Russell Banks
1998
Around 770 pages
Well, that was a doozy. It's difficult to sustain momentum for over 700 pages. I knew it was tough road ahead when it took the narrator 30 pages to explain that he wanted to tell his father's story. We have another 30 pages dedicated to describing the family's financial situation, and yet, he chose to skate over much more interesting material. Sigh.
Our narrator is Owen Brown, who is the last surviving son of famous American martyr and abolitionist John Brown. Clearly a lot of painstaking research went into the composition of this novel, so props to Banks. But some of the melodramatic touches he added were a little much. Isn't the real life story melodramatic enough?
So yes, I thought this was dry and a chore to get through. Considering the religious convictions of these characters, it's unsurprising that they behave in totally strange and over the top ways, but it prevented me from forming a connection with anybody.
What an absolutely miserable time.
RATING: **---
Interesting Facts:
Interesting Facts:
The title of the book comes from a translation of the Iroquois word Tahawus, the name of the mountain—English name Mount Marcy—just beyond the Brown family estate.
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