Thursday, May 03, 2012

The Cove by Ron Rash

The Cove by Ron Rash
Copyright 2012
Ecco (An imprint of HarperCollins)
Historical Fiction/Suspense
255 pp.

Rested, he began rowing harder. The river widened and then narrowed again. A black panel slid over the sky, locked into place a moment, then slid back, the moon and stars above once more. He turned and saw a bridge's silhouette, high and solid as a ship's hull. The river ran straight for a long while and no lanterns glowed from shore or window, the world absent but for water.

--from p. 33, The Cove

Reason for reading: I've wanted to give Ron Rash a try, for a while, and The Cove sounded like a nice, creepy but unusual read (for me, anyway) so I asked to join the TLC Tour. I plan on making The Cove my last tour book as I've decided to unschedule myself and work harder at reading titles I already own.

Quick summary: Laurel and Hank live in a dark, dreary stretch of Appalachian land known as the cove, thanks to the fact that their father was snookered into buying cheap farm land, not realizing how poorly it would produce. WWI is on. Hank is home from the war, where he lost a hand. Both parents are now dead. Laurel is lonely because a visible birthmark and a string of familial bad luck have convinced the superstitious town folk that she's a witch. And, a mute stranger with a secret has shown up in the cove. Secrets, lies, wimpy rich boy out to prove himself, love, beauty, jealousy, suspicion, murder . . . it's all there in some form.

What I liked about The Cove:

The atmosphere, the love story, the strength of Laurel and Hank, and the hint of mystery kept me going.

What I disliked about The Cove:

The beginning and the end. In the middle of the book, I was very much caught up in the narrative and enjoying myself. The setting was definitely gloomy ("gloamy" -- which I think means "dusky," as in the half-light of dusk, is a word that was repeatedly used to describe the cove) but I appreciated it for its realism and atmosphere. The ending was just too tragic for me.

In a comment to my dismayed question about whether Ron Rash routinely writes tragedy, BermudaOnion said, "Ron Rash doesn't see his stories as depressing - he thinks his characters are doing the best they can in less than ideal circumstances and he thinks there's hope in that."

I don't disagree with that comment and I didn't, in fact, find the story depressing. It is definitely atmospheric, dark and moody, and I do enjoy the occasional creepy read. I liked Laurel's fortitude, Hank's determination to function one-handed, the farmer just outside of the cove who was nonjudgmental, and the stranger, Walter. What I disliked was the ending. You could definitely say it is "tragic but hopeful". However, it didn't end with the bright ray of light I like in an ending. The tragedy was too tragic, the hope too thin.

In other words:

My distaste for this particular book is obviously a very personal thing. From a technical viewpoint, I think the writing is solid. I don't know the Appalachian dialect, but I read up a little on Ron Rash and found that he has Appalachian ancestry that goes back centuries and that people from the area find his writing authentic. I did feel like the wimpy rich guy out to prove himself, Chauncey, had the ring of "device" about him. Although I found most of the characters realistic and three-dimensional, Chauncey struck me as an archetype plunked into the tale specifically to alter events.

Which reminds me . . . the ending definitely did surprise me. It just wasn't a surprise I liked. I read up a little on Ron Rash's other titles and am pretty much convinced he's just not the author for me. I'd recommend The Cove to people who like a suspenseful, atmospheric read with just a hint of mystery. There is some brief, intense violence.

Fun of the week:

A Carolina wren (lower left) takes the family out for flying practice (the youngsters are at upper right -- hope you can enlarge this one).


©2012 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery and Babble or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

15 comments:

  1. I have been wanting to read this book for the longest time, and have been rather anxious to procure it, but alas, that won't happen for a few weeks at best! I don't mind darker stories at times, and since I have never read a Rash book before, I am anxious to get to this one.

    I love the bird pic! I am currently having birdmania, as I have been confined to bed, and enjoy putting food out in the feeder and watching the little visitors avidly. I have some neat birds back here!

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    1. Zibilee,

      That's exactly why I wanted to read it. I've been curious about Ron Rash and I like to throw in something different, now and then. I recall thinking it was going to be a mysterious read but not necessarily classified as a mystery, which is good. I really did enjoy it till the ending. Since writing my review, I've peeked at a few other reviews and found that most reviewers love his books but a few feel strongly negative. I was ready to wall-bang it when I closed the book, but after a little reflection I realized it was just not my kind of ending. It wasn't necessarily a bad ending, if that makes sense.

      Thanks! That's the sadly messy view out of one of our bedroom windows (yikes!). We have some major cleaning to do, but we'll wait till winter. Right now, it's a haven for birds and I don't want to chop down their home!! Sorry you're confined to bed. I hope it isn't anything major. Bird life can be very entertaining. I'm glad you've got little guests to enjoy!

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  2. Ron Rash is HUGELY popular in this area. I do find his books dark but I really like them. I hope to read this before his lunch later this month.

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    1. I think he's pretty popular here, too, just judging from the publicity. I was hoping to go see him at Lemuria in Jackson, but didn't make it because I gave my workout priority and ran out of time (it's about a 50 mile drive to Lemuria, unfortunately). I'd still love to hear him talk. There was a lot I liked about The Cove.

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    2. Also - happy reading!

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  3. "The tragedy was too tragic, the hope too thin."

    Oh my gosh! You totally captured what I've been feeling for years about certain books. I LOVE tragic endings but some just frustrate the heck out of me and I think it's the lack of hope. Well said!

    Did the kitties enjoy the birds too? ;)

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    1. Thanks, Jenny. Yeah, I don't mind a tragic ending if there is a ray of light in there, somewhere. Interesting how much hope or its absence can make or break a book, isn't it?

      LOL Isabel did enjoy the birds. That's her favorite window and she was at my elbow as I was snapping the photos (through a dirty window -- amazing any turned out at all). She didn't go nutty or anything. She just happily watched the activity.

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  4. I have never even heard of this author before...

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    1. Now you have! I first read about him at Whimpulsive SuziQ's blog. Should have asked her if she thought I'd like him. She never steers me wrong.

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  5. Most of the books that I have read which were set in the Appalachias have been depressing (both fiction and nonfiction) so I'm not sure this would be one I would be drawn to anyway.

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    1. I'm not sure I've even read any other novels, although the nonfiction I read was sad. Interesting.

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  6. Darn, I'm sorry this one didn't turn out to be a good fit for you, but thanks for being on the tour.

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    1. I liked most of it or I would not have finished, so it's all good. He may not be the author for me, but I'm glad I gave him a try! Thanks for letting me join in on the tour. :)

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  7. I've been curious about Ron Rash for awhile. I have this one on hold at the library but don't know if I'll get to it soon. Glad to hear a different perspective.

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    1. Michelle,

      That's why I joined in on this tour - curiosity! I hope you enjoy it and I'm glad you liked hearing a slightly different point of view. :)

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