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179th out of 291 books
—
279 voters
A Scarecrow's Bible
by
Martin Hyatt
In a house trailer in the rural South, a married, Vietnam veteran, addicted to pharmaceuticals, haunted by memories of the past is on the brink of collapse. Just when he thinks the dream of another life is over, the unspeakable happens. He falls in love with a frail, ghostly younger man who reminds him of youth, beauty, and the possibility of a life beyond the prison he ha...more
Paperback, 201 pages
Published
May 28th 2006
by Suspect Thoughts Press
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A very fine first novel, whose two star-crossed main characters hang around and haunt, long after Hyatt's whip smart story arc has shot through the reader's heart.
"A Scarecrow's Bible" is the only novel I've read to date which is rendered via 2nd-Person Narration throughout (with flashback italics peppered here and there--for tracking the history, POV and motivation of the 2nd main character); the mere fact that Martin Hyatt is able to hold his story together through the utilization of these ri...more
"A Scarecrow's Bible" is the only novel I've read to date which is rendered via 2nd-Person Narration throughout (with flashback italics peppered here and there--for tracking the history, POV and motivation of the 2nd main character); the mere fact that Martin Hyatt is able to hold his story together through the utilization of these ri...more
The second-person narration is effective, describing the experience of a man coming to terms with his sexuality by putting the reader in his place. I especially admire the way the author describes the protagonist's experience of reality; the blend of real, remembered, and imagined experiences is effective and appropriately confusing at times. Although the climax is dramatic, it seems forced. The story goes in a common direction that's been done to death (pun intended), and certain characters bec...more
An unusual, moving story that utilizes second-person narration so well that I'd already forgot it did so until just now, reading a few other reviews. The main character is a (closeted, and then not) Vietnam vet, and he rang very true to me as a reader, but then I don't actually know any closeted Vietnam vets - I'd be curious to know whether he's a believable character to readers who are more familiar with that world than me, or whether he just comes across as a young gay author's imagining of th...more
It isn't easy to give this book a 3. I really feel so many things about it deserve a 4 or 5, but there were a few things that got in the way of that for me.
For a first novel, this is impressive. The 2nd person that Hyatt employs works incredibly well, and it is a riveting convention that never lost me or overwhelmed me even for a moment. The flashbacks in italics were great. I really appreciated the care and consideration that was taken with the format. It always reflected the limitations of th...more
For a first novel, this is impressive. The 2nd person that Hyatt employs works incredibly well, and it is a riveting convention that never lost me or overwhelmed me even for a moment. The flashbacks in italics were great. I really appreciated the care and consideration that was taken with the format. It always reflected the limitations of th...more
Loved the second person. Not as crazy about the third person bits in between.
I really appreciated what this book was trying to do. Telling the story of white working class people in small towns, prescription drugs, alcohol and sadness about a life not lived. I am not sure how believable it was. Especially the tidy ending.
Very affecting though. And hard to put down.
I really appreciated what this book was trying to do. Telling the story of white working class people in small towns, prescription drugs, alcohol and sadness about a life not lived. I am not sure how believable it was. Especially the tidy ending.
Very affecting though. And hard to put down.
Melancholy married couple Gary and Gina try to improve their mostly drab life together when Gina moves out of their Mississippi trailer to live with her longtime boyfriend, Eddie. While drowning his sorrows at a nearby gay bar he had been frequenting not-so-secretly for years, Gary is rescued one night by young, waifish Zachary, a former kept boy from New York City. The two begin a passionate (albeit unusual) love affair and Zachary moves in shortly thereafter. The happily-ever-after ending is s...more
I wanted to like this, but couldn't. And it's absolutely riddled with typos, which sets off my OCD response big-time. So there I was, wielding my red pen, alternately trying to feel empathy for the protagonist and throwing down the book while muttering "Find an EDITOR!" (I know, I know, and I *love* what this press is trying to do. But jeez, Louise, even an undergraduate could have proofread this better.)
Loved the writing and the subject (gay Vietnam vet with broken-down marriage falls in love with younger man and the two of them begin to overcome some serious psychological problems and drug addictions) but hated the ending, which seemed to me a bit of a cliche. But see the author's website (http://martinhyatt.net?index.htm) for some very different opinions from some very prestigious people.
Heartwrenching, touching, poignant, and so incredibly well written you will need a quiet moment once you finish this book about love between two unlikely men. Themes of class pervade, and you will most likely be done in one sitting as its one of those books you. just. can't. put. down.
I Adore this book - it's dysfunctional, dark, with beautiful imagery and wraps around itself...in the style of magical realism. And after all that, is almost a story of love...
ps...it's gay. with no 'coming out' - hooray.
ps...it's gay. with no 'coming out' - hooray.
A book that reads like a wonderful slow dance, mournful and wistful.
Familiar story, unusual execution--I'm glad I read it.
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