The Vine That Ate the South

Very strange, with doses of surreal. This is a dense book, with writing like a thorn hedge tangled and difficult. The language is rich as the exploration of southern grown myth, ending in somewhat ambiguous declarations of faith.

Character limit for updates was too short for paragraph quotes, which makes sense I guess but hard to capture all of the writing here. The adjective I keep thinking of is, 'lyrical' in that mellifluous way with ten dollar words but also the way people tawk, and confluences of mythology with the modern, and you're not really sure if the heat and humidity are getting to you or if there really is something *strange* about these woods. I really need to read more Southern Gothic.

In a patch of western Kentucky's Jackson Purchase, the unnamed (aside from a childhood nickname) protagonist and his colorful guide go on a bike ride off the beaten path to find the Kudzu House, a site where the vines supposedly absorbed the deceased occupants and show more lifted their skeletons high in the air. As they get closer to their destination, local history, almost truths, personal memories, and the supernatural weave together in a heck of a yarn. show less

This should have been something I would have liked. And I did, kind-of. But it's too choppy, too episodic, too all-over-the-place. While there are a few intriguing pieces, it's not enough to make me want to go on the entire journey with this book. It felt too much like being stuck in the backseat of a car on a cross-country trip with a manic five-year-old, windows up & no pit stops.

The unnamed narrator is on his first and last childhood adventure, though he is in his 30s. His friend, Carver Canute, is leading them on bicycles into the Kentucky woods along the Old Spur Line. They are on a mission to find the kudzu house. This house was once inhabited by a couple who have since died. Their house has been overtaken by kudzu, and their bones have supposedly been overtaken by the vines as well.

Along the way, the two meet a variety of interesting folks, both real and surreal. As the narrator moves through the Deadening, he remembers his past, speculates on his future, and learns about truth, himself, and god. The two men eventually must be rescued after a perilous journey.

I enjoyed reading this novel, but it is very show more difficult to discuss. So much is told in pieces and sporadically. The story stutters rather than flows. It moves between timelines and weaves into and out of the adventure. It is more of an evocation that you feel than a story that you read. It is not for everyone. show less

A wild walk through the woods. This book is *actually* so weird and I am here for it.