I grew up in the South when it was still the South, so this book resonated with me. I don't think it would have a wide a appeal though. I like Hannah's writing. It's unique, which is one of its main selling points for me. Kind of reminds me of a toned-down Harry Crews. ( )

I didn't really dislike this book. It just didn't make much of an impact on me. It was like a dream in that the information goes in, but it doesn't stick. If you asked me what it was about, I probably couldn't tell you. I can tell you some of the things that happened, plot-wise. It was funny. The problem is that things would happen and then they didn't happen. I kept wincing at the racial epithets. It may be realistic, but I just don't want to read those words.

I read 'Airships' and liked it. I will try another Barry Hannah book. ( )

A good, but somewhat derivative book, very similar to Ray except for being primarily in the first person and being stories told about others, less about the narrator/protagonist. Still, a lot like Ray in many ways: characters, situations, etc. But you get into Hannah for his language and story be damned. This was a fun ride, not as fun as the first time and too much like its predecessor, but enjoyable nonetheless. ( )

Homer, whose name you learn on the last page, is a Korean War vet. He starts hanging out with Jack, an older, dapper man who has been a sheriff and a few other things. He now owns a café and has a divorced 40 year old daughter, Alice, who has taken up with a debauched rock star, Ronnie Foot, whose family can’t adjust to money and the big house he’s bought. “Being dumb and nuts was their profession, and they could never adapt to any other.”

Homer and Jack bond over Jack’s increasing hatred of Ronnie Foot. This involves rifles, golf balls and liquor. It’s a loose story with unannounced shifts that require some catching up, but, as with most of Hannah’s writing you need to read every word to get the full effect. Any lapse in attention, any skimming and you’ll miss something sparking and fresh. ( )