Book Review: The Buffalo Hunter Hunter, by Stephen Graham Jones

  I want to just write 5000 stars, no notes... but that wouldn't really be...correct. 

  I have an odd relationship with this novel. The Indian Lake Trilogy broke me down and put me back together. It was a very intense reading experience.  After that I dipped into more of his work, The Babysitter lives is one that entirely creeped me out, and there were a few unfortunate experiences- Zombie Bakeoff did not do it for me.  As I digested more of his work, I could see a progression within SGJ's writing-- things he was creating, massaging, and experimenting with through all of his works. I liked it. I always feel like, if this author is anything, he's genuinely the real deal- a writer who's put in the work - and now he's putting all of that knowledge and work together to give readers a genuine, impactful, powerful and enjoyable work. 

Buffalo Hunter Hunter has had SO MUCH publicity, I was a little...concerned it wouldn't live up to the hype.  I mean look at the spread for the reading guide! It's so obviously BIG BIG BUDGET.   SGJ suddenly looks like a film star...rather than a mountain biking professor.

 When I came out, I grabbed the audio copy from my library, and actually- read about 3 chapters and then it sat, until it was returned to the library. Something was not sitting right with me. I suspect it was that I had too much going on, and for me it was something I really wanted to absorb deep into my skin. 

I restarted it as a buddy read with one of my TikTok pals.  Same book, different time. She blew through it in 2 days on a road trip. I took about 2 weeks. As I let the narrative unfold, I became so invested in the characters - the sort of crept in and settled and I found them in the periphery of my thought all the time. 

   As a summary - this is a novel told in multiple timelines, Etsy- a "modern day" professor of literature is struggling with the "Publish or Perish" situation in academia when a journal of a relative is returned to her.  This diary tells the story of her relative- a Lutheran Pastor in 1912, and of Good Stab, a member of the Blackfeet- who has lived an extraordinary life. and yes - there is a vampire involved...but I surely don't want to give a book report.  I will say this is an excellent novel to explore ideas, and themes of horror, destruction, exploitation, revenge, forgiveness, and justice. Knowing more about US history, particularly the Marias Massacre of 1870 will help readers understand the narrative in a deeper way. 

This is a 1925 Re-enactment of a War Dance, and I like this photo as it shows sort of the progression of time and circumstance.  It's slightly later than the time frame that SGJ wrote about, but,  I just feel like the wagons, and the audience sort of... showed an interesting juxtaposition. 

Underwood & Underwood, C. C. (ca. 1925) Re-enactment of war dance at Blackfeet Indian reservation at Browning, Montana. Montana Blackfeet Indian Reservation Browning, ca. 1925. [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2012646812/.

  For me the thing that really shines  is the sort of - off hand observations made by all the characters- that hints at just how much we have in common. These bring the characters to life- and the story. The second thing, and I do not know how SGJ does it, but he writes women well. I noticed this in the Indian Lake Trilogy as well, and I can only surmise that he observes and then is able to apply small details that usually aren't noted by other writers.  Just perfection.  Some have said they had trouble with this book- and noted a "Staccato" writing style, and I did note that there was sort of punctuated feeling while reading this one, but it didn't bother me.  I actually think this may be his best yet. 

Surely looking forward to more! 

First Published : 3/2025

Pages: 448

Available as an Audio Book :YES

Trigger Warnings: Animal death, mass death, murder, blood consumption, vampires, 

Not a full TW list, please read responsibly