The World Made Straight

I've been aware of Ron Rash for several years now as one of the foremost Southern writers of our time, and now I've finally managed to read one of his books, an early one I found in a used book store. And THE WORLD MADE STRAIGHT (2006) is, I have to tell you, one helluva ride, and presented in some of the most exquisite, poetic prose I've read in years. It is a very Southern coming of age tale, set in North Carolina, with its seventeen year-old protagonist, Travis Shelton, a high school dropout, who runs afoul of Carlton Toomey, a vicious local drug lord, is kicked out of his home by his tobacco farming father, and finds refuge in the rundown trailer home of Leonard Shuler, a disgraced former teacher who sells beer and pills to underage show more kids. Under Leonard's care and tutelage, and encouraged by a new girlfriend, Travis gradually begins to see a way out of the dead end life of gritty poverty which is so evident all around him. There is also an historical angle here, as Leonard, a very bookish type who came from a background as poor as Travis's, is studying the journals of a great-great grandfather, A doctor in the Civil War who was party to a local massacre that continues to resonate in smoldering resentment among the victims' families. And just when it seems Travis has turned his life around, one night of impulsive anger and violence brings him full circle to face the vengeful rage of Carlton Toomey, threatening to bring all of his dreams come crashing down. Indeed the last fifty-plus pages had me literally sitting up straight, on the edge of my recliner reading as fast as I could. I mean this Ron Rash really is GOOD! Fortunately I have another of his books, SERENA, waiting on my pile. (And, incidentally, both this book and SERENA have been adapted to films too.) Because now that I've finally "discovered" this guy, I know I'll definitely be seeking out his other stuff. This one gets my very highest recommendation.

- Tim Bazzett, author of the memoir, BOOKLOVER show less

Atlanta Journal Constitution called Ron Rash “one of the major writers of our time.” To me, he is this and more. Ron Rash writes in a gritty, mountain vernacular that can’t be faked; one has to come from it and know it as their own voice of consciousness in order to wield it as plausibly as he. Rash’s language, therefore, is its own reasoning; it speaks of a clear-cut, hard-edged, uncompromising way of living in the world devoid of the illusion of optimism. One wonders, as they read Rash, if it is the jaded wrappings of cynicism or the unvarnished truth behind his tightly crafted novels. This is a writer who delivers the dark notes of beaten humanity in such a way that there is hope. In The World Made Straight, Travis Shelton show more comes from nothing, on the cusp of manhood in an unforgiving North Carolina mountain community, where drug-dealing is a viable livelihood, in this hardscrabble region with few opportunities outside of one’s own wits. It is the glimmer of something more that drives him to prove himself to his rough-hewed, hard-nosed father. Travis seeks to better himself after one fight too many; he leaves the tobacco fields on his family’s land and presents himself at the trailer of a local named Leonard, who is both drug-dealer and mentor, in that he is the only one in Travis’ sphere who, at one time, amounted to anything, though fate made it short-lived. Under Leonard’s influence, Travis pursues his high school GED, while shouldering the fall-out of the one false move he made, when he riled the shackles of local heavy-weight, Carlton Toomey, when he trespassed on his land. These are mountain characters who play by their own lawless rules, in a landscape where it’s every man for himself. In a climate still stinging from the horrors of the Civil War, the characters are born beneath the shadow of the ties that atavistically bind them, albeit through a sense of random tribal placement that haunts this story in an unfolding mystery, the impact of which the characters are not completely aware, until the looming puzzle work fits. It is a small world, in The World Made Straight, but it is universal in implication. Self-worth, justice, revenge, and hope against all odds flavors this story, which ends in notes of satisfaction and just deserves. show less

Ron Rash was recommended to me by a book friend after I vacationed in the Appalachian mountains. I love discovering new authors, especially ones who use their settings as an important part of their storytelling. My friend sent me a copy of The World Made Straight to get me started, and I have to say: I am very intrigued by Rash's writing.

The World Made Straight focuses on two main characters: Travis, a hothead teenage boy, and Leonard, a former teacher turned drug dealer. As the story unfolds, we read as Travis begins stealing pot plants from a crop he discovers while fishing. He sells the marijuana to Leonard - and for good money - which is why Travis keeps going back to steal more. However, the owner of the marijuana field - the show more gloriously villainous Carlton Toomey - doesn't take kindly to thievery, and eventually catches Travis - literally. Travis flees to Leonard to recover from his wounds and to stay away from his father, who beat Travis for his acts of foolishness.

Once living together, Leonard becomes a surrogate father for Travis, encouraging him to get his GED and telling him stories about a Civil War massacre that occurred in the mountains, which involved Travis's ancestors. The Civil War story piques Travis's interest in learning again and slowly begins his turnaround - until a fateful night when Travis's temper gets the best of him again.

The World Made Straight is all about correcting past mistakes - to put things "straight' again. Sometimes, these acts of redemption were vengeful, others were virtuous. With this theme, Rash creates a page-turning book with simple storytelling. His writing style reminds me of Stewart O'Nan with the atmosphere of Charles Frazier. The characters and setting were spot on; however, I had an issue with the Civil War back story. Living in the American South, I know some wounds run very deep, but the "them vs. us" tone was a little much.

All in all, I enjoyed my first foray into the world of RonRash, and I look forward to reading more stories by this Appalachian writer. show less

A fired school teacher, a runaway teenager, a pill popping middle aged floozie all team up for this southern tale in the mountains of North Carolina. There is a link to a true story about murder during the Civil War in 1863. Did not like end but expected it.

I liked the writing here a lot, although I will confess that it incorporates aspects of one of my Not Favorite plots, the non-traditional education. I'm not really sure why I dislike it so much, it always makes me think "oh boo hoo, the 'system' totally under-appreciated you and now you have to go be some maverick unconventional teacher." I find Dead Poet's Society creepy, for example.

HOWEVER, most of the rest of it was fine and dandy, I'm always a sucker for a good Appalachia book, and it also had a solid Civil War backstory, and small-time drug dealers. And the slimiest, most truly evil, of them was a terrific character, so impressive.

Because of Travis Shelton's knee-jerk reactions and reckless attitude, he finds himself with an ankle in a bear trap and a couple of drug dealers haggling over his fate. Set in western North Carolina, this novel of a young man's inability to take responsibility for his actions and a middle aged man whose life has been turned upside down because of his seeming inability to do anything except take the easiest way out of a situation, is complex and very well written. The added story of a local Civil War massacre and it's connection to the characters adds to the fascination. The novel would be excellent for a book discussion group.

After reading Rash's other works, I started out feeling fairly disappointed with this one. Nothing about it felt new particularly, in plot, character, language or anything else. In fact, I remember thinking that the title was the most creative portion of the book at one point. Once you get about a third into it, though, you'll remember why you came back to his work. And probably, if you haven't read his other work, you won't be disappointed---you'll just be nonplussed by another southern novel that, at first, doesn't seem to stand out in any real way. By the end, though, I was both satisfied and ready for his next work. I would recommend this, but I can't say that I see it standing up to his earlier novels.