Quick Take
- Best for: Folks who like historical fiction and horror
- Vibe: Bleak and creepy
- Pace: Medium-Slow
- One-liner: Confessions of a Native American vampire
Overview
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter is a textbook horror novel. I think some readers misunderstand horror as simply 'scary'--but it's so much more than that--and this is a perfect example. Horror is about emotion, psychology, and feeling. That is where The Buffalo Hunter Hunter really shines.
What Worked
Stephen Graham Jones builds the world through gritty and visceral descriptions of the surroundings. The world comes to life on the page and makes the reader feel as if they are right there in the candle-light with Arthur.
Arthur 'tends his flock' and shares internal monologue through journal entries in a way that builds an intimate relationship between character and reader. The man really loves his desserts, and makes you want to love them too.
Good Stab has a deep and dark story to tell. He feels shrouded in mystery throughout the book, and you can never quite get a feel for why he's coming to Arthur until near the end of the book. A beautiful example of a slow burn with a strong ending.
What Didn’t
The special vocabulary used by Good Stab was awesome at fueling immersion. But, until the reader gets accustomed to it--it can feel like a burden. I found a really nice post on substack that broke down the vocabulary and helped me become more familiar with this language choice. Without the substack breakdown I definitely felt a little confused at times.
Honestly, I feel like the beginning and end could have been done completely differently and it still would have been an awesome story. I felt like the framing of the story as journal entries being read by Arthurs great great grand-daughter was not necessary and didn't really add anything to the story. If anything--in my opinion--it made the ending feel disconnected from the rest of the story.
Favorite Moment / Quote
“As the Greeks used to say at the dawn of rational thought, each step to avoid your fate is but a step closer to it.”
“My blood is not Lamb's blood, to wash away sin, but ink, to trace that sin out letter by letter, and so leave it farther and farther behind this nib”
Who Should Read This
If you like to feel something when you read-- this is one of the best examples of how a horror novel should evoke emotions. Fans of vampire stories, historical fiction, and spiritual fiction will also likely enjoy it.
Final Verdict
The book did exactly what I wanted. It made me feel some type of way about both Arthur and Good Stab--and it made the hair stand up on the back of my neck with the beautifully descriptive scenes of brutality. Very glad I read this one, and will continue to recommend it to horror fans.