Infernal Drums

by Anthony Wright

Infernal Drums explores the spiritual awakening of protagonist Jonah Everman, who regards himself as a writer who drifts, but is really a drifter who writes. Journeying to Mexico, he runs afoul of the law and pays out big to avoid jail. He then heads to the capital where he finds a few kindred spirits, newspaper work, and trouble in spades. Forging an unholy alliance with occult forces, Jonah’s moral destruction seems assured. Or is it?

281 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Rebecca Gransden · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rambunctious journey into the Mexican underworld following a journalist in his wanderings. Lots of beat inflected escapades and playfully dense language. The descriptive flourishes are every now and then really notable. Seems to chronicle another time, set in the 90s, with a heavy hangover of previous decades. Captures the kinetic nature of the city’s underbelly very energetically.

Things really pick up when petty revenges and adventures into the occult come into play. Throughout, the journalist retains a reluctant agitation, directed towards his existence, equal part swept up in events and guided to them by the force of his wayward personality. For me, the novel is most successful when immersing itself in the sticky immediacy of city living. Not quite convinced by the denouement, but by that point it seemed pretty immaterial anyway.

Overall, a dirty travelogue, which wears its traditions on sweaty sleeves. Enough verve to bring something fresh to a well-populated area of literature. Enjoyed, and would like to check out the author’s short story collection, which I believe covers similar terrain.