Fay: A Novel
by Larry Brown
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Book Summary Information
Author: Larry BrownEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2001-04-17
ISBN: 0743205383
Number of pages: 489
Publisher: Touchstone
Book Reviews of Fay: A Novel
Book Review: 'Fay' review
Summary: 2 Stars
I am a native Mississippian who spent his teen years in Faulkner's hometown of Oxford, where Larry Brown is from. I had heard his accolades and the story of his unlikely transition from local fireman with a high school education to respected writer for years, and I had also read some excerpts from his work that made me want to read his books. Maybe it's because I now live in California, where current Southern writers are a distant novelty, but somehow I did not read 'Fay', my first Larry Brown novel, until this summer.
I also had heard a lot of hype from some of my more literary friends in the South, so my expectations were high.
Short version--this is not a great book, or even a very good book, in many respects. It is repetitive, the lead character is not well established or clearly defined, at least one of the plot points is startlingly bad, and the book is just long...and boring. I defy you to find one scene in this 500 page book where each character is not smoking or drinking or both, and described by the writer in detail every single time--to the point that it is almost comical.
This book is nothing more than a paperback novel by a writer with better than average descriptive skills. What a disappointment.
But....
In my same order I also received "Joe", which is a sort of prequel to "Fay". Within the first few pages "Joe " establishes itself as solid literature, and it maintains that level throughout the book. It's hard to believe this is by the same author who wrote "Fay".
I have seen other great writers (Larry McMurtray comes to mind) who have written books with big gaps in quality. "Fay" is one of those books. If you haven't read Larry Brown, don't start with this one.
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