Darling: A Novel

by William Tester

Two brothers, former Florida farmboys living together in a New York City apartment, face each other in a deadly rivalry, each man convinced that Darling--the cow back home that was the lover of both of them--loved him best

177 pages, Hardcover

First published January 8, 1992

Reviews

[Gene Wagendorf III · Rating 1 out of 5]

God damned cow fuckers.

[giada · Rating 2 out of 5]

sometimes reading this book felt like what i imagine having a stroke feels like — it might also be that last month i had trouble reading EVERYTHING but some lyrical choices still felt like writing entire paragraphs with predictive text

but besides that, i do believe that the novel has an interesting take on the farm boy coming to terms with himself and his sexual awakening and whatever conclusion he got from that, i just wish he’d realised he was into his brother instead of making it that poor cow’s problem

[Stephanie Rubin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had high hopes--this is about a farm boy in love with his cow. His brother may have gotten to the cow's "pink conch shell" first--a source of much tension and anxiety to the main character. The writing is very heavy-handed--poetic, dreamy. This really annoyed me at first, but now I'm thinking it works even if it is rather cloying. It's the thoughts of the main character that are written in this roundabout fashion. His brain is dull, but he has very strong sensual actions and reactions that are emphasized by the narration.