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49th out of 84 books
—
189 voters
Red Sky at Morning
The classic coming-of-age story set during World War II about the enduring spirit of youth and the values in life that count.
Paperback, 256 pages
Published
May 5th 1999
by Harper Perennial Modern Classics
(first published 1972)
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Aug 26, 2012
Book Concierge
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Book Concierge by:
my mother
Shelves:
concierge,
favorite,
library,
own,
movie,
racism,
world-war-ii,
young-adult,
coming-of-age,
friendship
A coming-of-age story set in a small mountain town in New Mexico during WW II. 17-year-old Josh has to become the man of the household when his father goes into the Navy and moves the family from Mobile to New Mexico where they'll be safer. Josh's mom cannot deal with the change in social life and different cultural norms. Josh finds new friends and himself.
The first time I heard about this book was when my mother checked it out of the library and I would hear her laughing as she read. I kept a...more
The first time I heard about this book was when my mother checked it out of the library and I would hear her laughing as she read. I kept a...more
Somehow I had it in my mind (solely from the title of the book) that this was going to be along the same vein as Pat Frank's Alas, Babylon or Nevil Shute's On the Beach; I always thought there would be some form of a nuclear attack, so I have put it off for a while, claiming to "not be in the mood" for a nuclear attack story (considering I cried like a baby at the end of On the Beach).
I finally picked a copy up from the library and was interested to read in the front cover that it really is a st...more
I finally picked a copy up from the library and was interested to read in the front cover that it really is a st...more
As the father of 3 and 1 year-old boys, I can't dedicate as much time to reading as I used to. I therefore generally try to read books that have been recommended by people whose opinions I respect. But every now and then I stumble across a book I've never heard of, but nonetheless feel compelled to read based strictly on the cover/description. Red Sky at Morning is the latest example of such a book, and I am happy to say that my intuition served me well because it is a gem.
Told in the first per...more
Told in the first per...more
I just finished one of my favorite books. Again. Red Sky At Morning has been compared to Catcher in the Rye. I think it is so much better. I read CITR maybe twice in the 1980s, but I remember him smoking and roaming around the city aimlessly, cussing and that his sister was named Phoebe and he was concerned that she would turn out like him. Kind of like a not-so-fun Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Again, this is my memory from 20+ years ago. I may feel different now. After skimming a synopsis, I admit...more
Everyone has totemic books, books that mean something to them beyond the words on a page. It's a wonderful thing when a book that is special and meaningful is also funny and terrifically written. Yes, it's a coming-of-age story, set in 1942 in the southwest; it's also shrewd and miraculously observant about people and their behavior, about what happens when cultures bump up against each other. I discovered this book when I was fifteen (a new transplant from a city to a small rural town) and imme...more
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Finished rereading this superb coming-of-age novel set during WWII in a small New Mexico mountain town. I originally read this back in the 70s and I remember there was also a movie version that starred Richard Thomas (John Boy of the Waltons) that was also very good. Anyway this tells the story of Josh Arnold who goes to live in Sagrado, NM, with his mother while his father serves in the navy during the war. This is full of great characters that populate the small town including Anglos (anyone n...more
I'm having some trouble coming up with a review of this book. See, I liked it quite a bit, but at the same time, I felt like there wasn't really a major plot thread to it. The book is basically a snapshot of a year in the life of Joshua Arnold, a seventeen year old from Mobile, Alabama, who moves to his family's summer home in New Mexico when his father leaves to fight in WWII. The narration and dialogue are incredibly witty and fun, and I've never seen a more unreliable narrator than Josh. I wa...more
This book was a wonderful surprise. I bought it while vacationing in New Mexico because I wanted to read something with a local setting, but otherwise I knew nothing about it. The blurb on the back cover characterized it as a "coming-of-age story." OK, so here's what I expected: teenager gets into scrapes, confronts his first great tragedy, and comes out wiser in the end. But I had no idea how FUNNY his book was. This is no glum story, as it is propelled by a number of characters who are witty a...more
Oh, I love this book. Josh is hilarious, way smarter than he has any right to be, and pretty much always upbeat, which is refreshing. I love The Catcher in the Rye as much as any other smart person who went to public high school and feels alienated a lot, but I'd definitely spend time with Josh Arnold before Holden Caulfield. And we'd eat really delicious food prepared by Excilda and laugh about how stupid racist people are and drink lots of his dad's expensive wine.
I think this is one of the best books I've ever read. I'm reluctant to make such a snap judgment, because I've read a lot of different books. But I enjoyed every page of this. It made me both laugh and cry a little, and it's rare that a book can do either. All of the characters are very charming, less like real people and more like real people as told by a real person that knows them. This reinforces the narration aspect while also helping the dialogue to be consistently witty throughout. The bo...more
"Hunnerd percent."
There are many things to like about this book--teenage characters that really seem to be maturing, seeing what life was once like in a remote part of the Southwest, the author's vivid, story-telling skills. The characters brim with cheekiness and confidence and seem true to life. However, the book begins with a wobble and the ending is a disappointment--not because a key figure dies, but because there is no sense attached to that event. The author never ties the events in the book into a meaning...more
I read 75 pages-ish of Richard Bradford's "Red Sky at Morning", and I just couldn't get into it. It is a teenage coming of age story set in the US during WWII. I just found the details mundane, and although parts were funny, it just lacked grabbing my attention. I usually give books the 50 page rule...if they are lame after 50 pages I give up. This one I tried to give more than that, and it still failed. I wanted SOOOO much to like it, because I love that era and I have read great reviews. It ju...more
The best coming of age story you've never heard about. It's probably required reading in New Mexico. Set in New Mexico during the last year of World War II, Josh is a 17 year old living in Mobile, AL and his dad who owns a shipyard finally gets his wish to go to war with the Navy. Rather than leave Josh and his mom in Mobile while he goes off to war he puts them up in their vacation home in the mountains of New Mexico, a place that the wife loathes. Josh is a flexible young man and the tale is f...more
Jan 30, 2013
RØB
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to RØB by:
Bill Macabe (by virtue of being in his collection, of which I inherited much)
Shelves:
in-my-permanent-collection
The edition in my possession, which probably dates from the 1970s, if I had to guess (heck, maybe it's a first edition) does look like the one in the picture here, but is not a paperback. This book was kind of a surprise hit for me. I'm not super-into sarcasm or anything, but this might be the most sarcastic book ever written. A really good coming-of-age story that makes me want to live in New Mexico (in the 1940s). I recall thinking the ending came sorta too-quickly, but I don't know if that wa...more
A coming of age story about a 17 year old boy in New Mexico whose family has moved there in 1944 to avoid any potential bombing from Germans in the Mobile Alabama home while the father enlists in the Navy. Mainly told through the eyes of the young boy, Josh. Lots of dialogue. Some crude language sprinkled through out the book. I almost quit reading about a third of the way though but I am glad I finished it. The boy learns about life and compassion though his experiences. Lots of Spanish influen...more
I find this book heartwarming and written with genius. It's a pleasure to read and it's not just because of the well-incorporated and flowing humor, but because Josh has the best narrative voice of any character in any book I've ever read. Emotions of the characters are not necessarily ever stated outright, and yet they are apparent, right there for the reader to access with a little intuition. All of the characters are clearly, in a way that neither disguises nor declares itself outright, deepl...more
3 1/2 stars...I was a little disappointed in this "classic". I have had it on my shelf for 20 years since it was on some high school suggested reading list, which seemed to be supported by the critical reviews listed on the book cover. I agree with The Discriminating Fangirl's review, "See, I liked it quite a bit, but at the same time, I felt like there wasn't really a major plot thread to it." Coming of age novel without much plot but good characters.
I really liked this book but found it difficult to get through because of the mother. It was a different time and a different way of doing things. This quote discribes the mother well: "Her daddy kept her wrapped up in tissue paper like a Wedgewood egg cup until she got married and Frank went right on caring for the heirloom."
This author created many good young characters and kept them true to themselves. There were some very interesting and very free people in this book. They were fun to read a...more
This author created many good young characters and kept them true to themselves. There were some very interesting and very free people in this book. They were fun to read a...more
My wife recommended this at least a year ago, and I finally have gotten to it now. I tend to read somewhat pessimistic fiction, or heavy duty non-fiction, and this is certainly much more optimistic than my usual fare.
A very funny book, with plenty of subtle insight into its characters, place, and time.
This book seems to be compared to Catcher in the Rye, and in a way I found it to be a better book. I just can't imagine that most teens are as angst ridden as the famous Holden Caulfield, Catcher...more
A very funny book, with plenty of subtle insight into its characters, place, and time.
This book seems to be compared to Catcher in the Rye, and in a way I found it to be a better book. I just can't imagine that most teens are as angst ridden as the famous Holden Caulfield, Catcher...more
Looking at New Mexico magazine's issue on books, this book was listed as a favorite of most of the people, (authors) interviewed. So we ordered it.
It was a delight to read. If you have ever lived in New Mexico or wondered why we New Mexicans are so strange, this is a great read. Warning, you may have some trouble understanding some of the language even though it is all English.
It was a delight to read. If you have ever lived in New Mexico or wondered why we New Mexicans are so strange, this is a great read. Warning, you may have some trouble understanding some of the language even though it is all English.
After you get past the first chapter, this is a thoroughly entertaining coming of age story set in the high desert of New Mexico. The book provides a glimpse of a ployglot culture where Indians are not to be confused with Spanish and African Americans are considered "anglos." The first chapter is a cliche of every sweaty southern novel you've ever started and wished you hadn't.
I had read this in high school but I appreciated it much more this time. The wry humor and great dialogue make it fun to read, but they are also a little deceiving. The book has real depth and significance beyond the sort of classic coming-of-age story. The vivid descriptions of the fictional town and its surroundings in New Mexico are very appealing. I would recommend this book to anyone.
I think this book should be required reading for high schoolers. All my children read this and loved it. This book was my son's first story he really got into. We all still laugh about the gallina game, and played it a few times with dead deer on the side of the road. We even have a few quotes that keep floating around years after reading this wonderful story.
I like Red Sky at Morning because it is very funny and very sad at the same time. I do feel like I missed some of the subtleties of the book though because I don't speak fluent Spanish. Be sure to also check out the 1971 film starring Richard Thomas, Desi Arnaz Jr. and Catherine Burns. The adult characters in the film are nobler than in the book.
I really enjoyed the writing style of this book. Bradford's character dialog is witty and in places even hilarious; not at all what I expected going in. Also, having grown up in New Mexico, much of the culture and scenery struck a chord with me. Definitely worth picking up for anyone, and a must read if you're from the land of enchantment.
I liked this book. There were parts that I really, really liked, and there were parts that bothered me. One of my biggest pet peeves is when authors portray kids as much too witty and clever for their age. This book falls under that category.
It's not a 'classic' but it's not just a light story either. Somewhere in between the two...
It's not a 'classic' but it's not just a light story either. Somewhere in between the two...
I can only wish that this brilliant should-be-classic will reach a wider audience over time. Commonly, and fairly, talked about as a Catcher Kills a Mockingbird in the Rye, Red Sky at Morning is filled with non-stop laughter right up until it becomes unexpectedly tender and heartbreaking. This book is nothing but beautiful, and I would urge everyone who is able to read this book.
Aug 10, 2011
Bill Keithler
added it
I really liked this book--it seemed like a book that I should have read in high school but didn't. It is the sort of well-written, easy moving book that that deals with the timeless coming-of-age issues in a serious but almost playful way in a manner one doesn't find very much anymore. Highly recommended.
(Thanks Ann)
(Thanks Ann)
One of greatest American coming-of-age novels ever written. 17-year-old Josh, leaving his upper class life in Mobile, Alabama, to wait out the duration of WWII in the small mountain town of Sagrado, New Mexico, will make you laugh out loud - and cry, too. Pitch perfect dialogue and real characters. Read this book!
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| One of my favorite books: Red Sky at Morning | 4 | 7 | Feb 14, 2013 03:56pm |
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“I walked her to her door and said good night, while Romeo waited. "I'll see you in the morning," I said, 'when the barking dogs arouse the sleeping tepee village and the smell of roasting coyote is in the air."
"My sisters will prepare me," she said. "I shall come to your wickiup in my white doeskin dress and lose my innocence on your buffalo robe."
"I will give you little ornaments to put in your hair, black as the crow's wing. I will give you red flannel and a looking-glass so that you may groom yourself."
"I'd also like to have a little spending money and a charge account at Wormser's," she said.
"Good night, Maiden Who Walks Like a Duck."
"Good night, Warrior Who Chickens Out at the Least Sign of Trouble.”
—
4 people liked it
"My sisters will prepare me," she said. "I shall come to your wickiup in my white doeskin dress and lose my innocence on your buffalo robe."
"I will give you little ornaments to put in your hair, black as the crow's wing. I will give you red flannel and a looking-glass so that you may groom yourself."
"I'd also like to have a little spending money and a charge account at Wormser's," she said.
"Good night, Maiden Who Walks Like a Duck."
"Good night, Warrior Who Chickens Out at the Least Sign of Trouble.”
“... Well, some day i'm going to get in with that wild artistic group. It's the only thing that makes this town different."
"The 'wild artistic group,' as you put it, has an average age of fifty-seven, and most of us have heart disease and bladder trouble...”
—
1 person liked it
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"The 'wild artistic group,' as you put it, has an average age of fifty-seven, and most of us have heart disease and bladder trouble...”
