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A review by kevin_shepherd
Tobacco Road by Erskine Caldwell
5.0
“Look at them two big holes running down into her face - how does she keep it from raining down in there, you reckon?” “I’ll be damned if I know. Maybe she puts cork stoppers in them to keep the water out.”
Welcome to Hillbilly Hell.
The Lester’s are poor, ignorant, and sexually degenerate to the nth degree. They live in abject poverty brought about by the perfect storm trifecta of wretched judgment, blind faith and unchecked procreation.
Caldwell’s characterization of America’s lowest class may have been published in 1932, but its legacy (and their progeny) still abounds. U.S. pop culture is rife with representatives: Ernest T. Bass, Jethro Bodine, Junior Samples, Larry the Cable Guy…
The paradox of Tobacco Road is that it is both darkly comedic and sadly realistic. Anyone who resides in the American Midwest or South can attest, these people are still with us. They populate trailer parks, drive broken down jalopies and congregate at Walmart, Kmart and Trump rallies. They are our neighbors, our coworkers, and MY relatives. I laugh because Caldwell’s depiction seems grossly exaggerated and then cry because I know it’s not.
Welcome to Hillbilly Hell.
The Lester’s are poor, ignorant, and sexually degenerate to the nth degree. They live in abject poverty brought about by the perfect storm trifecta of wretched judgment, blind faith and unchecked procreation.
Caldwell’s characterization of America’s lowest class may have been published in 1932, but its legacy (and their progeny) still abounds. U.S. pop culture is rife with representatives: Ernest T. Bass, Jethro Bodine, Junior Samples, Larry the Cable Guy…
The paradox of Tobacco Road is that it is both darkly comedic and sadly realistic. Anyone who resides in the American Midwest or South can attest, these people are still with us. They populate trailer parks, drive broken down jalopies and congregate at Walmart, Kmart and Trump rallies. They are our neighbors, our coworkers, and MY relatives. I laugh because Caldwell’s depiction seems grossly exaggerated and then cry because I know it’s not.