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thecommonswings's review
5.0
Probably the most distinctive film I’ve seen this year (not necessarily the best or even my favourite) was The Legend of Hillbilly John. It was creaky and sometimes baffling, but it had a certain sense of *otherness* that’s very hard to get right and still lingers with me months after watching it. And that otherness is exactly the tone of the Silver John books. It might not be a great adaptation in terms of storytelling, but in getting that strange sense of tradition and old ways that the books are seeped in onto the screen it possibly counts as one of the best adaptations ever
I enjoyed this a lot more than the previous Silver John book I’ve read this year, After Dark. That was in essence a base under siege story, and although fun it was a bit overloaded in characters. This however is far more intriguing: the central cult is nicely sinister and sketched incredibly lightly, so there’s a real sense that Wellman doesn’t want to overdo any explanations as to what’s going on. Why the government want John in on this is left somewhat unanswered, as are the “foreign powers” Trephaine brings to the sabbat. Similarly, the book sort of indicates you might be getting an answer as to who Trephaine might actually be, but no, Wellman’s resolutely uninterested in telling us that
Instead, it’s a book of strange moments and images: the very precise way he describes John’s incarceration; the lack of birds over Wolver; the visions… By giving full attention to detail to even henchmen (barely sketched but still vivid) and a nicely thought out and developed backstory to Simon, John’s main help in the book, the narrative feels like it’s sketched out in detail but Wellman is happy to only give us the slightest information so we can kind of see the greater design beyond in a way befitting our hero’s own nature
And John’s absolutely fascinating here - easy to write as a cliche, here he’s warm and witty and shrewd and thoughtful. Wellman knows his stuff, from grimoires to folk songs, but is careful to never overplay his research. Instead it’s lightly done, quietly revealing a knowledge of all manner of arcane things but without ever overdoing it. It’s a delicate balance, but in it’s own quiet way as vivid as the silver strings on Silver John’s beloved guitar
I enjoyed this a lot more than the previous Silver John book I’ve read this year, After Dark. That was in essence a base under siege story, and although fun it was a bit overloaded in characters. This however is far more intriguing: the central cult is nicely sinister and sketched incredibly lightly, so there’s a real sense that Wellman doesn’t want to overdo any explanations as to what’s going on. Why the government want John in on this is left somewhat unanswered, as are the “foreign powers” Trephaine brings to the sabbat. Similarly, the book sort of indicates you might be getting an answer as to who Trephaine might actually be, but no, Wellman’s resolutely uninterested in telling us that
Instead, it’s a book of strange moments and images: the very precise way he describes John’s incarceration; the lack of birds over Wolver; the visions… By giving full attention to detail to even henchmen (barely sketched but still vivid) and a nicely thought out and developed backstory to Simon, John’s main help in the book, the narrative feels like it’s sketched out in detail but Wellman is happy to only give us the slightest information so we can kind of see the greater design beyond in a way befitting our hero’s own nature
And John’s absolutely fascinating here - easy to write as a cliche, here he’s warm and witty and shrewd and thoughtful. Wellman knows his stuff, from grimoires to folk songs, but is careful to never overplay his research. Instead it’s lightly done, quietly revealing a knowledge of all manner of arcane things but without ever overdoing it. It’s a delicate balance, but in it’s own quiet way as vivid as the silver strings on Silver John’s beloved guitar
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