Questions About Wolf in White Van

by John Darnielle (Goodreads Author)

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Answered Questions (5)

Sorry but this book was boring and very odd. Perhaps I am too far removed from the author's generation to understand it. It seemed like aimless ramblings. The main character....I could not connect with him at all. What is the morale of this story?

Dustin I'm not sure there is a moral to the story. For me, it's about the feeling of isolation and depression as a teenager. How it manifests itself, how thi…moreI'm not sure there is a moral to the story. For me, it's about the feeling of isolation and depression as a teenager. How it manifests itself, how this character tried to deal with it. The kind of quiet momentum that builds up in a young persons troubled mind, and how it can pull them under, without really ever understanding why. And it's about choices and crossroads, and how you accept your choices from the past, and deal with their repercussions. Trying to move forward but still looking back, even when you don't want to. It's not really a "here is an answer" book, it's more of a "here's what this feels like" book.(less)

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Is this book appropriate for my 12 year-old? Is there any bad language? Is there any sex? Thank you.

Rob There is a little bit of bad language, and no sex that I can recall, but this is not at all appropriate for a 12 year old unless that kid is *extremel…moreThere is a little bit of bad language, and no sex that I can recall, but this is not at all appropriate for a 12 year old unless that kid is *extremely* mature. And I don't mean "all the other parents compliment my Johnny on how grown up he is" mature. I mean he could be mistaken for an adult if he was communicating with someone via text.

Really though, your question makes me think this would be a good book for you. A large chunk of it is devoted to looking at the really problematic ways parents approach the fiction their kids consume. I think you might find the relationships of the book enlightening, especially if your primary concern is whether or not the book has naughty words in it. (less)

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I listened to this book as an audio book and it was read by the author. I think this is part of the reason I enjoyed this book so much. Did anyone else listen to the audio version? What did you think? After reading so many negative reviews, I'm wondering if my thoughts on the book were influenced by the reader, as I feel that he read it in exactly the way it's meant to be read.

Kris Henry I am listening to it now and about half way through. It is a strange way of telling his story but it is also a strange story to tell. So far I am liki…moreI am listening to it now and about half way through. It is a strange way of telling his story but it is also a strange story to tell. So far I am liking it.(less)

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Does any body know of any games similar to Trace Italian that are still running?

James I don't know of any mail-order games like that. The closest thing I've ever experienced was play-by-mail fantasy wrestling which was somewhat popular …moreI don't know of any mail-order games like that. The closest thing I've ever experienced was play-by-mail fantasy wrestling which was somewhat popular when I was a kid. You'd create a wrestler character and select a bunch of signature moves for him, then mail in $5 and wait for a computer to spit out the results of your match. I'm about 15 years younger than John Darnielle, but I know he's a wrestling fanatic so I wouldn't be surprised if he played such a game.

There was also a computer game that came out in the late 80s called "The Lost Crown of Queen Anne" that was very similar to the Trace Italian in general setup. It was a text-only game where you wake up in the middle of the desert with an abandoned building off in the distance, and enter one move at a time into the computer from a set of pre-determined moves. While playing as a kid, I stumbled unto a secret message that included the game creator's address, and I wrote him a letter which he took the time to respond to. You can still play it online if you google it, though it's an extremely long game and I'm not sure if you can properly save your progress.(less)

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This question contains spoilers... (view spoiler)

Aaron I think it's pretty clear that it was a suicide attempt. He talks about how he could "take out the whole house" and eventually die by suicide by cop, …moreI think it's pretty clear that it was a suicide attempt. He talks about how he could "take out the whole house" and eventually die by suicide by cop, or how he had similarly fantasized about going nuts with mail-ordered swords.

I think the lack of regret and lack of a goal are indicative of how removed he is now from what happened. Like he says, he doesn't know why he did it, and he feels like that was a totally separate person. How can you regret something that "you" didn't do? (less)

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