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452nd out of 598 books
—
1,401 voters
Big Bad Love
by
Larry Brown
Larry Brown's highly praised novel Dirty Work established him as one of the fiercest and most powerful new voices in Southern literature, a writer who understands the sorrows and joys of everyday life. That same compassionate regard for ordinary people shines on every page of Big Bad Love, whose heroes in these stories have a fatal weakness for beer, fast women, and pick-u...more
Paperback, 240 pages
Published
October 1st 1991
by Vintage
(first published September 30th 1990)
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Brown's stories, all save for one written in the first-person, feature wonderfully authentic narrative voices. As a transplanted Southern male, the rhythms and dictions of Brown's narrators were nearly enough to give me flashbacks. However, the narrators were largely undifferentiated; they bled into one another, and the voice that had seemed so singularly wonderful when I read the first story felt somewhat threadbare by the time I finished the closing novella.
These stories are also sunk deep wit...more
These stories are also sunk deep wit...more
Damn, I love Larry Brown. I just can't get over him, and everytime I remember that he's died, I mourn that I'll soon run out of things of his to read. He somehow writes stories that are at once familiar and foreign. To be honest, the people he writes about are people I would have avoided in Mississippi. I fully admit my classism and snobbery here. And he doesn't make me want to go back and become friends with them. But he does make my heart break for them. Big Bad Love is a collection of stories...more
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Oct 27, 2011
Sarah
added it
Hated it. While I appreciate Brown's writing (he is a good writer), his stories are filled with beer, sex, and bars, and his characters are all unhappily married and seem to be getting sadder and more depressed by the page. The stories were just too bleak, and I kept hoping something, anything, would turn around, but it didn't. I think when a writer reaches that point when he cannot do anything for his characters, he should not be writing that story, but Brown keeps going, people keep dying, mar...more
Love and salvation are the underlying themes throughout the book, but these men are not the traditional soul searchers by any means. They are down-and-out, lost, and have strong penchants for cheap booze and fast women. However, they are not lost to the point of giving up. All of them keep pushing through their struggles, particularly the character from the final story, (the novel’s namesake). He is divorced, soul-shattered, unemployed, yet still wakes up every morning from his alcoholic haze to...more
Maybe only 3.5 stars but I just finished it a minute ago and it feels really good. Brown is another of these writers who pulls off magic with misleading simplicity. Makes you kick yourself with a "why exactly can't I do this writing thing"? And the only reason you "can't" is because you just haven't.
The best in this collect is 92 days about a recently divorced guy settling into his writing and alcoholism. The worst is probably Discipline, sort of a joke piece, a writer exercising demons just to...more
The best in this collect is 92 days about a recently divorced guy settling into his writing and alcoholism. The worst is probably Discipline, sort of a joke piece, a writer exercising demons just to...more
Damn, I loved this book. Larry Brown had me getting up at 4:30 am just to finish the last story, "92 Days." Larry nails a particular kind of Southern country boy on the down low better than any other author I have read. His stories are intense, tragic and funny as hell all at the same time. No clever, phony dialog, just pure and honest. I underlined my favorite passages all the way through these stories, and there were many. Here's one:
"I loved nature and I felt like nature loved me. Why else wo...more
"I loved nature and I felt like nature loved me. Why else wo...more
I won this book in a breakup-letter-writing contest. It's signed, in pencil. Who signs in pencil? Amateur! But ok, it might be good, and I have a nagging goal of reading the books I own. This one is at my parents' house... one of these days, I guess.
Given to me by my son for Christmas, I was so eager to read this Southern author, as I'd read his book, Fay, in the late 90's, for book club. He's a rough 'n tumble guy, with lots of crass depictions and words: I have been teased by my book club ever since I recommended, and we read, Fay. This book of short stories apparently is reflective of many Southern men (how much of this is autobiographical, one wonders?) who have a penchant for hard drinking, fast women, fast sex, divorce, and pick up tr...more
Had I known this book was a collection of short stories, I would never have opened the cover. And would have robbed myself of truly wonderful writing. Each stands as a complete story in and of itself, which not only is rare but is the reason I shy away from short stories. Each story presented here exists as a beautifully written and original 'slice of life' type vignette that propells the reader to the next story in line with a sense of anticipation.
Some reviewers praise Brown as the 'New Faulkn...more
Some reviewers praise Brown as the 'New Faulkn...more
I debated whether or not to give this collection of short stories 3 or 5 stars, and though I ended up with 4, it's certainly not what it deserves. Separately, each of these stories has earned closer to 5 in my book, but as they're collected, they seem to run together. When Big Bad Love is read as a whole it's difficult to decipher one from the other. Don't get me wrong, Brown is a fantastic writer with strong characters and a terrific ear for dialogue, but if you're planning on picking up this c...more
This book is in three parts:
Part 1. A collection of very, very readable short stories - typical Larry Brown. A complaint is that these stories go a little too far over the line of "sharing a common theme," and begin falling into an area of, "this is the same story, with the same character, over and over, again."
Part 2. Is a slightly longer short story that might very well be the worst thing I've ever read by an acclaimed author. It's a joke story, like the type of thing you write when you're bor...more
Part 1. A collection of very, very readable short stories - typical Larry Brown. A complaint is that these stories go a little too far over the line of "sharing a common theme," and begin falling into an area of, "this is the same story, with the same character, over and over, again."
Part 2. Is a slightly longer short story that might very well be the worst thing I've ever read by an acclaimed author. It's a joke story, like the type of thing you write when you're bor...more
This was one of the better short stories collections I ever read. All of the stories are linked together with similar themes. For the most part the collection reads as a loose narrative telling the tales of some very amusing and complex characters set in rural Mississippi (director Arliss Howard incorporated this idea into his film adaption of one of the book's stories).
The highlights include a guy that complains that a certain part of his wife's body is way too big for his liking or the story...more
The highlights include a guy that complains that a certain part of his wife's body is way too big for his liking or the story...more
Big Bad Love is a collection of short stories written by the late Larry Brown. As the title suggests, every story in this collection deals with love. However; the love Larry Brown delivers is not your typical Hallmark-card-greeting, love-at-first-sight romance, instead he dished out gritty, dirt road love stories. His love is the “I love-to-hate-you yet hate-that-I-love-you stories”. His relationships are dysfunctional and destructive, yet Brown manages to create some of the most real and genuin...more
Read this on the recommendation of my friend Grant, who knows I am a big Harry Crews fan -- although not, as a rule, a big fan of short stories. Glad I listened to Grant. The bleakness of the human soul as articulated by a white Southern man of a certain generation really rings true. After I finished, I told Grant, "Man, that book made me want to drink beer and smoke dope and shoot myself in the head."
High praise, trust me. (no pun intended)
High praise, trust me. (no pun intended)
This book was unique in the fact it contained a big chunk of short stories and a semi-long one (make sense?). The males in all the stories find themselves in some crazy situations. Most all of these situations have to do with females. There were times when I wanted to cry and also times when I died out laughing. Not a fantastic work, but worth a look if you want some light reading and more than one shake your head moments.
I love Larry Brown. He's not for everybody though. His characters are drifters, loners, who are often conflicted about love and sex. In one story, the narrator comes home to find his dog has died in the yard. Instead of burying the dog, he goes out drinking even though he knows his girlfriend will have a fit when she finds the dead dog herself. These are plainly written stories also. They are humorous while also being sad. The characters are losers, but he writes about them with a sense of empat...more
May 19, 2010
Kate McFarland Bruce
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommended to Kate by:
kmcfarla@hotmail.com
Another one of my all time favorites. I picked this one up traveling too, hence the nostalgia shelf. I'm usually not into short stories but these are amazing. My favorite is the one called "Baby". They're the kind of stories that you don't know where they're going until the end and it all makes sense and its just beautiful. Seriously, just try it and you'll be happy.
While some of the stories are hit or miss, the closing novella "92 Days" is to die for as it details the struggles unpublished but undeterred writer Leon Barlow. This book is well worth buying just for the letter Barlow writes to a NYC agent in response to his novel being rejected.
I was told Brown is a quality Southern writer. Big Bad Love is a collection of short stories about rather pathetic characters seeking love. The language is simple and harsh at times. I did find value in the compassion with which writes these characters.
Hilarious! I think I know most of the characters. Larry Brown has a way of making you feel like you are there and you are not sure if you should be ashamed, have compassion, or wonder if you ARE the character!
Oct 30, 2008
William
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Hopeless Romantics, southern writer fans, short story junkies
Recommended to William by:
Terry Gross
Southern writer with a broken heart. And by southern, I mean trailer worthy. But WOW, Larry brings the heat. This collection of short stories will break your heart.
One of my favorite review of Larry Brown went a little something like, "Larry Brown writes like a force of nature." Amen. It's so natural and simple, but it's power and inner complexity are mesmerizing.
I also recommend hearing Larry read before picking up the book. He's country. If you aren't aware of the drawl, and the slow pace of h...more
One of my favorite review of Larry Brown went a little something like, "Larry Brown writes like a force of nature." Amen. It's so natural and simple, but it's power and inner complexity are mesmerizing.
I also recommend hearing Larry read before picking up the book. He's country. If you aren't aware of the drawl, and the slow pace of h...more
Larry, Larry, Larry. Who in the heck were you? These stories are dark and written in first person and they are all about people that I know I certainly wouldn't want to be good friends with. These stories aren't the best thing I've read by the late Mr. Brown - but I miss him so. So I'm willing to read whatever's left out there that I haven't yet read.
Feb 09, 2009
Jimmy
added it
You know, this book is terrific. Larry Brown was better at making you love a lowlife than anyone. I mean, right down in the dirt, and full of love.
Read this to know what the love of words can do to you.
The movie is sublime: beautiful and complex, and confusing. Watch that too.
The movie is sublime: beautiful and complex, and confusing. Watch that too.
One of my all time favorites. Made into a movie and the movie is MY ALL TIME FAVORITE. If you know me, I will watch it with you anytime.
Brilliant short stories from America's heartland. Thanks to Mike Manson at Vesuvio for turning me on to it. Just bloody marvelous writing.
Read it if only for part three, 92 days. As much as I hoped for a happy ending, it would've felt like cheating.
With the exception of the wretched and unfunny "Discipline," none of the stories in this collection sound a false note. "Big Bad Love," "Gold Nuggets," and the longer story "92 Days" are especially good. Brown's Facing the Music is a better volume overall, but man there are some powerful moments in Big Bad Love.
I saw the movie first, which is a compilation of the main story "Big Bad Love" and the other short stories.
flat out my favorite collection of shorts. Brown writes with a clarity that is masterful.
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Larry Brown was an American writer who was born and lived in Oxford, Mississippi. Brown wrote fiction and nonfiction. He graduated from high school in Oxford but did not go to college. Many years later, he took a creative writing class from the Mississippi novelist Ellen Dou...more
More about Larry Brown...
Larry Brown was an American writer who was born and lived in Oxford, Mississippi. Brown wrote fiction and nonfiction. He graduated from high school in Oxford but did not go to college. Many years later, he took a creative writing class from the Mississippi novelist Ellen Dou...more
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“I didn't know why something that started off feeling so good had to wind up feeling so bad. Love was a big word and it covered a lot of territory. You could spend your whole life chasing after it and wind up with nothing, be an old bitter guy with long nose hair and ear hair and no teeth, hanging out in bars, looking for somebody your age, but the chances of success went down then. After a while you got too many strikes against you.”
—
19 people liked it
“I only had one life, and I'd be damned if I'd live it in a way that would make me unhappy and please somebody else. I had already lived that kind of life, too much of it already.”
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9 people liked it
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