Scan barcode
solaana's review against another edition
5.0
Good goddamn is this an awesome book. I love stories! About country folk! I think this even takes place in Tennessee, but for some reason, when I read it, it felt like I was reading about Germany. Still don't know why. This is the book equivalent of a bowl of warm stew and crusty bread. Delicious and comfy.
small_town_librarian's review
4.0
If you really like a good story, this book offers that with tales such as the Shooting Woman, the Figuring Woman, and the Madwoman. A great find at the WPL book sale!
quoththegirl's review against another edition
4.0
I fell in love with Fred Chappell during Southern American Lit class at college, and I was reassured to discover I’m still in love. I ambled through Farewell, I’m Bound to Leave You (another library sale find) and savored every word. The book is a collection of shorter stories, all told by the family members of the narrator, and each one is captivating. Some people classify Chappell’s works as magical realism. I don’t completely agree with that (and for the record, neither does Chappell)–I despise magical realism as a rule–but I do appreciate the taste of whatever it is people are trying to name when they call his work magical realism. There is something enthralling, unearthly, and completely familiar all at the same time in his work. Check him out and be enchanted.
doulicia's review against another edition
3.0
Hm. Fred Chappell is a good storyteller. I liked some of the stories. I think they could have stood alone in a short story collection. I'm not sure that much was gained by bookending them with a death scene meant to link them all. That part felt contrived, ever though I also liked the more lyrical writing it used.
I didn't hear a difference between the characters' voices as they narrated. A mother told half the stories and her daughter the rest. But they all were one voice. And odd that a man would write a whole book purporting to tell women's ways. I guess that's why he used the construction of having women tell these stories to their son.
Lastly, some of the stories were a TOO folksy. I didn't like the one about how the narrator's mother supposedly won the heart of her husband. It was too cliched.
Still, overall this was a fast and easy read. Many of the stories were gentle page-turners that made for the perfect book to read on the bus.
I didn't hear a difference between the characters' voices as they narrated. A mother told half the stories and her daughter the rest. But they all were one voice. And odd that a man would write a whole book purporting to tell women's ways. I guess that's why he used the construction of having women tell these stories to their son.
Lastly, some of the stories were a TOO folksy. I didn't like the one about how the narrator's mother supposedly won the heart of her husband. It was too cliched.
Still, overall this was a fast and easy read. Many of the stories were gentle page-turners that made for the perfect book to read on the bus.
gotogrrl's review
4.0
I am a sucker for Southern lit, and these stories were delicious to read. Authentic voice and bold, fun, touching characters, plus an unexpected dose of an almost supernatural element you can only find within family. So enjoyable.
More...