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I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive
Doc Ebersole lives with the ghost of Hank Williams—not just in the figurative sense, not just because he was one of the last people to see him alive, and not just because he is rumored to have given Hank the final morphine dose that killed him.
In 1963, ten years after Hank's death, Doc himself is wracked by addiction. Having lost his license to practice medicine, his morphine habit isn't as easy to support as it used to be. So he lives in a rented room in the red-light district on the south side of San Antonio, performing abortions and patching up the odd knife or gunshot wound. But when Graciela, a young Mexican immigrant, appears in the neighborhood in search of Doc's services, miraculous things begin to happen. Graciela sustains a wound on her wrist that never heals, yet she heals others with the touch of her hand. Everyone she meets is transformed for the better, except, maybe, for Hank's angry ghost—who isn't at all pleased to see Doc doing well.
A brilliant excavation of an obscure piece of music history, Steve Earle's I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive is also a marvelous novel in its own right, a ballad of regret and redemption, and of the ways in which we remake ourselves and our world through the smallest of miracles.
In 1963, ten years after Hank's death, Doc himself is wracked by addiction. Having lost his license to practice medicine, his morphine habit isn't as easy to support as it used to be. So he lives in a rented room in the red-light district on the south side of San Antonio, performing abortions and patching up the odd knife or gunshot wound. But when Graciela, a young Mexican immigrant, appears in the neighborhood in search of Doc's services, miraculous things begin to happen. Graciela sustains a wound on her wrist that never heals, yet she heals others with the touch of her hand. Everyone she meets is transformed for the better, except, maybe, for Hank's angry ghost—who isn't at all pleased to see Doc doing well.
A brilliant excavation of an obscure piece of music history, Steve Earle's I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive is also a marvelous novel in its own right, a ballad of regret and redemption, and of the ways in which we remake ourselves and our world through the smallest of miracles.
243 pages, Hardcover
First published May 12, 2011
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2714 people want to read
About the author
Steve Earle
44 books78 followersSteve Earle is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, author, political activist, and Grammy Award winner.
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August 4, 2023
No matter how I struggle and strive/
I’ll never get out of this world alive. – Hank Williams
Stop me if you have heard this one:
A defrocked morphine-addicted physician, his pusher (who is also his best friend), two hookers (who operate the Yellow Rose Resort Home, a hotel that also serves as brothel, emergency room, and abortion clinic), a mysterious teenaged Mexican girl (who is in the country illegally), and Hank Williams (well, not Hank exactly, but his ghost) walk into a bar.
The punch line is Steve Earle’s debut novel which is populated by the above group of misfits who as a group do go into a bar at one point in the story.
The title comes from the last Hank Williams song to be released prior to his death on January 1, 1953. He was twenty-nine years old when he died in the backseat of his Cadillac on the way to a concert date. Written by Williams and Fred Rose, the song was meant to be humorous and ironic, but the irony took on a different tone after the singer’s death. It quickly soared to the top of the country charts.
Apparently a doctor had been summoned to give Williams an injection of vitamins mixed with morphine to help him cope with the chronic back pain caused by the spina bifida he was born with, which caused him great misery throughout his lifetime and had caused him to become addicted. The drug mixed with the alcohol that he was consuming at the time has been given as the explanation for his death.
In an interview Steve Earle stated that he always believed that a doctor was travelling with Williams and that it was he who administered the injection, but who then skedaddled when it became apparent that Williams wasn’t going to survive.
It is that imagined doctor, Doc Ebersole, who is the central character in the novel. Due to his morphine addiction, he has lost his license to practice, but practice he does in the Yellow Rose Resort Home in San Antonio’s red light district where he finally landed after leaving Louisiana. Among his patients are the wounded and maimed and uninsured, who avoid hospital emergency rooms because they would be asked questions that they do not want to answer.
But those are not the patients who provide him with most of the income that he needs to feed his drug habit. Because the year is 1963, and because it is ten years before Roe v. Wade, the doctor’s room in the Yellow Rose is not only an emergency room, it is also an abortion clinic. The doctor justifies his performance of the illegal procedures on the basis that the women he serves are poor. The rich, he says, can always get an illegal, but safe, abortion, but the poor can’t. At least, he rationalizes, when they come to him their lives will not be unduly jeopardized.
Oh, did I mention that he is haunted by Hank Williams’ ghost? He and the ghost are able to engage in conversation, but their relationship is an uneasy one. Hank often asks Doc for morphine to ease his back pain and Doc refuses on the ground that it is impossible to inject a ghost and besides he says that Hank is “as pitiful an excuse for a ghost as he was as a human being.”
Doc’s life is changed after performing an abortion on Graciela, an illegal Mexican immigrant, who is only a teenager. She not only has a positive transformative effect on Doc, but by some mysterious and magical way she also changes the lives of others with whom she comes into contact.
I don’t want to venture into spoiler territory, so that’s enough about the plot. But I will add that the grim story is lightened somewhat by moments of humor – dark humor, to be sure – but humor nevertheless.
A mixture of reality and mysticism – what has come to be called magical-realism – doesn’t always work for me. There is a fragile balance between the two elements that has to be maintained but I believe Earle successfully maintained that balance. The critic for the LA Times put it best: “Earle is pointing out that reality can merge with myth in the service of a larger truth.”
The realism element in Earle’s story stems from the fact that he grew up near San Antonio and knows the town. He also knows the people who populate his novel since he was arrested for possession of heroin in 1993 and cocaine and the illegal possession of firearms a year later. He was sentenced to a year in jail but was released after serving two months. He recently separated from his seventh wife, actually his sixth, since he was married twice to one wife.
The magical element, on the other hand, is the product of a tremendously creative brain. He is not only a singer and song writer, but he is also a poet and a playwright and an actor, and has published a short story collection that received good notices. And now he has written a novel that is being developed as a film.
And he is a musician who plays the guitar, mandolin, banjo, harmonica, and bouzouki. If you don’t recognize that last instrument by that name perhaps you know it by one of its two other names --trichordo or tetrachordo – or perhaps not.
I’ll never get out of this world alive. – Hank Williams
Stop me if you have heard this one:
A defrocked morphine-addicted physician, his pusher (who is also his best friend), two hookers (who operate the Yellow Rose Resort Home, a hotel that also serves as brothel, emergency room, and abortion clinic), a mysterious teenaged Mexican girl (who is in the country illegally), and Hank Williams (well, not Hank exactly, but his ghost) walk into a bar.
The punch line is Steve Earle’s debut novel which is populated by the above group of misfits who as a group do go into a bar at one point in the story.
The title comes from the last Hank Williams song to be released prior to his death on January 1, 1953. He was twenty-nine years old when he died in the backseat of his Cadillac on the way to a concert date. Written by Williams and Fred Rose, the song was meant to be humorous and ironic, but the irony took on a different tone after the singer’s death. It quickly soared to the top of the country charts.
Apparently a doctor had been summoned to give Williams an injection of vitamins mixed with morphine to help him cope with the chronic back pain caused by the spina bifida he was born with, which caused him great misery throughout his lifetime and had caused him to become addicted. The drug mixed with the alcohol that he was consuming at the time has been given as the explanation for his death.
In an interview Steve Earle stated that he always believed that a doctor was travelling with Williams and that it was he who administered the injection, but who then skedaddled when it became apparent that Williams wasn’t going to survive.
It is that imagined doctor, Doc Ebersole, who is the central character in the novel. Due to his morphine addiction, he has lost his license to practice, but practice he does in the Yellow Rose Resort Home in San Antonio’s red light district where he finally landed after leaving Louisiana. Among his patients are the wounded and maimed and uninsured, who avoid hospital emergency rooms because they would be asked questions that they do not want to answer.
But those are not the patients who provide him with most of the income that he needs to feed his drug habit. Because the year is 1963, and because it is ten years before Roe v. Wade, the doctor’s room in the Yellow Rose is not only an emergency room, it is also an abortion clinic. The doctor justifies his performance of the illegal procedures on the basis that the women he serves are poor. The rich, he says, can always get an illegal, but safe, abortion, but the poor can’t. At least, he rationalizes, when they come to him their lives will not be unduly jeopardized.
Oh, did I mention that he is haunted by Hank Williams’ ghost? He and the ghost are able to engage in conversation, but their relationship is an uneasy one. Hank often asks Doc for morphine to ease his back pain and Doc refuses on the ground that it is impossible to inject a ghost and besides he says that Hank is “as pitiful an excuse for a ghost as he was as a human being.”
Doc’s life is changed after performing an abortion on Graciela, an illegal Mexican immigrant, who is only a teenager. She not only has a positive transformative effect on Doc, but by some mysterious and magical way she also changes the lives of others with whom she comes into contact.
I don’t want to venture into spoiler territory, so that’s enough about the plot. But I will add that the grim story is lightened somewhat by moments of humor – dark humor, to be sure – but humor nevertheless.
A mixture of reality and mysticism – what has come to be called magical-realism – doesn’t always work for me. There is a fragile balance between the two elements that has to be maintained but I believe Earle successfully maintained that balance. The critic for the LA Times put it best: “Earle is pointing out that reality can merge with myth in the service of a larger truth.”
The realism element in Earle’s story stems from the fact that he grew up near San Antonio and knows the town. He also knows the people who populate his novel since he was arrested for possession of heroin in 1993 and cocaine and the illegal possession of firearms a year later. He was sentenced to a year in jail but was released after serving two months. He recently separated from his seventh wife, actually his sixth, since he was married twice to one wife.
The magical element, on the other hand, is the product of a tremendously creative brain. He is not only a singer and song writer, but he is also a poet and a playwright and an actor, and has published a short story collection that received good notices. And now he has written a novel that is being developed as a film.
And he is a musician who plays the guitar, mandolin, banjo, harmonica, and bouzouki. If you don’t recognize that last instrument by that name perhaps you know it by one of its two other names --trichordo or tetrachordo – or perhaps not.
June 23, 2013
This sad, sweet, and often funny tale of an underground doctor among the down-and-out in San Antonio in the early 60’s won my heart over. Doc is a functional heroin addict who, after losing his license in Louisiana, lives in a boarding house where he sustains himself by ministering to the medical needs of folks on the wrong side of the law. This service is mostly care for injuries from alcohol fueled fights and abortions for poor women or prostitutes with no other recourse.
Everything changes for the better when a young teenaged girl from central Mexico, Graciela, is brought in for pregnancy termination by her heel of a boyfriend and ends up staying to become his assistant. They become bound in a platonic love, making a virtual family of two among a core set of mutually supportive friends in their community. A particularly touching event involves Graciela ‘s instigation of a group trip to the airport to catch the grace of Jackie Kennedy’s arrival with the President, who are Catholic like they are. The stability of their life eventually comes under threat when Graciela’s healing ability attracts the undue interest of an Irish priest, whose duty is torn between addressing the sinful abomination of the clinic activities and discovering whether there is anything miraculous in Graciela’s work.
Doc is an unforgettable character with a combination of feistiness, pragmatism, and tender tolerance for the downtrodden not too different from that of the marine biologist Doc in Steinbeck’s “Cannery Row.” Maybe it’s not a stretch to compare him to another character named Doc, the Doc Holliday of Mary Doria Russell’s wonderful novel featuring an ex-dentist living among the lost souls of Dodge City in the late 1870’s. This Doc’s heroin habit was hard for me as a reader to terms with and render him the full empathy he is otherwise due. Also, a magical realism element, that of regular communication with the angry ghost of Hank Williams, was hard to get used to. But soon I took that part in stride and looked forward to these intervals as a window into Doc’s soul and a focus of mysteries in the tale.
Steve Earle is a fabulous musician who brings a lot of his poetry and ear for dialog to his writing. It was a pleasure to experience his laconic, rich Texas accent in his artful reading of the audiobook version of this satisfying novel.
[image error]
Earle sings Hank Williams tune "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive
Everything changes for the better when a young teenaged girl from central Mexico, Graciela, is brought in for pregnancy termination by her heel of a boyfriend and ends up staying to become his assistant. They become bound in a platonic love, making a virtual family of two among a core set of mutually supportive friends in their community. A particularly touching event involves Graciela ‘s instigation of a group trip to the airport to catch the grace of Jackie Kennedy’s arrival with the President, who are Catholic like they are. The stability of their life eventually comes under threat when Graciela’s healing ability attracts the undue interest of an Irish priest, whose duty is torn between addressing the sinful abomination of the clinic activities and discovering whether there is anything miraculous in Graciela’s work.
Doc is an unforgettable character with a combination of feistiness, pragmatism, and tender tolerance for the downtrodden not too different from that of the marine biologist Doc in Steinbeck’s “Cannery Row.” Maybe it’s not a stretch to compare him to another character named Doc, the Doc Holliday of Mary Doria Russell’s wonderful novel featuring an ex-dentist living among the lost souls of Dodge City in the late 1870’s. This Doc’s heroin habit was hard for me as a reader to terms with and render him the full empathy he is otherwise due. Also, a magical realism element, that of regular communication with the angry ghost of Hank Williams, was hard to get used to. But soon I took that part in stride and looked forward to these intervals as a window into Doc’s soul and a focus of mysteries in the tale.
Steve Earle is a fabulous musician who brings a lot of his poetry and ear for dialog to his writing. It was a pleasure to experience his laconic, rich Texas accent in his artful reading of the audiobook version of this satisfying novel.
[image error]
Earle sings Hank Williams tune "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive
September 14, 2022
Enjoyed this read on Audible because it is read by th author. Like Bruce Springfield’s ‘Born to Run’ I switched to audio when saw th author read it and never went back to print.
Th book description is accurate and Steve Earle creates a vivid look into th seedy street and rooming house in th side of 1963 San Antonio where dopers, hookers, ghosts and priests try to get by one day at a time.
Earle is one of my favorite storytellers and songwriters. Th rich characters and his ear for dialogue and poetry, and as a San Antonio Antonio native his Texas tinged voice make this a winner for me.
Th book description is accurate and Steve Earle creates a vivid look into th seedy street and rooming house in th side of 1963 San Antonio where dopers, hookers, ghosts and priests try to get by one day at a time.
Earle is one of my favorite storytellers and songwriters. Th rich characters and his ear for dialogue and poetry, and as a San Antonio Antonio native his Texas tinged voice make this a winner for me.
February 3, 2015
Steve Earle is a problem for many a blue collar Republican. He started out making music by looking and sounding a lot like them, his songs about making a better life, patriotism, love won and lost, and God, resonated and they were hooked. Mostly they still are, only along the way Earle's experiences of heroin addiction and prison altered his perspective as his life was touched by injustice and the oppressed. He couldn't ignore it.
His brilliant first book, Doghouse Roses, comprised of short stories mostly developed from his song writing, themes familiar to fans and to those who like his music yet can't stomach his forthright politics and championing of the 99%.
His detractors need have no fear of his first novel as he has avoided preaching and concentrated on pure storytelling, indeed he has very skillfully, and non judgmentally, navigated his way through both sides of a number of debates not least those concerning abortion.
In I'll Never Get Out Of This World Alive, using his love of common man with all of his flaws, and experiences of a side of life most readers will never have to come close to experiencing, Earle has crafted a solid story adorned with intricate details.
Rather like a virtuoso musician however it is the notes, or details, which Earle leaves out which are often most important.
Set in early 60s Dallas, the three principal characters are the protagonist Doc, his devotee the curandera Graciela, and Manny his dealer.
Doc is a struck off medic forced to live off the only skill he knows as a back street abortionist and self taught surgeon to no goods wishing to avoid hospitals at all costs.
He succombs to a life of drug dependency and requires daily fixing of increasingly more dangerous doses to function and work to live and feed the habit.
Doc is terrorised by the vision of Hank Williams who we are led to assume perished at the hands of Doc although it is also likely the end was nigh before Doc administered a fatal dose of morphine.
It is my reading that rather than a ghost visitation the appearance of ol'e Hank is a trippy hallucination driven by Doc's troubled conscience and therefore the vision takes on a sinister personality.
Earle does assume in the reader a certain prior knowledge of Hank Williams and his unfortunate end. and the portrayal of Williams may be misinterpreted but I'm sure Steve was aware of that possibility when overlaying Doc's guilt onto his nightmare vision of Hank.
It is when the more more wordly yet mysterious young Mexican immigrant Graciela appears for an abortion, literally dumped with Doc by her loathsome boyfriend, that life begins to turn around, slowly and painfully, for Doc, and for a cast of characters surrounding him. The consequent push and pull with Hank is redolent of the effects of cold turkey. Graciela is the miraculous yang, Hank the demonic yin.
There are many turns and sub plots, and a cast of characters which include a black transvestite prostitute and a sinister Catholic priest, before we find out if yang defeats yin for Doc, and if he finally makes peace with his conscience in the form of Hank.
The journey to redemption for Doc, Graciela and Manny is beautifully told by Earle with great knowledge of the extraordinary time and place, and well researched input of Mexican healing and spiritual traditions.
A cameo of the Kennedy's visit to Dallas seems an unecessary sideshow but I can only assume Earle intended its inclusion as a place and time setter to aid the imagination. It adds nothing I could ascertain of substance to the plot other than suggestions of fascination with Jackie and a subliminal connection to Graciela's prescience, and a quite bizzare and a scarcely believable daytrip for the principal characters. It is a very minor criticism of a wonderful novel which deserves to be read widely and hopefully marks the beginning of a regular outlet for this talented writer to express his visions beyond what is possible in a four minute song.
There's no hard core socialism here only balance and heart felt experience from this hard core troubadour, and a finale of surprising sensitivity and extraordinary vision.
His brilliant first book, Doghouse Roses, comprised of short stories mostly developed from his song writing, themes familiar to fans and to those who like his music yet can't stomach his forthright politics and championing of the 99%.
His detractors need have no fear of his first novel as he has avoided preaching and concentrated on pure storytelling, indeed he has very skillfully, and non judgmentally, navigated his way through both sides of a number of debates not least those concerning abortion.
In I'll Never Get Out Of This World Alive, using his love of common man with all of his flaws, and experiences of a side of life most readers will never have to come close to experiencing, Earle has crafted a solid story adorned with intricate details.
Rather like a virtuoso musician however it is the notes, or details, which Earle leaves out which are often most important.
Set in early 60s Dallas, the three principal characters are the protagonist Doc, his devotee the curandera Graciela, and Manny his dealer.
Doc is a struck off medic forced to live off the only skill he knows as a back street abortionist and self taught surgeon to no goods wishing to avoid hospitals at all costs.
He succombs to a life of drug dependency and requires daily fixing of increasingly more dangerous doses to function and work to live and feed the habit.
Doc is terrorised by the vision of Hank Williams who we are led to assume perished at the hands of Doc although it is also likely the end was nigh before Doc administered a fatal dose of morphine.
It is my reading that rather than a ghost visitation the appearance of ol'e Hank is a trippy hallucination driven by Doc's troubled conscience and therefore the vision takes on a sinister personality.
Earle does assume in the reader a certain prior knowledge of Hank Williams and his unfortunate end. and the portrayal of Williams may be misinterpreted but I'm sure Steve was aware of that possibility when overlaying Doc's guilt onto his nightmare vision of Hank.
It is when the more more wordly yet mysterious young Mexican immigrant Graciela appears for an abortion, literally dumped with Doc by her loathsome boyfriend, that life begins to turn around, slowly and painfully, for Doc, and for a cast of characters surrounding him. The consequent push and pull with Hank is redolent of the effects of cold turkey. Graciela is the miraculous yang, Hank the demonic yin.
There are many turns and sub plots, and a cast of characters which include a black transvestite prostitute and a sinister Catholic priest, before we find out if yang defeats yin for Doc, and if he finally makes peace with his conscience in the form of Hank.
The journey to redemption for Doc, Graciela and Manny is beautifully told by Earle with great knowledge of the extraordinary time and place, and well researched input of Mexican healing and spiritual traditions.
A cameo of the Kennedy's visit to Dallas seems an unecessary sideshow but I can only assume Earle intended its inclusion as a place and time setter to aid the imagination. It adds nothing I could ascertain of substance to the plot other than suggestions of fascination with Jackie and a subliminal connection to Graciela's prescience, and a quite bizzare and a scarcely believable daytrip for the principal characters. It is a very minor criticism of a wonderful novel which deserves to be read widely and hopefully marks the beginning of a regular outlet for this talented writer to express his visions beyond what is possible in a four minute song.
There's no hard core socialism here only balance and heart felt experience from this hard core troubadour, and a finale of surprising sensitivity and extraordinary vision.
July 15, 2025
Fantastic, fantastic book, five stars and one of my favorites…have read / listened to it a half dozen times and it just gets better and better each time. And special note if you are an audiobook person, definitely listen to to author’s superb performance, truly captivating.
Set on the south Presa strip on the bad side of San Antonio in the mid 60’s, I’ll Never Get Out Of The World Alive tells the tale of Doc, a disgraced former physician turned dope junkie who is haunted by the ghost of Hank Williams, and scratches out a hard scrabble existence among the junkies, working girls, and hustlers on south Presa.
Doc’s world unexpectedly changes when he meets Graciela, a young Mexican girl in trouble who is brought to Doc for an abortion. Graciela’s aura starts to change and improve the lives of all the scuffling regulars on south Presa, and even gives them a sense of family.
Set on the south Presa strip on the bad side of San Antonio in the mid 60’s, I’ll Never Get Out Of The World Alive tells the tale of Doc, a disgraced former physician turned dope junkie who is haunted by the ghost of Hank Williams, and scratches out a hard scrabble existence among the junkies, working girls, and hustlers on south Presa.
Doc’s world unexpectedly changes when he meets Graciela, a young Mexican girl in trouble who is brought to Doc for an abortion. Graciela’s aura starts to change and improve the lives of all the scuffling regulars on south Presa, and even gives them a sense of family.
December 7, 2018
3.5 stars. Pretty decent read. Great characters. And maybe its because Earle narrated the audiobook, but the dialogue all kind of seemed the same no matter which character was speaking.
Aside from some extended exposition in parts, the story moved along well. Overall, I found the book to be entertaining and enjoyable, with some nice humor thrown in. It felt like a first novel (which it was) that Earle probably really enjoyed writing.
Aside from some extended exposition in parts, the story moved along well. Overall, I found the book to be entertaining and enjoyable, with some nice humor thrown in. It felt like a first novel (which it was) that Earle probably really enjoyed writing.
October 2, 2013
Grammy award winner, singer/songwriter Steve Earle named this novel after his 14th studio album released in 2011. He has acted in roles on television and in movies. While I'll Never Get Out Of This World Alive is his first novel, Earle has also written a play and a book of short stories. To be honest, I hadn't heard of him before reading his novel, so my opinion is only swayed by having read about him on Wiki, and liking his anti-war, anti-death penalty, etc views. The man has led a colorful life, to say the least. As Earle is a recovering heroin addict, I give him credit for the consistency and range of his artist endeavors.
As for the novel, Earle achieved the goal of causing this reader to want to know what was going to happen, which is not a trivial accomplishment. It is not a story with soaring prose or deep insight. It is not well written. In fact, I believe an unknown author would never had sold it to a publisher--at least until it had been further developed and edited.
The story itself reminded me of Mister God, This Is Anna. When I first read Flynn's story, I was deeply touched, amazed, and tearful at the end. It had been presented as non-fiction, followed by controversy and exposure as being pure fabrication. I read it again, a couple years ago, and regretted the loss of magic. In any case, Earle's novel reminded me of Flynn's but Flynn's was better. Both novels revolve around a miraculous young girl. Flynn's Anna is beyond religion. To her, church was like going to a park with "Keep off the grass" signs everywhere. Anna was wise, insightful, and viewed always from the main character's POV. This allowed her to be mysterious. Earle jumps from one POV to another, including brief glimpses inside Graciela (who turns out to be a Mexican shaman with a sprinkling influence of Catholicism). For me, this POV jumping reduced the impact of the characters. This was but one example of the problems I saw with Earle's novel. But then, I'm a struggling, self-published novelist and Mr. Earle is a successful entertainer. You might enjoy the novel, especially if you are a Steve Earle fan. I'm off to listen to his music right now....
December 27, 2021
I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive by Steve Earle (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2011)(Fiction) (3597).
This is brilliant fiction. I expected little from this book. To my surprise, this is one of the ten best novels I’ve ever read. Really!
I knew that author Steve Earle is a Texas songwriter and troubadour. He’s a legend as a songwriter’s songwriter. Other songwriters spend their careers hoping to one day be able to compose songs like Steve Earle pens.
But I had no idea that this talented songwriter had a brilliant novel in him as well, but here it is: I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive. It’s a great story. What’s not to like about a story that involves the ghost of Hank Williams, a heroin addicted ex-physician who runs an ad hoc emergency room / abortion clinic from the back of a whorehouse, the appearance of stigmata, miraculous cures at the touch of a very young curandero, and a misguided Catholic priest who sets the pot astir?
Steve Earle introduces one memorable character after another until they crowd both the page and the reader’s imagination.
Some readers, like me, judge fiction based on the quality of the plot-driven narrative. Other readers place more emphasis on the quality of the characters created and developed. Whatever your approach, I’ll bet you’ll like this one.
There are many thoughtful and well-written reviews of this book on Goodreads. There is no need for me to contribute another detailed summary; check out what other readers have already posted.
Once more, just in case anyone has read this far: I’ll Never Get Out of This World Alive is one of the best stories I’ve ever read.
My rating: 9.5/10, finished 12/22/21 (3597).
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August 14, 2012
I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive is like that lunch your mother used to make you in 5th grade. Maybe it wasn't the best or most delicious in all the lunchroom, but it was made with love and frugal thoughtfulness, neatly wrapped in a brown paper bag.
While Earle's writing is in no way groundbreaking or wholly original in its style and contents, it's pure, it's crisp, it's clean and it's from the heart. I was amazed by the depth and redemption of his characters, the lush moral contrast of the churches and back alleys of South Prisa Strip and the fusion of history and the otherworldly.
I would have, however, liked to see Earle dig deeper into the political undertones of his novel (specifically the conflict of abortion), being that his treatment of them was fairly brusque and watered-down. I'm sure he was afraid that by getting more political, he would compromise the magical-realistic element of the story, however I think that it would have made the book much more relevant, especially considering the upcoming American presidential elections.
This book was a pleasure to read, and I definitely recommend it to somebody who's looking for something meaningful and comforting but not too alienating or intimidating.
While Earle's writing is in no way groundbreaking or wholly original in its style and contents, it's pure, it's crisp, it's clean and it's from the heart. I was amazed by the depth and redemption of his characters, the lush moral contrast of the churches and back alleys of South Prisa Strip and the fusion of history and the otherworldly.
I would have, however, liked to see Earle dig deeper into the political undertones of his novel (specifically the conflict of abortion), being that his treatment of them was fairly brusque and watered-down. I'm sure he was afraid that by getting more political, he would compromise the magical-realistic element of the story, however I think that it would have made the book much more relevant, especially considering the upcoming American presidential elections.
This book was a pleasure to read, and I definitely recommend it to somebody who's looking for something meaningful and comforting but not too alienating or intimidating.
June 19, 2022
Now I know why people say that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. I literally had to fight my way through the book, but I just couldn't force myself to read the last 30 pages.
What I expected the book to be like: a poetic, interesting novel about a Mexican girl who emigrates to the United States and finds herself surrounded by surreal, neurotic people and ghosts. Steve Earle is a songwriter, so I expected him to capture nuances and make connections that regular authors wouldn't.
What it really was like: such a disappointment. Even though some parts of the books were inspiring, the story itself was really lightweight and not at all what I'd´ expected. Also, the narrator really got on my nerves.
I wasted 2 weeks of my life on a book, hoping that it would eventually get better, but it didn't. Just... don't read it, guys.
What I expected the book to be like: a poetic, interesting novel about a Mexican girl who emigrates to the United States and finds herself surrounded by surreal, neurotic people and ghosts. Steve Earle is a songwriter, so I expected him to capture nuances and make connections that regular authors wouldn't.
What it really was like: such a disappointment. Even though some parts of the books were inspiring, the story itself was really lightweight and not at all what I'd´ expected. Also, the narrator really got on my nerves.
I wasted 2 weeks of my life on a book, hoping that it would eventually get better, but it didn't. Just... don't read it, guys.
August 28, 2012
I am a big fan of Steve Earle's music, so I had to read his first novel. It was OK.
The ghost of Hank Williams haunts the renegade Doc Ebersole, who kept Hank somewhat alive until he didn't. Doc is a bum, a doctor who has lost his license and lives on the edge of a Texas town. He gets by providing abortions and other medical services to skid row characters who for various reasons can't or won't go to a hospital. He is also a drug addict who kicks and is kept alive by a young Mexican girl-a sort-of angel/saint with healing powers.
Anyway, Earle has all the elements of a good Texas story and I think he made a worthy effort but did not quite pull it off. On the other hand, I have to admire a guy who kicked all his own nasty habits and keeps on keeping on with constant self-reinventions.
June 26, 2013
I like Steve Earle's music. And it is turning out that I really very much like all of his writing as well.
June 5, 2023
Not the worst book I’ve read but one of the worst I’ve read in a while. Don’t feel like elaborating much, but one aspect being transphobia with no redeeming quality in its depiction or narration
November 26, 2019
‘Doc’ is heroin-addicted ex-physician who performs illegal abortions in San Antonio's poorest neighbourhoods and who, it is revealed within just a few pages, is regularly visited by the ghost of Hank Williams. In fact the book's title is ripped from a Hank Williams song that went to the top of the charts in the weeks after he was found dead in the back seat of a Cadillac at the age of 29 in 1953.
It’s a rarity, a debut novel from an accomplished musician, and what attracted me to the book. Though he may be better know as a New York folksinger, and his appearance in The Wire (he wrote the title song for the fifth season), he is originally from Texas, but reinvented himself after a drug addiction.
Parts of the novel are based on his own experiences, and certainly his transformation; in the novel Doc manages to get clean also. Once known as a critic of religious fundamentalism in Texas, he displays much more tenderness in describing his fanatical characters.
It’s easy to dismiss a reformed country-rock star turning to fiction, but his songs always had what critics called ‘a novelistic quality’ to them. It’s not difficult also to spot the effect that David Simon has had in writing his on screen lines.
There’s an album that accompanies the book, released on the same day, and with the same title, which I have yet to get round to, but will.
The novel isn't great, but it’s well worth reading, though I must admit I didn’t quite get the inclusion of Hank Williams, fortunately his appearances are brief.
It’s a rarity, a debut novel from an accomplished musician, and what attracted me to the book. Though he may be better know as a New York folksinger, and his appearance in The Wire (he wrote the title song for the fifth season), he is originally from Texas, but reinvented himself after a drug addiction.
Parts of the novel are based on his own experiences, and certainly his transformation; in the novel Doc manages to get clean also. Once known as a critic of religious fundamentalism in Texas, he displays much more tenderness in describing his fanatical characters.
It’s easy to dismiss a reformed country-rock star turning to fiction, but his songs always had what critics called ‘a novelistic quality’ to them. It’s not difficult also to spot the effect that David Simon has had in writing his on screen lines.
There’s an album that accompanies the book, released on the same day, and with the same title, which I have yet to get round to, but will.
The novel isn't great, but it’s well worth reading, though I must admit I didn’t quite get the inclusion of Hank Williams, fortunately his appearances are brief.
November 8, 2022
The premise of this book is at least interesting, revolving around three figures in San Antonio in 1963: Doc Ebersole, a doctor who’s lost his license to practice through too much self-medication and is now a heroin addict running an illegal abortion clinic in the red-light district of San Antonio; Graciela, a Mexican girl who comes to Doc as a patient and winds up his assistant and also displays some paranormal powers; and the ghost of Hank Williams, one of Doc’s old patients who Doc may have actually killed through whatever he was injecting in Hank to keep him going. There are peripheral characters as well but this kind of mix needs superb juggling habits and the author is a little heavy-handed at times, particularly with the comedy; it alternates between poignancy and slapstick at times, with the “pedal to the metal” a little too often. It tries too hard.
I read this book because I know Steve Earle as a singer-songwriter, and this through Shawn Colvin’s cover of “Someday”. Generally, in my opinion speaking the two genres don’t mix well, novelist and songwriter, as the use and quantity of words is so different unless we’re talking about a sparse prose which is more a series of images than a detailed novel. (One case that I'm looking forward to exploring are Leonard Cohen's novels.) This book didn’t prove me wrong because although it was interesting – interesting premise, at least – it didn’t soar and some parts seemed a bit forced. It’s a book with a lot of merits, definitely not a waste of time, but not a book you should go out of your way for, either. I was curious about Steve Earle as a novelist and now I’m satisfied.
I read this book because I know Steve Earle as a singer-songwriter, and this through Shawn Colvin’s cover of “Someday”. Generally, in my opinion speaking the two genres don’t mix well, novelist and songwriter, as the use and quantity of words is so different unless we’re talking about a sparse prose which is more a series of images than a detailed novel. (One case that I'm looking forward to exploring are Leonard Cohen's novels.) This book didn’t prove me wrong because although it was interesting – interesting premise, at least – it didn’t soar and some parts seemed a bit forced. It’s a book with a lot of merits, definitely not a waste of time, but not a book you should go out of your way for, either. I was curious about Steve Earle as a novelist and now I’m satisfied.
February 21, 2011
This is my early front-runner for my favorite book of 2011 and truly one of the best novels I've read in years. Doc Ebersole is a down on his luck physician. Having been one of Hank William's last friends and physicians he has watched his life fall into an extreme state of disrepair. Strung out on heroin and having lost his medical license he spends his days shooting up and his nights performing illegal abortions in the most desolate street in San Antonio. All the while he is haunted by the ghost of Hank.
Until Graciela comes along. First a patient, it soon becomes obvious that there is more to this girl than meets the eye.
Earle has written a masterful reflection on loneliness, addiction, despair and redemption. With the hand of a seasoned writer he weaves in abortion, liberation theology, Mexican theological mysticism and an indictment on the moral bankruptcies of the priesthood.
This is not an easy tale. It is grit and dirt and despair. But oh, is it beautifully written and chock full of characters worth remembering.
Do yourself a favor and pick this book up when it releases in May.
Until Graciela comes along. First a patient, it soon becomes obvious that there is more to this girl than meets the eye.
Earle has written a masterful reflection on loneliness, addiction, despair and redemption. With the hand of a seasoned writer he weaves in abortion, liberation theology, Mexican theological mysticism and an indictment on the moral bankruptcies of the priesthood.
This is not an easy tale. It is grit and dirt and despair. But oh, is it beautifully written and chock full of characters worth remembering.
Do yourself a favor and pick this book up when it releases in May.
June 26, 2012
What do you say about a book where you can rattle off at least a few flaws, but still happily devoured and enjoyed? That would be this one. The characters are almost representations of a kind of person instead of an actual 3D character, which gives the story an almost fable-like feel. Considering the themes, this may have been conscious and appropriate. I was a little iffy on the motivations of some of the characters, as well as some of the dialogue, but Earle really spun an enjoyable yarn into what I would see as ideal summer reading. It has heavy themes, but still pretty satisfying. So consider my 3 stars more of a 3+.
May 12, 2013
A truly beautiful book with a very unusual cast of characters. Junkies, dealers, whores, pimps, crooked cops and a priest with anger issues come together in a moving story of redemption and grace. Oh, and don't forget the ghost of Hank Williams... A modern masterpiece by one of country music's true outlaws.
July 27, 2022
koji KURAC
September 2, 2023
There are so many factors that drew me to this book. I am a music fan. I love some of Steve Earle's music, my favorite is Copperhead Road. I grew up with Hank Williams fans and learned more about Luke the Drifter than most. And I love when an author narrates their own audio book. So written and read by Steve Earle? With a song title like that? The ghost of Hank Williams? Definitely! I'm in! I have to say in the beginning I was less than impressed. It's rough and vulgar with an excessive amount of language (so if these things bother you, you may want to skip this one). Also, Hank's ghost was anything but nice. So rough start but pretty quickly along comes the character of Graciela and things begin to change. I was hooked. With some larger than life characters, some magical realism, add hope and kindness and grace and I really liked it in the end. I would rate it a 3.5.
January 31, 2024
in so vielen wegen falsch
June 7, 2021
I don’t know what it is about Steve Earle’s voice, but it just feels like home to me. I’ve followed Steve since hearing Copperhead Road for the first time while scraping gaskets during the rebuild of the engine in my ‘69 Mach I. It just resonated and I consumed that album like I used to do in those days.
Life intervened. Steve and I grew apart. I learned what he had been up to for the past few years when I happened upon Terry Gross interviewing him on NPR. It turns out that, while I had been earning an MS in Engineering and starting a family, ole Steve had been hitting rock bottom. He told the story of his heroin habit and what life is like when your only purpose – your obsession – each day is putting together enough money to score and get right with the drug. This wasn’t too hard for Steve at first, with a reservoir of outlaw country/rock crossover star money to drain, but it got harder and harder until, one day, he sold the computer containing a mostly finished novel he had been working on for just pennies on the dollar in order to score.
Next, Steve did some county jail time and, when his manager showed up on visiting day, Steve told him how he was gonna kick so-and-so’s ass for stealing his electric fan. His manager replied with something like, “No Steve, you’re going to keep yourself to yourself, do your time, get your skinny white ass out of here, and write me an album!”
And that’s exactly what Steve did. He went on to pull off one of the greatest turnarounds in the world of music. Without the assistance of Jesus, he cleaned himself up and went on to write a series of wise and sensitive albums in the genres of rock, country, folk, and bluegrass music. He has had recurring roles on The Wire and Treme on HBO, wrote a book of short stories (Doghouse Roses: Stories), had a satellite radio show, and in 2011 he published I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive. (I wonder if this arose from that novel on that computer he sold for some smack.)
All that being said, I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive wasn’t my favorite book. And, as is so often the case, having the author read it took something away from the experience. Steve tried to weave in Hank Williams’ ghost, heroin, and religion into a story that took a turn to the mystical, which I personally hate. His characters were mostly believable, though, and the book had its moments, but it all ended up just kind of being a mess. It's ironic that Steve can render a nuanced story in a few lines of lyrics (give the Copperhead Road lyrics a read if you don't know them), but can't do the same in a full novel. I’ll give it 3 stars but, really, one of those is probably a sentimental one.
But I’ll buy Steve's next album and I’ll definitely go up to San Francisco the next time he comes into town for the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, and I’ll probably read another book of his if there is one. Steve and I go way back!
Life intervened. Steve and I grew apart. I learned what he had been up to for the past few years when I happened upon Terry Gross interviewing him on NPR. It turns out that, while I had been earning an MS in Engineering and starting a family, ole Steve had been hitting rock bottom. He told the story of his heroin habit and what life is like when your only purpose – your obsession – each day is putting together enough money to score and get right with the drug. This wasn’t too hard for Steve at first, with a reservoir of outlaw country/rock crossover star money to drain, but it got harder and harder until, one day, he sold the computer containing a mostly finished novel he had been working on for just pennies on the dollar in order to score.
Next, Steve did some county jail time and, when his manager showed up on visiting day, Steve told him how he was gonna kick so-and-so’s ass for stealing his electric fan. His manager replied with something like, “No Steve, you’re going to keep yourself to yourself, do your time, get your skinny white ass out of here, and write me an album!”
And that’s exactly what Steve did. He went on to pull off one of the greatest turnarounds in the world of music. Without the assistance of Jesus, he cleaned himself up and went on to write a series of wise and sensitive albums in the genres of rock, country, folk, and bluegrass music. He has had recurring roles on The Wire and Treme on HBO, wrote a book of short stories (Doghouse Roses: Stories), had a satellite radio show, and in 2011 he published I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive. (I wonder if this arose from that novel on that computer he sold for some smack.)
All that being said, I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive wasn’t my favorite book. And, as is so often the case, having the author read it took something away from the experience. Steve tried to weave in Hank Williams’ ghost, heroin, and religion into a story that took a turn to the mystical, which I personally hate. His characters were mostly believable, though, and the book had its moments, but it all ended up just kind of being a mess. It's ironic that Steve can render a nuanced story in a few lines of lyrics (give the Copperhead Road lyrics a read if you don't know them), but can't do the same in a full novel. I’ll give it 3 stars but, really, one of those is probably a sentimental one.
But I’ll buy Steve's next album and I’ll definitely go up to San Francisco the next time he comes into town for the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, and I’ll probably read another book of his if there is one. Steve and I go way back!
May 7, 2011
Hope Personified
A failed doctor whose career has crashed into the drudgery of drug abuse fueled by backroom abortions performed at a whorehouse back room in 1960’s Texas might sound like a grim tale. And it is. However beautiful young healer recently arrived from Mexico joins forces with the doc. As she comes to love him while learning his healing trade she also works magic on the drug addicted hookers they treat. One by one they stop their addictions and give up hooking returning to a better life. Most of the action is centered around the motley crew of hookers, drug dealers and the Doc who drive from San Antonio to Dallas to see the Kennedy’s on their ill fated last trip together.
I’m not familiar with Earle’s music, though I recently saw him perform on Letterman and liked the song he sang, so I came to this book with a blank slant. I loved his use of imagery as well as his theme of unorthodox redemption. The story of Hank Williams Sr. and his music and life were fascinating. A plot device that felt integrative rather than conceit.
This review was based on an egalley supplied by the publisher.
4.5/5
A failed doctor whose career has crashed into the drudgery of drug abuse fueled by backroom abortions performed at a whorehouse back room in 1960’s Texas might sound like a grim tale. And it is. However beautiful young healer recently arrived from Mexico joins forces with the doc. As she comes to love him while learning his healing trade she also works magic on the drug addicted hookers they treat. One by one they stop their addictions and give up hooking returning to a better life. Most of the action is centered around the motley crew of hookers, drug dealers and the Doc who drive from San Antonio to Dallas to see the Kennedy’s on their ill fated last trip together.
I’m not familiar with Earle’s music, though I recently saw him perform on Letterman and liked the song he sang, so I came to this book with a blank slant. I loved his use of imagery as well as his theme of unorthodox redemption. The story of Hank Williams Sr. and his music and life were fascinating. A plot device that felt integrative rather than conceit.
This review was based on an egalley supplied by the publisher.
4.5/5
December 1, 2013
This is a nicely written, imaginative book. I had no idea who Steve Earl is, so i read about the author about midway through. i can now understand how he was able to write some of the descriptions of the main character, Doc, and his imagined ghost, Hank Williams. I also took the time to read a little about Hank Williams' life (and death) which were just as interesting as this book was entertaining. It's a great read.
April 7, 2015
Listened to the audio read by the author. What a great, interesting, beautiful, unusual story. If you have a love for down home country, San Antonia or just like a story where the characters are both law breakers but of the Robin Hood type--having nothing but willing to give any little they might obtain to someone worse off themselves--then you are sure to like this one. The author reading it was a particular treat as his raspy voice was just perfect for this tale.
October 3, 2018
I like his music fine, but this book was completely a revelation. It's moving and mystical. He moves you through his plot like a master tour guide, with wonderful characters who are just outrageous enough to be fascinating but not so much that you can't believe in them. I wouldn't say I normally love to read about what it's like to be a heroin addict, but in his hands it was ... enjoyable, sorry but it was.
I loved this book. I couldn't put it down.
I loved this book. I couldn't put it down.
August 6, 2011
A bit disappointing after his DOGHOUSE ROSES. Though pivotal to the narrative, the ghostly interaction between Doc and Hank actually gets in the way of ther story - may be just too many asides. That said, a nicely written story of Faith, Redemption and Miracles, both great and not so great. Overall a valiant effort by Mr. Earle.
June 27, 2018
This is like watching a movie where your first impression is "yeah! great movie!" and then half an hour later you start realizing all the ways in which it really wasn't that great after all. It's interesting to read a book like this because you can see what the author was trying to achieve while still picking out the things that could have been stronger or structured differently to make the plot more cohesive. It's a really interesting setting and unusual group of characters and I was willing to follow them through the story, even as I wished the writing itself had been better.
December 31, 2023
I picked this book off my shelf because it seemed weird, it was but in a good way. I didn’t expect anything from it but was pleasantly surprised that the story moved quickly and was entertaining. I didn’t like some of the language used but appreciate that it’s accurate to the 1960s.
June 16, 2017
This was a good book. Read it, you won't be sorry.
I have no idea why I got this book, I think it was on the Summer Reads shelf at my public library and I went, "Cool title! Is that Steve Earle the country music guy? (I hate modern country but was raised on old 70s country music and before) OH! Hey, it has the ghost of Hank Williams!? Well, I think I will give it a shot!"
I wasn't sorry, and you won't be either if you give it a shot.
I have no idea why I got this book, I think it was on the Summer Reads shelf at my public library and I went, "Cool title! Is that Steve Earle the country music guy? (I hate modern country but was raised on old 70s country music and before) OH! Hey, it has the ghost of Hank Williams!? Well, I think I will give it a shot!"
I wasn't sorry, and you won't be either if you give it a shot.
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