A Feast of Snakes by Harry Crews/In Memoriam

[Glenn Armstrong]

I first heard about the recently deceased author Harry Crews in The Bookshelf. According to The New Georgia Encyclopedia online Crews was born in Bacon County, Georgia. He is known in part for the 1973 novel The Hawk is Dying which was made into a film in 2006. His work is largely in the southern gothic tradition. As a cult author, Crews is popular in Europe possibly because of the old world agnostic cynicism existant there. He was known to wear a mohawk or shaved head and had a skull tattoo underneath which was written the e.e cummings line "How do you like your blue-eyed boy, Mr. Death?"

I read Crews' 1976 novel A Feast of Snakes. The main protagonist is an ex-high school football star involved with dog fighting and moonshine in the mythical town of Mystic, GA. The novel features adultery, castration, a yearly rattlesnake roundup, and insanity. There are almost no sympathetic characters. It was quite a harrowing read.

Does anyone have any insight on Harry Crews or any of his works? I know this is primarily a music site but I have gotten some of the best book recommendations right here. 

 

[Campbell McInnes]

it's one hell of a book aint it?!  i know there is a documentary _ the rough south of harry crews... but it isn't readily available.  in fact i think its only available from a university over there in the US. 

[Glenn Armstrong]

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEGEn8GQUHU

 

Yeah I couldn't find the documentary on amazon. There are a lot of clips of it on youtube along with other things. in one clips crews says it is easier to become a renowned brain surgeon than a renowned novelist haha

not sure how to post this clip so here is the link in case it doesn't work.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEGEn8GQUHU
 
Campbell McInnes said:

it's one hell of a book aint it?!  i know there is a documentary _ the rough south of harry crews... but it isn't readily available.  in fact i think its only available from a university over there in the US. 

[sleazy]

I don't like the story very much, but I might give it a try when I get my toes in the sand this summer:):)

[Bibliodiscoteque]

Most of Crews' work is about the bottom tier of society. People who are just surviving and with limited loyalty to anyone but themselves. Remorseless is the word I would use. Utterly Remorseless. 

[Glenn Armstrong]

 

In The Knockout Artist, the second book by Crews I am reading, the main protagonist is a mite bit more sympathetic. He sends money home to his dirt poor family for instance. But most of the other characters or marginal or just crazy. There is a clash between the affluent and educated and the common sense of the working poor. I guess Crews inhabited both worlds as he was from humble beginnings in south Georgia. In any event, most of the characters are cutthroat and I suspect that some of those who are not will come to a bad end.
 
Bibliodiscoteque said:

Most of Crews' work is about the bottom tier of society. People who are just surviving and with limited loyalty to anyone but themselves. Remorseless is the word I would use. Utterly Remorseless.