Scan barcode
greybeard49's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely superb writer. Understated prose seems to amble along but it seeps into you and suddenly you realise how much you are enjoying your reading experience. Forget crime fiction and the slights often aimed at it. Sallis is just a master novelist writing about life in a particular setting, creating dialogue that crackles and is so good. My sixth book with many more to come, thankfully. Join me, you will not be disappointed!
ben_miller's review against another edition
2.0
Despite some graceful writing, Cypress Grove is just bad. It's short, but an aggravating narrative structure makes it feel long. It contains a murder that no one seems to care about. It builds a convincing but predictable atmosphere out of things like moonlight, bourbon, and owls. Again, despite the short length, the story takes bizarre, unedifying detours that kill its momentum.
In all, a cut-rate knockoff of gritty Southern Gothic writers like William Gay and Ron Rash.
In all, a cut-rate knockoff of gritty Southern Gothic writers like William Gay and Ron Rash.
kingfan1993's review
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
csdaley's review against another edition
4.0
I was intrigued by Sallis when I found out he had written Drive. I decided to read this one rather than Drive because I had so recently seen the movie. The book is full of pain but very well written. It grabs you and pulls you through Turner's world. Don't read it if you are melancholy.
jgoalder's review against another edition
5.0
Beautiful prose, exceptional characters. A fine way to spend a weekend.
cmaranski's review against another edition
4.0
Very well written narrative. Not much to the mystery but the characters were so well-developed that the story drew you in.
gearsofted's review against another edition
2.0
Audio.
After being turned on to Sallis by way of “Drive”—(the movie was much better though IMO)—I decided to give this a whirl, especially because I’m a writer, and I found his prose particularly interesting, especially how he his able to write “short” and convey a lot in not very many words. However, his prose was really the only thing I enjoyed. I thought that this being a southern crime story (a genre I’m becoming increasingly fascinated with), that I’d enjoy it. It was just okay, though. It cut backwards to flashbacks a lot (which I personally found the most interesting). However, for this being a murder mystery, that almost just felt like decoration, as this was a very slow moving story, where the characters (who talked ad Infinitum) seemed far more interested in discussing anything BUT the murder—it got to the point where I almost forgot about that. Add on a bunch of characters and a super quick wrap up, it left me feeling underwhelmed.
Maybe this has to do with the fact that I listened to it, rather than read it, and did so in 5-10 minute chunks here and there, never gaining a full grasp of the story. Perhaps had I read it physically, my opinion might change, who knows. I’m still not done with Sallis though. I will check out his others, if for nothing else other than the writing style. Driven and The Long Legged Fly are up next
After being turned on to Sallis by way of “Drive”—(the movie was much better though IMO)—I decided to give this a whirl, especially because I’m a writer, and I found his prose particularly interesting, especially how he his able to write “short” and convey a lot in not very many words. However, his prose was really the only thing I enjoyed. I thought that this being a southern crime story (a genre I’m becoming increasingly fascinated with), that I’d enjoy it. It was just okay, though. It cut backwards to flashbacks a lot (which I personally found the most interesting). However, for this being a murder mystery, that almost just felt like decoration, as this was a very slow moving story, where the characters (who talked ad Infinitum) seemed far more interested in discussing anything BUT the murder—it got to the point where I almost forgot about that. Add on a bunch of characters and a super quick wrap up, it left me feeling underwhelmed.
Maybe this has to do with the fact that I listened to it, rather than read it, and did so in 5-10 minute chunks here and there, never gaining a full grasp of the story. Perhaps had I read it physically, my opinion might change, who knows. I’m still not done with Sallis though. I will check out his others, if for nothing else other than the writing style. Driven and The Long Legged Fly are up next
quirkycynic's review against another edition
2.0
I really respect James Sallis as a writer, but the actual merit of his books are always a hit-or-miss for me. The thesis of his writing seems to be to focus on all the parts that crime novels don't focus on. But I don't really agree with that. I think that most crime novels do include the things he focuses on, and instead James Sallis could do well to include the things that crime novels usually do that he leaves out, such as the fact that if a book is set-up on a mysterious crime, then the solving of that crime should be compelling. If you leave out almost every extraneous detail of plot and tension so as to focus entirely on the main character and their inner-contemplations, then there's going to be a lot more chance for the character to come off as flimsy and boring if you don't do it reaaaaally well, which I never really got from this book. I got some of it in the flashback chapters, which I liked for the most part, but almost every present-set chapter fell flat and the book kind of became a chore to read. The denouncement comes out of nowhere about twenty or so pages from the end, and is so flat and uninteresting that it retroactively makes the excellent opening of the novel feel like a cheat.
My absolute favourite part of this novel was the central concept: A former policeman living in a small town is asked by the sheriff to help investigate a grisly murder.
But the actual plot goes something like this: A former policeman living in a small town is asked by the sheriff to help investigate a grisly murder. He thinks about his life for about 200 pages. He doesn't really do anything, nor are there any stakes. The murder kinds of solves itself eventually.
Crime novels are philosophical by nature. They are, at their core, about the transgressions between ordered and natural laws, and the divisions of morality. I just don't buy into the idea that jettisoning genre conventions or plot structures makes a book any more profound. It just makes it more boring.
My absolute favourite part of this novel was the central concept: A former policeman living in a small town is asked by the sheriff to help investigate a grisly murder.
But the actual plot goes something like this: A former policeman living in a small town is asked by the sheriff to help investigate a grisly murder. He thinks about his life for about 200 pages. He doesn't really do anything, nor are there any stakes. The murder kinds of solves itself eventually.
Crime novels are philosophical by nature. They are, at their core, about the transgressions between ordered and natural laws, and the divisions of morality. I just don't buy into the idea that jettisoning genre conventions or plot structures makes a book any more profound. It just makes it more boring.
pescarox's review
3.0
Some great use of language, but some pretty typical man with a past trying to escape humanity, gets roped into a case, finds companionship, decides to give the world another chance. Even though he’s a tough guy he has refined taste in obscure music and good wine. The case even revolved around a obsession over a mysterious cult film. And that’s when he got around to the case. Is it possible I’m done with noir? I hope not.
pattydsf's review
3.0
This was my first encounter with James Sallis. He is the author of two mystery series - one set in New Orleans and then this one set in Tennessee. Turner, the main character in this series, has lived a varied life. He has been cop, therapist and spent time in jail.
Sallis tells Turner's story in segments, what is happening in his life now and flashbacks through his thoughts to past events. I thought Sallis used this technique well - I had problems because I was listening in short bursts, but that was me not the book.
What I liked most was the language. Turner (with Sallis' help) can turn a neat phrase. I would find myself listening for the wonderful metaphors and images. It helped that the narrator, Alan Nebelthau, was such a good reader. I would recommend this book to people who like southern fiction, mystery and well-read audio books.
Sallis tells Turner's story in segments, what is happening in his life now and flashbacks through his thoughts to past events. I thought Sallis used this technique well - I had problems because I was listening in short bursts, but that was me not the book.
What I liked most was the language. Turner (with Sallis' help) can turn a neat phrase. I would find myself listening for the wonderful metaphors and images. It helped that the narrator, Alan Nebelthau, was such a good reader. I would recommend this book to people who like southern fiction, mystery and well-read audio books.