Helpful Score: 2
Another excellent novel from Lansdale. I'm a big fan of Lansdale and have read most of his Hap and Leonard novels as well as several of his stand alones and I'm never disappointed in them. This is one of his stand alone novels taking place in the summer of 1958. The narrator and protagonist of the novel is 13-year old Stanley Mitchel Jr. who at the start of the story moves with his family to Dewmont, Texas to run a drive-in movie theater on the outskirts of town. They hire Buster Lighthouse Smith, a half black-half Indian, to operate the projector and a black woman named Rosy to help Mrs. Mitchell with the cooking and the cleaning. Stanley Jr. becomes very close to both Buster and Rosy who are easy to talk to and who listen to his dreams and concerns.
Stanley discovers an old burnt up house in the trees behind the drive-in and among the ruins he finds a half-buried chest containing some old letters and journal entries written in 1942. There are no signatures on the letters only initials and Stanley along with his sister becomes obsessed with finding out who wrote them and what happened to them. He discusses the letters with Buster who was a former Seminole police officer and with his help figures out who wrote the letters. But as he and Buster investigate, they are drawn into danger and his family is put at risk.
This was really a great coming of age tale reminiscent of Twain's Tom Sawyer and my own childhood growing up in the 1950s. Lansdale mentions that Stanley likes to read the Hardy Boys, Tarzan novels, and comic books--some of my favorites growing up. The novel is set in a place and time when money can atone for murder. That summer is also a very dynamic time for Stanley as he learns more about life than he expected including racial prejudice, sex, incest, homosexuality, child abuse, and wife beating. Another high recommendation for Lansdale!
Stanley discovers an old burnt up house in the trees behind the drive-in and among the ruins he finds a half-buried chest containing some old letters and journal entries written in 1942. There are no signatures on the letters only initials and Stanley along with his sister becomes obsessed with finding out who wrote them and what happened to them. He discusses the letters with Buster who was a former Seminole police officer and with his help figures out who wrote the letters. But as he and Buster investigate, they are drawn into danger and his family is put at risk.
This was really a great coming of age tale reminiscent of Twain's Tom Sawyer and my own childhood growing up in the 1950s. Lansdale mentions that Stanley likes to read the Hardy Boys, Tarzan novels, and comic books--some of my favorites growing up. The novel is set in a place and time when money can atone for murder. That summer is also a very dynamic time for Stanley as he learns more about life than he expected including racial prejudice, sex, incest, homosexuality, child abuse, and wife beating. Another high recommendation for Lansdale!
Helpful Score: 2
I have read and loved all of this author's Hap & Leondard books so I decided to give some of his other stuff a try. This was the 1st one and I loved it! The story is told thru the eyes of 13-year-old Stanley. I enjoyed his innocent descriptions of things he did not yet understand. I thought the relationships between the characters were very well developed and the story line kept my interest. I was finished with this book in a couple of days. I definitely recommend it!
Helpful Score: 1
This Lansdale novel, unlike the other Lansdale novels Ive read, is told from the point of view of a thirteen year old boy named Stanley. Its not filled with the off-the-rails cursing and crazy gore that I expect when reading a work from this guy but it still kept my attention. Set in a small town in Texas in 1958, it makes sense that Stanleys voice is still quite innocent. I dont think you could get away with that sort of innocence today, what with the internet and MTV and their marathon showings of pregnant teens and spoiled skater bois and all but it works here.
Stanleys parents recently purchased the local drive-in and having made only one friend, Stans a bit of a lonely kid. He has an older sister but all they do is bicker. One summer day he and his trusty dog Nub unearth a box filled with love letters written long ago. This gets his curiosity going and he does some snooping, along with the ancient often drunken projectionist, and learns that a house use to stand where he found the box and that a young girl died inside when it burned to the ground. He then discovers another young girl was tragically murdered on the same night. Certain the two events are tied together; he spends his summer determined to find out the truth, befriending some colorful characters along the way, and disturbing things better off left alone.
Im a sucker for coming of age tales and this is a damn good one. It drags a little here and there but the characters kept me coming back for more. Ill never claim to be some big mystery wiz and though I guessed one important aspect of the mystery the rest of it kept me guessing. The characters are interesting and realistic (always most important to me) and the tale is scary, funny, heartwarming and compelling with a very well done sense of place. The twists, turns and chills come in the most unexpected places. Reading this I felt like I was tagging along with Stan, Nub and Buster during a long lazy summer. Its good classic stuff from Mr. Lansdale hisownself.
Stanleys parents recently purchased the local drive-in and having made only one friend, Stans a bit of a lonely kid. He has an older sister but all they do is bicker. One summer day he and his trusty dog Nub unearth a box filled with love letters written long ago. This gets his curiosity going and he does some snooping, along with the ancient often drunken projectionist, and learns that a house use to stand where he found the box and that a young girl died inside when it burned to the ground. He then discovers another young girl was tragically murdered on the same night. Certain the two events are tied together; he spends his summer determined to find out the truth, befriending some colorful characters along the way, and disturbing things better off left alone.
Im a sucker for coming of age tales and this is a damn good one. It drags a little here and there but the characters kept me coming back for more. Ill never claim to be some big mystery wiz and though I guessed one important aspect of the mystery the rest of it kept me guessing. The characters are interesting and realistic (always most important to me) and the tale is scary, funny, heartwarming and compelling with a very well done sense of place. The twists, turns and chills come in the most unexpected places. Reading this I felt like I was tagging along with Stan, Nub and Buster during a long lazy summer. Its good classic stuff from Mr. Lansdale hisownself.
Helpful Score: 1
Interesting mystery told from a thirteen year old's point of view...
