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318th out of 1,210 books
—
6,529 voters
Arkansas
by
John Brandon
Arkansas is a biting first novel full of wet T-shirt contests, illicit drugs, and cross-country road trips. There are the days: the dappled grounds, the aimless yardwork, the hours in the booth giving directions to families in SUVs. And then there are the nights: crisscrossing the South with illicit goods, the shifty deals in dingy trailers, the vague orders from a boss th...more
Hardcover, 230 pages
Published
March 1st 2008
by McSweeney's
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This book is perfection. If Cormac McCarthy were as funny as Elmore Leonard and they wrote about aimless twentysomethings vaguely attempting to commit a crime but mostly just talking about nothing in particular, it would read something like this. God damn, John Brandon, you are a discovery for the centuries.
Count me as a newly minted fan of John Brandon. There are the books you read, and then the books you read, and then the books that take up residence, that shoulder in with their noise and their luggage and eat and breathe and sleep under your roof. I read Arkansas in the grass, in the sand by the water, by the flat, empty hotel pool, all in the glass-eyed heat of the southern summer. It bristles with the same dark energy of boredom, cosmic and comic and criminal. The languid, lazy south; the pla...more
4 likes · like · see review
OK, I wanted to like this book and I did finish it, which is more than I can say at this point in my life for most 2-star books. But the whole time I kept thinking: "I bet this book was fun to write"--and never once found myself thinking about the pleasures or rewards of the reading. And in the end, for all the beauty of its packaging, it was light stuff, a "guys' novel" for the self-style intellectual who thinks s/he is above such things. It would make an easy and completely insufferable movie,...more
“Finished with a tight flourish, yet meandered throughout. Some comical and memorable scenes but lacks the clean focus of his newer releases. Think, "Charles Portis meets Coen Brothers."
Notable quotes:
"Kyle smelled the grease and the dust. A clock ticked behind him. He had attempted working in the straight world and doubted he'd ever attempt it again. He couldn't believe people crammed their lives into belittling routines just for steady money. What was the big deal about getting money steadily?...more
Notable quotes:
"Kyle smelled the grease and the dust. A clock ticked behind him. He had attempted working in the straight world and doubted he'd ever attempt it again. He couldn't believe people crammed their lives into belittling routines just for steady money. What was the big deal about getting money steadily?...more
Kyle, a young man and a drifter, gets involved in crime early on, stealing, petty crime, and then moves on to become a drug mule for someone called Frog. Swin, another young man aimlessly moving through life, becomes Kyle's partner and the two drive drugs around the state of Arkansas. When a deal goes wrong resulting in the death of their boss, a park ranger called Bright, they hide the body and try not to let Frog know. Swin then gets involved with a young woman called Johnna and people start w...more
The Coen Brothers have made a nice career out of crafting stories about guys who are not nearly as smart as they think they are. Folks whose plans are not nearly as airtight as they should be. Folks who don’t have nearly the power they think they do. In his debut novel Arkansas, John Brandon creates some characters who would fit perfectly in a Coen Brothers movie. Brandon’s tight story also reminds me of the whole Southern Gothic thing (Flannery O’Connor, Cormac McCarthy) and the fine crime nove...more
I somewhat preemptively joked that this book spoke in the Universal McSweeney's Voice, as used by a lot of young authors seemingly seeking to avoid overly rich or impassioned style. But Arkansas actually seems like the proper use such for pared-down, precise, affectless prose. The protagonists are smart but dissolute, too directionless to be disillusioned, people with nothing to lose and nothing to lose it on. The crisp prose both seems accurate to their experiences as small-time criminals, and...more
Tore through this one smiling the entire time. I love it when things happen in a book. Especially when the sentences make me turn just the slightest bit green with envy (or jealousy). Great voice, great read.
I guess this is crime fiction, but crime fiction just exploded into something else. This story of young partners in crime (drug mule-ing) and their girl sidekick reminds me of Don Winslow's Savages, but better. I found the plotting lacking a bit, which is why 4 stars instead of 5, but I loved it. Reviewers compare Brandon to Elmore Leonard, who I have to read, and Cormac McCarthy, who I hate, but the most interesting and perhaps apt comparison is to the Coen brothers. Their movies are about peop...more
In his first novel, John Brandon mashes up elements of drug-crime fiction and the Gen-Y slacker novel in this sharply written book about two drifters named Kyle and Swin, a troubled young woman named Johnna, and a hapless, ruthless drug dealer who goes by the monicker Frog. Set in an Arkansas nailed to the page in terse, polished sentences, Brandon describes the arc of non-events that bring Kyle and Swin together as bored drug runners and the double murder that forces them into a bizarre, poigna...more
I read a snippet of this book in the mcsweeney's rectangle and was really taken by the way the characters interacted and formed.
its very entertaining.
its very entertaining.
An excellent novel. Brandon reminds me of Elmore Leonard but with a more literary bent. While the story was rather slow to start, I found myself rooting in at least one way for all of the major characters, even the meanest ones. There's a great twist with the Frog character later in the story that I never saw coming. The last third of the novel flies as the action picks up. Toss all of that in with Brandon's wonderful writing and many memorable lines, and you have a great read from a writer whos...more
Aug 06, 2011
Elizabeth
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
square pegs that don't fit into the round holes
Shelves:
2011
Irreverent criminals wandering around the mid-South about sums this story up. The criminals are more happenstance than ambitious about their line of work. Like Brandon's other book, Citrus County, the characters tend to be attractive in their awkward weirdness. That weirdness sometimes gets dangerous and a whole of uncomfortable but that gives you something to sink your teeth into. This book wanders some and if a solid plot is something you find necessary this book may not be the one for you. I...more
I liked this book. It moved quickly and for the most part I thought the characters were well developed. My only complaint with the characters was near the end when a whole bunch of shit hits the fan and the deadpan writing starts to feel thin. I liked Johnna but felt that some of her reactions were a bit lacking and unrealistic.
I was annoyed by Swin's attitude though I thought he was better realized than Kyle. I never really clicked with Kyle, who I think entered a life of crime because it turne...more
I was annoyed by Swin's attitude though I thought he was better realized than Kyle. I never really clicked with Kyle, who I think entered a life of crime because it turne...more
Legalization of cannabis has become something of a pet issue for me, and not just because I live in Colorado and enjoy the occasional smoke. The reason I get more and more interested in legalization is because its implications are so unexpectedly broad. Pharmaceutical companies, the alcohol and tobacco industries, and the federal government all have something to fear from it, but also something to gain if they play their cards right. It's causing a renewed states'-rights debate. And if you consi...more
2 likes · like · see review
I came across this first novel by John Brandon through an issue of McSweeney's (the number escapes me at the moment) and was completely taken by the story. Swin and Kyle, two average American kids having been recruited as drivers for a mysterious drug dealer named Frog, go on their first drive together. Neither of them have ever had a partner. Despite a brief run-in with the law, the trip goes off swimmingly and the two become partners, eventually friends. They are assigned, as it were, to work...more
Aug 17, 2008
Stephen
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommended to Stephen by:
Peter Conroy
Shelves:
contemporary-fiction
Unpredictably, what I ultimately liked best about Arkansas was its plotting. Early on I couldn't generate much empathy for protagonists Swin and Kyle, so that they seemed to blur together in their motives even as the author took pains to distinguish them. The introduction of the character addressed as "you, Ken Hovan" only made matters worse. Things improved, on the contrary, with the introduction of Johnna. Soon I was drawn in by the turns the lives of these characters took and found convincing...more
I can admit it: I totally got suckered into the beautiful cover design and the fact The McSweeneys Empire had some hastily thought-out blurbage touting this as a book for "Wire" fans in withdrawl (Note: David Simon has nothing to worry about from John Brandon). But, it wasn't a complete misdirection. Definitely a refreshing left turn from the self-conciously performance-based writing some of the McSweeneysians can fall into (see: Childrens Hospital, The), and for the most part this was a fairly...more
I liked this book. It moved quickly and for the most part I thought the characters were well developed. My only complaint with the characters was near the end when a whole bunch of shit hits the fan and the deadpan writing starts to feel thin. I liked Johnna but felt that some of her reactions were a bit lacking and unrealistic.
I was annoyed by Swin's attitude though I thought he was better realized than Kyle. I never really clicked with Kyle, who I think entered a life of crime because it turne...more
I was annoyed by Swin's attitude though I thought he was better realized than Kyle. I never really clicked with Kyle, who I think entered a life of crime because it turne...more
Jul 20, 2008
Adam
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
smart tough guys (and gals)
Shelves:
recent-enthusiasms
The story of 3 aimless young men and the bizarre, darkly-comic paths each takes to becoming a career criminal, Arkansas will satisfy that craving you didn't even know you had for a book that reads like a Tarantino/Elmore Leonard/Samuel Beckett joint production. John Brandon serves up a masterly blend of intersecting stories, sparkling dialogue and--maybe best of all--his detailed and constantly-expanding character histories which lull us into a false sense of security even while we know that ine...more
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gonna give it another go...
With lines as humorous as 'May you dream of offered tits' as playful as 'They'd kiss her like they were in hell and she was iced tea' or as sweet and lyrical as 'Let's stay together till we die. I'll never tire of looking at you when the sun hits you through the window,' John Brandon packs this book with the kind of writing that would seemingly have a pretty wide appeal.
Even though the ending faltered, Arkansas was a thrilling, engaging read. I'm sure Brandon has read...more
With lines as humorous as 'May you dream of offered tits' as playful as 'They'd kiss her like they were in hell and she was iced tea' or as sweet and lyrical as 'Let's stay together till we die. I'll never tire of looking at you when the sun hits you through the window,' John Brandon packs this book with the kind of writing that would seemingly have a pretty wide appeal.
Even though the ending faltered, Arkansas was a thrilling, engaging read. I'm sure Brandon has read...more
I don't get it. A plotless ramble through the Arkansas drug scene. So many things didn't make sense. The timeline didn't add up. The characters were shallow and bland, not very well developed. I finished this only because 1) I'm stubborn, 2) I was hoping for it to get better, 3) It was an interlibrary loan and I didn't want to set myself a poor precedent (see reason 1). I had 'Citrus County' on my TRL, but crossed it out after finishing this disappointing read.
i would definitely give this a 3.5 if that was an option. but i'll round up because dude isn't product of an MFA culture reverse-sweatshop as far as i can tell.
moves pretty fast, two very good characters and a couple ones that come close to compelling, a half-dozen A+ lines. also some clunkers here and there and a few ill-advised "writerly" touches. but on the whole, i am in favor of this as a document of late American fiction.
moves pretty fast, two very good characters and a couple ones that come close to compelling, a half-dozen A+ lines. also some clunkers here and there and a few ill-advised "writerly" touches. but on the whole, i am in favor of this as a document of late American fiction.
There is a wonderful kind of irony in reading about characters that believe they are far more clever than they are, and feeling clever for having taken note of it. All through Arkansas, I would catch myself doing this, and it would make me feel ridiculous.
That said, I thought Arkansas was an outstanding book. It manages to strike the perfect balance of intellectual writing and readability. Everything seemed pared down to the exact point where all superfluous words were shed, leaving only the exa...more
That said, I thought Arkansas was an outstanding book. It manages to strike the perfect balance of intellectual writing and readability. Everything seemed pared down to the exact point where all superfluous words were shed, leaving only the exa...more
A pretty great debut; a little sloppy at times, but this feels like a future great author really breaking his skin. He's got these voices down and he flaunts it.
I read the initial excerpt in McSweeney's and was hooked on the skeletal feel of Brandon's writing style and the vivid reality of the South he creates.
Another case where I would give it a half rating (3.5) if Goodreads would let me.
I read the initial excerpt in McSweeney's and was hooked on the skeletal feel of Brandon's writing style and the vivid reality of the South he creates.
Another case where I would give it a half rating (3.5) if Goodreads would let me.
I started with Brandon's second book (Citrus County) and just now got around to reading Arkansas. I thought Citrus County was good but this one has all the grit and seedy shit you want out of a Richard Price novel with the terse prose of Cormac McCarthy. John Brandon can write a well crafted crime novel, set in Arkansas of all places, and it's interesting as hell the entire time.
I don't remember any wet T-shirt contests. I do remember men outside the law looking for money, sex, love, meaning, and adventure. I'm in a comparison mood tonight; the comparison is to Tree of Smoke, which also dealt with the same issues on the larger background of the Vietnam War. Arkansas, on its smaller scale, better fulfills its ambitions.
Barely 3 stars. The writing was good, and there was enough action to keep my interest, the problem was an almost total lack of likeable -- or even just sympathetic -- characters. They were quirky, with strange hobbies and personal histories, but in the end I only really liked one character. It was an interesting concept to use second-person perspective, with who "you" were being a mystery for a good portion of the novel. The late-breaking change of that storyline from "you" to "I" was jarring th...more
Dec 06, 2010
Jimmy
added it
this guy writes books that are actually fun to read. i mean, you have smart, well-spoken, interesting characters who do interesting things. i find myself flipping pages too fast because i actually care what happens. do you know just how never that happens? rules.
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Although John Brandon is an MFA graduate of the writing program at Washington University in St. Louis, while drafting the novel Arkansas, he "worked at a lumber mill, a windshield warehouse, a Coca-Cola distributor, and several small factories producing goods made of rubber and plastic." In his spare time, he obsesses over Florida Gators football.
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“He planned for his son or daughter to have three or four toys, minimal sports equipment, and a thousand books. He didn't care for the rhymed nonsense of Dr. Seuss, but preferred anything that instilled basic knowledge sets. He could abide a talking animal, but not an inanimate object that spoke.”
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5 people liked it
“Why do people keep doing stuff?" he said, talking to himself it seemed.
Swin hesitated.
"Wiping counters down and taking pictures. Cheating. Defending things."
Swin couldn't see Kyle's face. It appeared he was about to say more, then thought better of it. It seemed he was going to laugh or cry; of course he was going to do neither. It was a moment of defeat, nothing more. Kyle looked back toward the woods where he'd thrown the gun. Swin felt he had to speak.
"It's involved," he said. "Many schools of thought. In layman's terms, being the most sophisticated monkey makes you the most confused monkey. Taking action, any at all, is a way to alleviate that confusion. You, you're one of the least sophisticated of us sophisticated monkeys, and therefore suffer less confusion, and have less use for the empty actions that alleviate confusion. I don't mean that as a put-down."
Though Kyle didn't move, Swin knew he was listening, knew the explanation was somehow helping.”
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1 person liked it
More quotes…
Swin hesitated.
"Wiping counters down and taking pictures. Cheating. Defending things."
Swin couldn't see Kyle's face. It appeared he was about to say more, then thought better of it. It seemed he was going to laugh or cry; of course he was going to do neither. It was a moment of defeat, nothing more. Kyle looked back toward the woods where he'd thrown the gun. Swin felt he had to speak.
"It's involved," he said. "Many schools of thought. In layman's terms, being the most sophisticated monkey makes you the most confused monkey. Taking action, any at all, is a way to alleviate that confusion. You, you're one of the least sophisticated of us sophisticated monkeys, and therefore suffer less confusion, and have less use for the empty actions that alleviate confusion. I don't mean that as a put-down."
Though Kyle didn't move, Swin knew he was listening, knew the explanation was somehow helping.”
Mar 12, 2008 05:39pm
Dec 05, 2012 04:02pm