Rich insight into Mexican culture

 

 ⭑⭑⭑  The Devil Takes You Home is about a Latino man who loses everything and finds himself in a dark existence doing the unthinkable to survive. But he seems oddly okay with his change in fortunes and just rolls with it. I didn't feel very invested in Mario and his circumstances. He felt like a dispassionate narrator and I, as the reader, was just rolling along with him.

The writing is both richly lyrical and frustrating at the same time. I loved the interesting turns of phrase, the Mexican/Spanish wisdom, but found the constant reflections of Mario's previous family life a wee bit wearing. Yes, this novel is harshly violent, with hints of horror, but what I appreciated most was the Mexican religious mysticism that elevated the novel in a fascinating way. Great insight into a culture and its beliefs for someone not familiar.

The plot, after taking a few unexpected turns, played out pretty much as I suspected it would. How could Mario not foresee the obvious conclusion? Regardless, this was an insight into a world unlike my own and I appreciate that.