author very ably captured life on the streets.
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B. Bowman
3.0 out of 5 stars Lean on Pete
Reviewed in the United States on 23 March 2018
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This book was definitely written as a YA book. Filled with lots of sorrow, angst, unhappiness, searching for love, etc. Pete is a horse who was run to the ground in weekly races on cheap dirt tracks. This poor young man worked for the owner of Pete while trying to get to Wyoming to find his deceased father’s sister. His adventures to get there help move the story along, but the trials he encountered were not too pleasant.
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Andrew
4.0 out of 5 stars An image of poverty and self-discovery
Reviewed in the United States on 24 March 2018
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This is a fantastic book that reads very quickly. I picked up this book expecting something similar to Jeannette Walls’ Glass Castle and Half Broke Horses. It wasn’t close but it showed a similar image of American youth dealing with poverty and homelessness as they discover their own potential
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Very good
Reviewed in the United States on 25 March 2023
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
It's a road movie, but of course a book, not a movie. This is the second book I've read by Vlautin in he's quickly becoming a favourite of mine. Chronicles of poor, struggling america where there's both kindness and violence on the backstreets and the dirt roads. Wonderful book!
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Laila Podro
5.0 out of 5 stars Compelling Reading.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 June 2014
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
Just finished this - I can't say it was fun but it was compelling reading. Written convincingly as the adolescent Charlie's account of his journey through often ethically nihilist America, it doesn't pull it's punches and, to continue the metaphor, repeatedly left me feeling winded. Vlautin really knows this stuff.
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4.0 out of 5 stars Lean on Pete
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 25 January 2019
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
It's not the easiest of reads, but it leaves you uplifted.
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Bhamdo
4.0 out of 5 stars It drew me in
Reviewed in the United States on 21 December 2017
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Lean on Pete slowly drew me into this tale of loss, isolation, and hope. Charley pins his hopes on finding his aunt. His journey is full of disappointment, abuse, and difficulty. And yet he continues to search for her d despite continuing hardship.
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Mike Siroky
4.0 out of 5 stars Sadly dark but (too) realistic. Not as developed as ...
Reviewed in the United States on 26 February 2017
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
Sadly dark but (too) realistic. Not as developed as Malamud's classics, which are also dark but somehow more palatable. Actually left me depressed and unwilling to follow his books which use crib notes from Of Mice and Men. Don't need to pay to be depressed.
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ken Hatton
5.0 out of 5 stars A teen with real courage!
Reviewed in the United States on 23 August 2019
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If you need to be assured that all kids are uncaring brats, this is the book for you. A horse as a friend is unusual. These two have such a unique relationship! I wish I could give this miserable father a kick in the pants for his role in this coming of age story with a twist. Enjoyed it. Waiting for the next book. You are going tom write another?
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Mouse
5.0 out of 5 stars Good true voice
Reviewed in the United States on 20 September 2020
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I saw the movie first and was so taken with this young man's story, that I bought the e book. Told my son to see the movie, too. I grew up in South Texas in a border town. You see a lot hopeless there, but also much hope. I hang on to the hope and left there.
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Kindle Customer
3.0 out of 5 stars Plain but poignant
Reviewed in the United States on 6 July 2018
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Pete is a horse that brings Charley comfort while he works for the racehorse's owner. Charley's father was killed by a jealous man, and he doesn't have anywhere to go. Told through the boy's eyes, the story narrates Charley's desperate straits, his will to survive, and his quest to find his aunt, the dead father's estranged sister.
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Kexy Twosign
5.0 out of 5 stars Harrowing
Reviewed in the United States on 8 January 2014
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
I nearly got thrown out of the book club for nominating this one. The book tells the story of a boy who hangs around the run down Portland Meadows race track. The desperation and poverty of many of the owners and trainers makes for harrowing reading and the end can't really be called happy although the boy seems to be alright. Just a warning.
I admire Willy Vlautin who takes on the unsavory and glamorless margins of American Life.
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Suzanne Livingston
5.0 out of 5 stars I loved the book
Reviewed in the United States on 14 May 2018
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
I loved the book, although its hard for me to read about the lower level, bottom of the barrel race tracks and the horses that live that life.I own an ex-race horse, he was injured on the track, now he is mine. The book was haunting. I was comforted that it ended well. I was a little worried about getting to the end.
The story will stick with you for days.
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Jim Robertson
5.0 out of 5 stars Simply beautiful.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 August 2013
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
This book was recommended to me by a friend after we had seen Willy Vlautin play live in Glasgow. I finally got round to reading it a few weeks ago. The story is told simply and beautifully. It broke and lifted my heart. It made me cry.
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Anne H. Egbert
5.0 out of 5 stars My new favorite author
Reviewed in the United States on 1 January 2017
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
Willy Vlautin is my new favorite author. His writing pierces my soul. It is both grim and transcendent. This story is about a throw away 15 year old boy in Portland who befriends a throw away race horse. It involves the seamy underside of horse racing and stealing the horse and running away in a desperate attempt to find some family. I highly recommend it.
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Matt Gifford
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect Character and Plot Development to Effectively Ruin Your Day...In a Good Way
Reviewed in the United States on 30 March 2015
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The simplicity in the first person narrative at first seemed stilted and undeveloped. Then I realized, it's the perfect way to display the character and his lack of emotional and mental development. Don't read this book if you want to read something light and uplifting. DO READ THIS BOOK if you want to read an intriguingly dark plot, driven by an underdog character that makes your heart break the more you root for him.
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The Night Always Comes
by Willy Vlautin (Author) Format: Paperback
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars (787)
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Set over two days and nights,The Night Always Comes holds up a mirror to a society which leaves too many people only a step away from ruin.
'It's propulsive, moving, dark and full of hope and heart. He's a genius. My book of the year.' - Craig Silvey
Between looking after her brother and the combination of jobs she's trying to juggle, Lynette is dangerously tired. And when, after years of trying to scrape together enough for a mortgage, her plan is derailed, she must embark on a desperate odyssey through a city of greed.
'A masterclass ... Relatable, terrifying, impassioned and compassionate.' - Ivy Pochoda
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Review
'Imbued with the noirish urgency of a page-turning thriller.' - Irish Times
'This is a novel that lives firmly in the melancholia of the city's gentrification, hurtling readers through one woman's desperation to keep her life afloat in a city that's pushing its working class out, one razed lot at a time.' - New York Times
'The Night Always Comes is a rare example of art that matters-a rare example of a novel that is heartbreaking, but also a combative condemnation of American injustice, while also a love letter to the beleaguered working class, and still damn fun to read.' - CrimeReads
'It's propulsive, moving, dark and full of hope and heart. He's a genius. My book of the year.' - Craig Silvey, Sydney Morning Herald
'Vlautin's finest work to date, marrying his typical deep empathy for troubled characters with a robust and dynamic plot reminiscent of classic American noir crime fiction . . . All of this is done with a prose style that sings with simple clarity, like an arrow straight at the reader's heart. Extraordinary stuff.' - Big Issue
'A tear-struck revelation - both epic and timely, intimate and clear-eyed ... Lynette will have you from the first page and put you to the test a hundred times before the last. You'll finish knowing you'll never forget her.' - Megan Abbott
'I can't remember the last time I worried myself sick about a fictional character the way I did about Lynette in Willy Vlautin's terrific, big-hearted new novel The Night Always Comes. You won't soon forget either her or the fraught world she so courageously navigates.' - Richard Russo
'His stories are sturdy and bighearted and full of lives so shattered they shimmer.' - Cheryl Strayed
About the Author
Willy Vlautin is the author of five novels, including The Motel Life; Lean on Pete, which was shortlisted for the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award and made into an acclaimed film by Andrew Haigh; and Don't Skip Out on Me, a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. Vlautin lives outside of Portland, Oregon, and is the founding member of the bands Richmond Fontaine and The Delines.
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From other countries
Mary Lins
5.0 out of 5 stars Riveting and Suspenseful!
Reviewed in the United States on 25 April 2026
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Willy Vlautin himself describes his brilliant novel of the human condition, “The Night Always Comes” as a tale of “panic and desperation” and because he is a masterful storyteller and character creator, prepare to feel that panic and desperation as you read about two fateful days in Lynette’s chaotic life.
She’s already exhausted when we meet thirty-year-old Lynette. She’s working several jobs while also caring for her developmentally challenged, non-verbal older brother, Kenny. They live with their mother, Doreen in a working-class neighborhood in Portland, but the area is swiftly being gentrified, and they have an opportunity to buy the house they have rented for decades if they can get the money together.
But Doreen changes her mind about the plan to buy, sending Lynette into a tailspin to try to get the money herself and it requires her to call in some debts.
But nothing goes as expected and at every turn she is in mortal and moral peril.
The novel explores how mental illness, under-employment, shame, guilt, disability, and the American Dream of home ownership affect working-class citizens, who seem to have to deck stacked against them.
Every moment of Lynette’s story is riveting, suspenseful, and stressful. I found myself clutching the book and holding my breath in many scenes. Willy Vlautin captured me on the first page and never let me go.
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Bruised, but determined
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 June 2024
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
This is a book for the bruised, but determined. It has a touch of Steinbeck or Cormac McCarthy about it.
Lynette's tale will break your heart, I wouldn’t know whether to hug or slap her. The story is written in a deceptively simple style and it rolls along at a good pace. Depression and disillusionment drip off the pages and yet, affection, honesty and hope linger forlornly around; don’t read this book if you are feeling even a little down. The book is fairly short though it covers a multitude of emotions and it is written in a spare style: every word is well chosen and not a word is wasted.
This book will not have you jumping for joy or put a spring in your step but it will make you look around and, recognising all the Lynettes among and around us, think surely we can do better than this.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars good reading
Reviewed in Canada on 30 October 2024
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My husband likes it..
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Anon
4.0 out of 5 stars Written to be a movie, but good
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 22 September 2024
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Clearly written to be turned into an indie movie but still extremely entertaining and super well written. Has lots of commentary on modern society.
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Adolfo
4.0 out of 5 stars Another great read from Vlautin
Reviewed in the United States on 10 May 2021
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
Was so good, read it in a sitting. Was very suspenseful and could not break away. Vlautin's writing sets up characters and scenes so vividly you find yourself within the lives and moments. Don't need a movie version but would love to see one nonetheless.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars One of those you can’t put down until you finish !
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 29 October 2025
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
Great book about people living on the edge in the US with little money and the desperate lives they lead and how they scrape by!
Really emotional read and you are living beside the main character throughout …would recommend if you like gritty realism and an emotional rollercoaster 👍
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Bonnie Brody
5.0 out of 5 stars Tragedy, Bitterness and Crises - Not Everyone Can Attain the American Dream
Reviewed in the United States on 6 May 2026
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Reading this dark and tragic novel by Willy Vlautin brought to mind a line from Theodore Roethke's poem, 'In a Dark Time': "What is madness but nobility of the soul at odds with circumstance?"
Lynette, the protagonist of this short but powerful novel, just can't seem to get things right in any part of her life. She tries to do good, but things not only backfire on her, it seems like each good intention creates more tragedy and chaos in her life.
Lynette lives with her mother Doreen and her disabled adult brother Kenny in a home that is in disrepair. Her landlord has offered to sell the house to Lynette for $300,000, a good deal for this part of Portland, Oregon which is quickly being gentrified. Lynette believes that her mother is going to chip in with her but Doreen changes her mind, putting a tailspin on Lynette's dreams.
Lynette has suffered most of her life from what appears to be serious and chronic depression, dealing with it in ways that only serve to harm her. She botches up the most important and loving relationship she's had by having angry and bitter outbursts that only served to scare her partner away. The only constant in her life is her love for Kenny, a love that is deep and unconditional.
Doreen has a part-time job selling jewelry in a department store. She tries her best tobe a mother to Lynette but, basically, she is a negative and self-serving woman with a cynical and narcissistic world-view. She barely has any skills to pull herself out of a dark and lonely existence, let alone give anything positive to Lynette.
The novel focuses on the lives of 'losers', those residing in the pit of society, either lacking skills to raise themselves up or living on the fringes of acceptability. As Doreen states in a rare moment of insight, "I'm starting to think that some people are born to sink. Born to fail. And I'm beginning to realize that I'm one of those people, and you have no idea what that's like. How truly awful it is to know that about yourself."
Vlautin holds no punches. His writing is a gut punch to the core of yearning and heartlessness. He sees the failure of the American dream for those who only care about themselves or are in despair or crisis. He manages to show Lynette's moral depth and humanity despite the conditions of her life and the choices she makes.
This is a novel with soul and I highly recommend it, along with Willy Vlautin's other novels.
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bilbo2007
5.0 out of 5 stars Another belter from Willy Vlautin
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 30 September 2024
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
I really like his style of writing and the honesty of the characters. He goes to dark places and some characters have a hard life and the back stories are brilliant
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G M Saunders
3.0 out of 5 stars Average
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 July 2025
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
Average, unmemorable
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Frank Donnelly
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Modern American Noir, Set in The Modern Contemporary Western United States
Reviewed in the United States on 5 February 2023
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“The Night Always Comes” is a taut Modern American Noir Fiction set in the modern American West. The author is Willie Vlautin. This is the second novel of his that I have read, the first being “Northline”. Both of these novels are excellent but dark. The novel under review can be a tough emotional experience. I really like this novel and the author, but this is not a light fun read. It is the kind of novel of which, I hesitate to use the word “enjoy”. It is excellent but intense, at times, very intense.
The protagonist is a young female living in distressed circumstances. Her life seems to be a struggle for any version of quality of life. Many of her friends and even relatives are ultimately ruthless. This struggle at times seems to turn to a struggle for actual survival. At times the novel was a complete page turner for me and I made a point of not reading parts of the story near bedtime.
The author is male. The protagonist is female. I purchased an audiobook and the narrator is female. I read and listened simultaneously. The female narrator did a very professional job and added to my personal reading experience. The narrator is Christine Lakin.
I do not travel in intellectual circles and I do not have the opportunity to speak with individuals who have a great interest in reading. Therefore my personal experience may be skewed. However I am beginning to feel that Willie Vlautin is one of the best modern American writers of fiction that I NEVER hear anyone speak about. I accidentally came upon him when reading a novel by George Pelecanos, “The Man Who Came Uptown”.
This novel is set in the area of Portland, Oregan. “Northlline” is set in Nevada. As a resident of Pennsylvania, I really enjoy reading stories set in the modern American West.
I am a retired police officer. Among my many assignments, I did a stint working undercover. Much of that work was unnerving and I was glad to put it behind me as I transitioned to traditional criminal investigation. This novel actually caused me to have flashbacks to numerous experiences. For me it was very realistic. I used to think of it as the modern American sociological version of the Serengeti Plain. Either eat or be on the menu.
In summary I really like this novel and this author. The story is not a light fun read. It is the kind of story that I find addictive, but very intense. I read novels like this and then I need to take a break and try something lighter. Thank You for taking the time to read this review.
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veracity
4.0 out of 5 stars I didn't rate it as highly as the first book of his I read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 October 2021
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But that's not to say it's not a quality read , I preferred Don't skip out on me , but I'm still going to read the rest of his books .
This is an easy , though sometimes gruelling read , because it touches so well on characters ground down and disillusioned with a wearisome life they can't escape from , no matter how hard they work or try.
Lynette , a 30 year old is holding down several jobs , whilst also looking after her disabled brother .Her mother , meanwhile , has little time for either of them , and to add insult to injury she buys an expensive car with money intended to help them buy the dilapidated rental property they live in .
Lynette's troubles start from there...
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Kevin Pisarsky
5.0 out of 5 stars A good novel and readable, unlike anything else he’s written
Reviewed in the United States on 25 April 2021
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I’ve read some of Willy Vlautin’s novels and what I took away from them is a pervasive sense of powerlessness and and hopelessness. This is different: Lynette is driven and has goals, however misguided they may be. I like Lynette as a character, I felt I could relate to her and her struggles. This is a story about the working poor, healthcare, politicians, and the greed of the rich. Most of the people I know could relate, and that’s what made it good to me.
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JohnnyP
5.0 out of 5 stars One of my top three books of the year
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 August 2022
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Willy Vlautin is probably my favourite writer of recent years and I waited impatiently for this novel to drop. I was not disappointed. If you know Vlautin then you will be expecting a frustrating tour of the American underbelly from a character that you want to shake some common sense into throughout, and who will have you shouting 'no' at some of their self-destructive decisions. And yes, that is what we get here, but the female perspective adds a different dimension and the empathy that drips off every page just makes this a brilliant addition to the Vlautin canon. It will give you pause for thought for a long time after you finish it. Definitely in my top three books of 2021.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Warning! This book will break your heart.
Reviewed in the United States on 1 October 2021
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Warning: This book will break your heart.
Willy has been poor. There's textures and subtleties here that one gets ground into their DNA from knowing, truly knowing, what it's like on that side of the fence. I loved this book, but it hurt to read. It's not a crime novel, not by a long shot, but Vlautin once again proves he know what criminals are like, and how things work out when you tempt fate and try to take shortcuts with real criminals. No spoilers, sorry, but I highly suggest you take this quick ride yourself.
Thanks, Willy, for breaking my heart again.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Reviewed in the United States on 3 August 2022
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It reads like a thriller, and even though it's fiction, this feels like real life. What was it Lou Reed said? Give me your tired, your hungry your poor, and I piss on them, that's what the statue of liberty say?
It's two days and two nights in the life of Lynette. She works two jobs and then some, dreaming of buying the house she rents and shares with her mother and brother. It's about hope, despair and the broken american dream. It's excellent!
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Emareader
2.0 out of 5 stars Not my cuppa
Reviewed in the United States on 18 September 2024
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This story takes place in my hometown and this story focuses on the downtrodden side of town. The characters weren't likeable so it was a bit cringe to read. A bit depressive. I'll be honest that I'm on the last couple of chapters, but I don't see this story going anywhere in the end. Was the target audience high school students? There wasn't much depth here. I might actually like the movie better than the book for this one (coming out on Netflix this month).
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Harriet Bradley
5.0 out of 5 stars Extraordinary
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 June 2021
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
This book absolutely killed me. It’s set over the course of one night in Portland and follows Lynnette as she confronts various demons from her past, when faced with an uncertain future. The style is quite different to what i normally read - the story is mainly told through conversations and memories - but it painted a really vivid picture of each character and situation and I couldn’t stop reading.
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TechnoBears
5.0 out of 5 stars Willy Vlautin's The Night Always Comes
Reviewed in the United States on 4 April 2024
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Was so intense and enthralling that I could not put the book down. This is the first book that I actually finished in one day. Will definitely check out more novels by Willy Vlautin. I highly recommend this novel.
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david spencer
5.0 out of 5 stars He is a fantastic author
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 28 August 2024
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
All his books are good. Buy them.
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EP
5.0 out of 5 stars Love this author
Reviewed in the United States on 17 May 2021
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
I read The Night Always Comes in a few days. Willy Vlautin perfectly captures imperfect lives ( isn't that all of us )
and the struggle to make things better. In this novel, the gentrification of a city creates a desperate situation for the characters trying to just live their lives. The political issue of the widening gap between the haves and have nots is illustrated through the personal accounts of the individuals in this story.
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William J. Donahue
5.0 out of 5 stars A beautifully crushing read
Reviewed in the United States on 4 June 2021
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
THE NIGHT ALWAYS COMES is a crusher of a novel about unfortunate life circumstances made worse by bad decisions and desperation. It’s one of those novels that does almost everything right, with great dialogue and characters I cared about. When I stopped reading to go to work or whatever else I had on my schedule, I found myself counting the hours until I could return to it.
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IG
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read.
Reviewed in the United States on 16 April 2021
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
I read all of Willy’s books right when they come out and they never disappoint. The pace of this one is unlike any of the others - not only a quick read, but a fast-paced story that hooks immediately. Loved reading this and it definitely left a mark. Long time fan and I’d say this is up towards the top his work, in my opinion.
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J.E.P.
5.0 out of 5 stars Vlautin is a great story teller
Reviewed in the United States on 4 May 2021
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
This, his 6th book, is in the true Vlautin style. A well written story of a struggling soul that rips your heart apart. Just when you think you can't take anymore he always end his stories with a grain of hope and a ray of light showing the way out. One just always hopes the protagonist sees this light and follows it.
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Seaguy3000
5.0 out of 5 stars Great, yet somewhat sad, novel....
Reviewed in the United States on 14 May 2021
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
This is a short novel, barely over 200 hundo pages, but it is VERY good.....it will stay with you for quite some time; that is, IF you can identify with the troubles of the poor, downtrodden masses of the first quarter of this wretched 21st century.....of which the heroine of the story is and has to endure...unlike the trump-asshat elite.....
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars It's about hope, in the end.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 November 2021
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
One of the best books I've read. Totally immersive, though harrowing. It reminded me a bit of Shuggie Bain. I've never read a book with a female character like Lynette before and that made it special.
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Rich Hastings
5.0 out of 5 stars Another great novel by Willy Vlautin
Reviewed in the United States on 2 June 2021
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
My favorite aspect of a Willy Vlautin novel is his character development. As with his other novels I found the characters in this book to be very believable. I know they were fictional characters but, somewhere in Portland Oregon there are folks exactly like these people.
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bobbie kaald
5.0 out of 5 stars Starkly real fiction
Reviewed in the United States on 26 May 2022
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
I always love the Stories that Willy write. Fiction written by a man as if he was the female lead. Well done to the point I wanted to slap the mom. Read it if you can.
Bobbie Kaald
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K. Daly
5.0 out of 5 stars Review
Reviewed in the United States on 27 July 2021
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
Thoroughly enjoyable- deceptively easy read. Class, hope, loss, disappointments, and the harsh realities of choice all combine in a human soup. Life cuts few breaks here and raw deals are like a sunrise but hope- ever hope -permeated throughout
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 June 2021
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
Stunning, as all Willy Vlautin novels are. His novels speak from the depths and his prose is as clear as gin.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars You will not put this book down.
Reviewed in the United States on 29 June 2021
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
This is a fabulous book. I loved the down-to-earth protagonist. Her adventures in Portland are determined, exciting, and finally rewarding. This is a two day epic that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
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