What do you think?
Rate this book
The World Beneath: A Novel
A mesmerizing literary novel that begins when a boy goes missing―and winds into an obsessive hunt with murderous results. One cold November morning in Perser, Oklahoma, Sheriff Jerry Martin receives a disturbing a local fifteen-year-old has disappeared. The boy, J.T., who is half Mexican, half Chickasaw and has been raised by his grandmother, is known for starting trouble. Sheriff Martin sets out on a fevered search, determined to find J.T., even as the hunt reopens wounds from a traumatic event in his past. In a seemingly parallel but ultimately intersecting story, Hickson Crider, a veteran of the first Iraq war, discovers a mysterious crevice, perfectly round and seemingly bottomless, in his backyard. The hole becomes Hickson’s obsession―and an ominous clue in Sheriff Martin’s investigation.Aaron Gwyn’s perceptive, quietly beautiful prose is “reminiscent of Flannery O’Connor” ( Kirkus Reviews ), engaging us in a tale that is both savage and burning with heart, about the after effects of war, violence, faith, and random acts of devotion.
213 pages, Hardcover
First published March 7, 2009
About the author
Aaron Gwyn
14 books52 followersAaron Gwyn was raised on a cattle ranch in rural Oklahoma. He is the author of a story collection, Dog on the Cross (finalist for the New York Public Library Young Lions Fiction Award), and two novels, The World Beneath (W.W. Norton), and Wynne’s War (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt). His short stories and creative nonfiction have appeared in Esquire, McSweeney’s, Glimmer Train, The Missouri Review, Gettysburg Review, and New Stories from the South. He lives in Charlotte, North Carolina where he is an associate professor of English at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
Read
July 25, 2011Wow. This book affected me more than I thought it would. On the surface, it definitely seemed like a fairly basic book. A teenage boy goes missing in a rural Oklahoma town, and the local sheriff tries to find him. It becomes a bit of an obsession for him because of an incident in his past. And at the same time, a Gulf War veteran in the same town finds a hole in his backyard. A very deep hole. Which for some reason totally unsettles him.
Although my description doesn't do this book justice, the story grips you from out of nowhere, and I found myself completely affected at the end. Aaron Gwyn is a terrific writer and has created a mesmerizing, interesting story with some fantastic imagery.
Although my description doesn't do this book justice, the story grips you from out of nowhere, and I found myself completely affected at the end. Aaron Gwyn is a terrific writer and has created a mesmerizing, interesting story with some fantastic imagery.
July 27, 2010
Part Edgar Alan Poe, part Twilight Zone... a short but very creative and quirky book that explores people's psyches, prejudices, guilt – as well as fear of local city government -- in a way that is humorous, suspenseful and horrifying. I think this is a delightful sorbet to cleanse the palate between rambling 800-page epic novels. It would make a great art-house flick.
June 27, 2024
Aaron Gwyn is one of those writers who understands the Iraq War, post-9/11 milieu really well. It's all over this novel, and the characters have sort of internalized a deep, psychic violence that affects their actions and behaviors heavily. Gwyn's prose is airtight too, and you can see how he plays with paragraph and sentence length for rhythmic effect, compressing sentences for maximum punch and clarity.
Only took me a while to read because I cycle through lots of books.
Only took me a while to read because I cycle through lots of books.
January 15, 2018
He reminds me of Larry Brown in his style. Always a good thing!
July 10, 2013
I think I was only disappointed in this novel because Gwyn's short story collection was so extraordinary. I'm not sure what I was expecting as a follow up, and it's not fair to compare, really, which is why I gave this novel 4 stars, which is what it deserves as a stand alone piece.
I rarely say this, but I wanted more from this book. It could have been longer, the main characters developed further. It's a quick read, Gwyn's style is so fluid, so another 50 pages wouldn't have bogged it down at all.
Well worth the read, all in all.
I rarely say this, but I wanted more from this book. It could have been longer, the main characters developed further. It's a quick read, Gwyn's style is so fluid, so another 50 pages wouldn't have bogged it down at all.
Well worth the read, all in all.
December 17, 2009
Gwyn's writing is crisp and his characters are carefully limned. This was a page turner for me to see how this mystery would be resolved and to see how each of the characters and their actions fit into the plot. This was a quick and powerful read.
May 31, 2013
I'd rate this one at 4.5 stars if I could, and that low only because of my opinion that Gwyn's short story collection, Dog on the Cross (a definite 5 stars), is somewhat better than the novel. Still, a great read, and very well written. Highly recommended!
January 20, 2019
Review to come upon publication (April 2009) at http://fictionwritersreview.com
June 21, 2009
For review.
December 5, 2010
Review forthcoming on translitmag.com
December 21, 2010
Interesting book--about a 15 yr old boy struggling to live while feeling he fits in nowhere, and a man who also feels the same due to PTSD.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews