Father and Son

Rating:
Summary: Passive women wreaking havoc
Review: One thing Larry Brown does so well is create female characters who are mostly passive and naive, but are responded to in a way that leads to violence and passion. Although most readers and reviewers are likely to focus on the gritty males in "Fay" and "Father and Son," the action and mayhem seems precipitated by women who seem to have no earthly idea of how these men react to them (often violently or certainly passionately).

Take Jewell in "Father and Son." She's the catalyst for the violence. In the scientific sense, a catalyst is something that promotes a chemical reaction between other compounds but that does not change itself. How the men react to her, however, is responsible for much of the violence. And Fay, she just kind of shows up, penniless, naive, victimized. I think she is even described as a woman who is beautiful but hardly knows the impact she has on men. Double that sentiment after you get into the book!

Anyway, this aspect of Larry Brown's craft deserves more thought and commentary, I think. If you have some thoughts on this, send them to [e-mail].

Rating:
Summary: My personal fave Larry Brown title
Review: This book can be considered a screenplay for a film. I don't know how to describe it adequately, maybe a Tarantino-meets-In the Heat of the Night affair. I read this book literally in one sitting and still ponder it to this day. The hot sun, the cold Coca Cola in a glass bottle, beer cans with peel-off tops, bugs, old cars, Vietnam, Church on Sundays...Brown covered all the bases in this one (We won't get into the Juke Joint Monkey). I felt like I was put in a time machine and made to see my home state 30 years ago. I recommend this novel to anyone interested in a good Southern writer.

Rating:
Summary: Rest in Peace, Larry.
Review: This guy was the real deal. What a shame: he died at 53 of a heart attack.

I think this is one of his best books. It's raw and real and like all great writing, it leaves you a little damaged in the end.

Brown will be missed.