What do readers think of Devil Makes Three by Ben Fountain? Write your own review.

This was an extremely heavy and political novel - and as in all politics - nothing ever really gets resolved in this tragically beautiful country. The "summary" makes it seem as if Matt Amaker and his diving for treasure are the main theme of this novel but that is not true. Matt plays an integral part in this novel but he is not the main theme. The novel is packed full with the history of Haiti and its relationship with the US and all the integral players in-between.that have influence on the outcome of Haiti. The politics at times got quite complicated..and many times beyond my comprehension and the suffering of the Haitian people became quite oppressive at times.......All the players in this novel were vivid characters - some likeable some not so likable......

This was a difficult novel to read with all its complications and directions it took off in.......but the one constant - the binding factor in this novel was the simple theme that at the end of the day - with nothing else really resolved.......and in spite of all the chaos,, the killings, the deceit - at the end of the day what mattered was just the simplicity of the act of just gathering up the jugs of water and heading for the house.

And this left so much unresolved and hanging - but I suppose that is Haiti?

I very much disliked this book. It was too long by at least 100 pages. It was too disjointed as time, place, and characters jumped from page to page, even paragraph to paragraph with not even a line break to give the reader a clue to the jump. There was too much incomprehensible talk among the characters about Haitian politics and too many untranslated French words, phrases and sentences for this German speaking American. I knew little about Haitian politics before I read this book and I am still in the dark. I often felt I needed to stop reading and consult Wikipedia’s version of Haitian history.

Parts of the book were interesting and well written. One blurb writer called this book “a fast, riveting read. A gripping thriller…” he must have read a different book. This book was a struggle to get through the first hundred pages before the characters and plot started to become clear. I would have enjoyed a 300 page book of Matt and Alix’s treasure hunting adventures much more.
I found Audrey/Shelly simply too confusing to like or dislike or to follow her part in the story. Matt had an interesting ethical dilemma. Alix apparently had no problems in the ethical field at all. His sister chose and was in that way my favorite character.

4 stars for the writing: 3 stars for the plot and length.

This was a difficult read for me. Throughout the book I felt very misinformed, making it hard to understand what was happening. I then stopped reading further and did some online research into the Revolution of Haiti and the toll it took on its people. This author knows well the country, its people and politics. His depth of understanding on this subject is most impressive. Since Haiti is currently in the headlines with travel warnings, I found it helpful to make myself aware of what happened over thirty years ago. By doing so it made reading this book an easier task

An American expat, Matt Amaker, operates a dive business off the coast of Haiti. With Aristide's failed military coup, things take a drastic turn. Matt reimagines his business into a treasure hunting venture that explores old, underwater vessels for whatever they might contain but Matt also attracts some unfortunate attention. This book illustrates the cost of military dictatorships and embargoes, with its people and entities masquerading as something they are not. The author does an excellent job of melding the political climate with his characters who help to make his book on this unsettled part of the world not only informative, but very engaging.

Devil Makes Three is a complex piece of historical fiction.
Ben Fountain recounts the horrifying violence and lawlessness on Haiti's political and economic systems in the 1990's. He tell the story through 3 major characters a prominent Hatian family , an adventure seeking American and the US Consulate/CIA. Each of the intertwining stories is complex and sometimes clouded with more factual information than was necessary to effectually tell each story. The book packs an emotional punch in favor of getting the readers sympathy for the plight on Haiti. But that messages gets lost with too many words. As a history lover I slogged through historical facts about Voudo, Strange Feast Days etc. but I think the average reader find them unnecessary. I enjoyed the the story despite extras but would only recommend the book to readers with an interest in historical fiction. Good book ,too many Words!

The author did a wonderful job describing the corruptness of Haiti during this period. It was difficult to read and I had a hard time finishing it but I wanted to see how it ended. This is not a novel that I normally would have read but I am glad I did.

This was a very difficult and challenging read for me. Nevertheless, the author's knowledge about the problems and incredible corruption in Haiti is beyond impressive.

A large novel about the problems in Haiti, there is so much corruption it is very scary to think about going there. I felt bad for Matt losing his business so drastically but when in a foreign land one must understand American laws do not apply. I became overwhelmed by all the characters and their stories. Halfway through the book I was ready to quit reading but kept going just to see where it all ends. This is a hefty read with vulgar language, sex and drugs, I would not recommend it for anyone under 21 to read!!! This is a first time Ben Fountain story for me, he is a prolific writer and gives much insight about Haiti's government. He does affirm the corruption as my friends from Haiti told me. Book Browse thanks for the ARC and the educational view of Haiti.

For example: "They held hands on the way to the dance floor, and when she
pressed close, their bodies stuck as if coated with some sort of epithelial adhesive."

I wasn't willing to slog through more pages of this wordy prose. I will read his other book and see if I like it better.