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Via Negativa
A heartfelt, daring, divinely hilarious debut novel about a priest who embarks on a fateful journey with a pistol in his pocket and an injured coyote in his backseat.
Father Dan is homeless. Dismissed by his conservative diocese for eccentricity and insubordination, he's made his exile into a kind of pilgrimage, transforming his Toyota Camry into a mobile monk's cell. Like the ascetic religious philosophers he idolizes, he intends to spend his trip in peaceful contemplation. But then he sees a minivan sideswipe a coyote. Unable to suppress his Franciscan impulses, he takes the wild animal in, wrapping its broken leg with an old T-shirt and feeding it Spam with a plastic spoon.
With his unexpected canine companion in the backseat, Dan makes his way west, encountering other offbeat travelers and stopping to take in the occasional roadside novelty (MARTIN'S HOLE TO HELL, WORLD-FAMOUS BOTTOMLESS PIT NEXT EXIT!). But the coyote is far from the only oddity fate has delivered into this churchless priest's care: it has also given him a bone-handled pistol, a box of bullets, and a letter from his estranged friend Paul--a summons of sorts, pulling him forward.
By the time Dan gets to where he's going, he'll be forced to reckon once and for all with the great mistakes of his past, and he will have to decide: is penance better paid with revenge, or with redemption?
Father Dan is homeless. Dismissed by his conservative diocese for eccentricity and insubordination, he's made his exile into a kind of pilgrimage, transforming his Toyota Camry into a mobile monk's cell. Like the ascetic religious philosophers he idolizes, he intends to spend his trip in peaceful contemplation. But then he sees a minivan sideswipe a coyote. Unable to suppress his Franciscan impulses, he takes the wild animal in, wrapping its broken leg with an old T-shirt and feeding it Spam with a plastic spoon.
With his unexpected canine companion in the backseat, Dan makes his way west, encountering other offbeat travelers and stopping to take in the occasional roadside novelty (MARTIN'S HOLE TO HELL, WORLD-FAMOUS BOTTOMLESS PIT NEXT EXIT!). But the coyote is far from the only oddity fate has delivered into this churchless priest's care: it has also given him a bone-handled pistol, a box of bullets, and a letter from his estranged friend Paul--a summons of sorts, pulling him forward.
By the time Dan gets to where he's going, he'll be forced to reckon once and for all with the great mistakes of his past, and he will have to decide: is penance better paid with revenge, or with redemption?
245 pages, Hardcover
First published August 11, 2020
53 people are currently reading
1292 people want to read
About the author
Daniel Hornsby
3 books47 followersDaniel Hornsby was born in Muncie, Indiana. He holds an MFA in fiction from the University of Michigan, where he received Hopwood Awards for both short fiction and the novel, and an M.T.S. from Harvard Divinity School. He is the author of a novel, Via Negativa, and his stories and essays have appeared in the Los Angeles Review of Books, Electric Literature, The Missouri Review, and Joyland. He lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 160 reviews
August 11, 2020
Sometimes you like a book so much from the very first page that you read the whole thing with your breath held, hoping it doesn't stumble and disappoint you. Fortunately, Via Negativa retains its footing. Its plot is relatively simple: you're in the company of a retired priest named Father Dan, who's been kicked out of his rectory for being too liberal for church leaders (and also kind of a weirdo). Dan's living in his Toyota Camry, driving west on a mission deliberately ill-defined. On the first page -- the page where my breath initially caught and held -- he sees a coyote get sideswiped by a minivan, so you're soon also in the company of this injured animal, who Dan names Bede, as in the Venerable. Thus picture On the Road, but instead of Sal and Dean, it's a priest and a coyote. And also they're not assholes.
I just love Dan's voice so much. His (the author's) descriptions are vivid and edged by an understated, wry humor. So to go back to that first page once again: this coyote is struck by the van, and Dan says he "saw its big yellow eyes and tail flopping around as it skittered onto the gravel, rolling like a stuntman on fire." Vibrant! Singular! I love it! In general, there are just so many little descriptions of animals and nature I adore. Later, Bede is conked out on pain pills and Dan says, "Bede arched his back and pawed at ghosts." Why do I love that so much? I can just see it so perfectly.
Hornsby does right by his human characters as well. Like any good road trip novel, Father Dan stops at random places along his journey, encountering people in diners and bars. And maybe because of the collar, maybe because of something uniquely him, these people are prone to open up, even to confess. Dan has surreal, delightful conversations whether he's stopping to have a meal or visiting the World's Largest Ball of Paint. He learns people's secrets, even while the reader senses more and more that he's holding onto his own.
Essentially: this is the funniest novel I've ever read about regret. Like J. Alfred Prufrock, Dan is looking back at his life and realizing his sin is that of inaction. He didn't help his friends when he could have. He didn't prevent injustice in the church. He gave himself over to this institution, and it may have ultimately meant nothing. As he himself says in another one of my favorite passages: "I should have lit a fire under [my parishioners], steered them toward justice, holiness, and truth. We should have been stewards of our dying planet. We should have fed the hungry, visited those in prison, healed the sick. We should have taken better care of one another."
But he didn't.
Maybe I'm thinking a lot right now about all the ways we can be better to each other, but this resonated so deeply with me. This is in many ways a swift, easy read, but to me it packed a weight far beyond its page count. It was such bittersweet relief to finally release my breath along with the last line, because it was perfect. And now that I'd made it, I didn't want it to end.
I just love Dan's voice so much. His (the author's) descriptions are vivid and edged by an understated, wry humor. So to go back to that first page once again: this coyote is struck by the van, and Dan says he "saw its big yellow eyes and tail flopping around as it skittered onto the gravel, rolling like a stuntman on fire." Vibrant! Singular! I love it! In general, there are just so many little descriptions of animals and nature I adore. Later, Bede is conked out on pain pills and Dan says, "Bede arched his back and pawed at ghosts." Why do I love that so much? I can just see it so perfectly.
Hornsby does right by his human characters as well. Like any good road trip novel, Father Dan stops at random places along his journey, encountering people in diners and bars. And maybe because of the collar, maybe because of something uniquely him, these people are prone to open up, even to confess. Dan has surreal, delightful conversations whether he's stopping to have a meal or visiting the World's Largest Ball of Paint. He learns people's secrets, even while the reader senses more and more that he's holding onto his own.
Essentially: this is the funniest novel I've ever read about regret. Like J. Alfred Prufrock, Dan is looking back at his life and realizing his sin is that of inaction. He didn't help his friends when he could have. He didn't prevent injustice in the church. He gave himself over to this institution, and it may have ultimately meant nothing. As he himself says in another one of my favorite passages: "I should have lit a fire under [my parishioners], steered them toward justice, holiness, and truth. We should have been stewards of our dying planet. We should have fed the hungry, visited those in prison, healed the sick. We should have taken better care of one another."
But he didn't.
Maybe I'm thinking a lot right now about all the ways we can be better to each other, but this resonated so deeply with me. This is in many ways a swift, easy read, but to me it packed a weight far beyond its page count. It was such bittersweet relief to finally release my breath along with the last line, because it was perfect. And now that I'd made it, I didn't want it to end.
September 21, 2020
A short blurb in the NY Times Book Review made this sounded interesting, and the 4.24 average rating on Goodreads clinched this. Sadly, I was bored with Hornsby's tale of a retired, repentant Catholic priest (Father Dan) and his trip westward to reconnect with two sets of friends, and to deliver a final message to a former colleague. Along the way, he nurses a coyote back to health after it was hit by a car. Essentially, his meandering thoughts and guilt about what he did and did not do as a priest. It was a struggle to finish this one.
July 2, 2020
sharply observed Midwestern retired priest road trip novel that does not shy away from any of the reasons why you might resist wanting to read a novel about a priest. novel about regret and long love for friends. the prose is talky and direct at the same time, which I love, and really I can't think of another debut novel that's similar. The Andre pages are exactly the kind of writing I'm always looking for.
July 17, 2020
This book was beautiful from start to finish in such a plain yet deeply contemplative way. From the first chapter, it's clear Dan is not necessarily the most practical person to take on the task of a road trip, but the odyssey begins nevertheless. Its humour arises in the ridiculous moments Dan comes across others, especially when his almost naïve, hesitant goodwill gets him into questionable situations. In large part, the book is in limbo, as Dan drives across the country with no particular agenda, simply reflecting on his eclectic life and friendships before and the nature of his faith.
As a rather lax practicing Episcopalian (I started reading the book during a sermon, for a service I was singing for, go figure) I didn't understand everything having to do with the main character's experience in Catholicism and many of the cultural or community understandings that are shared in American Catholic practices, but I resonated with so many of his reflections on quotidian spirituality and the idea of via negativa itself. I also loved Dan's character, and his struggles. He's odd, and eccentric, and artsy, and flawed, and prone to migraines and forgetfulness, but he loves--in the most open sense of the word-- so deeply and without pretense.
Digital review copy recommended to me by Toni Hetzel at Penguin Random House through Edelweiss+ and obtained through my place of work, Oxford Exchange in Tampa, FL.
As a rather lax practicing Episcopalian (I started reading the book during a sermon, for a service I was singing for, go figure) I didn't understand everything having to do with the main character's experience in Catholicism and many of the cultural or community understandings that are shared in American Catholic practices, but I resonated with so many of his reflections on quotidian spirituality and the idea of via negativa itself. I also loved Dan's character, and his struggles. He's odd, and eccentric, and artsy, and flawed, and prone to migraines and forgetfulness, but he loves--in the most open sense of the word-- so deeply and without pretense.
Digital review copy recommended to me by Toni Hetzel at Penguin Random House through Edelweiss+ and obtained through my place of work, Oxford Exchange in Tampa, FL.
October 3, 2020
Volim misliti za sebe da imam tri zrna soli u glavi (rekli bi neki da se uzalud nadam, ali dobro) i da ih mogu upogoniti kad treba.
Tako je bilo i s ovom knjigom. Zrna soli su proradila, shvatio sam kamo sve vodi, i nadao sam se da sam u krivu. U suprotnom, bila bi ovo 200 stranica preduga knjiga. Nažalost, bio sam u pravu.
Nešto što je mogla biti jako dobra, dirljiva, pa čak i poučna priča o vjeri i čovjeku, postalo je obično naklapanje umirovljenog svećenika koji na cesti spasi pregaženog kojota.
200 plus stranica nepovezanih misli i prisjećanja na događaje iz prošlosti da bi, iz neba pa u rebra, autor nespretno doskočio do mlake poante svoje knjige Smorilo me...
Tako je bilo i s ovom knjigom. Zrna soli su proradila, shvatio sam kamo sve vodi, i nadao sam se da sam u krivu. U suprotnom, bila bi ovo 200 stranica preduga knjiga. Nažalost, bio sam u pravu.
Nešto što je mogla biti jako dobra, dirljiva, pa čak i poučna priča o vjeri i čovjeku, postalo je obično naklapanje umirovljenog svećenika koji na cesti spasi pregaženog kojota.
200 plus stranica nepovezanih misli i prisjećanja na događaje iz prošlosti da bi, iz neba pa u rebra, autor nespretno doskočio do mlake poante svoje knjige Smorilo me...
January 23, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed this story about a disillusioned Priest (and a Coyote) who embark on a meandering journey of cross-country discovery, penance, and a little resurrection of self. The writing is funny and reflective, without trying too hard. It strikes just the right note.
January 5, 2021
I happened upon this book quite randomly. I was at B&N and just happened to see the cover, became intrigued, read the first page, and knew that I had to buy it. I rarely buy full-price hardcover books without knowing the author or it being a recommendation, but I’m so glad I took the chance with this one. Via Negativa is the debut novel of Daniel Hornsby, and what a stellar way to enter the literary world. What works best here is Hornsby’s patient and philosophical prose. This isn’t a fast paced thriller, this is a novel that takes its time, and delivers concepts rather than thrills, which is exactly my kind of novel. The main plot is about a retired priest who is traveling across the U.S. to meet friends. Along the way he sees a coyote get hit by a car, and decides to bring it with him to nurse it back to health. It sounds warm and fuzzy, but this is not a feel-good novel. This is a book about choices, regret, loneliness; the usual existential issues. The writing is mildly detached, so while you may not feel every emotion being presented, the overall narrative draws you in so well that it’s hard to not want to ride along with the protagonist for every moment of his journey.
My one major issue with the book, and the reason I dropped it down one star, is that the narrative is sometimes a bit too sporadic for its own good. While it may be a road trip, the time frame jumps back and forth frequently enough that sometimes you forget just where in the journey the book is going next. It doesn’t dampen the experience, but when the flashbacks don’t always obviously connect to the main story, it sometimes feels a bit overly meandering.
I am impressed by Hornsby, and I’m very excited to add another author to my extensive list of must-read writers. The best part of this book, is that while I was blown away, I know that the author is capable of writing an even better novel, and it makes me eagerly anticipate his follow up even more.
My one major issue with the book, and the reason I dropped it down one star, is that the narrative is sometimes a bit too sporadic for its own good. While it may be a road trip, the time frame jumps back and forth frequently enough that sometimes you forget just where in the journey the book is going next. It doesn’t dampen the experience, but when the flashbacks don’t always obviously connect to the main story, it sometimes feels a bit overly meandering.
I am impressed by Hornsby, and I’m very excited to add another author to my extensive list of must-read writers. The best part of this book, is that while I was blown away, I know that the author is capable of writing an even better novel, and it makes me eagerly anticipate his follow up even more.
August 20, 2020
This book made me love life, warts and all, more.
August 23, 2020
I loved this book. Funny in a sad way, sad in a funny way, really beautiful, and deeply moving.
January 25, 2022
Not sure how I’ve found myself reading so many books in the Catholicism Literary Universe in the past few months but this is a great one. There’s beauuuuuutiful writing, great little moments across the (gorgeously described) country meeting all sorts of super interesting people, a coyote who I became deeply attached to, an irrefutably Aquarian protagonist, and it feels as timeless as a book that mentions Lorde by name could possibly be.
September 19, 2020
*Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf Publishing for the advance copy!!*
I've been reading so many ARCs through Net Galley lately and I would count this among the best.
The synopsis of this book had me at “road trip.” Father Dan finds himself now homeless after being let go by his conservative Catholic Church without reassignment. He decides to drive out to Seattle, where former parishioners and friends of his now live, to start a new life. The book chronicles his journey from Indiana to Washington. Along the way he rescues a coyote and meets some colorful characters who, just like him, are figuring out what their next move will be.
This book was as fun a read as the synopsis leads you to believe. There are elements of the Catholic Church discussed throughout the book, but you don’t need a foundation in Catholicism to follow along. The focus is on Dan’s journey and his relationships with people. It’s a great study of a flawed man who wants to do the right thing, but often finds himself too overwhelmed or inside his head to follow through and be the person they need and want him to be.
Loved it!
I've been reading so many ARCs through Net Galley lately and I would count this among the best.
The synopsis of this book had me at “road trip.” Father Dan finds himself now homeless after being let go by his conservative Catholic Church without reassignment. He decides to drive out to Seattle, where former parishioners and friends of his now live, to start a new life. The book chronicles his journey from Indiana to Washington. Along the way he rescues a coyote and meets some colorful characters who, just like him, are figuring out what their next move will be.
This book was as fun a read as the synopsis leads you to believe. There are elements of the Catholic Church discussed throughout the book, but you don’t need a foundation in Catholicism to follow along. The focus is on Dan’s journey and his relationships with people. It’s a great study of a flawed man who wants to do the right thing, but often finds himself too overwhelmed or inside his head to follow through and be the person they need and want him to be.
Loved it!
November 30, 2021
Like another review has mentioned, I held my breath almost the entire 300 pages for reasons I couldn’t quite tell you. You start to fall more and more in love with the main character, and yet he keeps this distance with you that’s unbearably consistent. I liked the 1st person narration a lot. I liked the LGBTQIA+ representation in this book, though something about it was missing. I don’t know the authors sexuality so I am interested in looking that up.
This book also has lots of fun Catholic/Christian quips and quick bites of history and theology. There was a lot of symbolism to unpack, I think this is a book that would need a reread.
This book also has lots of fun Catholic/Christian quips and quick bites of history and theology. There was a lot of symbolism to unpack, I think this is a book that would need a reread.
October 5, 2020
4.5*
I picked this without reading any reviews/ratings of it; without knowing the context—I guess just by looking at the name and cover: I like bright colours :)
This was fun and gentle to read with lots of good insights about how people respond to traumas and pain. It took me a while to get on board with the writing and the character, but by the middle I was riding that train and loving it.
I picked this without reading any reviews/ratings of it; without knowing the context—I guess just by looking at the name and cover: I like bright colours :)
This was fun and gentle to read with lots of good insights about how people respond to traumas and pain. It took me a while to get on board with the writing and the character, but by the middle I was riding that train and loving it.
September 1, 2020
This is by far my favorite read of 2020 so far!
December 18, 2020
Read this for work and it was low-key wild. But also extremely religious, but not in a suffocating way. I really enjoyed the Father's narration and the ending.
September 18, 2023
"I think the holiest people are the ones who can leave everything behind in search of a true life. ... I'm fascinated by them, I think, because I've always wanted to be like them and have always fallen short."
I have no idea why the summary of this novel calls it hilarious. This isn't a comedy. This isn't even a "road trip" story, really. This is about a priest who has spent his life loyally serving a Church that, ultimately, turned its back on him. Father Dan's family members are all dead; his closest friends have left Indiana for the West; a bishop with a petty dislike for him has kicked him out of his parish; and as he's driving out to Colorado with all his worldly possessions in his car, the good Father sees someone run over a coyote, leaving it injured but alive.
Father Dan is all too human, and we find out about the times he questioned whether he wanted to be ordained and the times he thought about leaving the priesthood. As he drives cross-country, he muses about friendship and love, and wonders whether he could have done more, so much more. He notes that priests are always on the outside of things. They are called Father, yet can never be an actual father to a child. They officiate weddings, but aren't able to marry. They preside over funerals, yet aren't allowed to show grief. He's always there among the people, yet forever apart.
As to the meaning of Via Negativa: "A few of Origen's followers said we shouldn't picture God when we pray....We call this tradition the via negativa. The negative way. I agree with Origen... even crucifixes bother me sometimes... all my vision-seeking has only confirmed the paradox of God hiding, perfectly, in plain sight. If we want to see God in the world, all we have to do is see the world. If we want to see God in human form, look at people. Look around. Turn around."
I found this to be a touching story about the meaning of love and guilt and redemption (is it even possible?). The ending left me with tears in my eyes. Wonderful.
I have no idea why the summary of this novel calls it hilarious. This isn't a comedy. This isn't even a "road trip" story, really. This is about a priest who has spent his life loyally serving a Church that, ultimately, turned its back on him. Father Dan's family members are all dead; his closest friends have left Indiana for the West; a bishop with a petty dislike for him has kicked him out of his parish; and as he's driving out to Colorado with all his worldly possessions in his car, the good Father sees someone run over a coyote, leaving it injured but alive.
Father Dan is all too human, and we find out about the times he questioned whether he wanted to be ordained and the times he thought about leaving the priesthood. As he drives cross-country, he muses about friendship and love, and wonders whether he could have done more, so much more. He notes that priests are always on the outside of things. They are called Father, yet can never be an actual father to a child. They officiate weddings, but aren't able to marry. They preside over funerals, yet aren't allowed to show grief. He's always there among the people, yet forever apart.
As to the meaning of Via Negativa: "A few of Origen's followers said we shouldn't picture God when we pray....We call this tradition the via negativa. The negative way. I agree with Origen... even crucifixes bother me sometimes... all my vision-seeking has only confirmed the paradox of God hiding, perfectly, in plain sight. If we want to see God in the world, all we have to do is see the world. If we want to see God in human form, look at people. Look around. Turn around."
I found this to be a touching story about the meaning of love and guilt and redemption (is it even possible?). The ending left me with tears in my eyes. Wonderful.
December 23, 2023
"Oh no, what do you mean I was unable to see the deeply flawed and harmful ways of the church when I was in it? What do you mean there are people who use this space to do horrific things, and now I'm too old to change any of it?"
My man, the Church is flawed; always has been, and always will be. Step aside, give me your coyotes and cool pistols acquired from owners of highway sideshows, and go look at a mountain.
My man, the Church is flawed; always has been, and always will be. Step aside, give me your coyotes and cool pistols acquired from owners of highway sideshows, and go look at a mountain.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 13, 2021
"I should have lit a fire underneath them, steered them toward justice, holiness and truth. We should have been stewards of our dying planet. We should have fed the hungry, visited those in prison, healed the sick. We should have taken better care of one another."
In the Christian tradition, the via negativa refers to a way of speaking about God and his attributes. Because God is a being far beyond our capacity as human beings to comprehend, anything we can say of him is necessarily limited by our finite human understanding and his reality far surpasses our power of expression. The most true things we can say about him are by way negation—by saying what he is not rather than what he is. We therefore can come to know God better through meditating on how much greater he is than anything we can conceive.
Daniel Hornsby's debut novel, "Via Negativa," is the story of a retired priest, lost in a sea of conservatism, heading out on the road with an injured coyote in the backseat of his car, to clear his heart and mind of some heavy baggage. His exploration of his faith, his relationships and the confines of feeling an outsider in a church hierarchy who has lost its purpose. Father Dan is an artist, an explorer, who has been suffocating in an environment of repression and avoidance and we catch up with him as his awareness and reconciliation with his past becomes clearer.
The story has some really funny moments, such as when Fr. Dan describes Saturday evening Mass Catholics as “the most dull and mechanical Catholics and should technically be considered Presbyterian.” Ok, so it's Catholic humor.
I enjoyed the book. If you are looking for a pilgrimage story about dealing with pain and suffering in a fractious and lonely world, I'd highly recommend this and I look forward to reading his next work.
In the Christian tradition, the via negativa refers to a way of speaking about God and his attributes. Because God is a being far beyond our capacity as human beings to comprehend, anything we can say of him is necessarily limited by our finite human understanding and his reality far surpasses our power of expression. The most true things we can say about him are by way negation—by saying what he is not rather than what he is. We therefore can come to know God better through meditating on how much greater he is than anything we can conceive.
Daniel Hornsby's debut novel, "Via Negativa," is the story of a retired priest, lost in a sea of conservatism, heading out on the road with an injured coyote in the backseat of his car, to clear his heart and mind of some heavy baggage. His exploration of his faith, his relationships and the confines of feeling an outsider in a church hierarchy who has lost its purpose. Father Dan is an artist, an explorer, who has been suffocating in an environment of repression and avoidance and we catch up with him as his awareness and reconciliation with his past becomes clearer.
The story has some really funny moments, such as when Fr. Dan describes Saturday evening Mass Catholics as “the most dull and mechanical Catholics and should technically be considered Presbyterian.” Ok, so it's Catholic humor.
I enjoyed the book. If you are looking for a pilgrimage story about dealing with pain and suffering in a fractious and lonely world, I'd highly recommend this and I look forward to reading his next work.
August 7, 2020
An unusual read. Daniel is a priest who has lost his flock and now is on a road trip to the West Coast. In between Indiana and Seattle, he comes upon an injured coyote which he rescues and puts in his back seat. The two of them then embark on an unusual road trip that is less about the physical journey than the people he meets. There's some quite philosophical musings here, as can be expected, but it never gets so deep that you lose the thread of the plot. What's with the pistol and the bullets? No spoilers from me. It's almost a coming of age novel except that Daniel's no kid- so it might better be termed a tale of personal stock taking. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. For fans of literary fiction.
December 30, 2020
conflicted on this! as both a former catholic and lifelong kansan, I appreciated and enjoyed how clearly the author’s experience living in kansas shone through and his commentary on catholicism! it was cool having that connection to the story. on the other hand, the main character and story lacked the depth that would’ve made it feel more real. I liked what the story was trying to do and many passages and scenes hit hard. but I was ultimately left wanting a little more out of this book.
August 16, 2020
Little character depth made this a slower than necessary read. The struggles of the protagonist were not explored very well and the drug use tedious. The ending also seemed rather anti-climactic. There are moments of beautiful writing and this could have elevated a better thought out character study.
September 13, 2020
This novel was just what I needed at a time when I am feeling besieged by conservatives. Refreshing reflections by a (ficticious) retired priest. Earthy, sometimes humorous, sometimes poignant, often thought-provoking. A delightful read for anyone.
January 24, 2025
so beautiful :’) an unconventional priest takes a trip cross country. he finds divinity and awe in the mundane, fashioning himself into a modern pilgrim. this will join the ranks with two step devil, the vaster wilds, and other novels of such thoughtfully religious persuasions
August 25, 2024
What a delight it was to read this book about a priest on a road trip pondering theology, faith, and life itself. I wasn’t raised Catholic but I completely related to so much of his thoughts as an ex-vangelical myself. The inclusion of the sexual abuse and homophobia in the church felt delicate and important.
November 1, 2020
I hardly remember the last time when a novel grabbed me so quick and instantly. Most of the time it takes many chapters for me to get sucked in, but Via Negativa did it from the first page, and I ultimately read this so fast, in just about a day! I'm not even a fan of road trip novels, but this one was so instantly inviting and it was so hard to put down. Everything about it felt so familiar in a way that I even felt at home with it - with Father Dan and his coyote companion that he names Bede. The writing is as deep, insightful, and wise as it was also so sly, witty, and funny, and all without being pretentious or over the top. The story was wonderfully strange and yet everything was so real and so human. What's not to relate about trying to find oneself, or trying to find the meaning of faith, hope, and religion even when ultimately there are no answers, just more questions. This is simply a truly stunning debut by a wonderful author, and I sure hope more readers will find Via Negativa and enjoy Dan's remarkable talent!
June 5, 2020
This book is a Novel with a capital 'N.' Sure there's a narrative and thing A happens and then thing B happens but something about the prose and the theme elevates it to something that feels like an instant classic, like something that will be on syllabuses and summer reading lists 50, 100 years from now. There's something simultaneously harsh and very tender about it, that reminds me of Catcher in the Rye, if nothing else. It's the kind of book that makes you think about your own relationship with faith, because it's as if the God that the protagonist is grappling with and still reaching for is wafting somewhere unseen over every scene, every new 'on-the-road' encounter, every reckoning of his sins. I started reading this book and finished it in the same day, barely stopping for food. It grips you like a coyote's teeth and won't let go.
December 28, 2020
Sweet, weird, witness-filled, contemplative. A really moving novel about moving through the world and inside the world and feeling life is both beauty and penance. This one holds so much.
March 13, 2022
Being a story about a Catholic priest struggling with faith, there's the shadow of Graham Greene overhanging this book: will it live up to that tradition? While there is a sense of agony and guilt running through the boook, the road trip element and the contemporary concerns (the pedophile priest scandals, the effect of Vatican II and reactions against it) make the story into a unique animal. Whether or not you agree with the main character's struggles about being too liberal for his colleagues, his journey is a compelling one.
January 4, 2022
Dude what!!!!! This was great. Loved it. But I TURNED THE FINAL PAGE AND COULD NOT BELIEVE MY EYES WHEN I SAW THE WORD ACKNOWLEDGMENTS… what!!!! I need like at least one more paragraph or something, COME ON. Tweeting at the author now.
But really… this is great. Hilarious and meaningful and weird and theological and so much great church references/info. If you’re a church history nerd you’ll love it.
But really… this is great. Hilarious and meaningful and weird and theological and so much great church references/info. If you’re a church history nerd you’ll love it.
March 18, 2022
A small, reflective book about a retired priest who has been kicked out of his parish. The writing is wry and the author clear knows his stuff with regards to Catholicism. The story is self aware and grapples with many of it issues that make people not want to read a book about priests. I thought there were some really beautiful moments and I enjoyed following Father Dan on his quest for revenge/penance.
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