Sunday, May 19, 2013
SMALL TOWNS
I have just finished Kent Haruf's
This is a story told simply. And there are great depths under every simple phrase. A small fictional town, Holt, Colorado and a few of its citizens have lives that are rich and touching at every line and paragraph.
Haruf is a very skillful writer who has put down all the post modern bullshit and returns to real people with realistic, if challenging, lives.
It is pastoral and it is lively.
He has written three novels about this town and some of the same people. This is the first.
The scheme is basically about individuals who find each other in the course of their daily lives. Span of time is one year.
There is a connection between all of them which grows and enriches.
Reading this novel was so peaceful. And, there were situations which were very exciting too.
A school teacher with two sons, the sons (always together), a young girl who gets pregnant by accident, two old men who are brothers (always together), another school teacher single woman who is instrumental.
Try this one. I bet you will want to read the next two books too.
But not right away. This is one of those books that I love and I will not gorge on them. I will ration it out to extend the pleasure. I will think about these people while I read something else and then go back to see the next time.
Labels: books
