The Horse

APPLE BOOKS REVIEW

Willy Vlautin turns the story of a life lived on music’s edges into a haunting examination of what it means to be alive in this captivating novel. Aging musician Al Ward has become a recluse, living in a shack by a deserted mine with just his guitar, a notebook, and some canned soup for company. Then a horse shows up outside his door, injured and possibly blind. Without a doubt, death is an option for both of these desperate creatures—but then, so is life. As a musician himself, Vlautin has no trouble grappling with an artist’s thoughts, fears, and regrets. Every song Al writes brings up a new memory of his doomed uncle or his ex-wife or a long, strange night in Reno. Vlautin blends all this into one bittersweet but ultimately hopeful listen. He handles the narration himself, speaking with an authenticity that’s hard to describe but, like a great song, you know it when you hear it.