Scan barcode
deanna_rigney's review against another edition
4.0
This is a tough book to describe, but it basically follows two stories, one being that of E.O. Smonk, an outrageous villain who has terrorized the town of Old Texas, Alabama for some time, and that of Evavangeline, a teenage prostitute making her way through the Gulf Coast area. It takes place in 1911, but it reads like a Western set anytime between 1870 and1900. It is dark and licentious, and not for those easily offended, or maybe I should say it’s only for those who are hard to offend. There is a lot of sex and violence, and immorality abounds. Franklin has captured the Southern Gothic, and his novella reminds me a bit of Flannery O’Conner mixed with Cormac McCarthy, with just a dash of Edgar Allan Poe. Like I said, it is very hard to describe but if you’re into any of those mentioned you’ll probably dig it.
sjj169's review against another edition
I'm not in the mood for this. I'll come back to it later.
boysen_bean's review against another edition
dark
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
weirdly reminded me of Good Omens, with a lot more incest and gunfights.
geographer88's review against another edition
3.0
This novel started off really strong, but I slowly lost interest in the second half. The characters are interesting, no doubt, but many of their interactions didn't really seem to serve a purpose in advancing the story. It reminded me a bit of a Quentin Tarantino style film. The last quarter dissolved into a bit of a horror story that felt a little contrived. The author's writes really well, however. There's not many people I'd recommend this book to, but I'll definitely try another one of his books if I come across any.
tfrohock's review against another edition
3.0
You'll be ashamed of yourself for laughing at certain passages ... then again, maybe not.
suncoyote's review against another edition
3.0
What a dark little tale! I felt a bit like this was a story of human id: everybody is selfish, sexualized, cruel, violent, and quick to kill. So, in some ways that made the book one-dimensional. While clever and unique, it was not a balanced book, which makes it easy to dismiss--which is also a shame because Franklin turns some interesting phrases and wrote such great regional dialogue.
I'd like to read some of Franklin's other work. I'd like to see something where he was trying a bit harder to create realistic characters instead of caricatures.
I'd like to read some of Franklin's other work. I'd like to see something where he was trying a bit harder to create realistic characters instead of caricatures.
vulco1's review against another edition
4.0
this is definitely one of the best westerns I've ever read. it's engaging, action packed, and weird! it's like unforgiven meets battle royale
carolsnotebook's review against another edition
2.0
I didn't like it. I think I just didn't get it. It was too over the top for me.