Title: Hell Is Empty
Author: Craig Johnson
I never expected to be so captivated by the Longmire series; I watched TV series on Netflix and decided to pick up the books. If you’re still watching the show, don’t worry about spoilers – just about the only thing the novels and film have in common are the characters’ names.
Back to being captivated: the first book moved so slowly that I really debated about not picking up the second. But, some part of it appealed to me, and I am SO glad that I did. Hell Is Empty is the seventh book in the series, and things only get wilder and crazier here.
Johnson takes a slightly different turn with this book as it’s mainly Walt being introspective while chasing a fugitive up a mountain (the same mountain where he froze part of his ear while rescuing Henry). Other books usually have Walt interacting significantly with other characters, so this was a change of pace. However, Johnson brings back some visitors we’ve met in previous books, such as Virgil White Buffalo, the nomadic Indian, and the Old Cheyenne. So, how is this book interesting, given that Walt is going up a mountain by himself? He encounters his fair share of obstacles, including a serial killer Indian, fires, the cold, and himself. This may be the most challenging book in the series yet, and we’ll get to Why after a couple of points.
“I thought again about the spirits that I’d encountered in the mountains more than a year ago and the resonance they’d placed in my life, even though I still refused to believe that they existed.”
The Old Cheyenne
This wouldn’t be a worthy blog post if I didn’t get excited about the return of the Old Cheyenne (Walt’s nickname for the Spirits – many people call them many things throughout this book)! We haven’t really heard much about them since book 1 – there might have been a whispering in books two and three, but until now they haven’t been prominently featured. This book reminds us of their presence, and also alerts us to why we haven’t heard about them – it seems that Walt is doubting whether he experienced them when he rescued Henry.
Whether it’s because of the serial killer who speaks to the spirits (Shade), Virgil White Buffalo, the mountain, or the fact that Walt is once again suffering through the cold climb for a worthy cause, the spirits are out in full force, playing a part in his survival (many times over). In the first book, they did assist in his climb down the mountain, and were really present in the antique rifle that was the key to solving the mystery. Their presence again now can’t be a coincidence. Even Virgil White Buffalo tells Walt that since he started living on the mountain, they’ve started speaking with him as well.
“There might have been stranger places I’ve woken up than Virgil White Buffalo’s cave in the Big Horns, but I can’t remember where they might have been.”
Virgil White Buffalo
Virgil White Buffalo is an enigma. In a previous book, he was locked in Walt’s jail for several days as a suspect. During his stay, he ate the jail out of house and home, played a lot of chess, and gained a (mutual) respect for Walt. He comes and goes as he pleases and leads a generally nomadic existence. In this book, he joins Walt for his trek up the mountain and serves as his guide, confidant, and protector – he tells Walt that the spirits said to watch over him. He serves an additional purpose of reminding Walt about the spirits (coincidentally [?] just as Walt is beginning to doubt them).
Walt, it seems, and understandably so, becomes more delusional as he climbs up the mountain. He sees Virgil disappear, then reappear; die, then live; fall, and then get up again; and Virgil gives him the weapon that finally allows Walt to beat Shade at the top of the mountain. Walt has rambling conversations with Virgil, covering anything from Dante’s Inferno, to the Spirits, to Virgil’s grandmother beckoning him home to be with the spirits. Even though he enters halfway through, Virgil ends up playing quite a large role in this novel.
“…I was sure that Virgil had been killed, but it seemed as if he was just as certain that I had died, and numerous times.”
The Challenge
Remember I said this book was the most challenging? Well, towards the end, Walt sees Virgil shot twice, and then later lying dead in the snow. Closer to the end, Virgil brings Walt the weapon that saves his life. Askance at seeing Virgin alive and well, Walt insists that he’s dead – while Virgil insists that Walt is dead and had been raised by the spirits four times (after four different deaths).
Virgil poses to Walt that one of them is actually dead and has been sent by the Spirits to protect and guide the other to the “Sky-Country” (afterlife). If that’s not difficult enough to follow and understand for the average reader, we learn later in the book that Walt is the one still alive – so we have to infer that Virgil is the spirit. However, before he loses consciousness, Walt watches Virgil say “it was fun being big” and transform into a small boy. The last words on Walt’s lips are “Owen” (if I didn’t cover that before, Owen is Virgil’s grandson who was Shade’s first victim. Shade has been carrying Owen’s remains up the mountain).
So, this leaves a huge question: Where is Virgil? Is he really dead? Or was the spirit of Owen masquerading as Virgil because he was someone Walt knew and trusted? I am full of questions after reading this novel, especially since Walt spent half of it conversing with someone who may or may not be a spirit. I’m fine with it either way, but the mystery of it and its implications are really thought-provoking.
Give the book a read for yourself and let me know your conclusion!