Sam Torode

This was a really fun read. It has drawn a lot of comparisons to Water for Elephants but I think that's an insult to Sam Torode. I can only imagine the reason is that The Dirty Parts of the Bible is also set during the Great Depression, that parts of it also happen on a train, and the story is set in motion by an automobile accident involving the protagonist's father. The similarities end there, however.

First of all, Tobias Henry is a much more likable fellow than Jacob Jankowski on almost show more every front. For all that he is almost as helpless as Jankowski, Tobias at least realizes as much. And when push comes to shove (and in all fairness to JJ, it does take a few pushes and shoves to get him moving) Tobias does at least take control of his own fate.

Secondly, it's just a much better story. The characters and events are all more believable.

The story was an enjoyable one with real humor and just a touch of pathos. If I had to nitpick anything, it would be with the character of Craw. I don't think that his role in the book was all that realistic for the time and place. While certain elements were plausible, others were just a little far-fetched, more so even than the 'fantasy' elements of the story. But that's a rather small nit in an overwhelmingly good book. show less

What a marvelous, unexpected treasure! This story of a young man, son of a Baptist preacher in Michigan, who sets out for Texas to retrieve a stash of money his father hid before turning to the church, grips you from the start and never lets go. The immediate reason for this is the first person narrator's voice--completely assured, funny, and questioning of the beliefs he has grown up with. Even when using words we don't say in polite company, the book retains its consistent voice--they show more don't seem forced or gratuitous. And the story itself, as it takes us into train yards and hobo jungles before reaching its destination is full of memorable characters, finely drawn scenes, and a very evocative background of 1930s America. One could quibble a bit with the way that the black hobo, Craw, who becomes the narrator (Tobias's) mentor, is treated when he reaches Texas is much better than might be expected, but this doesn't detract from the fascination of the story. And when Tobias meets the mysterious Sarah, who dresses in black all the time, it is a love story that you won't forget. I simply loved this book. It is so rare to come across a piece of fiction that is so much fun to read from beginning to end. Once again, I have to come back to the quality of the writing--it is superb. What a find. show less

We have a sister and she hath no breasts
Song of Solomon

The Dirty Parts of The Bible by Sam Torode is an audacious and fairly faithful retelling of Tobias, the Angel and Sarah from the Book of Tobit. Tobias, the son of a Baptist minister in small town 1930s Michigan, wrestles with hormones, spirituality and listlessness. When his father is blinded in a freak accident involving booze and birds, Tobias is sent on a mission to Texas to recover a stash of buried cash and save the family.

Almost show more immediately losing all of his money, he rides the rails with Craw, a vagabond who acts as his specious mentor and dispenser of obtuse advice while remaining a steady voice of reason throughout. When he finally makes it to Texas, Tobias meets and falls in love with Sarah, a dangerous paramour whose previous boyfriends all died as a result of an Indian curse. It veers into urban fantasy/magical realism at the end with magic and demons, which would have been fine except it felt rushed. The ending came too quickly.

The title comes from one of the opening chapters where Tobias learns of all the “dirty parts” his father most certainly had not been reading to him at bedtime. I had my own similar meeting with the dirty parts of the bible when as a good little Catholic reading myself to sleep I came across the story of Lot and his daughters. I immediately shut the book, studied the cover to make sure this was indeed the Good Book I was perusing and handed it off to my father telling him “I don’t think this is meant for me.” This book, though, certainly was.

Everything considered, this was a fun and quirky coming of age novel that touches on biblical themes, spirituality, family, transitions, growing up and finding love. show less

A coming of age story in the spirit of 'Oh Brother Where Art Thou'. I LOL so many times, my husband kept stealing my kindle to see what I was reading. Engaging, a little rushed at the end- felt like the story went off a little off track. Easy, fun, quick read.