In this unforgettable work of fiction, Donald Ray Pollock peers into the soul of a tough Midwestern American
town to reveal the sad, stunted but resilient lives of its residents. Knockemstiff is a genuine entry into the
literature of place.
Spanning a period from the mid-sixties to the late nineties, the linked stories that comprise Knockemstiff feature
a cast of recurring characters who are irresistibly, undeniably real. A father pumps his son full of steroids so
he can vicariously relive his days as a perpetual runner-up body builder. A psychotic rural recluse comes upon
two siblings committing incest and feels compelled to take action. Donald Ray Pollock presents his characters and
the sordid goings-on with a stern intelligence, a bracing absence of value judgments, and a refreshingly dark sense
of bottom-dog humor.