There is so much good in a garden, if you don't count what happened to Adam and Eve. ~Michael Lee West; Crazy Ladies
The air is full of strange light, like a photograph negative. ~Michael Lee West; Crazy Ladies
I'm not sure what I was expecting when I began reading Crazy Ladies--perhaps a comic romp through a Southern town? There was that quote on the cover, however, that indicated that the book was, among other things, "puzzling."
Indeed.
The characters were wonderfully drawn, all three generations of them. I wanted more, and was happy to discover that there is another book about these women (Mad Girls in Love), with all their "grace and outrageous flair." (Shelfari).
I love Southern literature--everyone is just a little (or a lot) off. From Bailey White to Fannie Flagg to James Lee Burke--I just can't get enough of those Southern authors.
A question to you: Do you have a favorite Southern author or a particular book that you can recommend?
3 comments:
I recently finished listening to "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett. I have never loved a book more. Have been meaning to do a book review of it over at my place but nothing I could say would do it justice. You will absolutely love it - promise.
Linda, you have given the perfect kind of book review! I've added The Help to my Shelfari list of books to read. Thanks for the recommendation.
First of all, those photos are really wonderful---the roses are gorgeous and those mammatus clouds are amazing. I'm fascinated to see that the light in your mammatus cloud picture there is very much like the unworldly light in mine, here in the North Carolina mountains.
Now, about southern literature: it's my favorite kind of writing (as I am a lifelong Southern girl), so I have read a lot of it. My very favorite short story writer is a fellow from Louisiana named Tim Gautreaux. And my favorite book of his short stories is Welding with Children. Also, you should look up a magazine named Oxford American. It is chock full of good writing from the South, as well as essays and art and photos (and they even have a Music issue with a CD and a film issue, too, with a DVD). I just got a subscription after many years without(got a special rate), and I am thrilled.
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