Visits from the Drowned Girl

by Steven Sherrill

Book by Sherrill, Steven

Genres: Fiction, Americana, Novels, Death, Contemporary

Paperback

First published May 1, 2004

About the author

Steven Sherrill has been making trouble with words since 8th grade, when he was suspended from school for two weeks for a story he wrote. He dropped out of school in the 10th grade, ricocheted around for years, eventually earning a Welding Diploma from Mitchell Community College, which circuitously to an MFA in Poetry from the Iowa Writers' Workshop.

Now, Steven is an Associate Professor of English and Integrative Arts at Penn State University, Altoona, where he teaches, paints, and captains the Allegheny Bilge Rats Shanty Choir. He has three novels and a book of poems in the world. He has written several articles on contemporary artists for Modern Painters and for TATE Magazine. He is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship for Fiction in 2002. His first novel, The Minotaur Takes a Cigarette Break, is translated into 8 languages and was recently released as an audio book by Neil Gaiman Productions. His second novel, Visits From the Drowned Girl, published by Random House (and nominated by them for the Pulitzer Prize), US and Canongate, UK was released in June of 2004. The Locktender's House, novel #3, was released by Random House in Spring 2008. And in November 2010, CW Books released the poetry collection, Ersatz Anatomy. Most recently, Louisiana State University Press: Yellow Shoe Fiction Series has accepted the novel JOY, PA for publication in the spring of 2015.

There are other books in the works, paintings always underway, much musical silliness underway, and seventeen ukuleles in the house, and 750 vintage wooden crutches in his basement.

Reviews

[Stacey · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book had an interesting premise. Guy working on tower happens to oversee a girl set up a video camera and walk into a river. Guy comes down from tower, grabs camera, videos, and girl's belongings. What will he find?

The answer, in this book, is nothing. The plot never seems to move forward. The book is basically a description of blow jobs, masturbation, midget rape, goats attempting to rape said midget, and did I mention midget rape?! I can handle weird stuff if the book ultimately has a point, but I seriously wonder how this got published as mainstream fiction. Or at all. It's not like it was even sexy or had a purpose in that regard. I don't think I went more than 3 pages without some mention of the main character's penis.

Overall, I think Sherrill took an interesting idea and threw it away.

[Kristina Haro · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I bought this book last year during the pandemic from my local store…. And I was thinking it would be a Halloween read. Boy was I wrong. It is definitely the most crass book I’ve read this year. I wish Goodreads would allow half stars because I would definitely give it 4.5 because it was really more than a 4 to me. I liked the fact that it mentioned Mint Hill and Crowder’s Mountain. I definitely want to recommend this to all of my friends. Especially those in NC. What a strange strange just off the wall book.

[Nick Milinazzo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honest, poetic, & crude. A good read.

[Logophile · Rating 3 out of 5]

Benny Poteat has seen a lot of things, but when he sees a young woman drown herself, it becomes increasingly clear that Benny doesn't know how to deal with the things he's seen. Benny starts out as quite a likeable guy but gradually degenerates into a monster.

It was hard for me to imagine exactly how or why Benny arrived at the things he did or, more importantly, the things he didn't do, and so his transformation over the novel left me somewhat perplexed and not as involved as I might have been. However, the novel is populated with such quirky and richly detailed characters, events, and settings, that it was still a worthwhile, if puzzling, read.

[Victoria JS · Rating 2 out of 5]

The prose made this an easy to read book. The story is set in a small town in the Carolinas. Making allowances for the general culture of this area, being 'redneck' country, I still had difficulty even marginally liking the main character, Benny Poteat. He is cowardly and cruel - contemptible. His friends, as seems to be Steven Sherrill's intent are even worse. Redeeming characters in the book are his next door neighbour, Doodle, and the object of much of his cruelty, Becky. I was equally disappointed in the denouement, that not a shred of the initial issue of the girl at the river, is resolved.

[Donald · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title of this one is just wrong. The drowned girl never does visit. This one was filled with dry humor, midget humor, and various other humorous bits. But it was a circular story that probably shouldn't have been. The ending was a sort of let down—but listen to it anyway and see if you agree...

It did keep my interest; something to be said of that lately.

[JennyLee · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sounds good, but don't waist your time...I couldn't stand the ending!!! The book went absolutely NOWHERE...

[Bella · Rating 1 out of 5]

the worst book i ever read. genuinely. this has nothing to do about a “visit from a drowned girl” this is just a hypersexual old man writing about sex. i think the character “dink” is a self insert. the plot goes nowhere. he just sees a girl walk into a river and instead of reporting it like a sane person he just watches the tapes and jerks off to it! benny will jerk to anyone and anything, consenting or otherwise! (will get to that in a second) this was a waste of 247 pages. a tree died for this. as a sixteen year old i was not expecting so much sexual talk and content. it didn’t progress the plot, it didn’t do anything. because what did adding a short lady getting almost raped by goats AND benny himself add to the story? (side note, for some reason it’s a very big detail in the book that she’s a short lady. why does benny give such a fuck about a short lady?) this book isn’t a “sad, wild funky ride” like it says on the back of the cover. it’s a vulgar, disgusting waste of time. should’ve known better when i saw it on the discount aisle.

[Aydin Truong · Rating 1 out of 5]

At some point the entertainment factor behind the completely random (and often gross to completely offensive and disgusting) regurgitation of words in this book fade away and all that you’re left with are feelings of disgust and a main character with no redeemable qualities. What is the point of this book? When does he stop talking about his penis??!?!!? Luckily it was over semi quickly.

[Steffie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sherrill has a really wonderful ability to give you characters that you truly care about. Visits From the Drowned Girl has perhaps my favourite ever descriptive passage in it; the first kiss and all of its beauty and disappointment.

[Chaney Rain · Rating 1 out of 5]

this book was absolutely nothing like how i thought it was going to be. it was weird and disturbing and most of the time it made no sense. there needs to be trigger warnings for sexual assault as well. i would give it zero stars if i could

[Christie Matulka · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read a sample because a friend said it was, "the worst book I've ever read". She was spot on. Interesting premise but executed poorly. Plus there were tons of errors. Couldn't finish it.

[Renata Weissinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

a very good read

[Kylie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this book had potential to be good but it wasn’t, it was hard to get thru.

[Anthea Hughes · Rating 1 out of 5]

I little rough around the edges for my liking.

[Sha Watson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a fan of this book, like when was the suspense

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an unusual one.
I liked the idea of the story but it was very out there and when I had finished was not really sure what had just happened.
I liked the writing and the characters were well developed.
Some aspects of the story will leave some readers disturbed.

[Victoria · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really struggled to get into this book. I pushed myself for 60 pages but found it to be all over the place, lacking direction, bringing in so many other side stories & characters, barely touching in the basic premise of the story.
I’m sorry but this one is not for me. I will gladly pass it onto where hopefully someone else will enjoy it. ☹️

[Elizabeth Moeller · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author of this book has an MFA in poetry and you can tell from the beautiful language he uses in constructing sentences and the artistic tangents he takes to tell little pictures stories of detail that have little to nothing to do with the plot of this story. I can see where these tangents might drive some readers nuts but for me they really helped me to create a picture of the places and people that populate the story.
The plot of the book is that Benny, who works climbing towers to change lightbulbs, paint or secure guide wires, sees from his perch a girl set up a tripod and video camera and walk into a river, to her death. She leaves behind a business card and a set of video tapes and through them Benny gets an introduction to the drowned girl's life.
Aside from the plot, I think this book is an exploration of why people do the things they do, even when they know they are wrong or will hurt someone. I liked that the author didn't strive too hard to make the characters likeable, but just set forth all of their actions, good and bad, and let you evaluate their character.
The book is set in a southern town populated by oddball characters, but all of the details are skewed just enough to keep the town and its residents from becoming caricatures.
I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who appreciates beautiful language or who likes an unconventional mystery.

[Sharon Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

My love of this book unfortunately rapidly fell away in the last few chapters where it seemed to peter out to a 'nothing' of an ending, leaving me SO disappointed because I was easily going to be giving it 5 stars until then.

Steven Sherrill's writing is just beautiful, it really wraps itself around you and makes you grab onto his words, but then, about three quarters into the book, it just seems to change and characters that you've found yourself endeared to suddenly seem to act out of character entirely (and coldly)- it almost feels as if the author has become bored and has given up. I didn't see the point of the ending - it seemed wishy washy and didn't really say anything.

My 4 star rating is probably being generous considering the latter part of the book, but my strong love for the majority of it has overridden the negatives.

I'll be interested to read the author's other works.

[Kjetil Svarstad · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is not a bad book. However, it was so extremely unpleasant to read that I just could read the last third. The premise is interesting, some person witnessing a suicide, and finding out that only he knows about it. Then out of an intense, sick interest, he starts befriending her family, and getting romantically involved with the sister of the woman who killed herself. And from this awfully tense situation it just escalates and escalates ... and I couldn't take it. Maybe that's the sign of a really good book? Or maybe it's a sign of a book just plainly misusing very emotional situations? Anyway, I hated it! Loved his previous book, though.

[Nick Garbutt · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was an unpleasant book written with apparent contempt for the impoverished communities in which it is set.
Sherrill writes well at times but it is the lack of empathy and compassion coupled with the author’s unflinching descriptions of depravity that mark this work.
In the past few months I’ve read two others based amongst the “poor white trash” of America’s southern states, Barbara Kingsolver’s Demon Copperfield and Cormac McCarthy’s Suttree. Both clearly felt for their protagonists Sherrill does not.
But then in literary terms Kingsolver is a fine writer, McCarthy is one of the greats. In comparison, Sherrill is trash.
Visits from the Drowned Girl is one to avoid.

[Merja Pohjola · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hated ALL the characters... LOL... but there was SOMETHING about it that I can't put my finger on... and I guess most of the characters were meant to be hated anyway. I would have given it 2,5 if that were an option... I just finished reading it and it was a bit weird (not to say disgusting...) so I am not quite sure what to say about it because I haven't absorbed it yet... maybe not even then ;)

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

One of the few books where situations and characters steadily seem to get worse, and it just never gets better. This downward slope doesn't appear to serve a purpose by teaching the characters or the reader a lesson, nor does it make any profound (or even simple) comment on anything. I think it might simply be a depressing book.

[Gerry LaFemina · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a quirky, disturbing and sometimes frustrating book. Sherrill brings to life an incredible cast of memorable characters who are part Southern Gothic and part sideshow freak. Benny Poteat's a confused anti-hero who ultimately disappointed me as a reader, and I was okay with that as he disappointed everyone else, too.

[Linjea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Titel en achterflap maakten heel erg nieuwsgierig, maar de stijl is niet echt soepel en het kost te veel moeite er door heen te komen. Geeft wel mooi beeld van de onderkant van de Amerikaanse samenleving. Ook knap om zo'n onsympathieke hoofdpersoon te maken.

[pea. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the rambling on of thoughts that aded little to the actual plot ... really hoped then Benny would FINALLY do SOMETHING... rather then just get mean. Ok, really thought he would kill himself or finally do his stinky laundry...either would have been a step forward.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise of this book is oddly fascinating, but I can't say that I loved the book. The ending wasn't very satisfying, and the main character sank to new lows every other page. Wouldn't read it again.

[Dymphna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved 'The Minotaur Takes a Cigarette Break' but I just couldn't finish this one. The book meandered too far from its storyline for my liking. Also, all the misery seemed for little.

I am however looking forward to Sherrill's third book.

[Amy]

A little odd