Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
I haven't read many Southern Gothic novels. During college, I read "As I Lay Dying," which fits the genre, but seemed to also exist on a separate plane altogether. Late last month, I read "The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter," which I mostly liked, but found a little heavy handed. This year, I'd like to try reading older books that fit into genres in which I haven't spent much time.
With that in mind, earlier this week, I picked up "Wise Blood," by Flannery O'Connor. It's a quick read--a crisp 236 pages--with clearly presented issues and ideas. I don't know that it's uniquely Southern (it's set in a fictional Southern city, but its events and perspective feel placeless), but it's incredibly gothic. The last quarter of the book quickly spirals down, as the protagonist engages in murder, self-blinding, and ascetic depression. None of the characters are particularly likeable, and so the worldview feels generally drab.
O'Connor's writing reminds me a little of Bukowski's. Both seem interested in examining those that are self-interested, lonely, and mean. Bukowski's writing has a comedy to it though that's generally lacking from O'Connor's. There are some scenes in "Wise Blood" that feel darkly absurd, and slightly comedic in their absurdity--e.g., the patrolman pushing Hazel's car off a cliff without prompting, Hoover Shoats subverting Hazel's anti-religion proselytism into (effectively) huckster Christian proselytism. But, O'Connor never ends on an absurd note, instead pushing the darkness further to a place of violence (e.g., Hazel's independence is destroyed without his car; Hazel murders Hoover's prophet). In a longer book, that continual pushing would feel oppressive, but in "Wise Blood" it mostly works.
O'Connor is interested in those that are searching for the idea of "truth." Her characters lean forward, awkward and discomforted in their compulsion to seek it out: "His neck was thrust forward as if he were trying to smell something that was always being drawn away" (33); "Even when he was sitting motionless in a chair, his face had the look of straining toward something" (218). O'Connor seems to believe that religion is a false source of truth--one marketed by hucksters (Hoover) and the self interested (Asa Hawks). At the same time, anti-religion--as Hazel seems to realize--has the same failings: "He said he had only a few days ago believed in blasphemy as the way to salvation, but that you couldn't even believe in that because then you were believing in something to blaspheme" (208). So, what does that leave--is there simply no truth? By its end, "Wise Blood" reads as a nihilist work.
With that in mind, earlier this week, I picked up "Wise Blood," by Flannery O'Connor. It's a quick read--a crisp 236 pages--with clearly presented issues and ideas. I don't know that it's uniquely Southern (it's set in a fictional Southern city, but its events and perspective feel placeless), but it's incredibly gothic. The last quarter of the book quickly spirals down, as the protagonist engages in murder, self-blinding, and ascetic depression. None of the characters are particularly likeable, and so the worldview feels generally drab.
O'Connor's writing reminds me a little of Bukowski's. Both seem interested in examining those that are self-interested, lonely, and mean. Bukowski's writing has a comedy to it though that's generally lacking from O'Connor's. There are some scenes in "Wise Blood" that feel darkly absurd, and slightly comedic in their absurdity--e.g., the patrolman pushing Hazel's car off a cliff without prompting, Hoover Shoats subverting Hazel's anti-religion proselytism into (effectively) huckster Christian proselytism. But, O'Connor never ends on an absurd note, instead pushing the darkness further to a place of violence (e.g., Hazel's independence is destroyed without his car; Hazel murders Hoover's prophet). In a longer book, that continual pushing would feel oppressive, but in "Wise Blood" it mostly works.
O'Connor is interested in those that are searching for the idea of "truth." Her characters lean forward, awkward and discomforted in their compulsion to seek it out: "His neck was thrust forward as if he were trying to smell something that was always being drawn away" (33); "Even when he was sitting motionless in a chair, his face had the look of straining toward something" (218). O'Connor seems to believe that religion is a false source of truth--one marketed by hucksters (Hoover) and the self interested (Asa Hawks). At the same time, anti-religion--as Hazel seems to realize--has the same failings: "He said he had only a few days ago believed in blasphemy as the way to salvation, but that you couldn't even believe in that because then you were believing in something to blaspheme" (208). So, what does that leave--is there simply no truth? By its end, "Wise Blood" reads as a nihilist work.
Has some structural issues (late middle to last quarter) that makes it a drag sometimes. But the characters of Enoch and Hazel are so complex, funny, tragic and child-like in their pursuit of spiritual awakening that you grow attached to them. The last three chapters were especially riveting in their description of Mote’s demise. Ending the novel with a zen-like refusal of the natural world. Good first dip into O’Connor!
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I love love love Flannery O’Connor’s short stories. She used the same tone for this full length novel though and, for me, that was a miss. This book felt like a long, demoralizing sermon on a Sunday when the weather is gorgeous outside. I just couldn’t wait to get off the pew.
my first flannery and not what i expected! i'm not disappointed — if anything i want to read her more. my impression rn is a little hemingway and a little trumbo and a little (just a dash) of baldwin.
Haze's argument is "not an atheist's argument; it's a stunned man's mad passion", per V.S. Pritchett's foreword.
"She could not make up her mind what would be inside his head and what out. [...] the whole black world in his head and his head bigger than the world, his head big enough to include the sky and planets and whatever there was or had been or would be. How would he know if time was going backwards or forwards or if he was going with it? She imagined it was like you were walking in a tunnel and all you could see was a pin point of light. She had to imagine the pin point of light; she couldn't think of it at all without that. She saw it as some kind of star, like the star on Christmas cards. She saw him going backwards to Bethlehem and she had to laugh."
Haze's argument is "not an atheist's argument; it's a stunned man's mad passion", per V.S. Pritchett's foreword.
"She could not make up her mind what would be inside his head and what out. [...] the whole black world in his head and his head bigger than the world, his head big enough to include the sky and planets and whatever there was or had been or would be. How would he know if time was going backwards or forwards or if he was going with it? She imagined it was like you were walking in a tunnel and all you could see was a pin point of light. She had to imagine the pin point of light; she couldn't think of it at all without that. She saw it as some kind of star, like the star on Christmas cards. She saw him going backwards to Bethlehem and she had to laugh."
Wise Blood is a tale about identity, purpose, the cruelty of life and perhaps most importantly faith, regarding both the importance of religion as well as its impact on both the individual and how they interact and perceive others.
Wise Blood was very distinctive, with an accomplished writing style, and it has potential to be very powerfully. Unfortunately for me, it just fell short of hitting the mark. I felt potential there for emotional involvement, and was willing it to reach that level, but for me it just never got there. Whilst I respect what Flannery O'Connor was attempting to achieve, that lack of attachment took me out of the story.
Full Review to Come
Wise Blood was very distinctive, with an accomplished writing style, and it has potential to be very powerfully. Unfortunately for me, it just fell short of hitting the mark. I felt potential there for emotional involvement, and was willing it to reach that level, but for me it just never got there. Whilst I respect what Flannery O'Connor was attempting to achieve, that lack of attachment took me out of the story.
Full Review to Come
dark
emotional
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
Strange and uncomfortable, I'm gonna need some kind of bubblegum fiction as a palate-cleanse after that... and a hot shower.
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated