"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read." Groucho Marx



Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Mudbound by Hillary Jordan



The recurring word that comes to me as I think about this novel is "gritty". This is a raw, well-told tale of love, sacrifice, faith, hatred, ignorance, and triumph. I was consistently reminded of Steinbeck as I read Mudbound. The time and setting of Jordan's novel is reminiscent of Steinbeck but more than that, she has a way of getting down to the grittiest bits of human nature, much like what Steinbeck's characters show us in East of Eden and Grapes of Wrath. Jordan lays each character bare until it's difficult to know who to love and who to despise. The characters are infuriating and endearing at once. They inflict horrendous pain on one another and then acts of great love. Again, like Steinbeck, at the end of it I was not left with a happy ending or a sad one, but a hopeful one. I closed the cover hoping they all turn out okay after all.

You will find an official plot line description at: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3759973-mudbound

1 comment:

  1. Hi Chanda.

    I love your blog. I recently started a book blog, and like you I have focused on my reactions to books, leaving the analytical style review to the experts.

    Your blog looks great (we actually have the same background), and I enjoy your writing style. I'd love it if you were to check out my three blogs but no pressure; I will happily follow yours either way.

    Cheers ...

    ReplyDelete