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19th out of 112 books
—
25 voters
The End of Vandalism
by
Tom Drury,
Paul Winner
Ten years ago, Tom Drury's groundbreaking debut, The End of Vandalism, was serialized in The New Yorker, was compared to the work of Sherwood Anderson and William Faulkner by USA Today, and was named a Best Book of the Year in multiple publications. Now, appearing simultaneously with his first new novel in six years, Drury's debut is back in print.
Welcome to Grouse County...more
Welcome to Grouse County...more
Paperback, 352 pages
Published
June 2nd 2006
by Grove Press
(first published 1994)
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The End of Vandalism was a great book once you start to "get it." It is written in extremely simple language, deliberately paced, and the humor is DRY in the extreme. The writing has a very specific rhythm to it -- unlike any book I can think of that I've read before -- that takes some getting used to. But once you are won over to these characters and style and pacing it is an absolutely wonderful read and ultimately very affecting. (I am interested to read something else by Tom Drury; this was...more
This book is a literary highwire act. There's no good reason it should be as wonderful as it is. The plot meanders all over the place. It jumps from character to character with little reason, and it has what would be described as "tone problems" if we were all sitting around workshopping it. Yet it's perfect. I can't decide whether it's the funniest sad book I've ever read or the saddest funny book. It was better than Hunts in Dreams which I really liked. Just read this guy already.
Drury's first novel works on a number of levels--as a comic-realistic pageant of the Midwestern character; the development and closure of a love triangle between a sheriff, a thief, and a stubborn, compassionate photographer's assistant; an open-door story of life as it is lived, meandering, full of complications and small victories and defeats and frustrations. If for nothing else, read this book for its ability to make you laugh out loud--such a hard thing to do, but Drury manages his humor la...more
This was mentioned somewhere by Jo Ann Beard (In Zanesville) so I had to check it out. Dry humour, it was so flat and dry in the beginning that I almost gave up, until I 'got it'. I wasn't quite prepared to believe Paul Winner's intro at first, but he's right, it is 'fucking funny'. I'm reading it concurrently with In Zanesville, there's a kind of fit.
Quote from intro:
... takes a personality test given by a man claiming to be the local representative of a program called Lunarhythm, which which d...more
Quote from intro:
... takes a personality test given by a man claiming to be the local representative of a program called Lunarhythm, which which d...more
Man oh man, this is a wonderful, aimless, hysterical, lulu of a novel. It's not about much of anything--it's about a small town and the people who live there and try (and try) to connect in one way or another. Drury's voice is direct, funny and ironic--but never in a mean, oh look at these rubes--sort of way. These people, and the feel like people, live mostly quiet unremarkable lives, but Drury understands the miracle in the everyday.
The ending isn't as strong as everything else, but I've read...more
The ending isn't as strong as everything else, but I've read...more
I really loved the hilarious simplicity of this. I'm getting so tired of this trend of ridiculous quirkiness in literature and film, where the "interesting" characters wear two different shoes and own gerbil-costume stores and talk in Juno-speak. It always seems like the author is trying too hard.
On the other hand, Drury effortlessly creates completely engrossing characters whose quirks are understated and believable; whose deadpan dialogue is sparse yet powerful; who can capture your attention...more
On the other hand, Drury effortlessly creates completely engrossing characters whose quirks are understated and believable; whose deadpan dialogue is sparse yet powerful; who can capture your attention...more
"The visitors were farm women, for the most part, and they came shaking the water out of their scarves, and carrying bundles of diapers, cases of formula, and bales of bleached-out clothing that in at least one case had not been worn since World War II. Helene Plum even brought a beef-macaroni casserole in Corning Ware, although it was not clear who was supposed to eat it. But then, Helene Plum reacted to almost any kind of stressful news by making casseroles, and had once, in Faribault, Minneso...more
’En el condado de Grouse’ (The End of Vandalism, 1994), del norteamericano Tom Drury, fue publicada en principio por capítulos en The New Yorker, hasta que tras su éxito fue completada para formar una novela propiamente dicha. La acción transcurre en el territorio ficticio de Grouse, y el peso de la historia recae en tres personajes, el sheriff Dan Norman, Louise y Tiny. Aunque se les da voz a más personajes (predicadores, granjeros, comerciantes, estudiantes, artistas, etc.), y por tanto podría...more
A Small Town Novel
After receiving a new copy of Tom Drury’s The End of Vandalism as a gift, I evaluated the interesting and colorful cover, a picture of a barn’s hayloft in orange twilight, and read the short summary on the back. My first thought was, “a novel about a Midwestern town?” But, after reading the first chapter, I realized that the novel is really about the connections and relationships in small towns—lives, not so different in their basic form from our own—and the funny and tragic th...more
After receiving a new copy of Tom Drury’s The End of Vandalism as a gift, I evaluated the interesting and colorful cover, a picture of a barn’s hayloft in orange twilight, and read the short summary on the back. My first thought was, “a novel about a Midwestern town?” But, after reading the first chapter, I realized that the novel is really about the connections and relationships in small towns—lives, not so different in their basic form from our own—and the funny and tragic th...more
Tom drury really captured the heart of the American Midwest. He really set the scene for a small town where most people know each other and too much about each others lives. I throughly enjoyed the heavy dialogue and the narrative was spot on. If you are looking for a book that captures the essence of a small town and the lives of it's people, this book is for you. If you need suspense or a meaning to the overall story, this book may not be for you. Great read!
The Trib's "Biblioracle" recommended this for someone who's book list included others that I had enjoyed so I thought I'd give this book from 1994 a shot. It was described as " thoughtful" and gentle. It took a couple of chapters to get used to its style and rhythm, but I ended up loving this portrait of a western Illinois farming town and its inhabitants. Most of it was hilariously dry and funny but it also described some of the most heartbreaking moments that can be experienced.
By an author from Iowa, set in Iowa (although a fictional county), these are a series of mostly humorous (and a couple of sad ones) episodes in the lives of some residents. They don’t really talk like anyone I know, but still a fine book that was certainly pleasant enough to read. I thought about it for a bit and I haven’t decided if it does or doesn’t romanticize small town Iowa.
Although there was some great humor in this book I found The End of Vandalism utterly boring. I could not relate to the slow mundane lives of the small midwestern folks. I kept waiting for a plot to seep in but alas there was none, just everyday life of hicksville folks going to the grocery store. Unengaging and hard to keep picking up to read knowing it was going nowhere!
Quirky people run around a quirky county doing quirky things and saying quirky things ad naseum. It's breezy fun for a while, but eventually the endless, meandering vignettes with no real point are tiresome. The last third of the book picks up with more weighty situations that draw you in a bit more, but it doesn't make up for the tedium of the middle of the book.
Like Richard Russo but with edge, sophistication of style and subtle darkness.
One of my favorite passages:
Tiny had to wait in line behind two young women - a tall one in embroidered denim and another one with straight black hair - who were looking at the course catalogue.
"I'm thinking about Rock Poets," said the taller one.
"Who are they doing this semester?"
"Tom Petty and Wallace Stevens."
And another:
Mary had read in Reader's Digest about an Indian man who could slow his heart to a standstill by...more
One of my favorite passages:
Tiny had to wait in line behind two young women - a tall one in embroidered denim and another one with straight black hair - who were looking at the course catalogue.
"I'm thinking about Rock Poets," said the taller one.
"Who are they doing this semester?"
"Tom Petty and Wallace Stevens."
And another:
Mary had read in Reader's Digest about an Indian man who could slow his heart to a standstill by...more
What's weirdest about the book is that I loved it. It's very well written and the characters are interesting. However, there isn't really a plot, nothing really ever happens, the characters are sometimes mere sketches (with odd, but telling details), and it's about a small town in the middle of nowhere. Yet, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
There were definitely some parts that made me laugh, but in general I found that it didn't have a 'traditional' plot and that really bothered me! It did have one of my new favorite quotes though I can never remember it correctly. Something about "I don't consider myself a loser, and yet I have lost many things."
An interesting book that reads as a number of vignettes of small-town life in a fictional Iowa county (e.g., perfect if you can only read on commutes) even though it is not a collection of disjointed stories. I like the author's non-judgmental matter-of-fact style of writing.
Easy to view as a modern-day Winesburg, Ohio...you get to know basically everyone in the town and the strained relationships and friendships between them. Not a lot happens, other than a miscarriage, a political race, and a lot of focus on a marriage whose outcome seems unclear. A nice portrait of small town America.
One of the driest, funniest books I've ever read though I would not categorize it as a comedy. The plot is almost impossible to summarize, other than that it is a collection of scenes about the inhabitants of a small town and the various hardships and tragedies that befall them.
Loved the small, Midwestern town and characters in this essentially plotless novel. The plot, really, is about their lives, which was far from uninteresting or tedious though mostly what occurred were everday ups and downs. Witty, sharp dialogue. Very, very funny.
Great book--sparse, straightforward prose, wonderful cast of characters, incredibly funny and authentic dialogue. It didn't make me laugh out loud, but I did chuckle silently in my head on several occasions.
Tom Drury writes about the midwest with stunning detail and deadpan humor. His dialogue is spot on. A rare look at life in the margins. Emotional, authentic, and funny. I love this book.
This was a fairly easy book to read. It generated quite a lot of discussion at my book club. There were parts that made me laugh out loud. I would recommend this book to those that come from the midwest.
His gorgeous prose reflected the sparse landscape of small towns failing to thrive in the Midwest. I cannot wait to read more of his fiction.
I read it and forgot about it almost as I turned the pages.
if garrison keillor's Lake Wobegon stuff were actually funny, with a healthy dose of darkness, this book is probably what would happen. set in a small midwestern town, drury paints the various goings on of its citizens in a voice i'd describe as deadpan americana. imagine raymond chandler in iowa without the cynicism and crime. something like that. wry, witty, and warm. his other books are pretty good, too. but i think this is his best.
"Dan's tie was crooked and he had a kind of careless happiness on his face. This is the way of men."
"Dan surprised Louise with his sexual side, and she felt like a retired skier from the movies who learns everything over again and wins the big jump against the East Germans in a blur of sun on snow."
"In the window of the houses she could see people washing dishes, huddling before the flickering fire of television, reading magazines in chairs."
***
Just re-read this and am stunned by how odd it is....more
"Dan surprised Louise with his sexual side, and she felt like a retired skier from the movies who learns everything over again and wins the big jump against the East Germans in a blur of sun on snow."
"In the window of the houses she could see people washing dishes, huddling before the flickering fire of television, reading magazines in chairs."
***
Just re-read this and am stunned by how odd it is....more
Rural hilarity. Periodically re-read.
As promised by the book jacket - the story is flat - the characters are funny and you slowly move through their lives with them appreciating their sincerity and the author's wit. I found myself thinking of some scenes through out the day, but I was a little bored when I started to read the book. Good flat humor is a difficult to achieve in a book - so I give it three stars, but I'm not planning to pass if off to anyone soon.
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Feb 22, 2008 01:06pm