Mention Books In Favor Of The Cherry Pit
| Original Title: | The Cherry Pit |
| ISBN: | 1592641784 (ISBN13: 9781592641789) |
| Edition Language: | English |
Donald Harington
Paperback | Pages: 461 pages Rating: 3.54 | 112 Users | 10 Reviews
Narration During Books The Cherry Pit
This is one of those books that I enjoyed, but would be very hesitant to recommend to another reader. Why? Because it's hard for me to pinpoint precisely why I liked it. Obviously, part of my enjoyment of the novel comes from the fact that, as an Arkansan, I'm going to be positively biased toward a narrative set in my home state and written by an Arkansan. As for the rest, I'm still mulling that over because this is normally not a book that would work for me and, yet, it did.Clifford "Nub" Stone has successfully escaped his Arkansas roots by moving to Boston, marrying a socialite and finding academic work as a cataloger of American antiquities. However, as his wife proves to be frigid and his work consumes him, the siren song of home lures him back to Little Rock and a chance to reclaim the man he once was. Believing that a return trip to Arkansas will be the balm to all of his ills, he finds that his hometown has moved on without him and isn't waiting with open arms: his friends have grown distant, the city-scape itself has changed and his family resents that it took so long for the prodigal son to return home after so willingly abandoning them for the respectability and culture provided by New England.
After a chance encounter with an old flame, Margaret, Clifford becomes obsessed with this potentially unhinged Southern Helen of Troy. It's not long before Clifford has reconnected with two old friends: Naps, a well-to-do black man, and Dall, a racist Little Rock cop, and this unlikely trio goes on a quixotic journey to try and save Margaret from herself and from her overbearing mother--often to comedic effect.
There were some uncomfortable themes in the book stemming from the time period. The Little Rock depicted in the novel is that of the 1960s, still suffering from the racial tensions of the desegregation of Central High School, but Donald Harington portrays the racism without writing a racist novel--indeed, Clifford's close relationship with Naps helps to reform Dall. Also, the oversexed Clifford almost makes up for his objectification of women by his genuine desire to help Margaret and his attempts at sexual escapades while on "vacation" from his wife are thwarted at every turn.
I initially picked up the book because of Harington's reputation and Arkansas connections. I'm not sure what I was expecting (I mean, c'mon, look at that boring ass cover), but what I ended up with was a wacky, meandering, and sometimes profound novel about identity, the past and home as a place that you can never quite return to but never quite escape. Harington is like a precursor to Carl Hiaasen, documenting the quirky, the unbelievable and the eccentricities of a particular time and location.
However, be forewarned: the book starts slowly and ends without much of a resolution. However, if you just go along for the ride without the expectation of arriving at a particular destination, you might just enjoy yourself.
Details About Books The Cherry Pit
| Title | : | The Cherry Pit |
| Author | : | Donald Harington |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Special Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 461 pages |
| Published | : | February 1st 2007 by Toby Press (first published 1965) |
| Categories | : | Fiction |
Rating About Books The Cherry Pit
Ratings: 3.54 From 112 Users | 10 ReviewsEvaluate About Books The Cherry Pit
This is one of those books that I enjoyed, but would be very hesitant to recommend to another reader. Why? Because it's hard for me to pinpoint precisely why I liked it. Obviously, part of my enjoyment of the novel comes from the fact that, as an Arkansan, I'm going to be positively biased toward a narrative set in my home state and written by an Arkansan. As for the rest, I'm still mulling that over because this is normally not a book that would work for me and, yet, it did.Clifford "Nub" StoneEnjoyed it very much. From having lived in Little Rock for a short while, most of the places were familiar.
Donald Douglas Harington was an American author. All but the first of his novels either take place in or have an important connection to "Stay More," a fictional Ozark Mountains town based somewhat on Drakes Creek, Arkansas, where Harington spent summers as a child.Harington was born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas. He lost nearly all of his hearing at age 12 due to meningitis. This did not
Although I have not read Jack Butler's LIVING IN LITTLE ROCK WITH MISS LITTLE ROCK, I cannot believe there is a better and more fully imagined novel about Arkansas' capital than this helluva good story about Cliff Stone. It is imaginative, creative, and as with all of Harington's novels, fully realized. I wholly and unreservedly recommend it.
A good book in its own right, but if you want the real magic of Don Harington, you have to read one of his "Stay-More" books - just about any of the other novels will do as a starting point.
Bawdy, earthy, chuckling, this book is like being approached by a trench-coated stranger who, grinning widely, whips open his coat to reveal...a 3-piece suit. After you recover from your flinch and start to smile, he, still grinning, rips away the side snaps of his pants to flash you, for reals. Depending on who you are, you either retreat in disgust or burst out laughing and clap him on the back, joining him in the nearby bar for stories. Slightly long-winded stories, but sprinkled with humor
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