In yesterday's book review of Horns, I noted how Joe Hill playfully embeds various devil-related references in the narrative. Today I would just like to follow up by tracing two other areas of allusion in the novel--the first a harkening back to a classic novel and the second a more low-brow borrowing from pop culture.
Hill's novel is set in the fictional town of Gideon, New Hampshire, through which the so-called "Knowles River" runs. The setting and particular choice of river name suggest a nod towards John Knowles, author of the American Gothic/coming-of-age novel A Separate Peace. Both Horns (whose second section flashes back to a summer from protagonist Ig Perrish's youth) and A Separate Peace feature an unlikely childhood friendship, and an underlying jealousy that festers into betrayal.
The second line of connection is more of a bawdy joke, and a subtle bit of Yankee-bashing (by the son of the Red Sox Nation's most visible constituent, Stephen King). Early on in Horns, Ig is harrassed by an unlikeable pair of police officers, but uses his devilish influence to nudge them into being not just work partners but a homosexual couple. I have to wonder if it's mere coincidence that the names given to these cop characters, Sturtz and Posada, echo the actual names of a former Yankees "pitcher" (Tanyon Sturtze) and the team's incumbent "catcher" (Jorge Posada). But I guess it could have been worse: Hill could have had Sturtz and Posada belt out showtunes from Damn Yankees...
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