Scan barcode
A review by jdintr
Serena by Ron Rash
5.0
This was one of the best books I've read in the past four years, an ambitious, novel that is equal parts epic and tragic, Shakespearean and Greek.
Set in the wooded coves and bald mountains of western North Carolina, the novel traces the villainous couple, Serena and Pemberton, as they slash and burn their way through timbered valleys, trying to stay one step ahead of the U.S. Department of Interior's push to acquire land for Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
I couldn't help but think of Macbeth as the story unwound, for Serena's ambition is even greater than Pemberton's, and she pushes him to the edge--and over--as the couple warily manages the federal government and other investors who have designs on their land. Once Serena picks up an evil henchman and his witch of a mother, "double double boil and bubble" are we ready to rumble!
The murders are narrated by a clever Greek chorus of loggers and sawyers, who balance their observation of news with observations of nature and the deteriorating scenery around them. The Macduff character, an incorruptible sheriff, struggles to preserve a shred of innocence in his county but ultimately succumbs to the destruction disease.
One thing I've learned about Ron Rash is that he knows how to end a book. The final two chapters are a perfect ending to this splendid, wonderful book.
Set in the wooded coves and bald mountains of western North Carolina, the novel traces the villainous couple, Serena and Pemberton, as they slash and burn their way through timbered valleys, trying to stay one step ahead of the U.S. Department of Interior's push to acquire land for Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
I couldn't help but think of Macbeth as the story unwound, for Serena's ambition is even greater than Pemberton's, and she pushes him to the edge--and over--as the couple warily manages the federal government and other investors who have designs on their land. Once Serena picks up an evil henchman and his witch of a mother, "double double boil and bubble" are we ready to rumble!
The murders are narrated by a clever Greek chorus of loggers and sawyers, who balance their observation of news with observations of nature and the deteriorating scenery around them. The Macduff character, an incorruptible sheriff, struggles to preserve a shred of innocence in his county but ultimately succumbs to the destruction disease.
One thing I've learned about Ron Rash is that he knows how to end a book. The final two chapters are a perfect ending to this splendid, wonderful book.