The Horse: A Novel

4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars | 366 ratings

Price: 24.29

Last update: 01-30-2025


About this item

“Willy Vlautin writes about people overlooked by society and overlooked by literature. In The Horse, he tells the story of a tenderhearted man who has a steady talent and a crushing addiction. It is both a work of extraordinary compassion and a really great novel."—Ann Patchett, New York Times bestselling author of Tom Lake

“A moving tale of suffering and redemption, The Horse portrays the immense gravity of what it takes to be human in tough times, and the elusive grace that might just be grasped from music, animals, and memory.”—Geraldine Brooks, New York Times bestselling author of Horse

Award-winning author Willy Vlautin explores loneliness, art, regret, and hard-won empathy in this poignant novel—his most personal to date—that captures the life of a journeyman musician unable to escape the tragedies of his past.

Al Ward lives on an isolated mining claim in the high desert of central Nevada fifty miles from the nearest town. A grizzled man in his sixties, he survives on canned soup, instant coffee, and memories of his ex-wife, friends and family he’s lost, and his life as a touring musician. Hampered by insomnia, bouts of anxiety, and a chronic lethargy that keeps him from moving back to town, Al finds himself teetering on the edge of madness and running out of reasons to go on—until a horse arrives on his doorstep: nameless, blind, and utterly helpless.

Al hopes the horse will vanish as mysteriously as he appeared. Yet the animal remains, leaving him in a conundrum. Is the animal real, or a phantom conjured from imagination? As Al contemplates the horse’s existence—and what, if anything, he can do—his thoughts are interspersed with memories, from the moment his mother’s part-time boyfriend gifts him a 1959 butterscotch blonde Telecaster, to the day his travels begin. He joins various bands—all who perform his songs once they discover his talent–playing casinos, truck stops, clubs, and bars. He falls in love, and finds pockets of companionship and minor success along the way. Never close to stardom or financial success, he continues as a journeyman for decades until alcoholism and a heartbreaking tragedy lead him to the solitude of the barren Nevada desert.

A poignant meditation on addiction, heartbreak, and the reality of life on the road in smalltime bands, The Horse is a beautiful, haunting tale from an author working at the height of his powers.


Top reviews from the United States

  • upontheroof
    5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Willy Vlautin
    Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2024
    I love Willy's books. His characters always seem so fragile and broken, but also so relatable and lovable, warts and all. This story focuses on isolation, friendship, looking back on our lives, and so much more. I really enjoyed it.
  • carolg
    4.0 out of 5 stars Depressing
    Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2024
    No denying it's well written. But it's hard to get through.
  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Willy Vlautin , one of my favorite authors
    Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2024
    This book bothered me at first but by the end I loved the character. Great book, I love all the Nevada references. Can’t wait for the next one, hopefully he writing it now
  • Bonnie Brody
    5.0 out of 5 stars "I was Shaking From Booze and my Heart was Ailing Me."
    Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2024
    Al is a musician, song writer and, for most of his life, a hard drinking alcoholic. As the narrative progresses, we find Al living on a mining claim that his uncle Mel left him. It is isolated, with no one living closer than 30 miles away. Al has a vehicle but since he hasn't cared for it, it won't start.

    One day, a horse appears in the front of Al's home. It is blind and won't eat the food that Al puts out for him. The coyotes come and try to kill the horse but Al chases them away. Al feels that the kindest thing he can do is shoot the horse and put it out of its misery. However, even with his loaded shotgun armed and ready, he can't bring himself to shoot the horse.

    As the days go by on the mining claim, Al drinks and reminisces about his past. He thinks about the bands he's played in, the women he knew and loved, the friends he's made, and the songs he's written. He is filled with a lot of guilt, thinking that his life hasn't amounted to anything. "Even hiding out on the claim, away from everything and everyone, he had caused pain to others and his past had continued to haunt him."

    Al's life may not have amounted to much in the traditional sense but he's been kind to others, has a moral center and a good heart. Willy Vlautin has painted a clear and deep portrait of a troubled man, most likely with a serious anxiety disorder that he tries to keep in check with alcohol. However, the alcohol takes over and he is on a downward spiral for most of his years.

    Al is a man who has known love and loss, friendship and fellowship, and has traded in his life for 'one more drink'. Despite his song writing talent, he is never able to make it big, but he is a gentle and caring man. That's more than many people can say for themselves.
  • Amazon Customer
    3.0 out of 5 stars A fragmented mess peppered with bad song lyrics.
    Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2025
    I had high hopes for this book. I generally love this author’s work but this one didn’t do it for me. I think this would’ve worked better as a book of short interconnected stories rather than masquerading as a novel. As presented, it’s too disjointed. At various times throughout the book, we meet the protagonist in the present day. Then something happens and that event triggers an extended flashback. And that’s pretty much this whole book. Flashback after flashback and sometimes a flashback within a flashback. It’s not only monotonous, but it can sometimes be damn confusing.
  • James R. Wood
    4.0 out of 5 stars Dark but kind
    Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2024
    I have read most of Willy’s books and listened to his music, so the tone of the book did not surprise me. But it struck me as kinder than some of the earlier books. Maybe because the characters are older now. I’ve really enjoyed the last two books and his descriptions of ranching and mining work.
  • Jeff Tobin
    5.0 out of 5 stars Character study masterwork
    Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2024
    I expect Vlautin’s novels to be melancholic, tightly written character studies and that’s exactly what this is. But he does so with such direct and honest prose that the decidedly depressing scenes that occur are buttressed by reminders that good can come from bad. Lives are never perfectly lived, and the main character here—Al Ward— is no angel, but you can’t help but be endeared by him and his inherent kindness. One of Vlautin’s best. Highly recommend this for all readers.
  • brian
    5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional character study!
    Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2024
    Willy Vlautin has an incredible knack for making the mundane and sad sack beautiful and strangely uplifting. This book is one of his best in an excellent catalogue of challenging and powerful stories about people you might assume don’t deserve a novel’s worth of words. “The Horse” will stick with you long after you’ve read the last line.

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