My interest was piqued when this novel was described as a weird Kafka-esque crime-noir, romance novel.

The basic premise of Wild at Heart is that a 23-year-old, Sailor Ripley, just got out of jail for killing a man in self-defence and reunited with his 20-year-old lover, Lula, despite her mother's protest. Lula and Sailor run away on a road trip, and so troubles are bound to follow the young couple.

There are three main characters in the novel, namely Sailor, Lula, and Lula's mother, Marietta. Marietta is the frantic mother who inadvertently kicks off the plot of the novel. She is nervous regarding her daughter's relationship with Sailor, and the two and their relationship juxtapose to her and her late husband's relationship. Lula is weirdly tragic, and there's a sadness within her. The tragedies that befall her character are believable, and some of them are reasonable enough for her mother to be nervous about her wellbeing. The only thing Marietta is arguably wrong about is Sailor and his relationship with her daughter. Sailor, on the other hand, is the typical outlaw character, down on the dirt with the bastards but well-intentioned. He is almost as if he was plucked out from a hardboiled novel, but when written around Lula, he is instead this Romeo archetype, and there is something tender about Sailor and Lula's relationship.

The story seemed simple. There's a setup that leads to the middle part being an on-the-road adventure, where we see the dive into Sailor and Lula's relationship, and then there's a crime that occurs. Within such a simple setup, Barry Gifford creates a wonder, albeit a trippy and weird crime story. In lesser hands, the weird and generally trippy Kafka-esque elements would be trying too hard to be quirky to the point that it can get annoying, but Gifford just manages to toe the line between the weirdness being surrealistic but plausible. The middle section of the novel shows how believable the relationship between Lula and Sailor was, and Gifford did a great job of showing it.

As for the writing, the cinematography of the novel, Gifford does have a way with how easy his prose is at making a weird, mishmash of crime and romance wrapped up with a Kafka-esque filter feel so natural and easy to read. He is also great at writing sentence by sentence, which are beautiful to read but not purple or lyrical at all.

Wild at Heart is an enjoyable crime novel that packs more substance than what most would expect, and it was all the better for it. It has excellent prose that creates moods and builds up scenes so effortlessly.

Wild at Heart presents a complex web of relationships and emotions.

And I just laid there and thought about how even if you love someone it isn't always possible to have it change your life. This thought lingers as we witness the tumultuous connection between Lula and Sailor. They love to talk, but their words seem to create a ghostly presence that may be taking away their souls. The point of their existence seems as feral as a dog off the chain.

Sailor's advice of "don't think about it" feels more like mindless eating in front of the television. His past in prison for manslaughter haunts him, and he imagines his girl's violet eyes as an escape. But this escape may not be enough.

Lula, a twenty-year-old grown woman, is seen as a loser by her mother, Marietta. However, she is determined to be with Sailor. Their journey takes them through various experiences, including running out of money in Big Tuna, Texas. It seems inevitable that Sailor will make bad decisions and end up in prison again.

The appearance of Bobby Peru adds another layer of darkness to their story. He represents the pitch-black meanness that lurks in their world. But in the end, it is their own choices and the power of their words that trap them.

The book also features other characters like Johnnie, the hit-man cum bounty hunter, who has his own dreams of writing for pulp fiction serials. His story, along with the various subplots, adds depth to the overall narrative.

Overall, Wild at Heart is a captivating exploration of love, loss, and the consequences of our actions. It makes us question the true nature of our relationships and the choices we make.

I know it's truly, truly, REALLY not the fault of this book. However, unfortunately, I found myself constantly thinking about how excellent the David Lynch movie was throughout the entire time.

It's as if the movie had cast a spell on my mind, and no matter how hard I tried to focus on the book, my thoughts would inevitably drift back to the captivating world of the Lynch film.

The vivid imagery, the unique storytelling, and the overall atmosphere of the movie seemed to linger in my consciousness, making it difficult for me to fully engage with the text at hand.

I can't help but wonder if there's something about the movie that simply speaks to me on a deeper level, or if it's just a case of bad timing.

Either way, it's a frustrating situation, as I had really wanted to give this book my full attention and appreciation.

**"Wild at Heart" Review**

“Lula pulled Sailor over to her and kissed him soft on the mouth. ‘You move me, Sailor, you really do,’ she said. ‘You mark me the deepest.’”

Sailor Ripley, fresh out of prison after serving time for a questionable manslaughter charge, much like Cameron Poe in "Con Air", steps into a world that seems determined to keep him down. The minute he's free, his thoughts turn to Lula Pace Fortune.

”When he was on the road gang he had thought about Lula’s eyes, swum in them as if they were great cool, grey lakes with small violet islands in the middle. They kept him sane.”

He knows he must get Lula away from her momma if they are to have any chance at a life together. From North Carolina to Texas, they embark on a journey, seeking a place to disappear and find themselves. But as soon as Sailor crosses the state line, he violates his parole, and they have the police, a private detective, and Lula's momma hot on their trail.

”The world is really wild at heart and weird on top, Lula thought.”

They are soul mates, but the reality of their situation starts to intrude as money runs short. The sex between them is more than just physical; it's a connection that gives hope for their future.

”Oh, Sailor, you’re so aware of what goes on with me? I mean, you pay attention. And I swear, you got the sweetest cock. Sometimes it’s like it’s talkin’ to me when you’re inside? Like it’s got a voice all its own. You get right on me.”

Comparisons can be made to other great duo road trips, but what sets Sailor and Lula apart is their lack of desire to harm anyone. The prose in the book is sparse, like a sketch pad, but some scenes are made more poignant because of it. This book inspired the cult classic movie, and experiencing both together can enhance the overall enjoyment.

If you want to see more of my reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com. I also have a Facebook blogger page at https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten.

Please provide the article that needs to be rewritten and expanded so that I can help you.

Pretty solid base,

but it turns out most of the stuff I like about the movie is stuff Uncle Dave added.

It's quite interesting how his contributions enhanced the overall experience.

Maybe it's because his ideas brought a fresh perspective or added an extra layer of depth.

Probably closer to a 3.5,

but they don’t let us do half stars for some reason!

This is a bit of a bummer as it would be more accurate to rate the movie that way.

Nevertheless, it's still a good movie with its own charm and亮点.

Despite not being able to give it the exact rating it might deserve,

I can still appreciate the efforts that went into making it and the enjoyment it provided.

Hopefully, in the future, they will allow for more precise ratings to better reflect the quality of movies like this one.

Wild at Heart is perhaps more widely known as the 1990 David Lynch film that won the Palme d’Or at Cannes that very year.

It is the first installment in a series that chronicles the adventures of two young, ill-fated Southern American lovers, Sailor and Lula. They are on the run; Lula is fleeing her controlling mother, and Sailor is escaping parole after spending two years in prison for manslaughter. Eventually, they end up in Big Tuna, a place that isn't exactly a popular destination.

(Before you inquire, yes. This novel was written after Jaston Williams introduced us all to Greater Tuna in his quartet of plays, but I searched in vain to determine if Gifford named Big Tuna in reference to Williams' original creation.) There, they encounter a group of troublemakers who urge Sailor to take another chance with the law, while Lula's mother hires a private investigator to track them down.

Although it's a short read, it is emotionally profound as the two main characters are in touch with their hearts but not necessarily savvy about the ways of the world. I thoroughly enjoyed this, and I might even read the rest of the series. I wouldn't object to going on another cross-country adventure with these two.

An extraordinary novel indeed! As someone who deems oneself a writer, I am truly in awe of Gifford's remarkable gifts. In this novel, which predominantly consists of dialogue and digressions, Gifford astonishingly manages to maintain a forward momentum that even the most seasoned thriller writer would find it extremely challenging to equal. Characters make their appearances and then disappear, various things occur (or sometimes don't), places are traversed, and events seem to manifest with a supernatural spontaneity rather than unfold in a traditional manner. There is a certain sweetness present here that is completely devoid of mawkishness, and a frankness that is never crude. The ending, on one hand, is heartbreaking, yet on the other hand, it feels absolutely right. It leaves the reader with a profound sense of satisfaction and a lingering impression that is hard to forget.

Just loved the idea!

It's a love on the run story of Sailor, a kooky teenager who has just been released from prison, and his not too smart girlfriend, Lulu. The couple's oddball conversations are presented in vignettes as their pursuer gets ever closer. It's a great idea, but unfortunately, the writing doesn't really do that idea justice. It leaves the reader to do the heavy lifting. Lynch saw the comic in it, but I preferred to feel a warmth for the couple. I think it's important to have a connection with the characters in a story. Read it and see what you take from it. Maybe you'll see the humor that Lynch saw, or maybe you'll feel the warmth that I was hoping for. Either way, it's an interesting story that makes you think.

I absolutely adored this book.

Barry Gifford's writing style was truly impeccable. It was so engaging and captivating that it kept me hooked from the very first page until the last.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of great literature.

One of the things I loved about it was that it didn't take away anything from the movie. In fact, it enhanced my appreciation for the story even more.

The book delved deeper into the characters and their emotions, providing a more in-depth understanding of the plot.

It was a wonderful read that I will definitely be coming back to again and again.

I can't wait to see what else Barry Gifford has in store for us.

This book should really be called "Two people are driving a car and chatting about stories that have nothing to do with the plot, so skip to the end." Unfortunately, that's not the name of the book, so I read the whole thing.

Looking back, I don't regret it because reading any book is still better than having, for example, cancer, a tariff from O2, or an average grade. But if I had to choose again, I would probably prefer that average grade. But back to the book. It's just a mixture of stories and nonsense that fill space and "sort of" give an insight into the motivation of the characters, but in reality, they are as necessary in the book as an ashtray on a motorcycle. Everything could be forgiven if the stories were at least a little bit special, but they are completely about nothing and don't even hold up as standalone works.

So after 150 pages of building the motivation and character of the characters from nothing, here we have the end where something happens, but everything is described in 10 pages and before a person can hope, suddenly the book is over. Literally, I was expecting at least a 100-page essay on the Stanislavsky method in the performance of Nicolas Cage, but that wasn't there, so for me it was a mild disappointment.

I do trust you, Sailor. Like I ain’t never trusted nobody before. It’s scary sometimes. You ain’t got much maybe or might in you.

Sailor laughed heartily, and gently put his arm over Lula, his hand brushing her soft cheek.

“Maybe and might are my little brothers,” he said with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “I gotta set ’em a good example, is all.”

“It ain’t really them worries me, it’s those cousins, never and ever, make me shake.”

------

I'm truly glad I gave this book another chance. Because this time around, Gifford's dialogues and characters have truly engrossed me in a way that they didn't a few years ago. The vivid conversations between Sailor and Lula bring their relationship to life, and the mention of the cousins adds an element of mystery and unease. It's as if I've been drawn into their world, experiencing their emotions and fears right along with them. This newfound connection to the story has made me appreciate Gifford's writing even more, and I can't wait to see where the rest of the book takes me.