Laird Hunt

Using traditional fairy tale elements, Hunt tells a story that starts with fairy-tale calm and rapidly descends into madness and horror.

The novel strongly recalls the work of the great German Romantics, in a way I never would have guessed a modern author could evoke. One of my favorite reads of all time is [b:Der blonde Eckbert|1573511|Der blonde Eckbert / Der Runenberg|Ludwig Tieck|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1447165032s/1573511.jpg|1566226] by German Romantic author Ludwig Tieck. show more Hunt's short novel exploits channels of feeling that are probably instinctive in us humans, such a fear dark places and of unknown enemies--feelings that are plumbed in fairy tales all over the world. But in this novel there is no happy ending. The irrational wins. What we think of as reality is revealed to be an illusion, and what is really-real is a world filled with irrational rules, rules that have nothing to do with human morals or human sympathy, and where terror is lurking just beneath the veil of calm that we fool ourselves into believing, just so we can continue living.

The flat calm tone of the narrator makes the outcome all the more terrifying. She continues to believe in the goodwill of all those she meets, and to believe in her own innocence. in the end she is implicated deeply in her own fate, in a way that again evokes the great German Romantics, who also wrote stories in which everyone gets what is coming to them.

There is so much going on here. Let the story lead you. It's an eerie and unexpected journey all the way. show less

Laird Hunt's novel is an account of the life of a woman most would overlook. Zorrie is born and raised on an Indiana farm until her parents die when she is young and she is sent to live with an aunt who provides her with a place to stay and plenty of work, but little in the way of nurturing. When her aunt dies, Zorrie is a teenager left homeless and penniless in the middle of the Great Depression. But while Zorrie may have had to prove her resilience time and time again, this isn't a tragic show more tale because Zorrie is no one's tragic heroine. She's a tough and yet loving woman who loves the Indiana soil and the people in her life.

I loved this quiet story about an ordinary and remarkable woman. Hunt writes about her with such love and understanding that she feels like a beloved older relative. Zorrie lived through a tumultuous time in history, working as a "radium girl" painting clock faces and dials with glowing paint, seeing her husband leave for the war and not return and to have a transformative experience of her own, late in life. I'm glad this book was shortlisted for the National Book Award and so brought to my notice. It's a worthwhile read. show less

I enjoyed “In the House in the Dark of the Woods” very much. It has a del Toro-esque atmosphere mixed with dark Studio Ghibli surrealism. I honestly thought our protagonist was dead from the beginning, lost in a purgatory world in the woods. And Captain Jane and Eliza were there to guide lost souls through, whether they be other Puritans (heavily implied), Native Americans (“first-folk”) or slaves (the group in shackles.) Our main is referred to as “Goody” but her real name is show more revealed early on if you’re sharp. There are other clues as well: the robin redbreast means rebirth but also a messenger for the dead, crows represent illness and death, purple connects to the spiritual unknown, and owls represent prophecy. But the ending was satisfying and the state of Goody's family is kept vague until the very end, which I appreciated. show less

An odd little book, "Indiana, Indiana" is the obliquely-told story of Noah, a very simple man who had a relationship with Opal, and has visions as a psychic. Opal is unstable herself - she set fire to her house, and then refused to leave it. Folks try to take advantage of Noah because of his simple nature and his unique abilities. All Noah wants is to see Opal again, but she's been committed to the care of the state. This is ultimately the story of an unusual man at odds with authority. That show more authority might be in the person of his father Virgil, or the sheriff, who wants insights about missing people or a crime scene, or the mental health authorities.

This narrative is told in an inexact tone, a dreamlike tone ... conversation is never in quotation mark, and the chronology jumps around startlingly. We finally discern that we have met Noah in old age, but then we jump back again to childhood, to courting years, then back to Noah's dotage. It's very effective in rendering the dreamlike consciousness of Noah - this is the book's greatest achievement, along with the clear implication of society's clumsiness and (perhaps) injustice when dealing with those with special needs.

This is an unusual and challenging book. It shows its author to be a highly skilled and wise practitioner. If you want to charge into an odd, quirky story, which nevertheless has clear lessons, pick this one up.

http://bassoprofundo1.blogspot.com/2010/07/indiana-indiana-by-laird-hunt.html show less