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Man in the Woods

3.23 of 5 stars 3.23 · rating details · 969 ratings · 215 reviews

One of the most acclaimed modern American novelists, Scott Spencer captures the intensity of human passion--and its capacity to both destroy and redeem--with unparalleled precision and insight. Now, in his most stunning novel yet, this wry, witty, and deeply sensitive writer returns to the territory of his "New York Times" bestseller "A Ship Made of Paper," in a gripping a...more

Hardcover, 320 pages

Published September 14th 2010 by Ecco

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May 17, 2012 karen rated it 3 of 5 stars

i am having difficulty finding an angle to approach this book report. i felt very medium about this book, and i can't understand why.

this is a grown-up book. by which i think i mean "staid." there is nothing funny in this book. there is nothing surprising, or scary, or particularly dark. it does its business quietly and competently, but there is no real "oomph" to it. i really felt like it was one of those procedural shows i have on in the background while i chop vegetables or fold laundry.it to...more
i am having difficulty finding an angle to approach this book report. i felt very medium about this book, and i can't understand why.

this is a grown-up book. by which i think i mean "staid." there is nothing funny in this book. there is nothing surprising, or scary, or particularly dark. it does its business quietly and competently, but there is no real "oomph" to it. i really felt like it was one of those procedural shows i have on in the background while i chop vegetables or fold laundry.it told its story and then it left me and went about its business, and i don't think i had any reaction to it at all, like a wednesday-afternoon.

at its heart, it is an ethical dilemma: if a good man accidentally kills a bad man in the forest, does it make a sound? the "good" man in question is a carpenter (like jesus!!) named paul(because we are not finished with biblical allusions, not yet!) who has the love of a good woman and her child, and in every other situation, is self-sacrificing and just goes with the flow of life, not causing any ripples. the "bad" man is running from gambling debts, conning women and using a series of false identities to cover his tracks as he makes his way across the country. he has stolen a dog from one of his victims, and his mistreatment of it is what causes the fight that leaves him dead and paul struggling to justify why he is not going to turn himself in. but he does take the dog and names him shep. (yeah, like "shepherd.")

religion's role in the modern life is a huge part of this book. kate, paul's girlfriend, has made a name for herself as a recovering alcoholic, born-again christian writer and speaker, but the kind of christian who dispenses with inconvenient elements of the religion and has fulfilling intercourse with her boyfriend and makes a ton of money talking about her spiritual journey in person and on the radio.

"what god wants/expects of man" is considered, religious atrocities invoked, there are superstitions and rituals and a literal snake invades what seems to be paradise. add to this mix a sensitive and disturbed but possibly visionary child, and call it a book.

i don't know.

this is such an adolescent comment, but it can't be helped: these characters were annoying. i know. but paul's across-the-board (except for that one splinter) goodness and kate's bitchy jealousy, and paul's sister's overall disapproval of all things and misplaced protection of her husband and general judginess is irritating. the female characters, specifically, were all pretty shady - with their public vs private faces. except for the stereotypical friendly lesbian carpenter. i just didn't really care about what happened to them, good or bad. and i wasn't really interested in the "should good people be allowed to get away with bad things" argument. but then, i would be a terrible god. i don't think anyone should ever be allowed to get away with anything. especially litterbugs. there is a special place in my hell for them...

and that's what i have. a "meh" review for a "meh" book.

i guarantee this review will bore those of you who only like me for my porny reviews. sorry, friends...

the writing is solid, but i didn't really walk away from this book with anything more than "i have read another book."

tepid reading makes for boring book reports. i sorry.(less)

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Jan 15, 2013 Thurston Hunger rated it 2 of 5 stars

Bookclub read, really rough going in the first part for me, and not for the violent nature of the action, but for the portrayal of Paul (his soft hands, his softer soul, his hard strength, his harder member). Felt like a boddice-ripper portrayal, and actually I wondered if a man really wrote this.

So some super-sex, followed by weeping woman, followed by the crime during which we are very privy to super Paul's thoughts and inner strength.

By the time I got to Paul's meditation that dog is God spe...more

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Aug 27, 2012 Katie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Whoa--this was a mystery with a fantastic last page. And it's different in that there is no "mystery": the whodunit aspect is known from the beginning. It's the aftermath and the consequences that comprise the suspense that kept me riveted throughout the book. Having said that, it's also a really character-driven book, and it was really that more than "the mystery" that kept me reading. Reading about what made the main character tick, and the choices he made, was intriguing. And I found his spou...more

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Feb 28, 2012 Bonnie Brody rated it 5 of 5 stars

Scott Spencer's Man in the Woods is a novel that chronicles the life of Paul Phillips, a man who has been on his own since he was sixteen years old. Paul is both a simple and a complex man - simple because he has relied on good luck and good looks to open many doors, and complicated because he is an artisan of deep convictions that he is unwilling to compromise. He is not a man to say very much but a lot goes on in his mind that does not come out in words. He creates beautiful furniture, crafts,...more Scott Spencer's Man in the Woods is a novel that chronicles the life of Paul Phillips, a man who has been on his own since he was sixteen years old. Paul is both a simple and a complex man - simple because he has relied on good luck and good looks to open many doors, and complicated because he is an artisan of deep convictions that he is unwilling to compromise. He is not a man to say very much but a lot goes on in his mind that does not come out in words. He creates beautiful furniture, crafts, and remodels with wood. Each type of wood speaks to him in its own way. He has never given a lot of thought to his life. Where he is and what he's doing have a way of simply falling into place. He has traveled around a lot, living in Alaska, South Dakota, Colorado and currently in rural New York State.

As the book opens, Paul is living with Kate Ellis, a character from Scott Spencer's previous book, A Ship Made of Paper. Kate has become quite famous recently for her book, `Prays Well With Others'. She is also sought after for speaking engagements and radio and television appearances. Her book is a best-seller and Kate considers herself a liberal Christian who believes deeply in the power of Christ and the lord. She is also a very sensual woman and her love for Paul is unconditional and unwavering. She wishes Paul would marry her but he seems to have an aversion to cementing the relationship though it is monogamous and committed. Kate's book and talks are about the day to day things in her life that she believes make her an `every woman' and also bring her closer to God. She is raising a daughter, Ruby, as a single mother with a mostly absentee father. Paul's relationship with Ruby is good though he does not try to substitute as her dad.

As the book opens, Paul has gone to see about work in Manhattan and is not thrilled about the quality of the job he is being asked to do. He is reticent to accept the contract. Money does not play a huge part in his life though he makes more than enough to get by. With Kate's success, money is the very least of his problems and Kate is happy enough to support them both. On his way back home, he stops in a park near Tarrytown to sit and think, to ponder his life and his reasons for being so strongly opposed to the possibility of the work he was just offered. Though Paul thinks he is alone, he soon realizes that there is someone else close by, a man and his dog.

The man with the dog is Will Claff, though that is not the name he goes by anymore. He has traveled from his home city of Los Angeles around the country, changing his name in each place he stops. His modus operandi is that he usually meets a woman who takes pity on him and will put him up for a while. Will tells the woman that he has traveled to her community to take a job but the person who offered him the job committed suicide right before Will arrived. Thus, he is without work and without means. The truth is that Will has about five thousand dollars in gambling debts and he is paranoid that the people he owes money to are out to get him and surely will kill him once he's found.

Will has just finished jogging, and as the paths of these two men cross, Paul witnesses Will being cruelly sadistic to his dog. This is not an act that Paul can tolerate and, impulsively, he acts in a way that will change his life forever. This can be a theme in Spencer's books - the idea of one impulsive act forever creating a changed and damaged life - and is observed in A Ship Made of Paper and Endless Love.

From this day onward, Paul wonders about himself, about his core essence and how civilized he truly is or isn't. He questions whether he is feral, an animal at the core and not a good man. The book is beautifully written and dramatically unfolds. It is deep, thrilling, and unbearably difficult to read at times. Spencer has created a gem, a modern look at good and evil. While he provides the questions, the answers and judgments rest in the hands of the reader.
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Mar 01, 2011 Mark rated it 3 of 5 stars

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Nov 13, 2010 Delaney Diamond rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: general-fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This book had me worried right up until the very end. Paul accidentally kills a man in the woods on his way home one evening. The guy had it coming, though. He was viciously abusing a dog. (Yes, I realize that's not enough of a reason to kill someone). I cringed when I read those passages--it was so graphic.

Paul never gets over the fact that he's done something so horrible. It eats at him. Kate, his partner, is so in love with him and so desperate to keep the bit of happiness she has with him th...more

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Jun 03, 2012 Sheri rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: addiction, male-female-power-sex-attractivenes

I really wanted to like this book. I thought the premise was interesting, there were some great moments, but overall I was just too sidetracked by all the religious propaganda. Despite some great intellectual moments, we can really boil this book down to: Man accidentally kills a bad person in the woods; his girlfriend is a born-again religious freak and he is basically a good person; he is converted, she saves his soul and so he gets away with murder (literally); but then she loses her faith; h...more I really wanted to like this book. I thought the premise was interesting, there were some great moments, but overall I was just too sidetracked by all the religious propaganda. Despite some great intellectual moments, we can really boil this book down to: Man accidentally kills a bad person in the woods; his girlfriend is a born-again religious freak and he is basically a good person; he is converted, she saves his soul and so he gets away with murder (literally); but then she loses her faith; her daughter questions her faith; and so his sister is in a terrible accident; they worship money/fame instead of God; his dog gets revoked and the police arrive to cart him off to jail. Ugh.

Despite all this I wanted to like the book. Maybe part of that is as a reaction to "Those in the IQ aristocracy have fallen in love with their own minds, which is a dangerous, and foolish, and possibly insane thing to do, and their vanity over their extra IQ points fills them with hubris, and they believe themselves to have no superiors." Certainly as Kate mulls over the fact that all the intelligent people she knows do not believe in God (opium of the masses anyone?) and then clearly insults those of us happily encamped in the non-believing intelligentsia I took offense (and maybe then was challenged to try to like it more than I otherwise would?).

There were lots of nonsensical pieces (besides the religious crap): Will ran away for $8K (doesn't he work at a bank, can't he get a loan? although Melinda does point out that maybe he is just loosing his mind); Kate appears (before the accident with Annabelle and her subsequent psychological meltdown) as alternatively a 4 year old and a 11 year old (maybe Scott Spencer just doesn't have kids, but I do and one is 6 and the other is 10 and Kate was both older and younger than each...she is supposed to be 9 at the outset of the novel).

On the other hand, it was well written and there are some great truisms having to deal with relationships, perspective, and addiction:

"Maybe that's the secret of love, sometimes it carries you, and other times it's your turn and you've got to carry it." Nice way to say that relationships are work.

"Paul has long believed that the secret to a happy life is a willingness to do without..." My grandfather once told me that the hardest thing to do is to say no to yourself, but if you figure it out you will be happier overall for it. Similar sentiment here and equally true.

"But how can we ever see ourselves, let along wee ourselves as others see us, when the person seeing is the same as the person seen?" Are we truly self-aware beings? Certainly, some of us are better at it that others, but we all have delusions and perspectives on things.

"it's really about the things we do for alcohol. It's like a demon, Sonny, and it's furious with you for turning your back on it. It will do anything and say anything to get you to put it inside you." I'm not sure I like the thought that the fault lies in the substance (rather than the abuser). She starts with the things we do for alcohol (implying it is the user's choice), but then casts alcohol as a demon forcing the issue. Ultimately, an addict must learn to deny him/herself; resist the urge and make their own choices. Blaming the substance here feels like a cop out and not consistent with Kate's character.

It was engrossing and a page turner, but overall not a very good book.(less)

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Aug 09, 2012 Holly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads

Imagine a good man with a good life who encounters another man alone in the woods abusing a dog. What happens next? That's one way to approach explaining this novel to someone who hasn't read it. But there could be several other ways to go about it: I described the plot to David last night after finishing, and started with that essential premise - which could have lent itself to a mystery-thriller - but then I was speaking of morality, and our dark impulses, and what is it to be good person, and...more

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Jan 16, 2011 Jim Thomsen rated it 4 of 5 stars

While not categorized as a "crime novel," Scott Spencer's "Man In The Woods" is populated by characters who dwell in souls slowly corroded by crime compounded by time.

At its troubled heart lies a simple yet complicated question: Is it really better to get away with murder?

The irony in whatever the answer may be is that the murder in this book isn't really murder ... but, after a series of decisions that the principal characters find at first impossible to live with, and then horribly easier to...more While not categorized as a "crime novel," Scott Spencer's "Man In The Woods" is populated by characters who dwell in souls slowly corroded by crime compounded by time.

At its troubled heart lies a simple yet complicated question: Is it really better to get away with murder?

The irony in whatever the answer may be is that the murder in this book isn't really murder ... but, after a series of decisions that the principal characters find at first impossible to live with, and then horribly easier to reconcile, it sure as hell LOOKS like murder.

Spencer, a literary novelist who specializes in feelings too impossible to contain in the socially acceptable ways, is less interested in tracking the crime than he is in tracking the erratic travels of the hearts, minds and souls of his decent but flawed characters.

With tender insight and dialogue that artfully dances around the problem, Spencer shows how deeply we can fool ourselves into thinking we can stuff the bad stuff too big to contain into trunks of memory and drop them deep into the well of our souls. We all play games with ourselves and our secrets, no matter how good we think and know ourselves to be, and even when we win — or think we win — we really lose. Because those secrets change us, and rarely for the better, even when we make ourselves believe they haven't.

And nowhere is this hard truth more powerfully in evidence than in the final pages of "man In The Woods," with a gut-punch of an ending that makes perfect sense — and carries with it, one suspects, the potential for a more perfect peace for the people of the story.

This is a wonderful book, and another triumph for Spencer, in his ninth novel over a 34-year career. I'm dinging it a star only because he starts down the road of this story with procedural POVs from the perspectives of others connected to the death — and then mysteriously abandons them. One, involving a likely suspect, is strangely shoehorned into the final act, and I found myself wishing he'd been introduced earlier and that his story had continued later. It makes for a slightly uneven reading experience.

On the whole, however, "Man In The Woods" is highly recommended, not just for lovers of literary fiction, but for genre crime readers who like a little (or a lot of) thoughtfulness with their thrills.(less)

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May 07, 2012 Cheryl Klein rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

(If you count something that happens in chapter two a spoiler, then this review contains spoilers.) In chapter two, a free-spirited carpenter named Paul accidentally kills a man while trying to stop him from beating a dog. He panics, doesn’t call the cops and brings the dog home to his girlfriend Kate, the newly successful author of an Eat Pray Love-type memoir. To paraphrase the book, what happens next is the rest of their lives—a crisis of faith for Kate and a possible path to it for Paul. The...more

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Jul 29, 2010 Will Byrnes rated it 4 of 5 stars

It is 1999 and the terror of Y2K is on the horizon. Paul is a carpenter, capable, reserved, who is living in a New York suburb with Kate, a recovering alcoholic, recent convert to Christianity and newly published author of a best-seller about her recovery and conversion. They have a lovely life together, sexual, open, satisfying, and with the success of her book, comfortable. But when Paul, a good man, out in the park one day, interferes with a swindler who is beating his dog, things get out of...more It is 1999 and the terror of Y2K is on the horizon. Paul is a carpenter, capable, reserved, who is living in a New York suburb with Kate, a recovering alcoholic, recent convert to Christianity and newly published author of a best-seller about her recovery and conversion. They have a lovely life together, sexual, open, satisfying, and with the success of her book, comfortable. But when Paul, a good man, out in the park one day, interferes with a swindler who is beating his dog, things get out of hand and an inner rage takes over. Paul kills the man. He struggles to cope with his guilt about the act, with his need to confess his crime.

Man in the Woods is the story of how Paul and Kate cope with the aftermath of that event, how they try to do good, how they struggle with a need for honesty, how they try to figure out what God wants of and for them, and if there is a god at all. Both Kate and Paul try to fill the gaps created by losses in their lives. She finds comfort in religion. He takes comfort in his craft, but still longs for the father he lost long ago. Will the darkness of his act engulf them and blot out the good they both do in the world?

There are many religious references in the story. Aside from Kate’s front-and-center religiosity, there is her daughter Ruby seeing angel-like visions, a dog named Shep that may be shepherding Paul in a particular direction. A family member tells of Maronite Christians committing atrocities in the name of the Virgin Mary. AA membership brings in plenty of references to a Higher Power. Frequent deer sightings feel like spiritual tones as well, and there is serpent to boot.

Paul and Kate are relatable characters. One can understand how they feel, why they feel that way, and one can empathize with their struggles. Their core event may exceed our quotidian experiences, but they wrestle with the same issues that many of us also confront.

That said, I would have liked a bit more of Paul and Kate’s back story. While I thought their characters were well developed, I felt that they could have been made even richer with more background. Also I thought there might have been a bit too much ink dedicated to the swindler who is killed.

Man in the Woods is a moving novel, one whose characters will draw you in, one that deals with adult themes and does it with top-notch literary style.
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Jan 22, 2011 Sherry rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is a good one to discuss with a friend or in a book club. There is a lot to talk about and the writing is beautiful. I admire the literary value, although I do not care for the atmosphere Spencer creates in this book. Spencer wrote some beautiful passages that give very good insight into the interior life of his characters. The plot broods along, heading to its logical end. The mood reminds me of sepia photos of a cold autumn dusk. Spencer touches on themes that have to do with faith,...more

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Aug 10, 2011 Jen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Man in the Woods gripped me from page one, when a man on the lam realizes he has underestimated the kindness of women - he uses them and even steals one of their dogs. This comes into play later when our protagonist Paul sees him beating the dog, and a good man commits a horrible act of violence. What follows is a terrific psychological study of what happens after something like that, and how it affects your relationships and psyche. It's never heavy handed, and there's a lot of seemingly effort...more

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Dec 14, 2010 Keirstan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: american, contemporary, fiction

A man pulls into a state park to get some fresh air before a long drive home and encounters another, more sinister, man beating his confused and frightened dog. Reason escapes and soon enough the first man has savagely beaten the second to death. Thus is the action that sets the stage for Scott Spencer’s MAN IN THE WOODS.

MAN IN THE WOODS uses the idea of extreme circumstance to generate a conversation about character and consequences. The primary subjects of this study are Paul Phillips and Kate...more A man pulls into a state park to get some fresh air before a long drive home and encounters another, more sinister, man beating his confused and frightened dog. Reason escapes and soon enough the first man has savagely beaten the second to death. Thus is the action that sets the stage for Scott Spencer’s MAN IN THE WOODS.

MAN IN THE WOODS uses the idea of extreme circumstance to generate a conversation about character and consequences. The primary subjects of this study are Paul Phillips and Kate Ellis, the killer himself and his devoted girlfriend, respectively. Paul is an old-fashioned type, a carpenter who works with his hands to make a living, needles of modern day creature comforts and harboring an unflinching live-and-let-live worldview. While Paul is somewhat straightforward in character, Kate is more complicated. As a recovering alcoholic, Kate has found fame and fortune by publishing a bestseller about her experiences. She has found God and religion in the recovery process, but harbors no illusion that she is now a pious aficionado of faith. She and Paul live simply and serenely in upstate New York, up until the moment Paul commits his crime.

After the killing, the novel transitions into an examination of consequences, much in the grain of Dostoevsky’s CRIME AND PUNISHMENT. First, because his guilt is undetected, Paul is forced to reckon with the consequences of killing another human being in a world that is wholly indifferent to such an act. Paul reacts by alternately easing his conscience with good deeds and then convincing himself that because he saved a dog in the process, his deed must have been positively received by the cosmos. Throughout each reaction, however, Paul is ultimately left empty, hinting to the reader that Paul’s fate has not yet been decided.

In his analysis of Kate, however, Spencer allows himself to examine the crime from a different vantage point. As a recovering alcoholic, Kate understands the atrocities the human species is capable of. In fact, throughout the novel Kate recalls her own painful lows while assisting her fellow AA attendees with their demons. The net result is a psyche that is preconditioned to the terrible act her beloved companion commits and the comparative grace with which she handles the situation does not come without precedent. Kate’s struggle then is not how to love the person who has committed the crime, as she is well-trained to hate the crime, not the criminal. Instead, Kate struggles with protecting Paul, the man she loves, from both himself and the law.

Overall, MAN IN THE WOODS is a highly recommended to lovers of suspense who are looking for a little more depth in a novel. In fact, once the flawed and mysterious William Claff has taken his last breath the action of the novel essentially ceases; however, the end result is a fascinating read.(less)

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Jun 04, 2011 Kerry rated it 3 of 5 stars

I Love Scott Spencer and am always looking for his next book. I say that as an opener because it taints my view point quite a bit. This is a haunting story which is what I've come to expect from Spencer's writing. Yet I did not award it as many stars as many of the other readers--because I do expect so much more. It moved a little slow for my taste, I ended up putting it down for awhile but the story would not leave my head and I had to see how it finished. That in itself is worth the three star...more

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Oct 30, 2011 Sheila rated it 3 of 5 stars

The opening scenario introduces us to a man on the run trying to escape from his gambling debts. He has stolen his girlfriend's dog, Woody. We then meet, Paul, a carpenter who lives with Kate and her daughter Ruby. Paul comes from a difficult childhood, a bitter divorce between his parents, and his unsucessful attempt to reconnect with his father. Paul has travelled thoughout the United States including Alaska before he settles in the town where Kate lives. Kate is a recovering alcoholic who has...more

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Mar 08, 2011 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

Mr. Spencer is a phenomenal writer. His images are luminescent, and his ability to illustrate complex scenes in just a few sentences is amazing. One of the things I liked most about this book was his evocation of the months just before and after Y2K, which Mr. Spencer depicts pitch-perfectly. In an interesting personal twist, this book built upon the last book I read, Stealing the Mona Lisa, in their explorations of the nature of seeing and looking. But I did find some aspects of one of the main...more

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Sep 26, 2010 Tara rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a page turner that will keep you reading and will leave you wanting more. Spencer brilliantly delves into the psyche of his characters as he weaves their stories together with descriptive, insightful writing.

He explores a number of questions about the human condition. The main character commits a terrible crime in the heat of the moment that forever changes his life and the lives of the ones he loves. The main character is a skilled carpenter who lives by his own code and highly values...more

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Dec 19, 2010 Mark Stevens rated it 3 of 5 stars

"It's strange how the law seems to be completely asleep...and then suddenly one day it just opens its eyes and grabs you."

That's a line from late in "Man in the Woods," when readers might be wondering if Paul Phillips will pay any consequence for his actions. The mid-section of the book will make you squirm. There's a sensation that Phillips might walk away. He's certainly found the perfect companion in Kate Ellis, who knows a thing or two about life-changing moments and forgiveness. She's a rec...more "It's strange how the law seems to be completely asleep...and then suddenly one day it just opens its eyes and grabs you."

That's a line from late in "Man in the Woods," when readers might be wondering if Paul Phillips will pay any consequence for his actions. The mid-section of the book will make you squirm. There's a sensation that Phillips might walk away. He's certainly found the perfect companion in Kate Ellis, who knows a thing or two about life-changing moments and forgiveness. She's a recovered alcoholic and increasingly famous author and radio talk show host. Spencer uses her fame in clever, key fashion to help draw events to a close. (I don't think I'm giving too much away.)

I liked "Man in the Woods" but it's not my favorite Spencer novel. I haven't read them all, but "Rich Man's Table" and "Men in Black" were more satisfying to me. There is something bitingly real about Spencer's style. It's a bit ungainly and awkward in spots but his present-tense prose makes us feel like we are inside the heads of real people. As opposed to say, Ian McEwan or Richard Ford, Spencer's style has a few more splinters and hasn't been sanded-down to a smooth finish. But they give Spencer's characters a powerful point of view. In this book, the style helps add to Phillips' struggles with his feelings of internal isolation.

The problems with "Man in the Woods" start with plausibility. The reason Phillips is able to evade police suspicion for so long relies on many conveniences. I had a hard time with Kate's reaction when Phillips finally reveals what he's done. I thought Phillips would squirm and worry even more than he does, in thinking about whether he will (or should) pay a price. In fact, for us to like Phillips we have to think it's okay to walk away from his act of violence and not ultimately take responsibility for it. I didn't care for the chapters from the cops' point of view; they didn't lead anywhere. And the conversations between Phillips and his friend Lawson felt a bit too contrived. One chat even flashes the main theme of the book like a marquee on Broadway:

"Is that all?" Lawson says. He puts his arm over Paul's shoulders. "Welcome to the world. And, by the way, welcome to America. I was just last night reading this story by D.H. Lawrence where he says the typical American is private, independent, and sort of a killer, in his heart."

I wonder if Spencer saw that line from Lawrence and dreamed up a novel on the spot. It's a worthwhile theme, of course, and Spencer is an engaging writer. There will no doubt be controversy over the abrupt final moment, which would work well in one of those cut-to-black finishes of a film. I liked it.

"Man in the Woods" is thought-provoking and it carries weight, but it doesn't quite have the impact could.
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Oct 11, 2010 Bookmarks Magazine rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: nov-dec-2010

What happens if we're not made to pay for our crimes? This question lies at the heart of Man in the Woods, a psychological and philosophical thriller about belief, guilt, responsibility, love, religion, and the randomness of life. Critics had mostly praise for the novel, with its intelligent plotting, gorgeous prose, powerful and serious tone, vivid characters (especially Kate), and commentary on turn-of-the-century America. A few reviewers thought that Spencer sometimes obscures his own message...more

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Jan 02, 2012 Emily rated it 2 of 5 stars

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Dec 12, 2010 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010

Scott Spencer is an amazing writer, no doubt about it. I love the style of his prose: succinct, clever and often jaw-droppingly precise. His words evoke an almost physical reaction. You can feel cold where there is cold, warmth where there is warmth. Despite this, Man in the Woods, about an otherwise “good” man who does a terrible thing, was at times slow for me. I understood what the author was trying to do, show the gray areas of human behavior (and, let’s be honest, a gray kind of character i...more

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Nov 27, 2012 Cook Memorial Public Library rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: psychological-fiction

Paul, who has had a bad day at work, stops at an isolated park to unwind before heading home. The only other person he encounters is a man savagely beating his dog. It can happen.

From the beginning of this book, I strongly identified with Paul who was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, and wondered what I might have done in such a situation. Although I’ve never read anything by this author before, I will definitely find him again. His writing was gorgeous and the characters completely b...more

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Mar 04, 2012 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars

I finished this book a few weeks ago but needed some time to think about it before I could review it. It definitely stayed with me and I find myself thinking about the characters even now. In the book, one of the main characters kills someone in a brutal and random way and seems to get away with it (no witnesses). The reader is left to wonder whether he should in fact get away with it: he seems like a good guy and we know that the guy he killed is kind of a scum bag. But is he really a good guy?...more

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Nov 07, 2010 Esme Pie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-fiction

My second Scott Spencer book in just as many days. Very provocative story of a good man who does something very bad and how he comes to understand the act and its consequences. The book didn't hang together as a whole as well as 'A Ship Made of Paper.' Too many of the characters were introduced and disappeared without feeling well-plotted. Also, the character of Ruby, the nine year old daughter of one of the main characters felt terribly under-developed and weird. So much more could (and should)...more

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Jan 21, 2011 Paulette rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really liked this book. I wasn't familiar with Scott Spencer, but the book was on a recommended reading list.
I was a little concerned that this book might head toward something reminiscent of "Crime and Punishment." (I read "C&P" in college, either for English Lit or Russian History. I got through it, but I do recall having to wade through a lot of mental anguish / emotional masturbation.)
I also thought the book might be slow or heavy-handed. But I didn't find that at all. Additionally, Sp...more

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Jan 31, 2011 Paul rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, four-star-plus-reads

A novel about faith. A secular man (who lives with a religious woman) unintentionally kills a man and gradually comes to terms with his actions, gaining a level of religious faith along the way. Curiously, his companion and lover, a popular religious writer and radio commentator, finds her faith disappearing. At the center of the novel is the dog that formerly belonged to the slain man, and there is even a line somewhere in the middle of the story where the author points out that "dog" is "god"...more

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May 02, 2012 Leslie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, popcorn-reading

Clunky in construction and frequently awkward in its prose. I think the weaknesses of this book could have been addressed by a good editor, who would have tightened it up and cut things that cluttered the structure without really adding to what the book is doing (like the out-of-the blue mentally ill daughter, whose therapist recommends a diet free of additives, sugar and caffeine--what does any of that have to do with the substance of this book? and why do we get a detailed description of her o...more

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Oct 02, 2011 Janet rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

This books seemed to be touted as psychological fiction. More like psychological Ambien. It's pretty much just boring. Paul has a violent encounter with a "man in the woods," and most of the book is the aftermath of that event. The problem is that the characters are just annoying. Paul himself seems to be set up as pretty much a perfect man--talented, sensitive, etc. His girlfriend is a born-again recovering alcoholic, who now makes a fortune from a book she wrote. Her daughter Ruby appears to b...more

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Aug 02, 2011 Bradley rated it 2 of 5 stars

Really wasn't too happy with this book. After 'The Event' in the woods,I was preparing for a cat and mouse game between police and Paul, girlfriend and Paul, anyone and Paul. It just went nowhere. Some reviewers tossed this book on a pedestal. Throughout the entire novel, I was questioning why. I didn't care about the characters. I didn't care about the plot. I didn't care about anything. I was almost 3/4 of the way in when I realized this book was going nowhere. I thought I better finish it. Ju...more

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About Scott Spencer

Scott Spencer (b. 1945) is the critically acclaimed, bestselling author of ten novels, including Endless Love and A Ship Made of Paper, both of which have been nominated for the National Book Award. Two of his books, Endless Love and Waking the Dead, have been adapted into films.

He has taught at Columbia University, the University of Iowa, and Williams College, and Bard College's Bard Prison Initi...more

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