The Devil All the Time

by Donald Ray Pollock

The manner in which the weight of certain sins was calculated sometimes confused him.

I loved this quote. The weight of sin is a complex and strong motif throughout the book. Multiple individuals commit the same sin in principle but experience varying weights of guilt, consequence, and moral assignment, not only from themselves and other characters but also the readers. It puts into question if our earthly guides, being church and religion itself, offer help to clarify a scale for sin…or do they only complicate it more?

How could he get turned on by someone who didn’t understand the desperate battle raging between good and evil, purity and lust?

It was the first time she had ever realized just how powerful sin could be. No wonder it was so hard for people to get into heaven.