A review by soavezefiretto
Ashland & Vine by John Burnside

3.0

I picked this book up without knowing anything about it, and I don't regret it. I enjoyed the poetry, the calm of the prose. I liked the characters and the stories. What kept me from getting too invested in it was the feeling that it was all a fable. It's probably meant to be one, and I don't like fables, so if it had been more obvious I wouldn't have read it. What made it a tiny bit off-putting was that I never could make out if I was actually supposed to believe it all. I'm ready to believe the most outrageous stories, but only if I sense the writer wants me to. I wasn't sure here. At the same time, that uncertainty and fleeting quality was what made out this book's charm. Recommended if you are looking for a book that will make you feel a bit more inspired, in a quiet sort of way. Also if you're interested in the history of the United States in the last 100 years or so.