Andrew
Someone recommended this book to me, saying, "you seem like you would enjoy this." I'll have to go the rest of my life knowing that's what they think of me and never knowing what I did to give them that impression.
There's only three things the fine folks of Black Banks, Kentucky love; faith, family, and going down to the honky-tonk every Saturday night. All the women look as pretty as a peach in their ol' gingham frocks and they be cooking that cornbread just right, every waking moment. The young men come up from the coal mine all blue-eyed and muscley, wearing them Levi jeans so tight they just about fit to bust. They love their mamas and they ain't got no daddies, and in between smoking a Marlboro Red, drinking a shot of Jim Beam, or singing/listening to gospel music at least once per paragraph, they stand out in the middle of the Appalachian holler looking up at that clear blanket of stars thinking deep thoughts about their place in the universe. Lord bless, they's so many deep thinking, whiskey drinking, God fearing folk staring up at the stars it's a wonder there's enough room for them all to stand side by side.
There ain't much plot to this [smoking a Marlboro] story, it's more of a character study and series of vignettes centered around 20-something year old orphan [shot of bourbon] Clay Sizemore, who ain't never been in love before until he meets and starts courting Alma, who play the fiddle just as sweet as a slice of strawberry rhubarb pie and done runned off from her no-good husband Denzel. The story is interspersed with flashbacks to Clay's dearly departed wild child saint of a mother, Anneth, [gospel music] and some mighty powerful symbolism and metaphors that weigh as heavy as the Appalachian hills themselves...and just like those hills, the symbolism is strip-mined and hollowed out for all it's worth until there hain't nothing left [smoking another Marlboro, double shot of bourbon].
The prose is so sappy and dripping with Southern aphorisms, you could sop it up with one of your grandmammy's buttermilk biscuits. If there's a single [gospel music] hillbilly stereotype that isn't loving portrayed at some point in this book, then I'll be a monkey's uncle.
_____
My Rating Scale
5 stars - An all-time classic, a book that fundamentally changed or enriched my life. Would recommend to any and all readers.
4 stars - An excellent book that stands out in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would recommend to anyone with even a passing interest in the genre or subject matter.
3 stars - A perfectly serviceable book that may be entertaining or informative but does not push the envelope or linger long in the memory. Would recommend to pre-existing fans of the genre or author.
2 stars - A book that falls short in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would only recommend with reservations or would not recommend at all.
1 star - A book that has nothing to say, or says it so poorly it isn't worth reading. Would not recommend and would actively warn away from.
Someone recommended this book to me, saying, "you seem like you would enjoy this." I'll have to go the rest of my life knowing that's what they think of me and never knowing what I did to give them that impression.
There's only three things the fine folks of Black Banks, Kentucky love; faith, family, and going down to the honky-tonk every Saturday night. All the women look as pretty as a peach in their ol' gingham frocks and they be cooking that cornbread just right, every waking moment. The young men come up from the coal mine all blue-eyed and muscley, wearing them Levi jeans so tight they just about fit to bust. They love their mamas and they ain't got no daddies, and in between smoking a Marlboro Red, drinking a shot of Jim Beam, or singing/listening to gospel music at least once per paragraph, they stand out in the middle of the Appalachian holler looking up at that clear blanket of stars thinking deep thoughts about their place in the universe. Lord bless, they's so many deep thinking, whiskey drinking, God fearing folk staring up at the stars it's a wonder there's enough room for them all to stand side by side.
There ain't much plot to this [smoking a Marlboro] story, it's more of a character study and series of vignettes centered around 20-something year old orphan [shot of bourbon] Clay Sizemore, who ain't never been in love before until he meets and starts courting Alma, who play the fiddle just as sweet as a slice of strawberry rhubarb pie and done runned off from her no-good husband Denzel. The story is interspersed with flashbacks to Clay's dearly departed wild child saint of a mother, Anneth, [gospel music] and some mighty powerful symbolism and metaphors that weigh as heavy as the Appalachian hills themselves...and just like those hills, the symbolism is strip-mined and hollowed out for all it's worth until there hain't nothing left [smoking another Marlboro, double shot of bourbon].
The prose is so sappy and dripping with Southern aphorisms, you could sop it up with one of your grandmammy's buttermilk biscuits. If there's a single [gospel music] hillbilly stereotype that isn't loving portrayed at some point in this book, then I'll be a monkey's uncle.
_____
My Rating Scale
5 stars - An all-time classic, a book that fundamentally changed or enriched my life. Would recommend to any and all readers.
4 stars - An excellent book that stands out in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would recommend to anyone with even a passing interest in the genre or subject matter.
3 stars - A perfectly serviceable book that may be entertaining or informative but does not push the envelope or linger long in the memory. Would recommend to pre-existing fans of the genre or author.
2 stars - A book that falls short in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would only recommend with reservations or would not recommend at all.
1 star - A book that has nothing to say, or says it so poorly it isn't worth reading. Would not recommend and would actively warn away from.