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4.43 AVERAGE
4.43 AVERAGE
Great, riveting story set in the American South in the early part of the 20th century, in which a strange young woman shows up during a flood and changes the town of Perdido, Alabama and the lives of the Caskey family forever. The horror in this one is subdued, and the strange and supernatural happenings fall more into the background while the saga of the Caskey family takes center stage. Nevertheless, the horror aspects are shocking and frightening when they do float to the top. The only thing I would have changed is to give a little more attention to the African American characters; while the Sapp family's story certainly follows alongside that of the Caskey's, it would have provided an interesting counterpoint if the former had interwoven with the latter a little bit more. Of course, that would have made the book even longer, and it *is* an undertaking. As usual, McDowell does not mince words; every sentence is tight, terse, and necessary to the story. While it is long, the book is never boring, and is surprisingly progressive in how it addresses homosexuality and feminism. A thoroughly enjoyable read.
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
DNF There’s just too much rampant racism to enjoy this.
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Before I started reading McDowell's backcatalog I confess I found it curious that he spent the last decade of his life not writing novels, and the last fifteen years of his life not writing horror. After reading Blackwater it makes more sense as it's almost impossible to see how he could have pushed his aesthetic further. Everything that makes McDowell McDowell is here in a kind of maximalist grandeur. The equal balance between horror, southern gothic and slice of life. The panoramic viewpoint, sociological bent, the equal concern with breaches of social etiquette as gore gags, the casual intrusion of the supernatural on the mundane, gently subversive gender politics, the casual depiction of gay characters (openly here after more or less leaving it to coding in the first few novels) and the characters who tow just the right line between flamboyant and caricature.
It's all here in nearly a thousand pages of delirious, gory soap opera. It's the damndest thing and I have no idea how I'd follow it up either.
It's all here in nearly a thousand pages of delirious, gory soap opera. It's the damndest thing and I have no idea how I'd follow it up either.
Well, this was a journey!
It's pretty much a family history in a very Southern Gothic vein. It starts in 1919 with a flood. We follow the fortunes of the Caskey family of southern Alabama through the next six or seven decades.
I saw that this book was categorized as horror. But there's not really a lot of horror. Well, yes, there is SOME. But it's mostly the family's story - the good and the bad, and the slightly uncanny.
I listened to the audiobook. I can't say enough good things about the narration! I listened for hours at a time, because I was ENGROSSED.
Good stuff. I've had this audiobook forever, glad I finally listened to it.
It's pretty much a family history in a very Southern Gothic vein. It starts in 1919 with a flood. We follow the fortunes of the Caskey family of southern Alabama through the next six or seven decades.
I saw that this book was categorized as horror. But there's not really a lot of horror. Well, yes, there is SOME. But it's mostly the family's story - the good and the bad, and the slightly uncanny.
I listened to the audiobook. I can't say enough good things about the narration! I listened for hours at a time, because I was ENGROSSED.
Good stuff. I've had this audiobook forever, glad I finally listened to it.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Ok so I listened to the whole audiobook of Blackwater: The Complete Saga which is more than 30 hours and I'm still going to rate this book with one star. Weird right? Well...... this weird piece of book just deserve it.
Somehow author managed to keep me interested in the book just so that I would not drop it and do something more meaningful instead (like counting hairs on my arm).
In the whole 30 hours almost nothing happens! It is just story about family with its specific quirks and yeah about the fish women. However the fact that women is fish women makes little to none difference. There are some ghost too but, you know, the story would be almost exactly same without them.
….....
This type of books is the worst. If it would be just a little bit more worse I would have drop it. But I still waited for some explanation or, god forbid, motive, but nothing is ever explained and nothing happens all the time.
I partially blame narrator which is very good, so even though nothing is going on, just listening to Matt Godfrey is rewarding. But there is no way I will give this mess more than one star.
Somehow author managed to keep me interested in the book just so that I would not drop it and do something more meaningful instead (like counting hairs on my arm).
In the whole 30 hours almost nothing happens! It is just story about family with its specific quirks and yeah about the fish women. However the fact that women is fish women makes little to none difference. There are some ghost too but, you know, the story would be almost exactly same without them.
….....
This type of books is the worst. If it would be just a little bit more worse I would have drop it. But I still waited for some explanation or, god forbid, motive, but nothing is ever explained and nothing happens all the time.
I partially blame narrator which is very good, so even though nothing is going on, just listening to Matt Godfrey is rewarding. But there is no way I will give this mess more than one star.