Review of A Miracle of Catfish (Hardcover)

'A Miracle Of Catfish' was unfinished when author Larry Brown died unexpectedly.Because the book was almost finished, publication of Brown's last offering to his fans was possible.The book uses ellipsis to show where editing was done, and though unfinished, includes the notes that Brown left behind as to how he planned to wrap up the novel.

In Brown's languid southern prose, he explores the lives of several people living in the quiet, countrified outskirts of a small town.Cortez Sharp, a 72 year old man who's wife is disabled, decides to dig out a large pond on his property and stock it with catfish.He lives a solitary life, preferring to be left alone with his vegetable patches and herds of cows.His daughter Lucinda lives in Atlanta with her boyfriend Albert, who suffers from Tourettes Syndrome.Cortez calls Albert 'The Retard', driving a wedge between him and his only surviving child.Cortez carries a dark secret with him, one of horrible proportions.

There's Jimmy, a ten year old boy with bad teeth, who lives near Cortez's farm in an old trailer.Jimmy struggles with his father's temper, his two half-sisters Evelyn and Velma, and his desire to fix the go-kart his daddy built for him.Jimmy's Daddy (known only in the book as 'Jimmy's Daddy') is a typical redneck loser.He drives around in his old '55 drinking beer and smoking cigarettes, fights with himself over trying to treat Jimmy better, and has an affair with a woman at the stove factory where he works that turns out bad (in pregnancy) which threatens his life and marriage to Jonette.

And then there's Cleve, an old black man who used to work for Cortez, mean as a polecat, and murderous to boot.He's been in prison twice and though he swore he'd never go back, he's not quite done committing crimes.

Typical of Brown's unhurried and languorous prose, there's lots of smoking, beer drinking, and driving around.There's surprises like DUI's, tractor accidents, unwanted pregnancies, affairs, fishing, hunting, and a young boy worried about having puppies.

These aren't exactly people you would want for neighbors, but Brown brings them out fully fleshed and alive, and you know there are people out there just like Brown's characters.Everyday folk struggling with everyday problems, inner monologues that both repulse and enchant, and scenes that will suck you into the story despite their slowly building climaxes.

While I highly recommend Brown's work, I would recommend 'Joe', 'Fay', and 'Father And Son' as a warm up to 'A Miracle Of Catfish', simply because this is an unfinished work and may leave the novice Brown reader feeling flat at the abrupt end.It's sad that this is the last time we will hear Brown's voice in the literature world.Enjoy!




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Review of Just After Sunset: Stories (Hardcover)

First, I'm an avid Stephen King fan.I'm pretty sure I've read all of his books but I don't think I can say I've read every word he's written....but I have to be close.After reading Just After Sunset, I'm convinced that King's true talent lies in the short story/novella sphere.He is a master at developing stories and characters quickly and like a spider can spin his web with perfection.His novels, all of them, are worth reading.You won't be sorry having invested the time with any of them, but his true masterpieces are in his collections of short stories and novellas.

Just after Sunset is comprised of 13 stories, many published previously.For example, The Cat From Hell was originally published in 1977.King displayed, even then, his willingness to experiment with publishing.Originally, only the first 500 words of Cat From Hell were published in Cavalier.Readers were invited to finish the story and the completed work was published later the same year.The story has been published, revised, and then published again.The story was also used in Tales From the Darkside. Others, such as Willa are recent creations and are a treat for the mind.

"N" continues King's willingness to experiment in getting his stories out to the public in innovative ways.The short story "N" was the basis for the animated series of the same name.

Harvey's Dream, originally published in New Yorker in 2003, is a story of fathers, daughters, and dreams and is a read that will keep you interested throughout.

Of all the stories included in Just After Sunset, my favorite is Stationary Bike.Richard Sifkitz has a belated physical and learns that his cholesterol is extremely high; dangerously so.Like so many of his generation he decides to get a stationary bike to exercise and hopefully ride off his health problems.Unlike many of his contempories, however, Richard rides his workout machine.He rides and he rides and he rides.He decides to paint a mural in the room he rides in to give him something to look at while he's working out.As in all of King's work, the simple mural turns out to be unique and Richard's bike takes him on trips he really doesn't want to make.This is a riveting story and is worth the cost of the book by itself.

Other stories of note (my opinion only) are "The Things They Left Behind", "Graduation Afternoon", and "The New York Times at Special Bargain Rates".

I especially appreciated the last section, Sunset Notes, comprising King's own thoughts about each of the stories in the collection.I always like the special note he includes to readers at the end of many of his books.

Thank you once again Stephen King."And the beat goes on!"

Peace to all.








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Review of Nancy Culpepper: Stories (Paperback)

This weekend, I read and finished two beautiful books, both fiction: Nancy Culpepper, by Bobby Ann Mason, and Forgetfulness, by Ward Just, both published in 2006.

Nancy Culpepper is a set of short stories about the protagonist, augmented by a novella about her parents, Spence + Lila (first published in the 80s --I loved when it first came out).

Nancy is from Kentucky. Her parents, Spence and Lila, are hard-scrabble farmers who eventually do better with a small dairy farm. Until her grandmother dies --the first forty-one years of their married life-- Spence and Lila live with or close to her grandmother, never traveling.

Nancy married an easterner, a photographer named Jack. They live in Cambridge MA and later somewhere rural in Pennsylvania. Later, when they separate, they move around.

The book is about Nancy's dance: between her country roots and her love of her parents on the one side and her eastern education (Radcliffe, I think --I don't want to hunt it up right now), tastes and manners.

The first three short stories, written in the 80s and early 90s, are wonderful. Spence + Lila is a gem --it narrates Lila's stay in the hospital for a mastectomy and an operation on one of her carotid arteries, but it's really about love, family, acceptance and spunk. It reminds you of feelings within your own family that you have but seldom or never articulate. It also reminds you that love doesn't have to be articulate to be felt.

The final short stories --there are two or three-- are good but not as good as the first ones. But it doesn't make a difference.

Mason's stories capture an engaging personality striving to make sense and gain pleasure from a life that has its share of stresses and disconnects but is ultimately self-affirming. Mason's view of life is intensely local and real, but ultimately benevolent.She writes about *connection. It's a lovely book.

(I reviewed Mason's Feather Crowns for Library Journal when it came out and loved it. Her collection of short stories, Shiloh, is superb. Her novel, In Country, evoked the best performance Bruce Willis ever gave when it was translated --fairly faithfully-- into a movie.)

David Keymer
Modesto, CA



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Review of Starting Out Sideways (Hardcover)

Roseanna Plow knows her life has fallen apart.Her husband Teddy has left her after admitting to an affair with her best friend Inga; they live together.Her vocation as a social worker focusing on career counseling is difficult yet rewarding when she places one of her developmentally challenged clients; however, now one of her successes Milton Beyer seems to be stalking her as he is everywhere.Her dad has prostrate cancer and now her mom the steamroller, who informs everyone with mirth that her daughter came down the birth canal sideways, has moved in temporarily to give her maternal support, TKO style.

The only positive note is Milton's boss at the SaveWay Mickey "Ham" Hamilton seems nice.However, before she can decide whether to forget cheating Teddy and move on perhaps with Ham, she learns a dark family secret.Soon she and her mom are going toe to toe over what she now knows.

This is a well written poignant family drama starring a likable heroine who believes she must be the female reincarnation of Job as everything suddenly has gone wrong.Roseanna is a wonderful character who holds the deep tale together although the support cast is fully developed and enhances the plot.Contemporary readers will enjoy Mary E. Mitchell's amusing yet discerning character study.

Harriet Klausner




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