AS a first novel, The Long Home by William Gay is stunning.
The action takes place in backwoods Tennessee and concentrates on the relationship between the young hero, Nathan Winer and Dallas Hardin, a one-man Mafia who murdered Nathan's father and holds his little town to ransom with violence and criminal activity. The themes are grand ones - good and evil, life and death, liberty and responsibility.
The book is atmospheric and rich with the language of Southern Gothic fiction of old, more in the vein of Flannery O'Connor and Tennessee Williams than the deep south's more recent literary stars, Donna Tartt and Poppy Z Brite. The language is rich, broody and atmospheric, and this is really a book for fans of dark, descriptive fiction. It's impossible not to be drawn in by Gay's elegant but not too 'literary' style. I'm hooked.
Updated: 16:26 Tuesday, March 25, 2003
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article