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A review by tommooney
They Don't Dance Much by James Ross
4.0
Before McCarthy, before Gay, before O'Connor and Farris Smith and Rash and Woodrell, there was James Ross's They Don't Dance Much.
Published in 1940, the original southern noir novel stands the test of time very well. It tells the story of Jack McDonald, a failed farmer who takes a job at a roadhouse in the small town of Corinth, NC.
He falls under the wing of the owner, Smut Milligan, who eventually embroils Jack in a brutal murder.
The novel brilliantly depicts the semi-hillbilly community, which is a mix of drunks, flashy rich guys and downtrodden wives. Ross combines a compelling plot with highly evocative writing and wonderful, eccentric characters.
From what I can tell, the book has had a turbulent history, being shifted from publisher to publisher and never doing too well. I guess some of the racial language may be a little fresh for the modern ear but it is very much a novel worth reading and is at the heart of all the southern noir, country noir and southern gothic writing that has followed it.
Published in 1940, the original southern noir novel stands the test of time very well. It tells the story of Jack McDonald, a failed farmer who takes a job at a roadhouse in the small town of Corinth, NC.
He falls under the wing of the owner, Smut Milligan, who eventually embroils Jack in a brutal murder.
The novel brilliantly depicts the semi-hillbilly community, which is a mix of drunks, flashy rich guys and downtrodden wives. Ross combines a compelling plot with highly evocative writing and wonderful, eccentric characters.
From what I can tell, the book has had a turbulent history, being shifted from publisher to publisher and never doing too well. I guess some of the racial language may be a little fresh for the modern ear but it is very much a novel worth reading and is at the heart of all the southern noir, country noir and southern gothic writing that has followed it.