"More engaging than any new fiction in years." -Chuck Palahniuk An unforgettable work of
fiction that peers into the soul of a tough Midwestern American town to reveal the sad stunted
but resilient lives of its residents. Knockemstiff is a genuine entry into the literature of
place. Spanning a period from the mid-sixties to the late nineties the linked stories that
comprise Knockemstiff feature a cast of recurring characters who are irresistibly undeniably
real. A father pumps his son full of steroids so he can vicariously relive his days as a
perpetual runner-up body builder. A psychotic rural recluse comes upon two siblings committing
incest and feels compelled to take action. Donald Ray Pollock presents his characters and the
sordid goings-on with a stern intelligence a bracing absence of value judgments and a
refreshingly dark sense of bottom-dog humor.
