Oral History

Oral History by Lee Smith

THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW
When Jennifer, a college student, returns to her childhood home of Hoot Owl Holler with a tape recorder, the tales of murder and suicide, incest and blood ties, bring to life a vibrant story of a doomed family that still refuses to give up....


5/10

This story was told from multiple perspectives and it let the reader piece together what happened. I thought it was a interesting way of telling the story. But when it was all over I felt like we were missing stories. It was like we got to hear from the characters on the fringe of the story...but what you really wanted was to hear Dory. To understand Dory's perspective. So while it was neat to hear from everyone else...it seems like it should have been building up to the real story...and that didnt happen. I felt like the further I got into the book...the further away I got from the point.

I think there was a really interesting story to be told there...but it just stayed hidden.

The story also had great hook.....the teaser about the haunted house, but it never really seemed to deliver on that. I felt a little mislead after the opening. I thought the book was building up to that moment...but instead it was more of an afterthought.

I did enjoy the setting of the book (North Carolina mountains) and the descriptions were very well done. It definitely fits as a Southern Gothic-type story. Not for those that like happy endings. I am reading another of Lee Smiths books now (Agate Hill) and I am hoping I like it a little more.