Mark ChildressKirja-arvosteluja

NF
NF
Signed
First edition

After some consideration, I have lowered my rating to 1-star. The more I think about this book, the less I like it. I suppose for me it was not "okay", so I am revising accordingly.
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This book was a big disappointment to me. For the first 3/4 of the book, I found the plot ludicrous. I attended high school in the 60s in the South. The events portrayed in this book could never have happened in my school at that time nor in any school in my state.

In last 1/4 of the book, there was improvement, but I felt it came too late to do much in the way of salvaging the plot, and in truth, I had to imagine this taking place in more recent times to make even that part of the book work.

I would have given it a 1-star rating had I not thought the writing itself was of a higher quality than the plot deserved. In fact, I would have stopped reading it less than halfway through had it not been a group read.

I’m afraid Childress is not going on my list of authors to read more of.

Story moved from being a funny coming of age story to all the issues of racial integration, homosexuality, and bullying. Enjoyed having Daniel telling his story with his conflicts of trying to stay friends with both Tim and the black girl Arnita. Brought back memories of the 70s with the references to Sonny and Cher along with all the shows and songs of that era. Laughed at the lyrics to the musical "Christ".

This is not a mystery either, but it is a GREAT book! A small boy's adventures in the Alabama of the mid-60's and his aunt's hysterical road trip to California and fame and fortune on the Beverly Hillbillys tv show. If I try to explain the plot and more, I'll ruin it. But, do find it, read it, trust me.

I picked this book up in a second hand book store in Fairhope, Alabama. I had heard of the book and decided to give it a try. The story of a murder, and a small boy growing up in Alabama, set to the backdrop of the Civil Rights movement. Lucille has killed her husband in a particularly gruesome way, and is on the run from the law, while her nephew, Peejoe, comes of age in a town struggling with integration. Sometimes funny, sometimes poignant, sometimes deadly serious, Childress has written a wonderful story. I would highly recommend it.

This book was fairly decent all the way up until the end. In the last ten pages or so, the book really falls apart. However, for most of the book, it was interesting, and I found the dual stories to build off of one another and complement each other nicely. The story of Lucille is a story of wife oppression, and the story of Peejoe is a story of racial oppression. The characters are likable no matter how insanely flawed they are, and despite the crazy story line, Childress keeps the story reigned in pretty well so that it is almost believable.

How can a novel about murder and racism in Alabama be both funny and moving? It takes a writer with talent and a deft touch! Orphaned Peejoe is living with his loving Meemaw when his Aunt Lucille decides to murder her husband and head to LA to audition for the Beverley Hillbillies. Sent to stay with his Uncle Dove, a funeral home owner and the County coroner, Peejoe finds himself in the middle of the Civil Rights movement when the town's Black residents try to desegregate the new swimming pool.
Alternating chapters present PeeJoe's point of view as well as Aunt Lucille's. Lucille is a hoot, Peejoe is just trying to figure out what is going on and how he feels about it all. While the chapters describing the horrible acts of racism are disturbing (though historically accurate) it is how the people in Peejoe's life respond that provides insight and raise thought provoking questions. Excellent read!

I found this coming-of-age tale of a friendship of two high school misfits entertaining and engaging although some of the people who I read this with found that it didn’t ring true to them. That could be because they were raised in the South during the 1970s and saw few similarities between the novel and their own experiences growing up. It could also be that the author, Mark Childress, has a habit of injecting a high degree of absurdity into his novels. (Readers of Crazy in Alabama will know what I mean.) I find his unique way of looking at the world both humorous and thought-provoking. The reader may have difficulty seeing the events happening in the real world but it is interesting to suspend disbelief and just roll with it.

Some of the events in the book, unfortunately, are far too familiar to most readers. Bullying those who don’t quite fit is so common that one would be hard-pressed to name somewhere where it doesn’t occur. The psychic damage it causes can last a lifetime.

Bottom line: I really enjoyed this novel although I’m not sure it is quite as memorable as Crazy in Alabama. This may be because the events that it deals with can be found almost daily in the news.

My thanks to the folks at the On the Southern Literary Trail group for giving me the opportunity to read and discuss this and many other fine books.

Good coming of age book. I liked it for that reason. Good read but a little drawn out.

Wow - would one kid, in one year, have had to deal with multiple family challenges, racism, issues related to homosexuality, a brother getting drafted to Vietnam, and coming-of-age and losing his virginity and trying to get through high school? Well, maybe in 1970-71, in the years of turmoil following the Civil Rights Act and corresponding with the Youth revolution.

In Georgia Bottoms by Mark Childress the title character keeps herself busy trying to support her mother and brother in a small Alabama town. She's a mistress to six men - each one knows nothing about the others. Each man leaves her a little something after their evening is done. And Georgia has another on-going money making scheme. The problem is that Georgia's carefully planned way of life is threatening to fall apart.

Despite the fact that it does have some funny moments, Georgia Bottoms is not hilarious. Although I was interested in seeing her through her various predicaments, Georgia is a shallow and self-centered character. I never felt she was this loveable, quirky character full of Southern charm. Additionally, there are parts that could very easily even be offensive to some readers. Examples include Georgia's feelings about religion, her taking advantage of one group of women for profit, the use of the "N" word, the racism, and Georgia's annoyance that 9/11 precludes her ladies luncheon.

Perhaps it is because I'm not at all familiar with small Southern towns, but I actually found it hard to believe this novel was set in recent time, especially with the racism. It felt like it was set earlier. Georgia Bottoms is a quick, easy, and entertaining novel - amusing, but basically forgettable. I do think that Childress is a good writer, which helped elevate the novel to Recommended status for me. http://shetreadssoftly.blogspot.com/

Quotes:
If only Eugene didn't run on so long in his sermons, Georgia thought, a person might not have time to think about how hot it was in this church. opening

She never missed a Sunday in church. There had to be other doubters in the crowd, but Georgia was fairly certain she was the only one who attended every Sunday without believing a single word of it... pg. 6

Members of Georgia's family had sat in this pew for generations, since before her grandmother Big Sue changed the family name from Butts to Bottoms because she thought it sounded more genteel, pg. 7

Eugene in bed was much like Eugene in the pulpit: earnest, sincerely grateful for your attendance, but always wandering off down these unproductive side alleys. pg. 9

She saw how it was going to go. Eugene meant to confess his infidelity right here in front of God and everybody. In front of Brenda and his lovely daughters and the congregation....
What he didn't realize was that he was risking much more than Georgia's reputation. One word could ruin a lot more than that. pg. 12

Georgia made sure she was well into the aisle, clear of the pews on both sides. She didn't want to get hurt. Her eyelids fluttered. Her gaze turned upward. all the muscles in her body went limp. She collapsed into a heap on the carpet - a most convincing and ladylike faint. pg. 13

To Georgia, the silliest argument of all was this endless wrestling match over race. As far back as she could remember, everyone in Alabama had been re-fighting the Civil War, a hundred forty years later. Someone was always trying to send the black man back into slavery, or raise him up higher than he was ready to go. To Georgia, the solution seemed simple: Everybody just forget about it. White people, get used to it. Black people, stop dwelling on it. Let's just pretend we're equal, and get on with our lives. pg. 30

Each man thought he was the only one. That was essential to Georgia's arrangement. She never let herself get cavalier about the details. Only by observing strict rules of separation was she able to keep all these plates spinning on sticks.
It wasn't just for herself that she was doing this. It was for Little Mama, who'd had three husbands but never one who left her a nickel... and for useless Brother... but mainly for someone who waited for a sum of money every fourth Saturday at the Western Union, Poydras Street, New Orleans.
An old debt Georgia was still paying down. pg 38-39

In 1973 the Musgrove family relocates from Indiana to small-town Minor, Mississippi. Sixteen year-old Daniel is suddenly an outsider at his new high school buit quickly becomes friends with the sarcastic Tim Cousins. The two boys share typical teen boy adventures until the night of the Junior Prom when they accidently hit a young woman with their car. The girl is Arnita Beecham the first black prom queen at Minor high school. The boys flee the scene but stop at a pay phone to call for an ambulance. Their guilt makes them drive by the scene where they see that a seriously injured Arnita is being tended to while the police have stopped a drunk Red Martin, Minor high school football star and extreme bully. Realizing that letting Red take the blame would be a great payback for the torture he has put Daniel and Tim through, they vow to keep their involvement a secret. Daniel, however, feels deep remorse and begins to hang around Arnita's home doing chores for the family and helping Arnita, who amazingly thinks she is a white girl named Linda. The two fall in love which is not a well-accepted situation in 1973 Mississippi. Tim feels no guilt but he does feel a deep-seated jealousy of Daniel and Arnita's relationship. Tim's feelings ratchet out of control until he commits a final violent act that Daniel is powerless to stop.

This book certainly did not go in any direction that I had thought it would. The premise was very interesting of two young men involved in a tragic accident and the lie they swore to keep. Their involvement in a local Baptist church musical program was odd and a strange run-in with Cher during a Sonny and Cher concert just didn't ring true. I certainly did not see that the ending coming and it was quite a shocker. Surprisingly, the story was quite humorous at times and Childress is a gifted author. This was just a bit off for me.

The product description says it all so the direct quote is … “Georgia Bottoms is known in her small community of Six Points, Alabama, as a beautiful, well-to-do, and devoutly Baptist Southern belle.

Nobody realizes that the family fortune has long since disappeared, and a determinedly single woman like Georgia needs an alternative, and discreet, means of income. In Georgia's case it is six well-heeled lovers-one for each day of the week, with Mondays off-none of whom knows about the others.

But when the married preacher who has been coming to call (Saturdays) decides to confess their affair in front of the whole congregation, Georgia must take drastic measures to stop him. In GEORGIA BOTTOMS, Mark Childress proves once again his unmistakable skill for combining the hilarious and the absurd to reveal the inner workings of the rebellious human heart.”

Not much to say about this book except that it was a fun read.

Funny and well written! Instantly I fell for the main character and though the author did an awesome job handling certain issues/topics.

Funny, makes me laugh at my home state! even a reference to Andalusia highway

Funny, makes me laugh at my home state! even a reference to Andalusia highway

I enjoyed this book. There was something off center about the ending.

What a wild ride this was! From beginning to end, full of drama and violence: explosions, catastrophes, interracial romance, homophobia, riot, and mass murder - all in the context of a teenage boy and his family and his best friend in a new community.

I have a signed copy of this book. Mark is a very funny guy. I also enjoyed the movie.

Coming-of-age novel in the natural surroundings of America’s Deep South in the best storyteller tradition à la T. C. Boyle. Both writers seem to have a predilection for shocking final scenes, going a bit too far. To believe or not to believe it might be the question.

Absolutely loved it. Even my husband enjoyed it. We both hope for a sequel and a movie based on the book.

The King!!!! Unfortunately it doesn't cover his whole life, I could've read on and on..

The move to Mississippi does not come at a good time for Daniel, in his teens he must leave his friends and face the prospect of building new relationship at this difficult age. But when he and his family arrive in Mississippi the is the least of his problems, his accent puts him at odds with is new classmates and he has to re-learn how to speak. As for friendship he soon meets another loner in the form of Tim Cousins, and the two boys soon become best friends.

Daniel and Tim are either together or when not they are on the phone to each other, and together they go through the girl thing, eccentric teachers, taking part in a questionable musical called Christ!, and taking their dates to the school prom. It is following the prom that an incident puts everything at risk, and Daniel and Tim's insistence on keeping quite about what really happened has multiple repercussions.

This is a worthy read that explores many of the difficulties teenagers experience, and the complications of relationships; all the more convincing for neither Tim nor Daniel is a handsome jock, but just two ordinary boys with all the insecurities common to youths. But whatever Daniel experiences one cannot help but think that he comes out of it a better person.

Great story, absolutly funny in a dark humor kind of way. Part coming of age, this book is narrated by a young boy who tells a tale of the racially divided time bomb of the 1950's-60's, as well as the story of his aunt who has killed her husband and taken off to Hollywood to be a movie star- but brings along her husbands head in a tupperware bowl. If you ever saw the horrible movie based on this book, forget it. The book is unbelievably better.

3.5 stars


My blog post about this book is at this link.