I started into the 18-disc audio version of Tree of Smoke and was quickly drawn in. Great narrator, and a structure that reminds me of Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried. But what I like most about the book is its religious angle.

I discovered an interview with Norman Rush that touched on this before I came to the first mentions (I think they were the first) of God and faith, toward the end of disc 2:


"Pretty much everything I have to say about Tree of Smoke is in my NYRB review of it, really. Does this excerpt, from the end of that review, address your question? “Denis Johnson appears, in Tree of Smoke, to be dramatizing what he takes to be the consequences, in one war, of a widespread failure to believe in God. On the other hand, Johnson also seems to offer a companion suggestion that God, like the metaphorical God in the novel, Colonel Francis X. Sands, is powerful, mysterious, and ineffectual—the classic deus absconditus. I suspect that Johnson didn't intend this last conclusion to be drawn. There are strong clues to his true position in this matter in the last few pages of the book, and preeminently in its last two lines—which I won't cite, since so much rests on their interpretation. The reader will judge."

I'm only approaching the halfway point and don't know anything about those last few lines, so if you want to delve into them, please precede your comments with a "Spoilers" tag. Otherwise, in general, did those who read the book have any inkling of what Johnson is getting at? His stabs at Calvinism are particularly intriguing, and rooted in ideas about how to discuss predestination that go back to the Westminster Confession of Faith, and earlier.

I'll have to check up on his other work. The book is smashing, so far.

I'm reading Tree of Smoke currently. Denis Johnson is at the top of my list of favorite writers. If you haven't read Jesus Son, do. There have been periods where I have given copies away like a Campus Crusader handing out 4 spiritual laws tracts.

Much of my sense of Denis Johnson's personal belief is derived from this book. The "higher power" of recovery runs through a lot of that book. I will leave this here for now, continue reading with renewed purpose and then return to this topic.

I would be willing to stay up late on any given night and argue that Jesus Son is the best American collection of short stories since Snows of Kilimanjaro. Did I mention that I really like Denis Johnson?

The reviews for the book have generally been glowing. And now, the faith aspect and comparison to the Things They Carried make me REALLY interested. Aside from this and the short story collection, what else has Johnson written?

All Novels:
Already Dead: A California Gothic
Fiskadoro
Resuscitation of a Hanged Man
The Stars At Noon
Angels, (this may be out of print)


Seek:Reports from the Edges of America and Beyond. essays

The Throne Of the Third Heaven of the Nations Millennium General Assembly:Poems Collected and New.

Named after this piece of outsider art .

There are also 5 songs co written by Johnson on Jim Rolls album Inhabiting the Ball.

(is my obssesive nature showing?)

The book lost me toward the end, I'm afraid, but really, it was too much to take in as an audiobook. An excellent reader made it consistently fascinating to listen to, but I realized about three quarters of the way through that I had no idea where the book was going, or why. That's probably a criticism of me, the reader, than it is of the writer, but to the book's credit, it kept me listening through all 18 discs.

Is it still worth it, Christian? I almost bought the book the other day, but ended up getting a few other trade paperbacks instead (in hindsight, I wish I would've went with Tree of Smoke). That cover is gorgeous. What are the major faults of the novel (if you can give them without spoiling anything)?

I don't know that there's any fault with the novel. It's probably me who's at fault. I'll just say that in audio format, it's difficult to track with any book over 18 discs. That's just a reality. I'm not sure it would've been the same on the printed page. I simply lost track of some of the characters during the final third of the novel, and haven't really chewed on the overall meaning, because I lost the narrative thread somewhere along the way.

Sorry that I can't be more specific.

If it provides context, you should know that I've already lost track of Don Delillo's Falling Man, and I'm only halfway through disc 1! So ... it's probably just me.

Can I blame D.C. traffic? No, because I've followed other books much more closely than I've followed either of the titles mentioned above.

Listening to something as involved as Tree of Smoke actually took me two times through. I listen to tons of audiobooks and this is one of the very, very best. Narrator is perfect for this item. I even went to the bookstore and looked at the book itself to check out a few details and see if it would be as impacting if I were to read it instead of listening to it.
Either way, great.

Yeah, I agree: The narrator is exceptional. My misgivings about the book have faded a bit since finishing it. I'm not sure the book ultimately satisfied me, but I'm not prepared to dismiss it. It's worth reading for that first half alone. Great work.

I will say, though, that I've read up on the book some since completing it, and there are some detractors out there -- fans of Johnson's other work who think this book either doesn't measure up, or is just a complete mess.

Jason: Did you take the plunge? I had meant to encourage you. If it helps, Richard Price, in his interview with Powells.com to promote "Lush Life," said he's reading Tree of Smoke right now. So even if you didn't care for the book, you could tell people you and Richard Price have similar taste.

I stupidly passed up the chance to get the book at a nice discount, and have been regretting it since. I can't afford to buy any hardbacks at full-price at this time, but trust me — Tree of Smoke will be the next book I buy. (Speaking of Price, I did pick up Lush Life last week. I'm excited to read it! And we may have similar tastes!)

I have spent the week sitting around and reading. Ok, I did do some walking, but what a fantastic novel. Christianity in various guises, Buddhism, nationalism, a lost sense of family, trying to participate in something bigger than yourself, Nihilism as an option. It does get a little bit dense as Skip wanders into George Bataille's writing and nihilism. The Doctor( who returns as the dog) appears to have followed the Nihilistic philosophy all the way into the cave with some dynamite.

....."She sat in the audience thinking - someone here has cancer,someone has a broken heart, someone's soul is lost, someone feels naked and foreign, thinks they once knew the way but can't remember the way, feels stripped of armor and alone, there are people in this audience with broken bones, others whose bones will break sooner or later, people who've ruined their health, worshiped their own lies, spat on their dreams, tuned their backs on their true beliefs, yes, yes, and all will be saved. All will be saved. All will be saved."

Denis Johnson, Tree Of Smoke.


It is a reoccurring theme in his fiction. That and hanging.