reader_cheryl's review against another edition
5.0
Burning Bright is a short story collection by Ron Rash. All are good and it's hard to pick any favorites, but the stories that stand out to me are: "Hard Times"--which I first read in a workshop, "Back of Beyond," "The Ascent," which I first read in The Best American Short Stories, I think it was the 2010 edition, and "Lincolnites."
In "Hard Times," eggs go missing out of Jacob and Edna's hen house. Jacob sets a trap to catch the snake he's sure is stealing his eggs, but has a difficult choice when the thief turns out to be something entirely different. This short story deals with poverty, starvation, and pride and the effects they have on people.
"Back of Beyond" deals with a pawn shop owner and the steps he takes to save his brother and sister-in-law from the ravages of methamphetamines. While Parson, his brother Ray, or his sister-in-law Martha don't do drugs, Danny, Parson's nephew and Ray's son does, and it has devastating results for his parents. Parson is forced to make hard choices in a life that offers no easy ones.
"The Ascent" is probably the most heart-breaking of all the stories in the collection. This story is told from the point of view of Jared, a fifth-grader in the local school and son of meth addicts. He finds a plane wreck in the Smoky Mountains and adopts the dead couple for his own parents. He's trying to cope with his life in the only way he knows how, since the adults in his school or the sheriff, who is well-aware of his parents' drug abuse, never step in to help.
"Lincolnites" goes back in time to the Civil War and is the story of a pregnant wife, whose husband is off fighting for the Union, even though they live in the South--which is why her husband is dubbed a "Lincolnite." When a lone Confederate soldier shows up on her farm, she does what she must to protect her family. The Civil War is fought even on an isolated mountaintop in the Carolinas.
All the stories in this collection are strong, and well-worth reading.
In "Hard Times," eggs go missing out of Jacob and Edna's hen house. Jacob sets a trap to catch the snake he's sure is stealing his eggs, but has a difficult choice when the thief turns out to be something entirely different. This short story deals with poverty, starvation, and pride and the effects they have on people.
"Back of Beyond" deals with a pawn shop owner and the steps he takes to save his brother and sister-in-law from the ravages of methamphetamines. While Parson, his brother Ray, or his sister-in-law Martha don't do drugs, Danny, Parson's nephew and Ray's son does, and it has devastating results for his parents. Parson is forced to make hard choices in a life that offers no easy ones.
"The Ascent" is probably the most heart-breaking of all the stories in the collection. This story is told from the point of view of Jared, a fifth-grader in the local school and son of meth addicts. He finds a plane wreck in the Smoky Mountains and adopts the dead couple for his own parents. He's trying to cope with his life in the only way he knows how, since the adults in his school or the sheriff, who is well-aware of his parents' drug abuse, never step in to help.
"Lincolnites" goes back in time to the Civil War and is the story of a pregnant wife, whose husband is off fighting for the Union, even though they live in the South--which is why her husband is dubbed a "Lincolnite." When a lone Confederate soldier shows up on her farm, she does what she must to protect her family. The Civil War is fought even on an isolated mountaintop in the Carolinas.
All the stories in this collection are strong, and well-worth reading.
emilycathn's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
corioreo's review against another edition
5.0
Just read this in two sittings, less than 24 hours, and it was so enjoyable. I didn't even have time to make it a "currently reading". Just lovely, lovely, writing, and sad little stories.
teodora_paslaru's review against another edition
3.0
I like the writing style of this author a lot. He had a way of making you connect with his characters. So, where was the problem and why isn't this book one of my favorites?
Well, I guess I just don't like short stories. Especially those, which seemed unfinished, somehow. Because this author is talented you start falling for his characters, you like them, you worry about them. And then the story is over and you start wandering what happened to them after the passage described in the story. Did they turn out all right in the end? You just don’t know it. To me, all this stories look more like an exercise, one done right, but still an exercise. They are just not for me.
My favorites of these stories were Dead Confederates, because it has an ending that tells you for sure that the main character will be all right. Well, not actually for sure, but surer than any other story. I also liked a lot Waiting for the End of the World, because of the music references and the way the bar life is described. I think I liked it even better than the first one. This story alone would get 5 stars.
Well, I guess I just don't like short stories. Especially those, which seemed unfinished, somehow. Because this author is talented you start falling for his characters, you like them, you worry about them. And then the story is over and you start wandering what happened to them after the passage described in the story. Did they turn out all right in the end? You just don’t know it. To me, all this stories look more like an exercise, one done right, but still an exercise. They are just not for me.
My favorites of these stories were Dead Confederates, because it has an ending that tells you for sure that the main character will be all right. Well, not actually for sure, but surer than any other story. I also liked a lot Waiting for the End of the World, because of the music references and the way the bar life is described. I think I liked it even better than the first one. This story alone would get 5 stars.
ikuo1000's review against another edition
4.0
This is my first time reading Ron Rash, and I imagine it might be a decent introduction. At least, I feel like I wouldn't mind reading more of his work.
This collection of twelve short stories focuses on the Appalachia region of the United States. Main characters and their experiences are varied: a young boy whose parents are meth addicts ("The Ascent"), an older woman whose husband may or may not be an arsonist ("Burning Bright"), a middle-aged white collar professional man who can't shake his blue collar roots ("The Corpse Bird"), a young woman who is trying to hold down the farm while her husband is at war ("Lincolnites"). A wide range of time periods is covered as well, from the Civil War ("Lincolnites") to the Great Depression ("Hard Times") to modern day.
"Hard Times", "Back of Beyond", and "The Ascent" - three of the first four stories in the collection - are the most intense. I was almost wary about reading the rest, afraid they would all leave me feeling like I was suffocating from the weight of poverty and meth addiction. These stories paint stark portraits of hard-scrabble lives in which happiness is a distant memory and hope is nonexistent.
The stories do lighten up - a bit - but the somber tone continues, and every character faces hardship. Sometimes it's personal, sometimes it's financial, and in more than one case, law enforcement gets involved. In my mind, only two stories offer any sense of hope: "Return" and "Waiting for the End of the World". Most of the time, main characters' lives go downhill, and I kept hoping to see some kind of survivor's grit that would save them. I think I caught a glimpse of it in "Into the Gorge", and an even better look in "Lincolnites".
Each story is well-crafted, but the author seems to have a penchant for open-endedness. In several cases, the lack of a resolution left me wanting to know more, and in a couple other cases (again, "Return" and "Waiting for the End of the World"), the work just seemed less of a "story" and perhaps more of a "scenario".
The subject matter in this collection certainly makes for compelling reading. But it can also be kind of depressing. This is a good read, but don't expect too much warmth or optimism.
This collection of twelve short stories focuses on the Appalachia region of the United States. Main characters and their experiences are varied: a young boy whose parents are meth addicts ("The Ascent"), an older woman whose husband may or may not be an arsonist ("Burning Bright"), a middle-aged white collar professional man who can't shake his blue collar roots ("The Corpse Bird"), a young woman who is trying to hold down the farm while her husband is at war ("Lincolnites"). A wide range of time periods is covered as well, from the Civil War ("Lincolnites") to the Great Depression ("Hard Times") to modern day.
"Hard Times", "Back of Beyond", and "The Ascent" - three of the first four stories in the collection - are the most intense. I was almost wary about reading the rest, afraid they would all leave me feeling like I was suffocating from the weight of poverty and meth addiction. These stories paint stark portraits of hard-scrabble lives in which happiness is a distant memory and hope is nonexistent.
The stories do lighten up - a bit - but the somber tone continues, and every character faces hardship. Sometimes it's personal, sometimes it's financial, and in more than one case, law enforcement gets involved. In my mind, only two stories offer any sense of hope: "Return" and "Waiting for the End of the World". Most of the time, main characters' lives go downhill, and I kept hoping to see some kind of survivor's grit that would save them. I think I caught a glimpse of it in "Into the Gorge", and an even better look in "Lincolnites".
Each story is well-crafted, but the author seems to have a penchant for open-endedness. In several cases, the lack of a resolution left me wanting to know more, and in a couple other cases (again, "Return" and "Waiting for the End of the World"), the work just seemed less of a "story" and perhaps more of a "scenario".
The subject matter in this collection certainly makes for compelling reading. But it can also be kind of depressing. This is a good read, but don't expect too much warmth or optimism.
riverdogbookco's review against another edition
4.0
Overall, Burning Bright is a collection of thoughtful, evocative, charming, and quick reads. The language is not wasteful of words but is also fully descriptive. Speech in dialect normally drives me up a wall, but in this case fits naturally with the Appalachian setting. I think the word “raw” is often overused, but that quality comes from the stark lives of the characters; much like the words used to describe them, there is no flash–no excess–in their living. What little happiness or advantage appears in their lives is so unexpected and often burdened that you question whether it’s worth it.
For instance, an older woman, widowed, marries a young outsider. The community that should have taken care of her now questions not only her relationship, but if her new husband is the one setting the recent rash of forest fires.
In another story, a young man, burdened by the hospital bills for his mother, agrees to grave robbing for Civil War artifacts. Though his mother’s bills get paid, he’ll have nightmares of what happened that night for the rest of his life.
The portrayal of modern day poverty leading to drug usage in that historical a setting was especially meaningful.
A pawn broker takes family matters into his own hands: Who is worth saving? His brother? His nephew?
Two loving yet meth-addicted parents struggle to provide a Christmas for their son while coming down off a high. The son provides momentary salvation for them by secretly stealing pawnable items from a plane crash, but is the quick fix worth the ultimate sacrifice?
From historical to modern day, these brief slice-of-life moments offer a powerful glimpse into one view of Appalachian society.
For instance, an older woman, widowed, marries a young outsider. The community that should have taken care of her now questions not only her relationship, but if her new husband is the one setting the recent rash of forest fires.
In another story, a young man, burdened by the hospital bills for his mother, agrees to grave robbing for Civil War artifacts. Though his mother’s bills get paid, he’ll have nightmares of what happened that night for the rest of his life.
The portrayal of modern day poverty leading to drug usage in that historical a setting was especially meaningful.
A pawn broker takes family matters into his own hands: Who is worth saving? His brother? His nephew?
Two loving yet meth-addicted parents struggle to provide a Christmas for their son while coming down off a high. The son provides momentary salvation for them by secretly stealing pawnable items from a plane crash, but is the quick fix worth the ultimate sacrifice?
From historical to modern day, these brief slice-of-life moments offer a powerful glimpse into one view of Appalachian society.
kather21's review against another edition
4.0
I should read more short stories. Very enjoyable collection.
blythebeary's review against another edition
4.0
Interesting and in some cases haunting, this collection of short stories goes back and forth in time but always seems like a cohesive collection of the life-changing moments of people struggling in Appalachia. Very fast and easy read that gave me a nice week of compassionate perspective on a group of people who, right now, generally read to me as awashed in ignorance and trigger so much frustration.
hslk0111's review against another edition
3.0
I really enjoyed some of the stories in this collection. A few were very similar to others I have read in other Rash collections--therefore I was a little bored at times, too. Great collection, though.
kiwi_fruit's review against another edition
4.0
Mix bag with some real gems.
Hard times - 5 stars
Back of beyond – 4 stars
Dead confederates – 4.5 stars
The ascent – 2 stars
The woman who believed in jaguars – 2 stars
Burning bright – 5 stars
Return – 3 stars
Into the gorge – 3 stars
Falling star – 4.5 stars
The corpse bird – 2 stars
Waiting for the end of the world – 1 star
Lincolnites – 3.5 stars
Hard times - 5 stars
Back of beyond – 4 stars
Dead confederates – 4.5 stars
The ascent – 2 stars
The woman who believed in jaguars – 2 stars
Burning bright – 5 stars
Return – 3 stars
Into the gorge – 3 stars
Falling star – 4.5 stars
The corpse bird – 2 stars
Waiting for the end of the world – 1 star
Lincolnites – 3.5 stars