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| ISBN 978-0571231133 |
Born in 1844 in bucolic upstate New York, Liberty Fish is the son of fervent abolitionists as well as the grandson of Carolina slaveholders even more dedicated to their cause.
The mounting national crisis costs Liberty's mother her life and compels him to escape first into the cauldron of war and then into a bedlam more disturbing still.
- Back Cover Blurb
The bearded ladies were dancing in the mud.
- First Sentence
"Because as I hope you now understand, the word 'nigger' is the most foul sound that can be formed by human lips and tongue. There is no comparison with anything else. It is the verbal equivalent of a raised whip. Not all the blasphemies uttered by all the infidels of the world against God and all the churches and ministers and priests can equal the hatred embedded in that singular word ....
- Memorable Moment, Page 54
MY THOUGHTS ... The author arguably 'Overly fond of hearing the sound of his own voice' as my late nana was wont to say ... or is it just that he has a more than healthy relationship with his thesaurus?
Either way, surely no bad thing? (Goodness only knows I myself subscribe to the theory of why use 10 words when you can use 20,30 even 40?)
Hmm! Except it is when as it turns out it takes away from the emotional impact of a story.
Ah! But then there's the fact that they manage to combine tragedy, horror, slapstick, the grotesque; to explore the complexities of racial tension (set against the back drop of the American Civil War War but, alas, much of it still relevant in this day and age) in a book that is both readable and, yes, funny.
Readable enough and yet ...
Everything about it is somehow, somehow ... cinematic? - to me it certainly felt as if it were penned with a screen adaptation in mind.
Featuring an menagerie of what I can only describe as odd-ball characters.
Ooh! Odds good, I do enjoy 'odd' characters.
{Sighs} That is unless as it turns out here they are so 'odd' that it is this oddness that I remembered rather than them.
That is of course that I remember them at all. I thought it unfortunate that many of the secondary characters were little more than what were essentially props.
What I feel may well be a so-called 'marmite' read. Personally overall I thought it OK though, if pushed, I'd have to say I tended towards, if not exactly loathing it, disliking it.
You can see my dilemma though ... and why I dislike the star rating system.
Either way, surely no bad thing? (Goodness only knows I myself subscribe to the theory of why use 10 words when you can use 20,30 even 40?)
Hmm! Except it is when as it turns out it takes away from the emotional impact of a story.
Ah! But then there's the fact that they manage to combine tragedy, horror, slapstick, the grotesque; to explore the complexities of racial tension (set against the back drop of the American Civil War War but, alas, much of it still relevant in this day and age) in a book that is both readable and, yes, funny.
Readable enough and yet ...
Everything about it is somehow, somehow ... cinematic? - to me it certainly felt as if it were penned with a screen adaptation in mind.
Featuring an menagerie of what I can only describe as odd-ball characters.
Ooh! Odds good, I do enjoy 'odd' characters.
{Sighs} That is unless as it turns out here they are so 'odd' that it is this oddness that I remembered rather than them.
That is of course that I remember them at all. I thought it unfortunate that many of the secondary characters were little more than what were essentially props.
What I feel may well be a so-called 'marmite' read. Personally overall I thought it OK though, if pushed, I'd have to say I tended towards, if not exactly loathing it, disliking it.
You can see my dilemma though ... and why I dislike the star rating system.
SUMMED UP IN A SENTENCE ... Darker than expected but not without its humour; if I has to label it it would probably be under the heading of 'an acquired taste'.
9 comments:
This might well be the right book for the right person, but I'm afraid it just doesn't appeal to me. I'm sorry it fell short for you.
It sounds like a lot is packed into this book. Sometimes that can work. Sometimes it does not work. It sounds like it does not work here.
Felicity,
I am truly uncertain if I would
appreciate this book. But thank
you for your excellent review.
Raven
yeah, i get the issues with the star system too, but your great review, that supplied me with a chuckle or two, was great
sherry @ fundinmental
I have a hard time doing star ratings too - some books just defy it!! Definitely seems like an interesting read - but probably not one for me! Sorry so many of the secondary characters felt like props.
-Lauren
www.shootingstarsmag.net
It seems like an apt book at the moment.
Thanks for sharing your honest review. I hadn't heard of this one before. Sounds like it was an interesting read- but not quite to your liking. Hope your next read is one you love.
~Jess
Felicity, thanks again for sharing your honest thoughts about this book. This book is new to me.
Ha! I love that tag line - "an acquired taste" Not necessarily a bad thing. Just have to find the right reader.
Karen @ For What It's Worth
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