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Burnt Mountain
by Anne Rivers Siddons
by Anne Rivers Siddons
Eileen Granfors's review
bookshelves: families, local-color, women
Jul 22, 11
bookshelves: families, local-color, women
Read from July 20 to 22, 2011
In Siddons' books, I am used to finding stories of family ties gone awry, love, and friendships (with plenty of Southern backstabbing.) My two favorites are "Outer Banks" and "Peachtree Road." "Burnt Mountain" was a book I eagerly awaited.
Sadly, this title does not reach the level of her earlier books. There is the dysfunctional relationship between Thayer and her beautiful mother. The mother, Crystal, wants desperately to belong to Atlanta society, much like Lila in Conroy's "Prince of Tides." However, too little time is spent developing the Crystal's story although Thayer's beautiful grandmother, Gran to Thayer, is at the heart of the book because of her resilient love for Thayer.
B Crystal's social climbing makes the marriage of Thayer's sister to a regular guy seem incongruous, especially when compared to what Thayer endures as she brings home her first boyfriend, Nick.
Things dissolve between Nick and Thayer (not a spoiler--see blurb and jacket copy). Thayer sequesters herself in an isolated mountain college. She falls for her mythology professor, Aengus, who is portrayed as both childlike and a wondrous lover. Though Crystal isn't thrilled, Aengus and Thayer do marry. Aengus is supposed to be magical in his good looks and Celtic beliefs, but he is more like the women in Tryon's "Harvest Home," creepy and untrustworthy.
Then the book gets weirder. There is too much left out in terms of their neighbor, Carol, and her three sons. There is too much left out in the goings-on at Forever Camp and Aengus's mental condition as he disappears for days at a time to speak at the camp. There are mixed up references to the Olympics coming to Atlanta (1996) and taking one of the kids to his choice of Harry Potter films (first one in 2001).
I would have loved this book had it had the depth and range of "Peachtree Road" or "Outer Banks." As it exists, it is the skeleton of a story, waiting to be fleshed out and fully realized (and better edited).
Sadly, this title does not reach the level of her earlier books. There is the dysfunctional relationship between Thayer and her beautiful mother. The mother, Crystal, wants desperately to belong to Atlanta society, much like Lila in Conroy's "Prince of Tides." However, too little time is spent developing the Crystal's story although Thayer's beautiful grandmother, Gran to Thayer, is at the heart of the book because of her resilient love for Thayer.
B Crystal's social climbing makes the marriage of Thayer's sister to a regular guy seem incongruous, especially when compared to what Thayer endures as she brings home her first boyfriend, Nick.
Things dissolve between Nick and Thayer (not a spoiler--see blurb and jacket copy). Thayer sequesters herself in an isolated mountain college. She falls for her mythology professor, Aengus, who is portrayed as both childlike and a wondrous lover. Though Crystal isn't thrilled, Aengus and Thayer do marry. Aengus is supposed to be magical in his good looks and Celtic beliefs, but he is more like the women in Tryon's "Harvest Home," creepy and untrustworthy.
Then the book gets weirder. There is too much left out in terms of their neighbor, Carol, and her three sons. There is too much left out in the goings-on at Forever Camp and Aengus's mental condition as he disappears for days at a time to speak at the camp. There are mixed up references to the Olympics coming to Atlanta (1996) and taking one of the kids to his choice of Harry Potter films (first one in 2001).
I would have loved this book had it had the depth and range of "Peachtree Road" or "Outer Banks." As it exists, it is the skeleton of a story, waiting to be fleshed out and fully realized (and better edited).
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And, yes, the time line was bizarre. I knew the Olympics were in the mid 90's, but the story seemed to take place in very recent days, with even kids having cell phones.
I have read ARS's novels since the 1970's and have loved them (my favorite was Colony, followed by Outer Banks) so I, again, agree with you that there were some things that needed to be edited and sorted out. I shook my head as I finished it this a.m. but was not at all sorry to have read the book. I loved the character development, the sights, sounds and smells of the deep south, and thought Thayer was a well developed character. I loved Grand and despised Crystal. The whole episode with the Dr. was absurd, as clinics were legal in the time frame that Thayer visited the Dr. in his home...and what Dr. would lie to a patient that way? It was a bit contrived. I hate to think that Siddons is simply past her prime in writing brilliant novels.