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A review by creolelitbelle
Tobacco Road by Erskine Caldwell
4.0
Originally published in 1932, this book is a caricature of the poor Southern family in post-Civil War U.S. Not only that, the story plops you right in the middle of the Great Depression with plenty of humor thrown in. For anyone from the American South, this book could easily be offensive, if taken too seriously. For those readers not from the American South, please do not buy into all the little stereotypes Caldwell wrote of and poked fun at.
I read this for a college course that centered on the "New South", the post-Civil War American South. We had the opportunity to dissect its themes as a group, including all the examples of the poor, stupid, violent southerner. Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed the journey and laughing (while rolling my eyes) at the Lester family. This is one novel I will never part with, even though it does not land in my top 5. The experience of reading it is unforgettable, as I can still picture some of the ludicrous events that happened to (or were caused by) the characters. Anyone who enjoys political / historical fiction and appreciates an ABUNDANCE of crass humor should check out Tobacco Road. At under 200 pages for most editions, this book is a quick read. Disclaimer: an at least flimsy knowledge of the conditions the South was left in post-Civil War and of the worsened conditions wrought by the Great Depression would be beneficial to best understanding the satirical writing.
I read this for a college course that centered on the "New South", the post-Civil War American South. We had the opportunity to dissect its themes as a group, including all the examples of the poor, stupid, violent southerner. Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed the journey and laughing (while rolling my eyes) at the Lester family. This is one novel I will never part with, even though it does not land in my top 5. The experience of reading it is unforgettable, as I can still picture some of the ludicrous events that happened to (or were caused by) the characters. Anyone who enjoys political / historical fiction and appreciates an ABUNDANCE of crass humor should check out Tobacco Road. At under 200 pages for most editions, this book is a quick read. Disclaimer: an at least flimsy knowledge of the conditions the South was left in post-Civil War and of the worsened conditions wrought by the Great Depression would be beneficial to best understanding the satirical writing.