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drchronicallyreading's review against another edition
Good writing but I just generally prefer not reading books that aren’t own voices. Also after living in the south for some time northerners writing as if they understand the south falls a little flat
emiliedoleshel's review against another edition
2.0
This book was trying too hard to be something great that I struggled to get through it. It was almost a chore to finish reading it. The story had great potential but I was often confused by the jumping around of narrators.
nedhayes's review against another edition
5.0
What an amazing writer Bill Cheng is -- I love the way he has created a new story that is vibrant, alive, and profoundly real, yet is grounded in the strong legacy of Southern American literature.
Cheng writes like a mad genius, possessed by the spirit of the Delta Blues.
In his tale of the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927, Cheng not only mirrors the style and voice of classic Southern writers like Cormac McCarthy, William Faulkner and Flannery O'Connor, he creates his own certain and precise vernacular.
A marvelous writer -- a great story -- and I am definitely looking forward to his next book.
(Just a side note -- I love that Cheng is also proving that you don't have to BE a particular race, color, origin or gender to write in a believable style and voice. My second novel -- [b:Sinful Folk|12401599|Sinful Folk|Ned Hayes|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1381089252s/12401599.jpg|17382990] -- is the personal story of a medieval woman, while I'm a 21st century man... so Cheng gives me hope I can pull this off ;-)
Cheng writes like a mad genius, possessed by the spirit of the Delta Blues.
In his tale of the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927, Cheng not only mirrors the style and voice of classic Southern writers like Cormac McCarthy, William Faulkner and Flannery O'Connor, he creates his own certain and precise vernacular.
A marvelous writer -- a great story -- and I am definitely looking forward to his next book.
(Just a side note -- I love that Cheng is also proving that you don't have to BE a particular race, color, origin or gender to write in a believable style and voice. My second novel -- [b:Sinful Folk|12401599|Sinful Folk|Ned Hayes|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1381089252s/12401599.jpg|17382990] -- is the personal story of a medieval woman, while I'm a 21st century man... so Cheng gives me hope I can pull this off ;-)
mckenna_elese's review against another edition
2.0
I have extremely mixed feelings about this book. Let me start off by saying that I interpreted it as existential and mundane. The main character seems to carry no hope and no ambition, which almost gives the book a “what’s the point” kind of feel. It is dull and you almost can’t help but read it in a monotone voice. HOWEVER, for some reason it kept my attention. I’m a sucker for the written word in general, so maybe that’s why - it’s written BEAUTIFULLY! But all in all, what’s the point...?
momwrex's review
3.0
Uneven. I loved the description of the locale and the flooding, etc. The characters are compelling. It also reads like a book written by a male. (Yeah, maybe it was supposed to reflect how women were “back then.” But it actually is more a reflection of how male authors have depicted women “back then.”
I had to really push myself to not put it aside and let it drift into the “didn’t finish reading” pile.
I had to really push myself to not put it aside and let it drift into the “didn’t finish reading” pile.
mrbadger63's review against another edition
2.0
I'm sure there is a decent book here somewhere, but it's just too dang hard to find underneath so much pretentiousness
ericgaryanderson's review against another edition
3.0
Well, there was a microburst of buzz about this novel, in large part because Bill Cheng was said to have "gotten" the Deep South without ever having lived there. (Cheng was born in Queens and lives in Brooklyn.) I found the writing to be perfectly capable and even smooth, with only one passage that glaringly, blindingly, obviously impersonates Faulkner. But, through and through, it's hard for me to say that any passage in the book is not an impersonation, in some way, of a Deep South that US culture writ large enables Cheng to put on paper. The Blues! The Cajuns! The Poverty! Actually, I think that Cheng tries to create a main character who IS the blues -- kind of like what might happen if EVERYthing about a character's life might could be a line in a blues. Does it work? Maybe. As I say, this is a perfectly readable novel; but it is undeniably derivative.
valchanelle's review against another edition
2.0
This book truly had the potential to be great. There's a compelling set of characters and a wonderfully tragic setting (the time/place surrounding the Mississippi flood of 1927). However, the stories here just seem to ramble around each other. In this way, "Southern Cross the Dog" reminds me of "The Twelve Tribes of Hattie." Good concept, shaky execution.
There are flashes of genius in Cheng's writing: His descriptions of the flood scenes are beautiful. But some of the language seems forced and corny - the way Northerners imagine Southerners speak. But mostly, I found myself fighting the urge to skim passages, especially toward the end. It's unfortunate that Cheng doesn't really "dig in" to these characters the way a more experienced writer could. There's a sense of distance, especially toward the women (Lucy, Etta, and Dora) that detracts from the narrative.
I'd suggest reading the first half if you want a taste of Cheng's writing style, but skip if you're looking for a compelling plot.
There are flashes of genius in Cheng's writing: His descriptions of the flood scenes are beautiful. But some of the language seems forced and corny - the way Northerners imagine Southerners speak. But mostly, I found myself fighting the urge to skim passages, especially toward the end. It's unfortunate that Cheng doesn't really "dig in" to these characters the way a more experienced writer could. There's a sense of distance, especially toward the women (Lucy, Etta, and Dora) that detracts from the narrative.
I'd suggest reading the first half if you want a taste of Cheng's writing style, but skip if you're looking for a compelling plot.