Mississippi Books

The American paperback editions of Faulkner published by Vintage are far more readable and user-friendly than the British editions due to font size, layout, page size, gutter width, paper and general design. This is a wonderful book which should be a pleasure to read. My one concern, and I am not alone in expressing it, is that the 'corrected' text is to some extent a reversion to a draft that Faulkner himself (as I understand it) agreed to change in the light of editorial suggestions which, in many cases, he accepted as improvements. To correct back to an editorial stage before the involvement of an editor is an odd editorial practice and, when a writer has been as tactfully and agreeably edited as Faulkner, rather a doubtful one. A parallel text, or a fuller description of the logic of the Polk emendation, would have been useful, for the general as well as the specialist reader. All the same, a wonderful edition to read.

I found my first Faulkner a bit too disquieting to be rated as a 5-star classic. Faulkner's flashback-filled style of writing in "Light in August" goes backwards as much as forwards, and the first major character introduced and followed through the first third of the book disappears for the middle third and most of the last third. While Faulkner makes Lena Grove likable and unforgettably strong in her straightforward simplicity, the character Joe Christmas who is introduced and dominates the middle third seems too over-the-top to be believed; he ends up reading more like a literary type than a real character.

Faulkner by toning down Joe Christmas and focusing on Lena Grove could have written a heartwarming story about the girl who redeems her youthful mistake to become a strong Southern women in, in spite of, and even because of her heritage and surroundings. But that wouldn't be the story Faulkner has in mind--every character has flaws, and one's heritage and surroundings may be greater than even the most moral character can overcome. The best one can hope, as does Lena by the end of the story, is to survive by moving on (as another great Southern writer would pen, you can't go home again).

The story is heightened and perhaps driven by its contrasts--set in the Depression-era deep South, townsfolk live uneasily alongside country folk, whites share geography but can scarcely be said to live beside blacks, cars and mule-drawn wagons share the roads, houses are lit by kerosene and electricity, the occasional open-minded unprejudiced citizen (universally hated and condemned by their neighbors) lives uneasily alongside and amidst the virulently racist majority and the atmosphere that breeds this backwards-looking, closed, feudal society.

I can tell from this first reading that I concur with the majority of literary critics that Faulkner is one of the great writers of the last century. I respect him, I'm just not sure I can say I found the story likable. The Amazon-suggested tag "southern discomfort" captures the essence of this book succinctly.

This "Absalom,Absalom", and "Go Down, Moses" are my favorite novels by Faulkner. "Light in August" has the advantage of being his most readable book. I will let you in on a little secret, though. I have found that Faulkner is much better to LISTEN to than read straight. I'd read several of his books when I discovered my local library had a number of tapes and CDs of his work. Those read by Mark Hammer are in a class by themselves. Not only does he have the proper accent, but his pauses in Faulkner's often long,involved sentences show a great familiarity with the work and add a strong element that make his words sparkle like jewels with brilliance and an uncanny insight into the characters he displays for us. After that, reading Faulkner is never the same.

A friend recommended this to me. I cannot belive how wrong he was about it. First off, I found it extremely annoying and confusing that there were several characters who had the same or similar names; it was kinda hard to keep track of who was who or what was going on. Second, and my main problem with the book is that I just could not relate with or even like one character in this book. I can't connect with a book if I hate every single character. Overall, this book was just dismal, although its one redeeming quality was its narratives about racism and the differences between whites and blacks. That is the only thing keeping me from giving this a one star review.

This book has been touted as being Faulkner's most accessible. Although a bit easier to follow having less stream of consciousness it still requires some patience and appreciation for nuance. Further, if you take the story at face value you will be missing out on 90% of what it has to offer. The themes run deep and the characters symbolic. I'd recommend reading exerpts from One Matchless Time by Jay Parini who provides some good insights into Faulkner's life and his writings. I'd also read the review written by A.Mason (below). This was one of the more violent and sexual books that I have read of Faulkner. Although I was surprised, I was in awe of his tact and style in portraying these events in a subtly gruesome way that takes the reader off gaurd. The climactic scene of Joe Christmas's undoing was Faulkner at his best. I'd recommend this book to anyone who loves good writing and is fascinated with the tragedy of the post-Civil War southerner.

The book was delivered on time and in excellent quality.

The seller was truely helpful in the sale.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I love it. I will read his other titles.

One cliche after another, on and on and on, this book just plods along. Brandon Massey's style is more suited toward young adult readers: cardboard, one dimensional characters moving through a cookie cutter plot that is highly derivative of 'Salem's Lot. Vampires run amok on a southern plantation sounds like a rip snorting yarn and the cover is great but this is one of the worst "horror" novels I've read in years. I passed this around to my black female co-workers and even they agreed it was geared more toward readers with a junior high reading level and was padded with too much business that had nothing to do with the storyline. A complete waste of seven bucks.

This book was going along great and then you get to the end. I felt that after three quarters of the book, the author then begins to rush the ending. He ties up loose ends too quickly and I was left a little dissapointed in how this was done. Without giving the story away, I was left wondering why his father wound up doing what he did ( I thought the author could have gone deeper into the reason). It was like lighting a giant firecracker and only geeting a small pop when it finally explodes. Mr. Massey is very talented and I will definately read more from him ,so should you.

Since I am already a fan of Mr. Massey's I am biased but this book is extraordinarly wonderful read. I stayed up all night just to finish it worth the money GET IT Read it REad it again the scare factor never loses ground even when reading it for the 2nd time.

Finn is some the best writing I've read for a very long time. Grendel, John Gardiner's tale of Beowulf from the monster's point of view has long been one of my favorite books and I've put Finn on my shelves beside it. I'm not a big fan of dark books, but the power of Clinch's prose and his insight into the human condition carried me along as inexorably as the Mississippi sweeps the detritus of life, death, dreams, and ghosts past Pap Finn's cabin. Finn took me longer to read than normal because I kept going back to savor the language or read sections aloud to my wife. Clinch wisely makes no effort to mimic Twain's voice or humor, but in his own voice renders homage that Mark Twain would appreciate.

It took me three months to read FINN. He jumps off the page as such a horrible, yet engaging person that I couldn't bare to spend too much time with him. That being said, the book is written beautifully, and the story of Huck Finn's father is not to be missed.

I read FINN twice in the first month I owned it. Clinch's prose is so intriguing and rich and the story so haunting, it's stuck with me for months. He was able to make a horrible, dark man oddly likable and almost redeeming. The book is wonderful.

Clinch, John. "Finn: A Novel", Random House, 2007.

Huckleberry Finn's Father

Amos Lassen

I remember reading "Huckleberry Finn" when I was in both high school and college and getting two different views of it, When I saw the book, "Finn", I naturally assumed that my friend Huck was back in my life but I was wrong. This Finn us Huck's father and quite a story it is. John Clinch's novel is one of intensity that is at times frightening. When we read about "Pap" Finn for the first time, he is already dead and floating down the Mississippi and Huck has no idea that the corpse is his father who had been shot in the back. It is here that we go backwards in the life of "Pap: Finn and Clinch who does not duplicate Mark Twain's story, satire or humor and gives us a story that is separate from the original and looks at the capacity for evil belonging to humanity at large. By doing this we get a picture of America which was torn apart by conflicting passions of racism.
Mark Twain's details are there but the characters are presented quite differently. The emphasis moves from son to father and that is where the fun is. For example, Finn is obsessed with skin color and skin plays such an important role in his life that before tossing his dead Black wife into the river, he skinned her. And the color of skin was also a major issue in the lives of Americans back then. The mystery is how he, a white man, loved his Black wife but murders her. And therefore Huck is a mulatto, something never mentioned by Twain.
The novel often haunts with its violence and "Finn" gives us a tragic figure in a setting that is familiar, Clinch has written a book that celebrates its precursor yet stands on its own. The characters are unforgettable. It is the story of a man suffering torment, a racist villain who not only had psychological problems but managed to stay compelling. It is quite a brave move on the part of Clinch to take an American classic and make
it his own. The prose style is beautiful, the language is rich and the plot keeps you reading. Clinch has given us a beautiful portrait of the America that was.

I tried to read this, but I lasted less than a hundred pages. It is not the concept of a sequel to Twain's magnificent novel that bothered me. That's been done before, to varying degrees of competence, although never to Twain's standard. My problem here is with the writing itself. My attention kept drifting off because of the pecular way this was done.

One of the sure signs of a less than competent writer is the constant use of comparisons. The author of this book frequently uses several on a single pages, to the point that it becomes annoying. Nothing is what it is; rather, almost everything resembles something else, and often that something else is completely outside the story or the era. I could present dozens of examples in the pages I read. I assume the rest of the book is not much different, but I will never know that.

In addition, the descriptions often stop the action cold. Good writers do not handicap the action with purple prose. Sunsets are, after all, sunsets, for example.

There are certainly many loose ends in Twain's Huck Finn, and Pap's story is but one of them. With a more competent narration, this could have been great fun. But it isn't.

This was an excellent book for giving the feel for the south and its unique natural environment. As usual for Barr, the blend of mystery,romance, nd community together with a special understanding of the environment made this a really fun novel to read. In addition, her understanding of the challenges of leadership makes the novel even more relevant to our times.

I'm a very fast reader, easily starting and finishing a book within a day or two. I bought this book, along with another Anna Pidgeon book, back in June, and have been trying since then to get any further than the third chapter in either book. I pick up the books, start them, plug through the first chapter, make myself get through the second, and by the third chapter both books are being laid back down. Over Christmas I found myself with no book to read, so out of desperate boredom, I picked up Deep South, again, and was determined to finish it.

I did finish the book, and I know I'll never read another book written by Nevada Barr. This is an author who literally writes her stories to death. Every sentence takes the long way around, and so often by the time I finished reading a paragraph I'd have to just go back and read it again, forcing myself to hold onto that long winding train of thought.

Descriptive writing is good, it's a talent, but there's a definite line at which you cross over into utter tediousness. There were also small inconsistencies, which immediately lowered my expectations of this writer, for example, when describing the hood over the body's head, Ms. Barr writes about only the nose and part of a cheek being visible. Then, a few paragraphs later she writes "...and she hoped there was a head under there!"...well, if the nose and a cheek were visible then it's obvious there WAS indeed a head under that hood! Slip ups like that, slight as they may be, cause me to lose respect for the writing.

Anyway...sometimes a sentence, or a paragraph, can be presented simply and directly and have far more effect than a sentence or paragraph that is overstocked, crammed jammed full of descriptions and qualifiers and adjectives and nouns and pronouns and verbs and adverbs and...well, you get the point.

As I said before, this author literally writes her stories to death.

Set in Mississippi, this is a great fun book. No, it's not going to pass as high art, but it is a page turner, especially when you get about half way through.

There's a love interest also, for those into that sort of thing, and then the "who dunnit" aspect which keeps you on your seat.

I was impressed that Barr has actually worked as a park ranger and it shows in the details in this book. Her plotting is also excellent and I'll look forward to reading more of her works.

I found this book in a discount bin and decided to give it a shot. Glad I did as it turned out to be so much better than the usual stuff "they" try to sell you. While it's not perfect, it is pretty darn good.

This was my second Nevada Barr book - the first I read was Hidden Truth, which I found entertaining and well written. I enjoyed this book up until the last 50 pages or so. I got the feeling that the writer was struggling with a suitable/plausible ending to an otherwise enjoyable story. It dragged on a bit and the final who-done-it & more so - why - felt weak and far fetched for such a big story.

I did enjoy the info and data on the NPS, racism and sexism in the south, and the strength of the character. But perhaps the end could have included more info about topics such as did the people behind the alligator incident ever get prosecuted?

I have not traveled the Natchez Trace since the parkway was build, but the old road is one from which not even Meriwether Lewis, of Lewis and Clark fame, returned. The Trace is steeped in mystery, death and kudzu, which covers everything if allowed free rein.
Anna Pigeon accepts a promotion and finds, a not unexpected wall of resentment, from male Park Service members under her supervision. What she didn't expect to find on her first watch was the murder of a popular high school coed, whose life had dredged up resentment.
DEEP SOUTH by Nevada Barr leads the reader alone with Anna to a fine conclusion. No guessing on this one, you will be surprised along with Anna when Barr tips her pen.
Nash Black, author of WRITING OF A SMALL BUSINESS and SINS OF THE FATHERS.

The character list, at first, seemed a bit long. Once I got into the reading, it was interesting and entertaining. I would be interested in reading more of this author's work.

Even though I do not usually read mystery novels, I can't wait to read the rest of "Motherless Children". Randall Luce does a great job of immersing the reader into a strange community full of dark characters. In a unique twist, several of the characters who are built up as the most intriguing end up being killed off rather quickly. I'm very interested to see how Luce will utilize the reader's investment in these characters to feed the drama of solving their murders throughout the rest of the novel.

I'm a little confused after the first chapter who everyone is, and what's going on. Who's Katherine (or Sarah, in chapter 2)? This isn't intriguing me so much as it's irritated me a bit. And the first section's last sentence, which I suppose is meant to snare our interest, utterly fails. Then we get an extended backstory within a different character's memories. Already, I'm bored.

Luce gives us little description of Madeleine, and none of the others (except "Bobby"). What description we get (mostly of the settings) does nothing to move the story along. However, Luce does a nice job of establishing the time, with period-appropriate words, attitudes, and technologies.

Once we finally get to the conflict of the poisoning, the pacing improves, and the plot finally shows. While I don't mind a slow start, there needs to be some sort of intimation that this story is eventually going to offer the reader some sort of action.

I would not recommend this story to anyone except the most patient of readers. I have no interest in reading further, and would not buy it.

I thought this was a decent effort. Formatting was correct and there was a lot of characterization and exposition in these pages, giving us a good sense of the novel and things to come.

What I didn't like was that thoughts were underlined instead of put in italics, but that's author perogrative. It was very distracting however.

The writing was quite nice, but the subject matter wasn't for me. So even though I didn't like it, I can respect it and see the quality inherent in the product.

An excellent murder mystery, set in the sultry and grimy post-WW II South, with characters that intertwine with each other and the sweaty landscape like kudzu. Highly recommended.

This book was great. I read it for my class assignment . It is realistic because everyone knows how Blacks were tortured, and mistreated in those days. I admire the ways the characters use their brains to solve their problems and go on with their lives. Some kid said it made whites look mean. It is not the book that does that it is just true history. I think we kids should more history and sstuff instead of just reading about fantasy.
anjie UK

This was a book I was assigned to read for school. When I first saw it, I was demolished because I thought the book would be boring, because normally I like fantasy novels with wars between dragons and wizards and such. But when I finished this book, I was amazed at how intruiging it was. The plot is all carefully and well melded together, starting from the incident to... well maybe you should read the book. The only I put 4 is because this book seems to discriminate white people, or make them look mean, like how the white people did to the black people in the book. But this is just my opinion. You should read the book, and see for yourself.

This was a book I was assigned to read for school. When I first saw it, I was demolished because I thought the book would be boring, because normally I like fantasy novels with wars between dragons and wizards and such. But when I finished this book, I was amazed at how intruiging it was. The plot is all carefully and well melded together, starting from the incident to... well maybe you should read the book. The only I put 4 is because this book seems to discriminate white people, or make them look mean, like how the white people did to the black people in the book. But this is just my opinion. You should read the book, and see for yourself.

I would recommend this book because it speaks the truth and it doesn't hold anything back. I think that people who came from this background would like the story because it's our nature. It's easier for people who came from a similar background; it would be easier to understand. Some are used to hearing real southern slang 24/7. They can get into depth as I did, and relate to the story. They can read," in between the lines", the message is more clearly sent. This book was so real and you felt like you were there. I personally think that it wasn't hard to concentrate on the story because it was such a page-turner. Something was always exciting or causing anxiety. I learned a lot of things by reading this book. The message that was mainly focused was that racism wasn't a joke. For some people, the details got too emotional. The Road to Memphis was a terrific book.

Is there a sequel? What happens to Moe? Do Moe and Cassie ever get married? What does Soloman do next? Does Moe ever come back?

Have read this a number of times ... ditto Morris's dog book ... continue to order both as gifts for first-time cat/dog-owners ... may they never go out of print!

Pet ownership is a responsibility as well as a joy. Owners who do not safeguard their pets are not doing the pets any favors; they are simply being irresponsible owners.

When Morris writes, "I felt that [Spit McGee] should have one chance at least to become a father" I wanted to reach into his grave and slap him. In numerous other places he endangers his cat (and I assume dog in the earlier book) in the name of misplaced anthropomorphized freedom.

These books should come with parental advisories: kids, don't try this at home.

I read this book in one day, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I highly recommend it to anyone who loves cats as much as I do. Great story!

I finished this book with my beloved Siamese, Tia, draped across my lap. As she looked up at me and I gazed down at her, I wondered what I found lacking about this novel. Was it not gushing or reverential enough? Was Morris too languid or episodic? It wasn't too bad necessarily, but it didn't leap out demanding 5 stars like I was hoping for when I saw it. There are of course mild laughs to be had by some of the anecdotes, and by the end the author's conversion is complete. Willie Morris, who apparently was always a `dog' man, circuitously comes into the company of split eyed Spit McGee. Spit grows on Morris over time. The rest of the novel details their interaction and the constant comparisons to his previous dogs. There are a couple groups who will read this book, those that have been cat lovers all their lives, and those like Morris who are joiners. I fall into the former camp. I think my disaffection here boils down to impatience with those who don't grasp the allure and majesty of cats initially, and need to go on some sort of personal vision quest to `get' it. Arguably, that may make the late comers appreciative, but the author's constant questioning, comparing, and reassessing of the cats love is unnecessary for the born ailurophile. Juxtaposed to the sloppy, loud, non-focused devotion of a dog, when a cat chooses to grace you as an object of affection it is a supremely special gift. Thankfully, it appeared that Morris eventually realized this.

I absolutely loved this little book! I saw the movie, "My Dog Skip" and was interested in reading the actual book and came across Spit and decided to buy both! I am a cat lover; have been all my life. It was really neat to read about Willie's journey into the cat world! Willie Morris' nostalgic writing style and how he learns to appreciate the uniqueness and quirky nature of the cat leaves you wanting more!

Although "Your Blues Ain't Like Mine" is not a story to pick your spirits up, it is most definitely a worthwhile read. Bebe Moore Campbell knew human nature, which in itself is a reason you'll be satisfied with the work, her first. Her perception of character is pleasing. She deals with the dregs people experience, as well as the joys. She really gets into people's psychological problems, the blues, whether the one enduring them is black or white. Most excellent. She died too soon, within this past year. I will have to read her other works as well.

taking from the life of emmitt till, she weave a great story similar in nature, tugs at your heart and makes you angry all at once

As with all of the books I've purchased by this writer, this book was superbly written. The story was able to capture and keep your attention from beginning to end. An excellent read. I would love to see more by this writer.

The sign of a great book is that so consumes you that you dare not put the book down, and can genrate a wealth of emotions, from despair to hope, to joy. This novel is a case in point. It's been years since I picked this up, but even now I can remember and recall this novel most vivid parts. Racism and a sense of justice are two of the themes covered in this novel, and I am surprised this hasn't been adapted into a motion picture. Lastly I had the pleasure of meeting Mrs Moore Campbell not long after this was releashed, for a book reading of this novel, and was fortunate to get a sense of what she wanted to achieve with this novel, as well as a signed copy. If you like this, you may also like Brothers and Sisters

This is one of the best books I've ever read, and I've read hundreds of books. BMC did an excellent job travelling from the 1950's to the 1990's and from the stagnated deep south to the steadily progressing north. It was so detailed it was like this was her autobiography.

My aim is to cover shakespeare this year with my 9th grader (I home-school). I purchased this book along with "Twelfth Night". I am so happy I did. The whole original text is included along with a translation of the play in todays english. At the end of the book there are MANY, MANY exercises and tests for the student to complete to ensure they have understood what they read. With this book, you can literally give it to your child and leave them to it. Obviously, you may need to give some guidance along the way, but it will be minimal. A homeschooler's dream because there is very little lesson prep. I will definately be buying other titles in this series!

"The Tragedy of Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare proves to be an amazing read if one thoroughly enjoys the challenge of deciphering the selective form of writing and occasionally complicated dialect. This classic play is based on the true, factual account of the assassination of Julius Caesar as it truly took place in 44 B.C. Of course, Shakespeare has completely made the story his own through the use of comic relief, characterization, and wonderful original composition. Julius Caesar, the ambitious and prideful dictator of Rome, has returned home from a victorious battle against his fellow Triumvirate, Pompey. As he celebrates and relishes his absolute power, little does he suspect the growing opposition of conspirators, some of whom he would never expect. This read is certainly worthwhile if one has a good taste for tragedy and does not mind a challenge.

The Arden Shakespeare series is the best, for either the beginning of scholarly research, the average needs of the English student, or as a resource for the informed theater professional. My only note of caution is for a casual reader who may find the extensive footnoting more of an interruption than a help. Love this book, love them all.

Shakespeare wrote Julius Caesar in about 1599. The play was the first of three Roman plays. Shakespeare based the source material for the play on a translation of a work by the Greek philosopher and biographer Plutarch, called "The lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans". Shakespeare, like Plutarch, praises and criticises the actions of the main characters in the assassination of Julius Caesar. However, the historical events in the play are fairly accurate, although the playwright sometimes changed the sequence and timing of events and added his limitless imagination to produce a timeless play that has been enacted and enjoyed by millions of people worldwide over the centuries.

The play is set in a period of political instability in Rome. The people of Rome celebrate Caesar victory over Pompey, their former leader. However, there are officials that are concerned about Caesar's growing power. The Romans were then aware that absolute power is open to abuse (there are people today who still do not know this simple fact). Among those concerned about the growing power of Caesar are Cassius and Brutus, who are both followers of Caesar.

Cassius persuades Brutus that something needs to be done to thwart Caesar's growing ambitions. Brutus has a problem with his conscience but ultimately decides that it is in the best interests of Rome that Caesar is eliminated.

Caesar receives warnings about the impending danger. During a festival that Caesar attends, he is warned "Beware the Ides of March". Caesar, however, dismisses the Soothsayer's warnings. When the Ides of March arrive and while Caesar is due to go to be crowned, warnings in the form of storms, bad omens and his wife's horrible dreams initially persuade Caesar to stay at home. However, Caesar decides to go after being advised that if he did not show up, Senators might change their minds about crowning him emperor. On entering the capitol, the conspirators stab Caesar to death.

Mark Anthony, a very close ally of Caesar, initially pretends to go along with the conspirators but he is determined to avenge his death. When Brutus addresses the confused crowd to drum up support for the assassination, Mark Anthony cleverly and expertly manages to turn the crowd against the conspirators and incites them to riot. With popular support in Rome, the triumvirs Anthony, Octavious and Lepidus plan to fight Brutus and Cassius. Brutus's conscience still troubles him and he sees Caesars ghost. Fighting takes place and Cassius and Brutus are defeated and both commit suicide to save their honour. The triumvirs then seize power after avenging Caesar.

I really enjoyed reading this edition of the play. Each scene is proceded by a summary of the secene and followed by commentary on the scene, and there are notes alongside the text explaining unusual words/phrases. As an actor, I have been reading Shakespeare for quite awhile, and I still found this book very helpful. If you are new to reading Shakespeare, I particularly recommend this because you will find it very helpful.

The protagonist joins the army and he manages to survive the war. He comes home to the turmoil that is left in so many southern towns. Most of Cumberland has been burned. He finds his old love Morgan and though she loves him things are not the same. He cannot just rebuild and start all over again. There are new problems that must be faced. Bahr does a nice job of presenting his story of the post Civil War. By Ruth Thompson author of "Natchez Above The River" and "The Bluegrass Dream"

Writing as a Small BusinessQualifying Laps: A Brewster County NovelSins of the Fathers: A Brewster County NovelTravelersThe Bluegrass Dream: A Wilderness Adventure of Early SettlersNatchez Above The River: A Family's Survival In The Civil War

Anyone who enjoyed Howard Bahr's rich, insightful, and lyrical prose in "The Black Flower" is certain to enjoy it again in "The Year of Jubilo". The same melancholy, haunting spirit that characterized his first novel pervades this work, too, and if you're in the mood for that type of story Bahr certainly delivers.

But while I love Bahr's way with words, this story left me cold. First, the heavy atmosphere of the story gets tiring after a while. It seems that everyone in the story is depressed, angst-ridden, and suffering from some kind of loss or regret. One wonders if anyone is EVER happy in Cumberland, Mississippi.

To make matters worse, Bahr has apparently contracted "Coldmountainitis", a disease which causes writers of Civil War fiction to populate their stories with as many bizarre characters as possible. For example, we get to meet Molochi Fish, a man whose severely flaking skin is a consequence of his mother dropping him into a vat of boiling water for some unknown reason (he in turn gets revenge by pushing her into the moving gears of a gristmill). Not only does he see ghosts, including his murdered mother's, but he shacks up with a Choctaw Indian woman who is literally insane (Molochi realizes this when he finds her eating a live snake). Sometimes he wanders around town at night and peeps into people's windows. Another denizen of the town is a Scripture-quoting fanatic named Old-Hundred and Eleven who doesn't wear shoes or groom himself. The colonel commanding the Union forces occupying the town suffers from memory blackouts, and one of the bad guys gets his jollies by having relations with the still-warm body of a murdered woman. Sound like YOUR neighborhood?

Another weakness in the plot is the stupidity of the villains, a motley bunch of Confederate bushwackers led by plantation owner King Solomon Gault. Bahr makes sure we know that they are evil by "treating" us to a graphic (and pointless) rape scene. Gault's dream is to reignite the patriotic fervor of the Confederacy and get the war started again by leading his men to a stunning victory over the occupying Federal troops. Bahr paints him as cruel and cunning, but when Gault finally sets his Sinister Plan into motion, it has all the subtlety and strategy of Burnside at Fredricksburg. I've seen Wile E. Coyote come up with better evil plots in Roadrunner cartoons.

Despite a few poignant scenes and Bahr's literary craftsmanship, "The Year of Jubilo" is long on weirdness and short on sympathetic characters. After the splendid "Black Flower", I was disappointed with this effort.

By the end of the novel, I was a bit tired of the whipporwills and the mockingbirds. The descriptions often got a bit out of hand, in my opinion, but the story is fantastic and Mr. Bahr has written another memorable Civil War novel. I can't wait to read "The Judas Field"!

Again, I'm scratching my head as to why "Cold Mountain" was so popular. Mr. Bahr tells a better story, in my opinion.

This is one of those once in a great while reads. One of those books you stumble on, that you look forward to reading each night and that you wish there were more of. Very, very good read. The joy of such a good book stayed with me for a long time. I can't wait to get to the authors next book. If it is only half as good, it will be wonderuful.

Reading Bahr one realizes the difference between literature and writing. I believe this book will be a piece of lasting literature. Mr. Bahr's prose at times feels like poetry. This is a great story as well, about a southern Civil War soldier that has just come home to Mississippi after the war to a changed South. This is Mr. Bahr's second novel. His first, "Black Flower," was equally supreme. I wil be reading all of his future works as I am sure generations will to come.