The Violent Bear It Away
Ratings8
Average rating3.9
15
Ratings8
Average rating3.9
First published in 1955, The Violent Bear It Away is now a landmark in American literature. It is a dark and absorbing example of the Gothic sensibility and bracing satirical voice that are united in Flannery O'Conner's work. In it, the orphaned Francis Marion Tarwater and his cousins, the schoolteacher Rayber, defy the prophecy of their dead uncle--that Tarwater will become a prophet and will baptize Rayber's young son, Bishop. A series of struggles ensues: Tarwater fights an internal battle against his innate faith and the voices calling him to be a prophet while Rayber tries to draw Tarwater into a more "reasonable" modern world. Both wrestle with the legacy of their dead relatives and lay claim to Bishop's soul. O'Connor observes all this with an astonishing combination of irony and compassion, humor and pathos. The result is a novel whose range and depth reveal a brilliant and innovative writers acutely alert to where the sacred lives and to where it does not.
Reviews with the most likes.
Dang... O'Connor has become one of my absolute all time favorite writers... Her writing is stunning, so much anger constantly pushing against itself, her characters both extremely alienating yet hypnotizing. Absolutely unforgettable moments and images, I don't think I will ever escape Hazel's flagellant marching or Tarwater's rubble revelation.
I try to read 2 classics and 2 award winning books each month. This was 1 of the classics for June and for the 1st time in 2 years of reading I must say it didn't interest me at all. I should have researched a bit of what the book is about before starting! Strong emphasis on religion which is not my strong point. Also the author should have put names on some of the characters early on and used them all the time through out the book. Referring to characters as old man, nephews etc had me confused thru the 1st 1/3 of the book.
I'm sure this book s/b considered a classic to most folks but I was just sorry I read it!! DN
Short Review: I am working through all of O'Connor's fiction this year. I have read Wise Blood and now The Violent Bear it Away so the novels are down. I will re-read A Good Man is Hard to Find and then Everything that Rises must Converge.
My very quick initial impression is that I liked this more than Wise Blood. I didn't see Violent Bear It Away as filled with the same type of characters as Wise Blood. They felt more human, flawed and traumatized humans, but humans that I could understand.
I feel like I miss 90% of the meaning of O'Connor. So I will be re-reading these and I will be seeking out some more books/podcasts/lectures that will explain them to me. But this is a classic that I understood and appreciated on my own. Some classics I appreciate as a classic, but do not particularly like as stand alone works of art. This one isn't a pretty work, but is one that I appreciate.
My not particularly insightful blog post about it is at http://bookwi.se/the-violent-bear-it-away/
I'm missing some key context here. It was all so bizarre! It reminds me of the Graham Greene book I read that one time :???
