Truly Like Lightning: A Novel

Truly Like Lightning: A Novel

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  • Create Date：2021-02-09 04:13:22
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  • Author：David Duchovny
  • ISBN：9780374277741
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Summary

From the New York Times–bestselling author David Duchovny， an epic adventure that asks how we make sense of right and wrong in a world of extremes

For the past twenty years， Bronson Powers， former Hollywood stuntman and converted Mormon， has been homesteading deep in the uninhabited desert outside Joshua Tree with his three wives and ten children。 Bronson and his wives， Yalulah， Mary， and Jackie， have been raising their family away from the corruption and evil of the modern world。 Their insular existence—controversial， difficult， but Edenic—is upended when the ambitious young developer Maya Abbadessa stumbles upon their land。 Hoping to make a profit， she crafts a wager with the family that sets in motion a deadly chain of events。

Maya， threatening to report the family to social services， convinces them to enter three of their children into a nearby public school。 Bronson and his wives agree that if Maya can prove that the kids do better in town than in their desert oasis， they will sell her a chunk of their priceless plot of land。 Suddenly confronted with all the complications of the twenty-first century that they tried to keep out of their lives， the Powerses must reckon with their lifestyle as they try to save it。

Truly Like Lightning， David Duchovny’s fourth novel， is a heartbreaking meditation on family， religion， sex， greed， human nature， and the vanishing environment of an ancient desert。

Editor Reviews

10/26/2020

Actor Duchovny’s cinematic fourth novel （after Miss Subways） takes a bucking ride through the 21st-century American West， ranging from Hollywood to religious fervor out in the desert。 Former stuntman Bronson Powers has left Los Angeles to embrace the Mormon faith， forging a life with three wives and 10 children on a vast tract of land near Joshua Tree， Calif。 But a snake comes into this Eden in the form of ambitious young developer Maya Abbadessa。 Determined to buy a portion of the Powers plot， Maya schemes to put the homeschooling Bronson in a bind with the state’s board of education。 Three of his children end up placed in a San Bernardino public school。 The youngest， 11-year-old Hyrum， is troubled， as is his mother， Mary， Bronson’s third wife。 Having chosen to stay with the children， Mary quickly reverts to her old caffeinated， self-medicated ways of coping。 Things spiral out of control， epically and violently， after Hyrum is beaten by a group of kids in a school parking lot， and Bronson， swept up in the righteousness of his faith， takes the boy’s fate， and the law， into his own hands。 The characters tend to be flat， but the author manages to spin this tall tale exceedingly well。 Duchovny’s jam-packed page-turner is just waiting for someone to snap up the film rights。 （Feb。）

Publishers Weekly

About the Author

David Duchovny is a television， stage， and screen actor， as well as a singer-songwriter， screenwriter， and director。 He lives in New York and Los Angeles。

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Reviews

KasaC ，

This is the first of David Duchovny's books I've read but it definitely will not be the last。 Although better known as an intuitive， charismatic actor， his bio proves that he is a renaissance man with talents that range from his acting gigs to music and here he proves himself a writer of originality。 He has always been known for intellectual curiosity and prowess， having garnered his degrees at both Princeton and Yale with honors。 He credits inspiration for this lengthy but totally involving novel to Prof。 Harold Bloom and his study of Joseph Smith。 So here we have a former stuntman turned Mormon leader who lives with his wives and children in the desert near San Bernardino， completely off the grid and living the laws of the faith。 Enter the outside world via Maya Abbadessa， a young Turk employee of a predatory real estate company， who crashes literally into their compound， stoned but observant。 What happens unfolds through the eyes of multiple characters， all accurately developed and completely involving。 Highly recommended。

Angus McKeogh ，

An actor with writing chops。 A story about Mormon isolationists and their interaction with modern society。 Duchovny’s novels continue to just get better and better。 Set in the present and heavily thought-provoking。 As an aside his acknowledgments about how the book came about were much the same。 I knew Duchovny studied literature at Yale and Princeton but his views were much more cogent than I would’ve guessed from his acting roles。 I’ll leave it to readers to explore Duchovny’s thoughts on Morm An actor with writing chops。 A story about Mormon isolationists and their interaction with modern society。 Duchovny’s novels continue to just get better and better。 Set in the present and heavily thought-provoking。 As an aside his acknowledgments about how the book came about were much the same。 I knew Duchovny studied literature at Yale and Princeton but his views were much more cogent than I would’ve guessed from his acting roles。 I’ll leave it to readers to explore Duchovny’s thoughts on Mormonism， the Trump administration， and the lives of isolationists。 。。。more

Travis Cummins ，

this was a very unique experience。 a look into the world of an extremist morman family。 It's as much a family drama as it is a thriller。 it's as much a comedy as it is a tragedy。 It does do some unnecessary bashing on conservatives that I found obnoxious but the story and characters were so great i can look past my one issue。 this was a very unique experience。 a look into the world of an extremist morman family。 It's as much a family drama as it is a thriller。 it's as much a comedy as it is a tragedy。 It does do some unnecessary bashing on conservatives that I found obnoxious but the story and characters were so great i can look past my one issue。 。。。more

Sharon May ，

Thank you to NetGalley and Farrar， Straus and Giroux for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest novel by David Duchovny - 4。5 stars rounded up！Bronson Powers is a former Hollywood stunt man who learns that he will inherit a huge piece of land in Joshua Tree， California， if he can prove himself to be Mormon。 He immerses himself in the religion and becomes a true believer in the early teachings of the church。 He builds a life totally off the grid with 3 wives and 10 children away from any contact Thank you to NetGalley and Farrar， Straus and Giroux for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest novel by David Duchovny - 4。5 stars rounded up！Bronson Powers is a former Hollywood stunt man who learns that he will inherit a huge piece of land in Joshua Tree， California， if he can prove himself to be Mormon。 He immerses himself in the religion and becomes a true believer in the early teachings of the church。 He builds a life totally off the grid with 3 wives and 10 children away from any contact with the outside world。 Until Maya， working for a real estate development company， comes across their compound and has visions of turning a huge profit from the land， enough to position herself near the top of her company。 She comes up with a plan - she tells Bronson that the State is aware that they are not properly educating their children and they could be taken away from him。 But， she proposes an experiment - send 3 of the children to public school。 If they thrive in their environment， proving that the Powers' education was not complete， Maya's firm would buy part of their property。 One of the mothers accompany the children and get a crash course in 21st century living。When I first started this book， I thought - I'm not smart enough to read it and I'm not sure I want to plow through 450+ pages like this。 But never fear - Duchovny has written a complex， smart tale with so many layers that I was soon glued to the pages。 I still am probably not smart enough to get full meaning out of everything but this is quite the story。 Bronson has raised his children to live off the land， following him and his beliefs。 They work hard for the good of the family and the adults all take active roles in the children's education。 But imagine children who have been totally isolated thrust into today's world。 The story is told through many of these characters' voices and you will be totally immersed in their feelings and decision-making。 Lots to talk about with this book - religion， family， politics， sex。 Don't miss this one！ 。。。more

Sesili ，

Dejvide， brate。 -。-Congrats on the new book， but we know you can do better。 Much， much， much better。

Cathy Glinski ，

Truly Like Lightning is an epic American novel， set firmly in the here and now， but reaching back to past generations and pushing forward into the future。 It follows a large cast of characters， each with unique and fully developed backgrounds and motivations。 These characters are dynamic and interesting， their paths and finish lines are surprising and yet absolutely true to them。 One thing I truly appreciate is the way the main characters are presented， for the most part， without mockery or deri Truly Like Lightning is an epic American novel， set firmly in the here and now， but reaching back to past generations and pushing forward into the future。 It follows a large cast of characters， each with unique and fully developed backgrounds and motivations。 These characters are dynamic and interesting， their paths and finish lines are surprising and yet absolutely true to them。 One thing I truly appreciate is the way the main characters are presented， for the most part， without mockery or derision。 There’s no judgment of their lives， this is just who they are。 It takes a lot of talent to put forward such an extreme story as if it just IS， and the author has accomplished that。 This perspective helps the reader find commonality with the characters， who may have had very different experiences。 Even though their lives aren’t run-of-the-mill， their emotions and reactions are in many ways universal。The novel is not so neutral about society at large。 It calls into question the cost of “progress”， particularly in the past 20 years。 The criticism is harsh yet presented with a deft use of humor， focusing on shared reality rather than blame。 It was this humor in which I recognized the author’s voice most clearly。 I’m a huge fan of Mr。 Duchovny’s earlier novels。 I enjoyed the almost light， almost fantastical storytelling， even where darker themes were explored。 This novel is a step above。 It draws you in with crisp， clear prose， an intensely fast pace， a compelling， multi-faceted story， and characters who break your heart in the best way。 I’d say I couldn’t put it down， except that I had to stop every few pages just to catch my breath。 True to form， the author leaves us with a fairy tale ending， albeit slightly more grounded in reality。 It’s stunningly brilliant。 。。。more

Lori ，

I'm not ashamed to admit that I had the biggest crush on David Duchovny when I was in my late teens/early twenties。 I would spend every Friday （and then Sunday） night curled up in front of the TV watching the latest episode of The X-Files。 And then the show ended， and Duchovny kind of faded into the background， as these things go。 It wasn't until a few years ago that I realized David had written a book and was making music。 I picked up a copy of Bucking F***ing Dent but hadn't cracked into it ye I'm not ashamed to admit that I had the biggest crush on David Duchovny when I was in my late teens/early twenties。 I would spend every Friday （and then Sunday） night curled up in front of the TV watching the latest episode of The X-Files。 And then the show ended， and Duchovny kind of faded into the background， as these things go。 It wasn't until a few years ago that I realized David had written a book and was making music。 I picked up a copy of Bucking F***ing Dent but hadn't cracked into it yet， and then I saw this one。 A modern day Western set in the middle of the desert out by Joshua Tree， where ex-hollywood stuntman Bronson Powers freely explores Mormon life with his wives and children， far removed from the impurities of today's society。 But it wouldn't be a book if it stopped there。 See， Bronson's inherited a large chunk of land out there and there's a company looking to purchase it out from under him， but he's not interested， he's got his own little "Garden of Eden" going on out there and likes it just fine the way it is。 But the company won't take no for an answer， so they notify child services and wager a bet with him - send a few of his kids to public school and at the end of the year， if those kids do better than the ones he's been homeschooling， he'll sell off some of that property。 If they don't， well， no harm no foul， the land remains his and the State of California will let him be。 Of course nothing is ever that simple and what ensues is part comedy， part tragedy as Bronson has no choice but to watch his family split off into two directions， forcing them to navigate new cultural norms and calling into question the faith and life they've cultivated for themselves。 I'm not entirely sure what I was expecting， but I was pleasantly surprised。 And while I found some of the writing to be a little on the "rolling of the eyes" cheesy side， overall I really enjoyed the book。 This dude can write！ 。。。more

Lauren ，

（ARC from NetGalley and Farrar， Straus and Giroux）David Duchovny writes books？！ Who knew？ Apparently， a lot of people as this is his fourth book。 I requested it out of pure curiosity。I was expecting something vaguely pretentious （I wasn’t wrong） and although I didn’t have high expectations， I was prepared to be pleasantly surprised。 Turns out， and I didn’t know this going in， but DD is both the son of a novelist and an English Literature graduate himself （BA from Princeton， MA from Yale）。 So he （ARC from NetGalley and Farrar， Straus and Giroux）David Duchovny writes books？！ Who knew？ Apparently， a lot of people as this is his fourth book。 I requested it out of pure curiosity。I was expecting something vaguely pretentious （I wasn’t wrong） and although I didn’t have high expectations， I was prepared to be pleasantly surprised。 Turns out， and I didn’t know this going in， but DD is both the son of a novelist and an English Literature graduate himself （BA from Princeton， MA from Yale）。 So he has the credentials to save this from being a total celebrity vanity project。Having said all that… I didn’t love it。 Degrees don’t make you a great writer， but they help you not to be a terrible one I suppose。 Was there a story here？ Yes， but， this book’s main purpose appears to be to tell us how much DD hates Trump （23 mentions）， laments racism， destruction of the environment and possibly Mormons （it was unclear how to me in the end what the message about Mormonism was， or perhaps it was religious extremism？）。 We get it， most people who pick up the book are going to agree on all those issues but the lack of subtlety in making the points got a little tired。As I said， there was a story: Bronson Powers， ex-stuntman， converted Mormon， lives off-grid with his wives and kids in the desert until greedy real-estate investors come looking for an opportunity。 It continues from there and the story is entertaining although I was left with the feeling that certain lines of plot were just vehicles to get us to another place and were never really tied up。The main problem I had with this book was there seemed to be a lot more telling than doing。 About 20% in I found parts interesting but I didn’t really feel invested because it felt very narration-heavy。 The characters didn’t come alive for a long time。The other problem was the vocabulary。 What have you got to prove？ I’ve never used the word ‘palimpsest’ in my life， yet it appears twice in this book。 I started highlighting all the big words because it started getting ridiculous。 Some others: nomenclature， proselytizing， turpitude， extemporaneously， transubstantiated， pernicious。 Towards the beginning， there were sentences I had to read two or three times to figure out。Although I had a few things to pick at in this book， and around 30% I was tempted to set it aside， it’s far from the worst book I’ve read and I know there are people who will enjoy it。 It reminded me a little of Jonathan Franzen （I can’t really say why – long and pretentious？）。 Will I read another of his books？ Maybe。 I’m a little curious but I have seen a few reviews call this one his best。Thank you NetGalley for this opportunity to satisfy my curiosity！ 。。。more

Jennifer Long ，

David Duchovny does not disappoint with “Truly Like Lighting。” Compelling and thought provoking。 I’m definitely looking forward to his next book！

Kevin Thomas James Atteridg ，

Duchovny exceeds all expectation with an epic of mythology and madness and family。

Lauren Archer ，

http://obsessedbookaholic。com/2021/01。。。 http://obsessedbookaholic。com/2021/01。。。 。。。more

Jeff ，

Nothing Technically Wrong， Readers May Hate It Anyway。 This is one of those books by a master storyteller that is at once too cerebral *and* too cliche。 It is overall a good story， but there is so much to *not* like here。 From the hard core leftist politics that get pretty damn preachy （including several anti-Trump diatribes blaming him for all the ills that have been present in this country since its Founding） to 。。。 other events of a personal nature that get too close to spoilery territory to Nothing Technically Wrong， Readers May Hate It Anyway。 This is one of those books by a master storyteller that is at once too cerebral *and* too cliche。 It is overall a good story， but there is so much to *not* like here。 From the hard core leftist politics that get pretty damn preachy （including several anti-Trump diatribes blaming him for all the ills that have been present in this country since its Founding） to 。。。 other events of a personal nature that get too close to spoilery territory to reveal。 And yet there is nothing technically wrong here。 The story is well edited， it flows well within its frame， it is reasonably researched （and then flung out to left field， X-Files style - though not to a scifi level）， the characters are reasonable within the boundaries described in the book （though in real life many of their actions would leave an observer scratching their heads）。 Ultimately there is enough here to warrant reading the story - and enough here that no matter your politics， you're probably going to want to throw it down in disgust。 And yet there is no objective "this is bad" thing to hang removal of so much as a single star on。 And thus， this book is recommended。 。。。more

David Steele ，

Dang！ I do believe that David Duchovny has written the "Great American Novel"。 Profound， deep， the past and the future and the never ending struggle between good and evil。 This was one of the best books that I have ever read。 And someday I will read it again。（goodreads winner） Dang！ I do believe that David Duchovny has written the "Great American Novel"。 Profound， deep， the past and the future and the never ending struggle between good and evil。 This was one of the best books that I have ever read。 And someday I will read it again。（goodreads winner） 。。。more

K9 ，

The first ones to grab and read this book will be David Duchovny's fans。 If it is your first encounter with his written work， all you need to know is that this is his forth novel and each is unique。 You don't need to read his previous work as each book transports you in a different place and adventure to two are similar。 You won’t regret reading this exciting book as it’s a brilliant original story you will want to read in one go。The book starts with the lyrics of U2 well-chosen lyrics for the o The first ones to grab and read this book will be David Duchovny's fans。 If it is your first encounter with his written work， all you need to know is that this is his forth novel and each is unique。 You don't need to read his previous work as each book transports you in a different place and adventure to two are similar。 You won’t regret reading this exciting book as it’s a brilliant original story you will want to read in one go。The book starts with the lyrics of U2 well-chosen lyrics for the opening （expecting this song on next concert's set list） as the story is mostly set in the desert among Joshua trees。In the first chapters， we get to know Bronson Powers， his past as a stuntman， troubled life and change of lifestyle。 Nowadays a lot of people would like to escape the modern world and find refuge in nature and spirituality。 Bronson’s motive to study Mormon religion was to inherit a plot of land that lead to conversion in believes and obsession。 We also get to know the other main character Maya。 A young ambitious woman trying to distinguish herself from the all-boys club and show her boss what she is capable of – a womacho。 Followed by an introduction to the extended family of 3 wives and 10 children and their small farm in the desert。The first tree chapters may seem slow with typical David’s name-dropping and extensive dive in the Mormon religion， culture and detailed introduction of characters。 To quote Elsie Bovary »You getting frustrated with all the preamble？ The mood lighting？ That's the problem with you crazy kids and the video games – no patience。« After the lengthy introduction the story picks up in pace and becomes a page turner you can't quit。Maya in her pursuit of affirmation and success disrupts the secluded Power’s family life with a wager forcing 3 kids to move to the city that ignites a dilemma what lifestyle is better the family life based on tradition and religion or the modern school system and fast paced life focused consumerism， hate and greed。 It is interesting how the three children cope with technology， peers and family。 Maya although the instigator and at times with questionable behavior shows moral dilemmas in the business world that is losing core human values。 You might identify with some characters and ponder how your life would change， how you would cope or not。 The author fills the pages with surprising twists and soon you are faced with a breathtaking ending。 I would recommend this book but keep an open mind on religion， sex and life choices not everything is just black and white。 You have to open your mind see the grey area， the cracks where the light gets in and hear a different story。I personally loved the book， my name， my country。 I hope it makes its way to the screen。 Can’t wait for the next one。 。。。more

Rebecca Crunden ，

How did I not know David Duchovny wrote books？？ Can't wait to check this out！ How did I not know David Duchovny wrote books？？ Can't wait to check this out！ 。。。more

Kasa Cotugno ，

This is the first of David Duchovny's books I've read but it definitely will not be the last。 Although better known as an intuitive， charismatic actor， his bio proves that he is a renaissance man with talents that range from his acting gigs to music and here he proves himself a writer of originality。 He has always been known for intellectual curiosity and prowess， having garnered his degrees at both Princeton and Yale with honors。 He credits inspiration for this lengthy but totally involving nov This is the first of David Duchovny's books I've read but it definitely will not be the last。 Although better known as an intuitive， charismatic actor， his bio proves that he is a renaissance man with talents that range from his acting gigs to music and here he proves himself a writer of originality。 He has always been known for intellectual curiosity and prowess， having garnered his degrees at both Princeton and Yale with honors。 He credits inspiration for this lengthy but totally involving novel to Prof。 Harold Bloom and his study of Joseph Smith。 So here we have a former stuntman turned Mormon leader who lives with his wives and children in the desert near San Bernardino， completely off the grid and living the laws of the faith。 Enter the outside world via Maya Abbadessa， a young Turk employee of a predatory real estate company， who crashes literally into their compound， stoned but observant。 What happens unfolds through the eyes of multiple characters， all accurately developed and completely involving。 Highly recommended。 。。。more

Kyra Leseberg （Roots & Reads） ，

3。5 starsMaya Abbadessa is trying to hold her own at Praetorian Capital， the Santa Monica company run by self-made billionaire Robert Malouf。 While Malouf has holdings in many ventures， real estate is the primary asset。 The workplace has been tough for Maya， the only woman among a frat-like brotherhood of thirty-somethings。 She knows she has to score a huge listing to earn the respect of Malouf and her co-workers。 The opportunity comes on a weekend where the employees travel to Joshua Tree to tr 3。5 starsMaya Abbadessa is trying to hold her own at Praetorian Capital， the Santa Monica company run by self-made billionaire Robert Malouf。 While Malouf has holdings in many ventures， real estate is the primary asset。 The workplace has been tough for Maya， the only woman among a frat-like brotherhood of thirty-somethings。 She knows she has to score a huge listing to earn the respect of Malouf and her co-workers。 The opportunity comes on a weekend where the employees travel to Joshua Tree to trip acid and spitball some interesting business ideas。High as a kite， Maya drives out into the desert in a car she’s never been in before and stumbles upon the Powers family where she’s promptly shot with an arrow。Bronson Powers was once a celebrated Hollywood stuntman but for the past twenty years he has lived deep in Joshua Tree on land that he inherited with his three wives and ten children， following Mormon teachings。 The family has been successful at remaining oblivious to the modern world but their way of life is threatened when Maya finds them。Aware of the astronomical value of the land， Maya strikes a deal with the Powers family。 If they enroll three of their children in public school and Maya can prove they’re better off there than in the desert， Bronson will sell a plot of his land to Maya。The three oldest children， already exceptionally bright， assimilate to the modern world with ease but not without complication as their way of life is put under the microscope and their views on religion， family， sex， and race are challenged in dangerous ways。Truly Like Lightning is a complicated read。 The plot required more suspension of disbelief than I care for and the points of view jump around often which means I never got to know anyone very well。 I found it hard to believe these kids who have been sheltered from the world their entire lives transitioned so quickly into the real world。 Not enough time was spent developing the character of Bronson Powers。 Readers have insight into his past but his actions at the end of the book left me scratching my head because the climax felt like it came out of left field。 The wives are given backstory but they felt more like props。Despite all of that， I still felt compelled to keep reading！ Duchovny is a gifted storyteller and his quirky sense of humor made this worth the read。 Several characters are well crafted with authentic flaws and my feelings about each of them fluctuated with the story arc。Thanks to Farrar， Straus， and Giroux and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review。 Truly Like Lightning is scheduled for release on February 2， 2021。For more reviews， visit www。rootsandreads。wordpress。com 。。。more

J。D。 DeHart ，

Proving once more than he has literary chops， David Duchovny weaves an intriguing story of place and people。 Lest we forget that Duchovny is a student of storytelling， the authors demonstrates this mastery with another layered story， populated with believable characters and enough conflict to keep the pages turning。

Laurie Allin ，

I could not finish this book。 Throughout I was asking myself "WTF did I just read？"。 I was asked to review this book and I agreed because it sounded interesting and the author's name seemed familiar。 I later realized he's the guy from X-files， of which I was not a fan but that has no bearing here other than I will not simply give this a good review because I am/was a fan。 From the first chapter I thought of putting this down as it starts with Bronson， an ex-stuntman who found religion in the Mor I could not finish this book。 Throughout I was asking myself "WTF did I just read？"。 I was asked to review this book and I agreed because it sounded interesting and the author's name seemed familiar。 I later realized he's the guy from X-files， of which I was not a fan but that has no bearing here other than I will not simply give this a good review because I am/was a fan。 From the first chapter I thought of putting this down as it starts with Bronson， an ex-stuntman who found religion in the Mormon church， with his own slant， in order to inherit a huge plot of land outside of Joshua Tree （I am a fan of the park and admit that piece kept me reading in itself）。 It felt like a diatribe on religion， not being religious it didn't bother me other than it's not my thing and I could not tell where it was going。 The second chapter we meet Maya a money-hungry capitalist who wants to steal Bronson's land away from him to create a huge real estate development。 It wasn't until almost a quarter of the way through the book that I had any idea what the point was。 Duchovny has strung together numerous complaints about society from the Liberal's handbook。 I too consider myself liberal but it was too much and felt more like reading Twitter with a tenuous storyline to connect all the comments。 If you are a Trump fan， which I certainly am not， you will really hate this book。 There are several anti-Trump rants in just the first half （I didn't read much past that） and I've seen Trump supporters give scathing reviews for novels that include even one line against him。 But even for me it was too much especially when a character who has been living in the desert for years with no outside contact is forced back into society and learns about Trump and he is now one of the things that keeps her up at night。 She watches YouTube videos of Obama and wishes she had been aware of him when he was president。 Two months before she didn't even know what a smart phone was。 This book will not age well。 Even now that the election is over and I'm just waiting until Inauguration Day I don't want to read all this。 The final straw for me was pages of a side story about the ills of immigration in this country。 As someone that used to work in immigration law， Duchovny's take was all too simplified and one-sided and all the blame laid at the feet of Trump when there's been issues long before him， he was just the first president since the Japanese concentration camps to treat immigrants as inhuman。 All in all I think there is a good story buried in there somewhere if you stripped away most of the unnecessary political rants and put the effort into character development。 They all just felt flat and cartoonish in their role to further Duchovny's agenda。 Thank you to Farrar， Straus and Giroux and #Netgalley publishing for allowing me to review this book。 。。。more

Valérie C。 ，

Don't be intimidated by the opening chapters of David Duchovny's new novel。 I wondered a bit where he wants to lead us， there are multiple literary and cultural references which are actually quite heavy， especially for me who English isn’t my native language， where the author shows he made good use of his Princeton and Yales’ education。 I struggled to really fit into the novel， but over the chapters， I got carried away by the story of this ex-stuntman turned Mormon， who retreats into the Joshua Don't be intimidated by the opening chapters of David Duchovny's new novel。 I wondered a bit where he wants to lead us， there are multiple literary and cultural references which are actually quite heavy， especially for me who English isn’t my native language， where the author shows he made good use of his Princeton and Yales’ education。 I struggled to really fit into the novel， but over the chapters， I got carried away by the story of this ex-stuntman turned Mormon， who retreats into the Joshua Tree wilderness with his wives and many children， and who is confronted in spite of himself with the new realities of the world。The critic is broadly present， often with humor， which characterizes the author's prose， and the topics covered are numerous: consumerism， junk food， social media， and politics。 He also mentions a problem close to his heart， ecology。 The author mentioned in a recent interview that he felt close to the characters he had played， because most of them were transgressive: there is a subject in this novel that may confuse some readers。The characters aren’t necessarily endearing at first glance， even if most of them are well drawn， but we start turning the pages to know their fate， and the strength of the novel is precisely there， in a growing intensity and an almost cinematographic writing （the novel could be adapted for television）。It’s a powerful， exciting and thoughtful novel。Truly Like Lightning by David Duchovny is published by Farrar， Straus and Giroux， its release date is February 2， 2021。 Thanks to FSG books for a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Julia Simpson-Urrutia ，

Truly Like Lightning will gain a following if potential purchasers observe its pros and cons to determine whether this is their cup of tea。Pros: A true insider's view of Hollywood types including stuntmen and behind-the-scenes catalysts。 （The view of mankind appears to be tempered by that insider knowledge。 Not surprising。） A clearly inquisitive and knowledgeable mind has gone to great lengths to not only research the Mormon faith but demonstrate how belief systems are， ahem， reinterpreted to fi Truly Like Lightning will gain a following if potential purchasers observe its pros and cons to determine whether this is their cup of tea。Pros: A true insider's view of Hollywood types including stuntmen and behind-the-scenes catalysts。 （The view of mankind appears to be tempered by that insider knowledge。 Not surprising。） A clearly inquisitive and knowledgeable mind has gone to great lengths to not only research the Mormon faith but demonstrate how belief systems are， ahem， reinterpreted to fit an individual's desired existential experience。 Moments of cerebral absorption for the reader， as might be expected from the pen of an inquisitive and knowledgeable mind。Cons: The view of mankind may appear to be singularly jaundiced。 For some readers， the lack of appealing characters may be daunting。 I was interested in Bronson until I came to the moment in the book when his choice with his daughter， and the seeming acquiescence of all involved including the daughter， simply lost my interest。 Subsequent reflection made me realize that the female characters， though delivered in a modern （almost politically correct） form， still serve the interests of the male protagonist。 I could not find a character to like and that was it for me。 。。。more

A ，

Let me start this review by saying that I loved Bucky Fucking Dent and Miss Subways， so I was looking forward to a new novel。 But what can I say about this？ This novel is just not for me。 More than once I thought “what am I reading here？” And more than once I considered just quitting the novel。 The only reason I decided to plow through is so that I can write an honest review。 And it got better！ （before it got worse）。 The book starts off as a quasi history lesson that， in my opinion， is unnecessa Let me start this review by saying that I loved Bucky Fucking Dent and Miss Subways， so I was looking forward to a new novel。 But what can I say about this？ This novel is just not for me。 More than once I thought “what am I reading here？” And more than once I considered just quitting the novel。 The only reason I decided to plow through is so that I can write an honest review。 And it got better！ （before it got worse）。 The book starts off as a quasi history lesson that， in my opinion， is unnecessary and could have been interwoven way better throughout the novel。 Once the actual action starts， it gets more interesting and it’s easier to get into the plot。 Except that I find the characters so unbelievably flat。 A few times， I couldn’t keep Bronson’s sister wives apart。 The fact that the names are similar in length and sound （Yaya， Maya， and Mary） doesn’t help at all。 The characters seem like cookie-cutter versions of stereotypes （the greedy， heartless businessman， the disillusioned young woman finding her way and purpose in the end， the wild child， etc。）。 There wasn’t a single character I cared for。 I read this in another review and agree whole-heartedly with it: all the female characters only exist to serve the interests of the male protagonist。 There’s a scene where Yalulah and Mary meet up after not seeing each other for a while and they barely talk about each other （！） but instead discuss how Bronson feels and how worried they are about him。 Everyone seems to be obsessed with Bronson in the novel and the writing， to me， doesn’t reflect why。 It’s mentioned he’s good-looking and charismatic but that’s not what’s on the page。 He’s arrogant， he’s moody， he's completely nuts， he’s boring and downright annoying。 The passages I liked best are those that aren’t about him。 Maya’s infatuation for him is particularly uncomfortable to read （don’t even get me started on everything with his daughter but that’s going into spoiler territory） - and maybe it was intended this way！ But it doesn't read well。 There’s no chemistry there either。 This sentence stood out to me: “They could be father and daughter。 Or they could be lovers。 They could be in love” （Chapter 19）。 As well as this one: “Could he stop with the gross polygamy and be her sexy， older cowboy boyfriend she could show off all these soft West Side men？” （Chapter 28）。 Can we stop with these age gap fascinations， *please*？There are smaller details that just bothered me。 The family dynamics for one。 Bronson， his sister wives， and the children are described as a family。 Yet， when they’re torn apart， it’s like no one cares or misses anyone。 Sometimes the women are referred to as the children’s mother and then they say things like “I am not her mother” that makes you go ？？？ I understand that this novel tries to question relationships and what family means， but the mere allusion that lack of blood relation makes someone not their child/parent is a no-go。 The novel gets better in the middle and there are a few passages that I enjoyed。 But the ending is just bonkers and I did not care for it at all。 The novel isn’t bad – but it is definitely not for me。 。。。more

Edwin Howard ，

In TRULY LIKE LIGHTNING， by David Duchovny， we meet Bronson Powers， a former talented stuntman who has adopted the Mormon way of life， but with his own special take on the Mormon lifestyle。 He adopts many of the Joseph Smith edicts on how to live （even some since abandoned by the Mormon church） including polygamy and moves his three wives and 10 kids out to the a large plot of land in the area of Joshua Tree in California。 When an outsider stumbles upon their hidden existence， she sees dollar s In TRULY LIKE LIGHTNING， by David Duchovny， we meet Bronson Powers， a former talented stuntman who has adopted the Mormon way of life， but with his own special take on the Mormon lifestyle。 He adopts many of the Joseph Smith edicts on how to live （even some since abandoned by the Mormon church） including polygamy and moves his three wives and 10 kids out to the a large plot of land in the area of Joshua Tree in California。 When an outsider stumbles upon their hidden existence， she sees dollar signs and quickly hatches a plan to acquire Powers' land。 In the end， that plan will change the Powers family forever in ways no one involved could have ever predicted。 Duchovny creates quite a character in Bronson Powers。 Bronson is charismatic， strong-willed， and resourceful， and the reader sees in the beginning of the book that he became who he is by identifying his faults and finding a lifestyle the helps him cope with himself and the world around him and he believes makes him a better person。 All the people that are important to the book are well crafted as well， from Bronson's kids， to a strange and powerful real estate developer that is attempting to take the Powers' land， to Bronson's wives， who are fascinating individuals that the reader can't help but attach to and have sympathy for as much as any other person in the book。 Duchovny creates a problem for the Powers family， and how the results unfold are logical and realistic， while at the same time excitingly unpredictable。 TRULY LIKE LIGHTNING will stay with you long after you finish reading and forces the reader to consider how society perceives bigotry， acceptance， tolerance， and how tightly people hold to their own belief system。 Thank you to Farrar， Straus and Giroux， David Duchovny， and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review！ 。。。more

Pamela Stafford ，

David Duchovny’s fourth novel is about the conflict of values and faith in the 21st century。  The Powers family has been “homesteading” in the desert near Joshua Tree。  The family lives an isolated and challenging lifestyle of commitment to their faith， to their land and to each other。 Modern society encroaches in the way of a land developer who accidently stumbles upon their land。  The land developer is motivated by greed and ambition but brings with her a social value bias regarding people who David Duchovny’s fourth novel is about the conflict of values and faith in the 21st century。  The Powers family has been “homesteading” in the desert near Joshua Tree。  The family lives an isolated and challenging lifestyle of commitment to their faith， to their land and to each other。 Modern society encroaches in the way of a land developer who accidently stumbles upon their land。  The land developer is motivated by greed and ambition but brings with her a social value bias regarding people who live outside the mainstream and educate their children at home。   Duchovny aptly sets up the romanticized motif of both the American West and the Hollywood West in the character of family patriarch， Bronson Powers， who is a former Hollywood stuntman turned religious convert and， now， cowboy。  Bronson embodies the traits of individualism and ingenuity which are mythological as part of the American pioneering character。  The novel places that character and romanticized motif in direct conflict with the 21st century America of today。   The plot is action packed。  Do not start section three until you have time to finish the section！  You will not want to put it down。  The characters are both mythic and realistic。  There are many of them。  Just in the Powers family alone there are three wives and ten children。  They are each individually drawn as complete characters。 The foreshadowing in the book is on point， but the direction of each foreshadowed element takes the reader by surprise。   The book is described as a “heartbreaking meditation on family， religion， sex， greed， human nature and the vanishing environment of an ancient desert。”   It is， also a meditation  about conflict in the American spirit。  Where do we draw the line of the individualism we so value？  Will we protect the land we love or exploit it in gross disregard for the science of global warming？  What is the role of religion in our individual lives and our cultural consciousness？    Do we value diversity or are we becoming more and more entrenched into an us and them paradigm？  Even the question of public education vs home schooling is meditated upon in this novel。 Readers of Duchovny’s other novels will notice a divergence in style and tone。  His other three novels included large portions of stream of consciousness style。 This novel has more of a traditional omnipresent narration which allows for more character reveals in dramatic moments。  It， also， allows the reader to see the characters externally through other characters’ judgements which is critical for the thematic purposes of this novel。  While all Duchovny’s novels ， including this one， deal with serious subjects and include great humor simultaneously， this novel seems more serious because of the lack of  stream of consciousness， short chapters， and humorous chapter titles。  There was a part of me that deeply missed the style of some of Duchovny’s other novels。  However， the seriousness of this novel seems appropriate with the thematic nature and “meditation” of the current time。  Even though this book was written before the pandemic and the racial unrest of this summer， the book is representative of the difficult and challenging times this country has faced in the last few years。   I am a fan of David Duchovny as an author。 As much as I love his first three novels， I have stated before that I expected him at some point to have a break through novel which would help people to see him less as an actor who writes than as a legitimate American voice of literature。 This novel should do that。  It is one of the most impressive novels I have read in many years。 。。。more

Elaine ，

I will start off by saying this is Duchovny's best work yet。 You might think I'm exaggerating just because I have been a fan of his written words for a while now， but the truth is that this book brought me so many different views， so much knowledge， so many feelings， that it is really hard to translate it all into just a few sentences。Not being an American myself， I was afraid that the cultural differences would weigh heavily on my reading， but that was not the case。 If anything， it was like a h I will start off by saying this is Duchovny's best work yet。 You might think I'm exaggerating just because I have been a fan of his written words for a while now， but the truth is that this book brought me so many different views， so much knowledge， so many feelings， that it is really hard to translate it all into just a few sentences。Not being an American myself， I was afraid that the cultural differences would weigh heavily on my reading， but that was not the case。 If anything， it was like a huge history lesson on things I did not know and also a lesson on how judging others using our own view of the world can be harmful。 Wouldn't things be a little bit better if we just knew how to listen？Eloquently， Duchovny translates his unique sense of humor and political criticism into perfectly crafted dialogues that guide us through this equally unique story about a man who believes too much， a woman that wants the world without really caring about the world， and the people who get tangled up in their stories as a consequence。Truly Like Lightning is a book that can make you laugh， cry， stay on the edge of your seat， reflect and， most importantly， give you hope that there are better days ahead， despite everything。 In short， this book truly is like lightning – it hits us hard when we are least expecting it and it lightens our skies at the same time。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Truly Like Lightning: A Novel

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Truly Like Lightning: A Novel&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Truly Like Lightning: A Novel&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0