Martin Cothran

Burke Kills It Again

Revisado: 04-07-17

My two favorite living authors are Wendell Berry and James Lee Burke. In fact, Burke almost single-handedly got me interested in contemporary popular literature. I had been focusing almost exclusively on books in the "Canon," and one day just decided I really needed to be familiar with at least a few books of contemporary fiction. Burke was among the first authors of contemporary fiction I tried, and I was blown away. I don't even remember why I happened to pick up the Neon Rain, but I did and boy am I glad.

I thought, wow, there's probably other writers this good out there or better. Well, after sampling around quite a bit, I'll have to say I haven't found another author close to this compelling. There are a few authors who can come close around who can call up some of the same kind of magic--Michael Connelly and Don Winslow come to mind--but they are still just in orbit around Burke.

Of course, Burke's fiction falls into two separate series. I first began reading the Dave Robicheaux novels (I've read six of them, and pacing myself so I will still have something to solace me in old age), and thought the Holland Family series couldn't possibly be as good. What did I know? They are at least as good, possibly better. And among the great characters in this great series is Hackberry Holland. I love Robicheaux. I love Billy Bob Holland. I love Weldon Holland. But Hackberry is my favorite.

Almost all of Burke's protagonists are, as Flannery O'Connor's Bufurd Munson puts it, "deep in Jesus' misery." They are born into violence and haunted by alcoholism. Hackberry deals with these as much as any of his characters. He is flawed, making him like us, his readers, and he is determined to do what is right--like to few of us.

This book and Rain Gods, it's prequel which you should read first, are a bit later in Burke's corpus (he's been writing since the late 60s and is still writing), and is further evidence that Burke's classical education and his serious Christianity (Catholicism specifically) gets more and more explicit as he goes along. But by explicit I don't mean preachy. It is buried deep in the characters and events. Just count classical and theological references in this book and its predecessor. And yet, somehow, they fit inherently in the story.

I have been asked many times what has happened to the great Catholic writers. I always point to Burke. I can't believe he was there in plain sight all along.

And by the way, if you haven't seen it, take a gander at the short PBS interview with Burke. It will give you great insight into what Burke is doing with his stunningly great work.

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Excellent and Interesting History

Revisado: 04-06-17

There are two opposite problems common to history books:

The first is when the author gets so creative in his narrative style that he neglects issue of evidence and research. It can make the book more interesting, but--with no mention of where the information is coming from--it makes you constantly second guess the accuracy of what you are hearing. I'm thinking of Tom Holland's The Shadow and the Sword here.

The second is when the author gets so lost in the weeds of the sources that it disrupts an narrative flow. This solves the believability problem, but it makes the book a hard read.

The nice thing about Ghengis Kahn and the Making of the Modern World is that it manages to avoid both of these problems. It gives the reader an interesting narrative sprinkled with just the right amount of sourcing.

I found myself, as I did with Lars Brownsworth's Sea Wolves, completely drawn in to the story of these great people and marveling at how much I had not known about the influence of the Mongels on world history.

The narration was perfect for the reading this book. I highly recommend it.

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esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

great story well read

Revisado: 11-10-16

Loved the story but wished the ending wasn't so bittersweet. Just wanted it to work out.

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P. G. Woodhouse meets Booth Tarkington

Revisado: 10-13-16

Very reminiscent of Tarkington 's Penrod books (among the funniest books ever written) and just as good.

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