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meganhumphres's review against another edition
4.0
This was very weird and totally disturbing yet Hagridden had a sort of flare that I thoroughly enjoyed. Hagridden is an independent novel/Civil War historical fiction with blood and guts and pure horror and I absolutely loved it hahaha
rdebner's review against another edition
5.0
I was keen to read this, since I love historical fiction. I don't read a lot that is set in the Civil War-era United States (either North or South), so it was a pleasure to read in this era and about a place that I know next to little about (the salt marshes of southeastern Louisiana). This is a story about the people left behind during the war, and how they get by. The women already had a hardscrabble existence -- houses flattened multiple times by hurricanes, for example, and the war just made it worse. The book is rich in historical detail, down to the era-appropriate name for the dog. It took a little while to get used to the way the characters spoke and the rhythm of the prose, but once I did, I couldn't put it down.
jrpoole's review against another edition
5.0
Part Civil War period drama and part bayou gothic, Hagridden is a dirty little fever-dream of a novel. The plot follows a woman and her daughter-in-law who turn to robbery and murder to survive after being left to fend for themselves during the war. Things take a turn for the worse when a Confederate deserter from their past returns home, pursued by a crazed, very human rougarou, the werewolf-like creature from Cajun folklore.
The bayou, depicted here as a fetid wasteland as bleak and unforgiving as Cormac McCarthy's West,is a fitting backdrop for the troubling story. Fortunately, there's enough humanity on display here to rise above the bleakness and devastation. Hagridden makes good on all its promises, delivering a gut-punch of a story that's as memorable as it is uncomfortable.
The bayou, depicted here as a fetid wasteland as bleak and unforgiving as Cormac McCarthy's West,is a fitting backdrop for the troubling story. Fortunately, there's enough humanity on display here to rise above the bleakness and devastation. Hagridden makes good on all its promises, delivering a gut-punch of a story that's as memorable as it is uncomfortable.
booksuperpower's review against another edition
3.0
Hagridden by Samuel Snoek- Brown is a 2014 Columbus Press publication. I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Without a doubt this one of the strangest novels I've read. Historical Fiction is the category this book is mentioned in the most, and technically it is. The setting is in the past, and it's fiction. So, it qualifies. But, this novel is unlike any other I've read in this category. Seeing the mostly glowing reviews on the book, I'm wondering if I have missed something here, but I have to say, it was not really my kind of book. Historical fiction is a favorite genre of mine, and being born in the state of Louisiana I found the synopsis intriguing. I had no preconceived notions going into the book, so I had no expectations one way or the other. I did find some things very curious. The women appeared to have not been named, while the men did have names. The old woman in the story tells tales of a rougarou which starts off a series of events in which a certain paranoia takes hold.
The woman and the girl are a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law all alone in the waning days of the Civil War. While they wait for the son/husband to return from war they work together to survive. They must resort to some pretty ghastly measures to stay alive, but one day a man arrives who was a friend with the husband/son and a kind of jealousy takes hold. The suspense increases as time goes by and the woman begins to really fear she is losing the girl to their neighbor.
A rougarou is a mythological creature akin to a werewolf. While there were plenty of real things to fear, it was the legend of the rougarou that had the trio on edge.
While I like to tell people when they suggest a story is on the dark side, I am a little dark and twisty myself. I can really enjoy dark fantasy, dark Gothic tales, and dark humor is really high on my list. However, there is a big difference between dark and depressing and for me I found the book didn't seem to have a single uplifting moment, not one little tiny ray of peace or redemption shone through, that I could pick up on It was a strange story, perhaps littered with some kind of symbolism or allegory I failed to pick up on. I'm not a total idiot, I did understand the irony, but I'm wondering if I really grasped what the author was going for here.
Despite the subject matter, the author does know how to weave a story. There is nothing wrong with his writing skills or his characterizations. It is quite obvious he put a lot of effort into this book and added visual details that were very impressive. Sadly, it was the story itself I had a difficult time enjoying so this makes rating the book a difficulty for me. I think 3 stars is where I'm going to land on this one.
Without a doubt this one of the strangest novels I've read. Historical Fiction is the category this book is mentioned in the most, and technically it is. The setting is in the past, and it's fiction. So, it qualifies. But, this novel is unlike any other I've read in this category. Seeing the mostly glowing reviews on the book, I'm wondering if I have missed something here, but I have to say, it was not really my kind of book. Historical fiction is a favorite genre of mine, and being born in the state of Louisiana I found the synopsis intriguing. I had no preconceived notions going into the book, so I had no expectations one way or the other. I did find some things very curious. The women appeared to have not been named, while the men did have names. The old woman in the story tells tales of a rougarou which starts off a series of events in which a certain paranoia takes hold.
The woman and the girl are a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law all alone in the waning days of the Civil War. While they wait for the son/husband to return from war they work together to survive. They must resort to some pretty ghastly measures to stay alive, but one day a man arrives who was a friend with the husband/son and a kind of jealousy takes hold. The suspense increases as time goes by and the woman begins to really fear she is losing the girl to their neighbor.
A rougarou is a mythological creature akin to a werewolf. While there were plenty of real things to fear, it was the legend of the rougarou that had the trio on edge.
While I like to tell people when they suggest a story is on the dark side, I am a little dark and twisty myself. I can really enjoy dark fantasy, dark Gothic tales, and dark humor is really high on my list. However, there is a big difference between dark and depressing and for me I found the book didn't seem to have a single uplifting moment, not one little tiny ray of peace or redemption shone through, that I could pick up on It was a strange story, perhaps littered with some kind of symbolism or allegory I failed to pick up on. I'm not a total idiot, I did understand the irony, but I'm wondering if I really grasped what the author was going for here.
Despite the subject matter, the author does know how to weave a story. There is nothing wrong with his writing skills or his characterizations. It is quite obvious he put a lot of effort into this book and added visual details that were very impressive. Sadly, it was the story itself I had a difficult time enjoying so this makes rating the book a difficulty for me. I think 3 stars is where I'm going to land on this one.
dlfowler's review
5.0
Hagridden is a rare gem in the vein of an Ancient Greek tragedy written by a talented modern author. This book won't make you feel good, but it will challenge your soul -- like any honest portrayal of the tragic historical period the story covers. And on the score of accuracy, Snoek-Brown gets high marks. So if you're looking for a happy story with soaring moral victories, you won't find either.
Snoek-Brown is an exceptionally skilled writer as evidenced by his spellbinding imagery and command of language. He uses both to pull you into his scenes and draw you close to each character's emotions. The biggest mistake a reader can make is to resist his unique style of writing. Trust this author, he knows how to let his art guide you.
I highly recommend this book.
Snoek-Brown is an exceptionally skilled writer as evidenced by his spellbinding imagery and command of language. He uses both to pull you into his scenes and draw you close to each character's emotions. The biggest mistake a reader can make is to resist his unique style of writing. Trust this author, he knows how to let his art guide you.
I highly recommend this book.
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