lettucescreams's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
cbess's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0
this book is daddy issues central but the writing is fantastic and it truly conjures up poor broken families in mississippi
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism and Suicide attempt
Minor: Racism and Homophobia
blazenaat's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
bjr2022's review against another edition
4.0
Not so much a novel as a series of childhood stories of a boy named Sugar Mecklin growing up in rural Mississippi with his drunk father and beautiful mother. The writing is beautiful and the infusion of really horrible stuff with love makes it laugh-out-loud funny sometimes.
One could imagine this is lightly fictionalized memoir if not for the final essay by Nordan: “Music of the Swamp: The Invention of Sugar, An Essay about Life in Fiction—and Vice Versa.” Nordan spills the beans about how we writers lie and believe our own lies and why we do it. I kind of wish I’d savored the end of the book at least a day before reading the essay. It’s a sweet book.
One could imagine this is lightly fictionalized memoir if not for the final essay by Nordan: “Music of the Swamp: The Invention of Sugar, An Essay about Life in Fiction—and Vice Versa.” Nordan spills the beans about how we writers lie and believe our own lies and why we do it. I kind of wish I’d savored the end of the book at least a day before reading the essay. It’s a sweet book.
amysbrittain's review against another edition
Algonquin Books; Rec reprint for summer 2014, Square Books, MS
daviddavidkatzman's review against another edition
3.0
Music of the Swamp is a deeply sad novel. One that explores the terrain of severely dysfunctional families. The story is set in the late 50s or early 60s in a backwoods town in the South. It's essentially a swamp town inhabited by classic white trash families burdened by lack of education, little work, extreme poverty and alcohol and drug addictions. The main story follows a young boy named Sugar Mecklin who both adores and hates his barely coherent alcoholic father.
Nordan is a very strong writer. I didn't truly "enjoy" this book as much as The Sharpshooter Blues, but he continued his demonstration of powerful writerly skill. The characters are peculiar and impenetrable but believable. The settings and sense of place is incredibly rich and vivid. The setting is perhaps even more interesting than the main character. I did find it hard to empathize with the main character despite his general innocence. I couldn't quite find a way in to him, to recognize him. Even so, there was a sense of raw honesty in his struggle to grow up surrounded by such bizarre failures and creeps that populated his life.
The overarching theme is that of the missing father. The absence of a strong yet intimate relationship between a boy and his father. The failure of a marriage also due to alcoholism and a lack of intimacy. The pain of the absence. The pain of a hole in one's life. The book rather lacks any exploration of what happens later. The adult experience of a childhood ruined. It's touched on briefly, that the relationship dysfunctions and issues with alcohol are often inherited in their own way. But without great depth. That is perhaps the greatest weakness of this book. But as a study of the pain experienced in childhood from an absentee parent, it succeeds powerfully.
Nordan is a very strong writer. I didn't truly "enjoy" this book as much as The Sharpshooter Blues, but he continued his demonstration of powerful writerly skill. The characters are peculiar and impenetrable but believable. The settings and sense of place is incredibly rich and vivid. The setting is perhaps even more interesting than the main character. I did find it hard to empathize with the main character despite his general innocence. I couldn't quite find a way in to him, to recognize him. Even so, there was a sense of raw honesty in his struggle to grow up surrounded by such bizarre failures and creeps that populated his life.
The overarching theme is that of the missing father. The absence of a strong yet intimate relationship between a boy and his father. The failure of a marriage also due to alcoholism and a lack of intimacy. The pain of the absence. The pain of a hole in one's life. The book rather lacks any exploration of what happens later. The adult experience of a childhood ruined. It's touched on briefly, that the relationship dysfunctions and issues with alcohol are often inherited in their own way. But without great depth. That is perhaps the greatest weakness of this book. But as a study of the pain experienced in childhood from an absentee parent, it succeeds powerfully.
tantonacci's review against another edition
5.0
Deeply sad, but incredibly resonating. Fantastic book for those of us who have "utterly helpless love for utterly hopeless fathers."
nafisa_tabassum's review against another edition
2.0
Music of the Swamp is a book essentially about a broken home, and it mostly is about the relationship between a depressed father and a hopeful son.
Well, unsurprisingly, it's a depressing book. It's heartfelt and sad, thematic and memorable. However, I have a few problems with the writing style. It's not very cohesive as a story, with huge time shifts that I didn't really contributed to the emotions it set up. The beginning of the book was so much at odds with the rest too, especially in terms of voice. It felt like the beginning belonged in a different book. I also felt like it dwelt too long on unnecessary details for me to fit enjoy it. Basically, it dragged at places.
Overall, it was okay.
Well, unsurprisingly, it's a depressing book. It's heartfelt and sad, thematic and memorable. However, I have a few problems with the writing style. It's not very cohesive as a story, with huge time shifts that I didn't really contributed to the emotions it set up. The beginning of the book was so much at odds with the rest too, especially in terms of voice. It felt like the beginning belonged in a different book. I also felt like it dwelt too long on unnecessary details for me to fit enjoy it. Basically, it dragged at places.
Overall, it was okay.
margardenlady's review against another edition
4.0
This collection of southern tales of boyhood are unspeakably sad yet permeated with love. We hear Sugars description of various moments in his life. A life so far from my experience as to be nearly unbelievable. And yet written so that I could see and feel.