It takes place in the deep, God-fearing Southern town of Ukulore around the 1940’s with the hopeless “outcast of outcasts”, Euchrid Eucrow. He is born mute, to a drunken wretch of a mother and an insanely inbred father. Euchrid is the younger of twins, but his nearly-stillborn brother dies the next day.

Euchrid’s world is painted as an evil and ugly place, yet Euchrid believes that he is on a mission from God. His life grows steadily more twisted and sinister as the book progresses through its five distinct segments.

He is obsessed with Cosey Mo, the local prostitute and the ironic angel in the pink caravan. She is the only character to ever show Euchrid compassion. The Ukulites believe she is the root of sin; she is banished from town and severely beaten by the fundamentalists. After this ousting however, she gives birth to a daughter, who is delivered by the local townswomen and greatly fussed over.

Cosey Mo’s daughter, Beth, is believed to be saintly; she appears in the town square on the day that the rain that has plagued the town for years stops. The townspeople believe that Beth will give birth to the Messiah. Beth, however, believes that Euchrid is divine; when he sneaks over to her window, both attracted and intimidated by her, she thinks she is being visited by God.

Euchrid’s madness escalates and the last segment of the story is in his words, in his private realm, Doghead.

The characters are bizarre caricatures like the preacher Abie Poe and the various hoboes that reside in the abandoned church. I can certainly hear Nick Cave’s music in my head as I read (or the Southern imagery even brought Jarboe’s Anhedoniac to mind.) From what I understand, his album, The Firstborn Is Dead, was inspired by this novel.

And The Ass Saw The Angel truly has a car-wreck personality; the imagery is so raw and brutal yet I was completely engrossed and couldn’t put it down. This is definitely not for the faint of heart, and if you’re not already a fan of Nick Cave’s, you have been warned.