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John Darnielle

Goodreads Author

Born

in Bloomington, Indiana, The United States

Genre

Music, Fiction

Member Since

June 2008

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John Darnielle (/dɑrˈniːl/, born March 16, 1967) is an American musician, best known as the primary (and often solitary) member of the American band the Mountain Goats, for which he is the writer, composer, guitarist, pianist and vocalist.

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John Darnielle's Blog: Book Acquisition Syndrome

Traveler of the Century

When people send or give me a book, I always try to make a point of saying: "It takes me forever to get around to anything." My editor at FSG, Sean McDonald, gave me Neuman's Traveler of the Century during one of our earliest meetings -- before I'd even finished Wolf in White Van, I think. I started reading Traveler...last week.

So far it's tremendous -- I often struggle with stories involving 19th Read more of this blog post »

21 likes · Like • 2 comments • flag

Published on October 24, 2016 05:39

Combine Editions
John Darnielle’s books

Average rating: 3.43 · 64,173 ratings · 10,419 reviews · 10 distinct works • Similar authors

	Wolf in White Van 3.72 avg rating — 25,864 ratings — published 2014 — 35 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Universal Harvester 3.17 avg rating — 19,758 ratings — published 2017 — 18 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Devil House 3.19 avg rating — 16,196 ratings — published 2022 — 17 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Master of Reality 4.07 avg rating — 2,272 ratings — published 2008 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	This Year: 365 Songs Annotated: A Book of Days by John Darnielle (Goodreads Author), John Keogh (Illustrator) 4.71 avg rating — 48 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Uncertainties Volume IV by Timothy J. Jarvis (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Rebecca Lloyd (Goodreads Author), Lucie McKnight Hardy really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 16 ratings — published 2020	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Topograph: New Writing from the Carolinas and the Landscape Beyond by Jeff Jackson (Goodreads Author), John Darnielle (Goodreads Author), Blake Butler 3.81 avg rating — 16 ratings — published 2010	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Mays 20 by John Darnielle (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Sebastiano Barassi (Editor), Tao Lin (Goodreads Author) (Editor) 2.50 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 2012	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	From Blacksheep Boys to Bill Collectors: The Music-Related Artwork of William Schaff by William Schaff (Illustrator), John Darnielle (Goodreads Author) (Introduction), Will Sheff (Introduction) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	My picture-book [Hardcover] 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by John Darnielle…

A good scary story is an oddly appealing experience. There’s something about the subtle chills of the ghost story—or the cathartic thrills of...

John is Currently Reading

John Darnielle is currently reading

Are Prisons Obsolete?

by Angela Y. Davis

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8 hours, 22 min ago

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Swinburne, a selection

by Algernon Charles Swinburne

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Mahler: A Musical Physiognomy

by Theodor W. Adorno

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Jun 08, 2025 08:20PM

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John Darnielle is on page 27 of 128 of Are Prisons Obsolete? Are Prisons Obsolete? by Angela Y. Davis progress:	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8 hours, 21 min ago · 5 likes · like · see status · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Are Prisons Obsolete? by Angela Y. Davis. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Are Prisons Obsolete? by Angela Y. Davis <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
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John Darnielle wants to read At The Sign Of The Cat And Racket by Honoré de Balzac	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 28, 2025 08:11PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of At The Sign Of The Cat And Racket by Honoré de Balzac. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — At The Sign Of The Cat And Racket by Honoré de Balzac <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
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Dec 28, 2025 08:04PM · 1 like · like · see status · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of At The Sign Of The Cat And Racket by Honoré de Balzac. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — At The Sign Of The Cat And Racket by Honoré de Balzac <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
John Darnielle rated a book it was amazing The Night Visitors by Carol Goodman (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 27, 2025 02:38PM · 7 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Night Visitors by Carol Goodman. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Night Visitors by Carol Goodman <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
John Darnielle rated a book liked it The Origin of the World by Pierre Michon	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I’m not sure if a) I didn’t know what to make of this; b) it’s not my thing; or c) I’m against it. If a book provokes an ambivalent response in me it can sometimes indicate that it has reached me at a deeper level than I’m accustomed to, but I’m skep ...more
Dec 23, 2025 08:22PM · 13 likes · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Origin of the World by Pierre Michon. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Origin of the World by Pierre Michon <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
John Darnielle rated a book it was amazing The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 23, 2025 04:47AM · 20 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
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Dec 21, 2025 04:33PM · 4 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
John Darnielle finished reading From the Queen by Carolyn G. Hart (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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John Darnielle rated a book it was amazing Dublinesque by Enrique Vila-Matas	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 21, 2025 06:21AM · 4 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Dublinesque by Enrique Vila-Matas. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Dublinesque by Enrique Vila-Matas <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Quotes by John Darnielle (?)

“When you punish a person for dreaming his dream
Don't expect him to thank or forgive you.”
― John Darnielle

tags: dreams

102 likes

“This is why people cry at the movies: because everybody’s doomed. No one in a movie can help themselves in any way. Their fate has already staked its claim on them from the moment they appear onscreen.”
― John Darnielle, Wolf in White Van

70 likes

“People say friends don't destroy one another - what do they know about friends?”
― John Darnielle

50 likes

See all John Darnielle's quotes »

Polls

2nd Quarter 2022 - Horror #1

The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas, 352p

4 votes, 33.3%

Echo by Thomas Olde Heuvelt, 416p

2 votes, 16.7%

The Diviners by Libba Bray, 578p

2 votes, 16.7%

Extasia by Claire Legrand, 496p

1 vote, 8.3%

From Hell by Alan Moore, 576p

1 vote, 8.3%

The Last Man by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, 479p

1 vote, 8.3%

Devil House by John Darnielle, 416p

1 vote, 8.3%

Sundial by Catriona Ward, 304p

0 votes, 0.0%

The White Road by Sarah Lotz, 272p

0 votes, 0.0%

12 total votes

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Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
The Book Challenge: laurea's 2010 challenge	25	82	Jul 11, 2010 01:10PM
21st Century Lite...: 2014 National Book Award	27	186	Nov 20, 2014 07:59AM
Reading Book Club: The Best Books Of 2014	1	26	Dec 05, 2014 04:58AM
J.D. Robb : Best Books - 2014	50	48	Jan 03, 2015 03:34PM
The Book Club: Books and Authors in the Media	71	115	Jan 14, 2015 01:36PM
The Seasonal Read...: 20.3 - Best Review - Book Concierge's task: Caroling, Caroling …	30	104	Feb 12, 2015 05:58AM
21st Century Lite...: Favorite Books of 2014	29	113	Feb 18, 2015 08:46PM

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John’s Year In Books

John Darnielle’s Followers (2,957)

John’s Bookshelves

John’s Friends (270)

John Darnielle

Goodreads Author

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John Darnielle's Blog: Book Acquisition Syndrome

Traveler of the Century

Combine Editions
John Darnielle’s books

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