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adbond's review against another edition
3.0
If the whole book had been as authentic as the appendix this would have possibly been five stars from me. Maybe I'm too cynical and pessimistic but it always just seemed a bit off.
In the authors defense he doesn't like the notion of fiction and nonfiction. In that sense he achieved his goal.
In the authors defense he doesn't like the notion of fiction and nonfiction. In that sense he achieved his goal.
hannahrose1124's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
4.75
jdintr's review against another edition
5.0
This book may not necessarily tell the "whole truth" as a biography of Scott McClanahan as the Appendix and Notes will make clear.
But it is a biography of a place, "Crapalachia," and to that end it does not disappoint.
McClanahan is from Beckley, WV, in the heart of the highest Appalachians and a short drive from the dramatic New River Gorge. He peoples this setting with McClanahans and an array of wayward juvenile friends. His friend, Bill, names the peaks around his home--and knows each elevation, too. Scott seems more interested in mountain cemeteries, abandoned homes that jut out the sides of steep hills, and the mix of sanity and heroism that has kept generations rooted there.
I found myself laughing out loud at least once a chapter. I also enjoyed the musicality of his diction--his rhythm is carefully laid out, and it lies at the center of a lot of his humor and writing sleights of hand.
I recommend this book highly, and I can't wait to read Hill William next.
But it is a biography of a place, "Crapalachia," and to that end it does not disappoint.
McClanahan is from Beckley, WV, in the heart of the highest Appalachians and a short drive from the dramatic New River Gorge. He peoples this setting with McClanahans and an array of wayward juvenile friends. His friend, Bill, names the peaks around his home--and knows each elevation, too. Scott seems more interested in mountain cemeteries, abandoned homes that jut out the sides of steep hills, and the mix of sanity and heroism that has kept generations rooted there.
I found myself laughing out loud at least once a chapter. I also enjoyed the musicality of his diction--his rhythm is carefully laid out, and it lies at the center of a lot of his humor and writing sleights of hand.
I recommend this book highly, and I can't wait to read Hill William next.
discomagpie's review against another edition
4.0
I originally reviewed this book at InsatiableBooksluts.com.
Rating: 4.25/5 calls to 911 to get the ambulance to take you to the store to buy 7-Up for your son
HOLY BALLS YOU GUYS I AM WRITING A BOOK REVIEW. Yes, yes, I actually read my ass a book and now I'm reviewing the motherfucker*.
*Apologies to Scott McClanahan and Two Dollar Radio for referring to the book as "motherfucker." I have no evidence at all that the book fucked any mothers.
I didn't know anything about Crapalachia when it arrived in my mailbox. I didn't read the blurb on the back of the book. I knew two things going into it: one, that Scott McClanahan had a somewhat cheeky way of referring to Appalachia, to which I can relate, having my own roots sprawling through the same area of the world; two, as a setting, it would (or should) feature highly in the book, since the cover had "A biography of a place" as the tagline.
I have no damn idea how to sum up how I feel about this book, and that's the truth. So, I'm not going to try to sum it up. Here are some thoughts I had about this book:
Overall: yes, I think this is a book to read. Once I stopped looking for Appalachia, the magic of the stories got under my skin and wouldn't let go. The characters rolled off the page and tapped me on the shoulder. I laughed and I grew somber. I felt. I related. Good job, Mr. McClanahan.
Rating: 4.25/5 calls to 911 to get the ambulance to take you to the store to buy 7-Up for your son
HOLY BALLS YOU GUYS I AM WRITING A BOOK REVIEW. Yes, yes, I actually read my ass a book and now I'm reviewing the motherfucker*.
*Apologies to Scott McClanahan and Two Dollar Radio for referring to the book as "motherfucker." I have no evidence at all that the book fucked any mothers.
I didn't know anything about Crapalachia when it arrived in my mailbox. I didn't read the blurb on the back of the book. I knew two things going into it: one, that Scott McClanahan had a somewhat cheeky way of referring to Appalachia, to which I can relate, having my own roots sprawling through the same area of the world; two, as a setting, it would (or should) feature highly in the book, since the cover had "A biography of a place" as the tagline.
I have no damn idea how to sum up how I feel about this book, and that's the truth. So, I'm not going to try to sum it up. Here are some thoughts I had about this book:
- I didn't get any sense of place from the book, even though Appalachia seemed to be intended to be present enough to be an additional character. I grew up in Kentucky and my mom lived in West Virginia (where the book takes place), so I admit I had some expectations; I didn't really feel Appalachia in this book. Other than some brief references to coal miners and coal mining, it could have been set in a bunch of different places.
- After I readjusted my brain from expecting a story about Appalachia, I thought his stories about his family were just about perfect. So much so that I actually just deleted a bunch of stuff I wrote and bumped up the star rating a half-star. No, it wasn't the book I expected to read. But it was a book I really enjoyed reading once my brain wrapped itself around the actuality of the book.
- I found McClanahan's style a little jarring at first, but it smoothed out quickly.
- People who liked Running With Scissors and/or The Perks of Being a Wallflower will probably enjoy this book. Or people who generally like books featuring fucked-up families.
- I'm half-saddened, half-happy that McClanahan felt the need to add an appendix to the book to talk about what was true and what he had taken liberties with. Saddened for the obvious reason--has it really become necessary to strip away the magic of a book because some people can't friggin' figure out that literature is not the same thing as journalism? (Thank you, James Frey, for putting one over so hard on Oprah that this is now a Big Fucking Deal.) McClanahan, however, handled the appendix so well that it was a great addition to the book. I've read other books where the "confession" retroactively diminished the power of the story I'd read, but this one didn't, and I was glad.
- Reading this book directly after reading a book by Barbara Kingsolver is probably not the best idea and might have been what flummoxed my brain.
Overall: yes, I think this is a book to read. Once I stopped looking for Appalachia, the magic of the stories got under my skin and wouldn't let go. The characters rolled off the page and tapped me on the shoulder. I laughed and I grew somber. I felt. I related. Good job, Mr. McClanahan.
thebradking's review against another edition
3.0
I'm still trying to wrap my head around Crapalachia. It's not quite memoir, it's certainly not a biography of a place, and as we find out at the end of the book it's not entirely real.
The book came recommended as an interesting, and non-traditional, book about Appalachia. if I'm honest: I'm always skeptical of these books. The region and its people have come up on the short end of the stick, culturally speaking, on more than one occasion.
And yet even as I found Scott McClanahan's admission at the end that he'd taken a great number of liberties with the story, I still found the underlying story -- his story as told through the reflections of the people around him -- really compelling. In fact, I found myself really wanting more of that story. I wanted more from him.
The writing was short and choppy, which fit nicely into one of his main points: that places like the place he's from are short-changed and quickly forgotten. And the book's pacing suggested that urgency.
But -- as I said -- I'm still trying to wrap my head around what it all meant, and how I felt about the book., which felt a bit like a series of vignettes without a unifying wrap.
The book came recommended as an interesting, and non-traditional, book about Appalachia. if I'm honest: I'm always skeptical of these books. The region and its people have come up on the short end of the stick, culturally speaking, on more than one occasion.
And yet even as I found Scott McClanahan's admission at the end that he'd taken a great number of liberties with the story, I still found the underlying story -- his story as told through the reflections of the people around him -- really compelling. In fact, I found myself really wanting more of that story. I wanted more from him.
The writing was short and choppy, which fit nicely into one of his main points: that places like the place he's from are short-changed and quickly forgotten. And the book's pacing suggested that urgency.
But -- as I said -- I'm still trying to wrap my head around what it all meant, and how I felt about the book., which felt a bit like a series of vignettes without a unifying wrap.
servemethesky's review against another edition
4.0
This was beautiful and funny and sad- my kind of book. McClanahan blends memories to craft a memoir that feels vivid and real. In his appendix, he explains what he knows was true and the ways in which he made small changes for various reasons. It was so interesting to read those reflections on the book I had just finished.
There's some really lovely prose in here, some deeply sad moments, and some moving ones. The narrative never feels quite coherent. This isn't a story where plot is a big deal that drives things forwards. It's just a meandering look back and some thoughts and feelings along the way.
I've spent two weeks in West Virginia in my life, and this book really brought it all back.
There's some really lovely prose in here, some deeply sad moments, and some moving ones. The narrative never feels quite coherent. This isn't a story where plot is a big deal that drives things forwards. It's just a meandering look back and some thoughts and feelings along the way.
I've spent two weeks in West Virginia in my life, and this book really brought it all back.
jshaiba1's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0