The violence in Under the Bright Lights is graphic and hard-hitting. But this is no tale of mindless violence committed for the fun of it. Violence is necessary and as such accepted. There is an air of fatalism, even among the victims. Among these men there is little concern for justice or motivation.
Violence is the only conceivable answer.
The question isn't even asked anymore. The beauty and lyricism of Woodrell's prose, often surprising in the context of the story itself, and the real feeling for the characters and lives these people live, raises Under the Bright Lights well above many other novels with similar subject matter. The book has everything, wit, poetry, wisdom, feeling and insight. It's hard to believe that this can be found within the pages of one crime novel. Daniel Woodrell is a master of his craft.