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A review by cher_n_books
In the Electric Mist With Confederate Dead by James Lee Burke
1.0
1.5 stars - I didn't like it.
Stereotypes and tropes galore, I could not wait to leave the southern Louisiana town full of hatred, vitriol, racisim, bigotry, sexism, and where ignorance in general just runs amuck. There was no enjoyment to be found spending literary time in a shoddy place full of weak, despicable people. Not even the paranormal ghost story element could save this one for me, which is normally a fictional favorite for me.
If it had not been a selection for a local book club, it would have been DNF'd early on, easily and without regret. I never became invested in any of the characters and found almost every character to be dislikeable. To be fair, this was the first book for me in this series, so maybe those that have read the others will have more of an attachment to the characters. I dislike reading a series out of order, but again, it was chosen for a local book club.
I will say the author developed the characters enough for me to detest spending time with them, which requires more skill than poor characterization with flat, cardboard cut-outs, for which you feel nothing. I'd be open to reading something else by him, but have no inclination to pick up anything else from this particular series.
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Favorite Quote: Maybe we have so much collective guilt as a society that we fear to punish our individual members.
First Sentence: The sky had gone black at sunset, and the storm had churned inland from the Gulf and drenched New Iberia and littered East Main with leaves and tree branches from the long canopy of oaks that covered the street from the old brick post office to the drawbridge over bayou Teche at the edge of town.
Stereotypes and tropes galore, I could not wait to leave the southern Louisiana town full of hatred, vitriol, racisim, bigotry, sexism, and where ignorance in general just runs amuck. There was no enjoyment to be found spending literary time in a shoddy place full of weak, despicable people. Not even the paranormal ghost story element could save this one for me, which is normally a fictional favorite for me.
If it had not been a selection for a local book club, it would have been DNF'd early on, easily and without regret. I never became invested in any of the characters and found almost every character to be dislikeable. To be fair, this was the first book for me in this series, so maybe those that have read the others will have more of an attachment to the characters. I dislike reading a series out of order, but again, it was chosen for a local book club.
I will say the author developed the characters enough for me to detest spending time with them, which requires more skill than poor characterization with flat, cardboard cut-outs, for which you feel nothing. I'd be open to reading something else by him, but have no inclination to pick up anything else from this particular series.
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Favorite Quote: Maybe we have so much collective guilt as a society that we fear to punish our individual members.
First Sentence: The sky had gone black at sunset, and the storm had churned inland from the Gulf and drenched New Iberia and littered East Main with leaves and tree branches from the long canopy of oaks that covered the street from the old brick post office to the drawbridge over bayou Teche at the edge of town.