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Porter Osborne Jr. #1
Run with the Horsemen
Porter Osborne Jr. is a precocious, sensitive, and rambunctious boy trying to make it through adolescence during the depression years. On a red-clay farm in Georgia he learns all there is to know about cotton chopping, hog killing, watermelon thumping, and mule handling. School provides a quick course in practical joking, schoolboy crushes, athletic glory, and clandestine sex. But it is Porter's family - his genteel, patient mother, his swarm of cousins, his snuff-dipping grandmother, and, most of all, his beloved though flawed father - who teach Porter the painful truths about growing up strong enough to run with the horsemen.
432 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1982
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 276 reviews
May 5, 2019
I really enjoyed this book, and in many ways it took me right back to my childhood in rural North Carolina in the 50's and early 60's, even though this was set in Georgia at a much earlier time, the 1930's during the depression. It follows Porter Osborne, Jr from his very young years through his graduation from high school. Porter was very intelligent, very much a trouble maker, and very small for his age. There are some really funny episodes and also some extremely sad scenes, but it is essentially a portrayal of a place and time that is long gone, and by the end of the book we see a young man who has matured enough to realize that things are changing, and the world his father and grandfather knew is on the way out.
Warning to those who cannot read a book about the past without judging by present sensibilities, you will be offended. But if you can appreciate a window into the realities of the past, both good and bad, you will be rewarded. Little Porter was a special kid that I very much enjoyed getting to know.
Warning to those who cannot read a book about the past without judging by present sensibilities, you will be offended. But if you can appreciate a window into the realities of the past, both good and bad, you will be rewarded. Little Porter was a special kid that I very much enjoyed getting to know.
June 1, 2019
First of all, you should know this is the first book of a trilogy. I didn’t know that and my thoughts were courting a few expletives at the ending as it is a bit of a cliffhanger. I just followed this ‘boy’ as he is mostly known during the narrative, through 422 pages, and the author leaves me with these questions. Now that I understand the cliffhanger ‘may’ be resolved, I am only somewhat mollified by the ending.
Porter Osborne Jr. grows up on a cotton farm in rural Georgia. Along with his parents, Porter lives with his paternal grandparents and three sisters, one older and two younger, “the grandmother’s brother, the father’s sister, and the sister’s husband.” Porter’s father remodeled the house and the grandmother was so thankful she deeded it to him. The father decided that any relative in need of a place to stay for awhile was welcome in his home, so a host of relatives come and go.
A coming of age story that takes place during the depression, Ferrol Sams narrates with rambling ferocity. I was never uncertain of Sams high regard for southern culture and the southern way of life. Even so, he threads the certain warp and weft of blatant and subtle racism into his tale. The fabric of a caste system, blacks and whites, poor and wealthy, town and country, is revealed with the honest innocence of Porter’s youth. We experience this life in all its richly varied hues, his friendship with Buddy, son of a black tenant farmer and his hero worship of a flawed father; his adoration of his mother, how he learns about sex, and his full cup of mischief and playful pranks that cost somebody something, but that somebody was only rarely Porter
Mostly this narrative is a character study, digging deep into how Porter derives his work ethic, his driving ambition, and how as a boy of small stature, he not only survives adolescence but thrives. My biggest complaint would be that the main character is mostly called ‘boy.’ For me, it mars the narrative and undermines the author’s emphasis on Porter’s growth as an individual. My other complaint is the episodic nature of a verbose writing style, but this must be balanced with the gem that is offered, the insight into bygone days, and what the author delivers with all his words. I loved Porter’s enthusiasm, his success, his optimism, and what I perceived that he learned. So happy to have read this selection from the GR’s group, ‘On the Southern Literary Trail.’ This was Ferrol Sams debut novel in 1982, when Sams was 60 years old.
Porter Osborne Jr. grows up on a cotton farm in rural Georgia. Along with his parents, Porter lives with his paternal grandparents and three sisters, one older and two younger, “the grandmother’s brother, the father’s sister, and the sister’s husband.” Porter’s father remodeled the house and the grandmother was so thankful she deeded it to him. The father decided that any relative in need of a place to stay for awhile was welcome in his home, so a host of relatives come and go.
A coming of age story that takes place during the depression, Ferrol Sams narrates with rambling ferocity. I was never uncertain of Sams high regard for southern culture and the southern way of life. Even so, he threads the certain warp and weft of blatant and subtle racism into his tale. The fabric of a caste system, blacks and whites, poor and wealthy, town and country, is revealed with the honest innocence of Porter’s youth. We experience this life in all its richly varied hues, his friendship with Buddy, son of a black tenant farmer and his hero worship of a flawed father; his adoration of his mother, how he learns about sex, and his full cup of mischief and playful pranks that cost somebody something, but that somebody was only rarely Porter
Mostly this narrative is a character study, digging deep into how Porter derives his work ethic, his driving ambition, and how as a boy of small stature, he not only survives adolescence but thrives. My biggest complaint would be that the main character is mostly called ‘boy.’ For me, it mars the narrative and undermines the author’s emphasis on Porter’s growth as an individual. My other complaint is the episodic nature of a verbose writing style, but this must be balanced with the gem that is offered, the insight into bygone days, and what the author delivers with all his words. I loved Porter’s enthusiasm, his success, his optimism, and what I perceived that he learned. So happy to have read this selection from the GR’s group, ‘On the Southern Literary Trail.’ This was Ferrol Sams debut novel in 1982, when Sams was 60 years old.
May 26, 2019
This trilogy is underrated. Porter Osbourne should go down as one of the classic characters not just in Southern Lit, but in literature in general.
The first book is as a good a rumination on adolescent male sexuality as Roth's "Portnoy's Complaint," and also examines race relations and generational distance in the agrarian early-20th century South. The second finds Porter disillusioned with life and medical school, as well as losing his virginity to the unforgettable Vashti. The third sees him going off to war. Admittedly, the final chapter in this trilogy isn't up to par with the first two--it's a bit far-fetched and tries to make too many connections--but it's still damn good. Overall, this trilogy is story-telling at its best. It's funny, poignant, and action-packed.
These books consumed my life. For two whole weeks I could think of nothing else. Great stuff.
The first book is as a good a rumination on adolescent male sexuality as Roth's "Portnoy's Complaint," and also examines race relations and generational distance in the agrarian early-20th century South. The second finds Porter disillusioned with life and medical school, as well as losing his virginity to the unforgettable Vashti. The third sees him going off to war. Admittedly, the final chapter in this trilogy isn't up to par with the first two--it's a bit far-fetched and tries to make too many connections--but it's still damn good. Overall, this trilogy is story-telling at its best. It's funny, poignant, and action-packed.
These books consumed my life. For two whole weeks I could think of nothing else. Great stuff.
December 27, 2012
I read this series when I was in my early teens, I believe. It recently popped back into my head, so I thought I'd see if I still enjoyed it. I think I appreciate it more now, because I can see the adult humor in it. Ferrol Sams uses such beautiful language to describe Georgia between Reconstruction and WWII, the relationships between the landowners and their dependents and the virtures of being Raised Right.
I found it fascinating that we do not find out our protagonist's name until page 65, before then he is "the boy". These descriptors are used heavily throughout the beginning of the book as Sams builds his world and introduces us to the quirks of personality of the individuals who inhabit it. The father, the grandmother, the grandfather, the mother... they are introduced to us by their actions and history before we ever learn their names.
I'm looking forward to reading the next two books again,as there are certain things I think I remember and I'm hoping the boy is as clever as he was.
I found it fascinating that we do not find out our protagonist's name until page 65, before then he is "the boy". These descriptors are used heavily throughout the beginning of the book as Sams builds his world and introduces us to the quirks of personality of the individuals who inhabit it. The father, the grandmother, the grandfather, the mother... they are introduced to us by their actions and history before we ever learn their names.
I'm looking forward to reading the next two books again,as there are certain things I think I remember and I'm hoping the boy is as clever as he was.
May 9, 2019
2.5 stars, rounded up.
It is difficult not to feel some affinity with a book that is set in a place you know. I was born and raised in the Piedmont of Georgia, born in Crawford W. Long hospital, strolled many a time on Peachtree Street, and have set on the porch at the Fayetteville Courthouse. So, this was like a stroll through my childhood in some ways, but it was a departure from it, as well, and in ways that I was very grateful for. Perhaps that much changed between the 1930’s, when this book is set, and the 1950’s, when I grew up there; perhaps there was a great deal of poetic license taken.
White children did not say, “Yes, sir” or “Yes, ma’am” to a colored person. Well, maybe in Dr. Sams family they were taught that way, but if you wanted a switch taken to your bottom by my Mama, fail to address any person, of any color, in less than respectful terms and you would get it. The colored women we knew well were called “Miz”, just like the white women we knew well. Sir and Ma’am not optional for anyone else.
I wanted to love it, but I couldn’t. I was never able to connect with Porter Osbourne, the boy who is coming of age here. The constant referral to his as “the boy” bothered me. I wondered at his preoccupation with all things sexual and scatalogical. Perhaps that is the difference between a Southern girl and a Southern boy, but neither of those things would have gotten any overt attention from me or my friends at age eight or nine.
I did appreciate what Dr. Sams was portraying in the relationship between this boy and his father, I just felt that got too little of the 422 pages, while one anecdote after another seemed strained and sometimes disconnected.
There is a liberal use of Southern axioms and speech that often rings very true. I could close my eyes and hear the words spilling from the mouths of my own grandparents or parents. It made me sad to think that those times are gone and those phrases are probably uttered by few in today’s world.
When one is convinced that one is to the manor born, the actual physical condition of the manor itself is of negligible importance. Oh my, how true...the name was the thing.
The snuff dipping grandmother made me laugh aloud, because I knew “ladies” who dipped and pretended no one knew. Ah, but we saw so little of her; she was a flash on the page and gone.
This is one of those books that I will not regret reading, but will not treasure the memory of, either. I don’t think I will be tempted to read the next book in the series.
It is difficult not to feel some affinity with a book that is set in a place you know. I was born and raised in the Piedmont of Georgia, born in Crawford W. Long hospital, strolled many a time on Peachtree Street, and have set on the porch at the Fayetteville Courthouse. So, this was like a stroll through my childhood in some ways, but it was a departure from it, as well, and in ways that I was very grateful for. Perhaps that much changed between the 1930’s, when this book is set, and the 1950’s, when I grew up there; perhaps there was a great deal of poetic license taken.
White children did not say, “Yes, sir” or “Yes, ma’am” to a colored person. Well, maybe in Dr. Sams family they were taught that way, but if you wanted a switch taken to your bottom by my Mama, fail to address any person, of any color, in less than respectful terms and you would get it. The colored women we knew well were called “Miz”, just like the white women we knew well. Sir and Ma’am not optional for anyone else.
I wanted to love it, but I couldn’t. I was never able to connect with Porter Osbourne, the boy who is coming of age here. The constant referral to his as “the boy” bothered me. I wondered at his preoccupation with all things sexual and scatalogical. Perhaps that is the difference between a Southern girl and a Southern boy, but neither of those things would have gotten any overt attention from me or my friends at age eight or nine.
I did appreciate what Dr. Sams was portraying in the relationship between this boy and his father, I just felt that got too little of the 422 pages, while one anecdote after another seemed strained and sometimes disconnected.
There is a liberal use of Southern axioms and speech that often rings very true. I could close my eyes and hear the words spilling from the mouths of my own grandparents or parents. It made me sad to think that those times are gone and those phrases are probably uttered by few in today’s world.
When one is convinced that one is to the manor born, the actual physical condition of the manor itself is of negligible importance. Oh my, how true...the name was the thing.
The snuff dipping grandmother made me laugh aloud, because I knew “ladies” who dipped and pretended no one knew. Ah, but we saw so little of her; she was a flash on the page and gone.
This is one of those books that I will not regret reading, but will not treasure the memory of, either. I don’t think I will be tempted to read the next book in the series.
February 22, 2013
One of my favorite books, I've re-read this so many times I've lost count! By the author of Forrest Gump, Run With The Horsemen is the coming-of-age story of "Little Porter" Osbourne, the son of a Georgia farming family growing up during the Depression. The genteel, long-suffering mother (who strikes fear in the hearts of her husband and son with the words "I'm not mad, I'm just hurt"); the patrician lawyer father who the boy adores and lives to impress, even though aware of (and often teased for) Porter Sr.'s reputation for drinking and carousing; all of the characters ring just completely true. Especially, I imagine, for those of us who were raised in small Southern towns. The author doesn't sugar-coat the state of race relations during that era, but deals with the issue as simply another fact of life for those times. Sweet, sometimes sad, but often lough-out-loud funny! Highly recommended reading!
September 30, 2011
Since I have moved to Georgia, I have been wanting to read a book that submerses me in the southern culture to help me acclamate. This book was given to me by a friend who grew up in the deep south that thought it would do the trick. It reminded me of A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN--but about a boy, set in the deep south, and not as tragic. I fell in love with this protagonist, the hired "colored-folk" that worked his pa's farms, and his flawed family. It was a delight of a book. So glad I read it.
March 19, 2012
When I discovered Ferrol Sams', Run with the Horsemen, I could not understand why it had not been hailed as one of the best American novels of our time. It captures with brutal accuracy the Deep South at the onset of the Great Depression. It reveals the reality of the times and would be what one would see had he a time machine to travel back to these days. Porter Osborne, intelligent, humorous, and perceptive, yet, naïve, is the bridge between the cultures. I thoroughly enjoyed this book
November 5, 2022
Irreverent. Funny. True. Loved it. I have sent
A copy to one of my brothers. It will remind him of growing up on our farm in central Florida.
A copy to one of my brothers. It will remind him of growing up on our farm in central Florida.
March 2, 2016
Now THIS is how a coming-of-age story should be written. Alongside To Kill a Mockingbird, which is the best of the best, I think that Run With the Horsemen comes in a close second, with two differences being that it is the boy's story without having a heroic father as counterpoint (although his father is certainly central to the plot), and it was a bit raunchier in the telling. The writing is wonderful, so descriptive, so funny at times, so interesting regarding life on a Georgia farm during the Depression. And the unresolved ending has me champing at the bit to read the sequel (The Whisper of the River). This was classic writing at its best. Favorite scenes: the boy attending church with Ole John Tom and the black community, and the junior-senior prom at school. Really well done. Kudos to Ferroll Sams.
June 30, 2012
This is an great book on its own but I have just finished rereading "To Kill a Mockingbird" and I was interested in comparing the two books. Really, the big similarity is how they try to explain how white Southerners treated blacks during the depression. Both have a lot of "this is the culture, this is how it has always been done".
Although both books have a strong, educated father who is in the government, and both deal with the relationship of the children and their fathers, Run with the Horsemen's father is the oppisite of Atticus Finch in many ways. He is a heavey-drinking, violent man redeemed mostly by his uncompromising sense of justice.
Run with the Horsemen's protagonist is a teenage boy and much of the book deals with his becoming a man, learning about sex and understanding his father.
To Kill a Mockingbird is far more inspiring but Run with the Horsemen stands up well beside it.
Added much later: I have been thinking about rereading this book but find there is no 'e-book' version. I guess the book has staying power.
There is an interview of Ferrol Sams in the Korea Herald:
http://view.koreaherald.com/kh/view.p...
Although both books have a strong, educated father who is in the government, and both deal with the relationship of the children and their fathers, Run with the Horsemen's father is the oppisite of Atticus Finch in many ways. He is a heavey-drinking, violent man redeemed mostly by his uncompromising sense of justice.
Run with the Horsemen's protagonist is a teenage boy and much of the book deals with his becoming a man, learning about sex and understanding his father.
To Kill a Mockingbird is far more inspiring but Run with the Horsemen stands up well beside it.
Added much later: I have been thinking about rereading this book but find there is no 'e-book' version. I guess the book has staying power.
There is an interview of Ferrol Sams in the Korea Herald:
http://view.koreaherald.com/kh/view.p...
January 12, 2014
One of the most underrated coming-of-age stories ever. This autobiographical trilogy, beginning with Run with the Horsemen, chronicles the life of Porter Osborne from his childhood in rural Georgia through medical school at Emory during World War II.
Run with the Horsemen, the first book, chronicles Porter's childhood on the Georgia farm. It is a can't miss read. Porter is a latter-day Tom Sawyer, and his adventures are just as good. I know that's heresy, but there it is.
Run with the Horsemen, the first book, chronicles Porter's childhood on the Georgia farm. It is a can't miss read. Porter is a latter-day Tom Sawyer, and his adventures are just as good. I know that's heresy, but there it is.
July 18, 2009
I found this slow-going at first, and found difficulty in knowing who was the central character, and would have given it 2 stars. By a third of the way through I was involved with the main character and his dilemmas and life, it was making 3 stars. By the end of the book I was thoroughly convinced and found the conclusion strong and thought-provoking, and a 5-star finish. I shall read more by Ferrol Sams in the future and appreciate Donette's recommendation.
February 24, 2012
One of my all-time favorite books...Southern storytelling at its best.
This is the first in a semi-autobiographical trilogy that follows the life and exploits of the main character, Porter Osborne jr. (Sambo). Also don't miss.
2) The Whisper of the River
3) When All the World Was Young
This is the first in a semi-autobiographical trilogy that follows the life and exploits of the main character, Porter Osborne jr. (Sambo). Also don't miss.
2) The Whisper of the River
3) When All the World Was Young
April 10, 2008
The boy is endearing, precocious, funny, and at the same time forever trying to measure up to his father's expectations. A must-read series if you love Southern coming-of-age. Incidentally, I have attended a couple of book-signings by Ferrol Sams, and the man is amazing. He's not a quick scribbler, but actually spends a half-minute or so talking to each reader, then...BAM! writes a perfect line or two in your book, like he's known you forever. Snap!
January 21, 2010
I might be a bit prejudiced because I know Dr. Sams personally but I thought this book was wonderful!
March 23, 2008
Run with the Horsemen is a wonderful book. It's a terrific story with a fascinating central character. And it captures all the aspects of life in rural Georgia during the Great Depression.
It took me a while to get into the story. The narrator writes in the past tense, refers to himself in the third person ("the boy" aka Porter Osborne, Jr.) and the sentences run long. But I adjusted to the prose and was rewarded for the effort. This first volume of Porter's life story spans from childhood through high school graduation. Along the way there are enough adventures, dramas and historical asides to keep the narrative lively and fresh.
Porter struggles with his peers, mother, himself, teachers, girls, the Lord and most of all his father. He deals with issues of race, social status, gender, faith and family. And he invariably emerges from these tests on the side of truth, fairness and justice.
There's not a lot of high literary art in this novel. But there is one fascinating aspect of the story the author uses to great effect. As little Porter 'grows up' he obsesses with his diminutive size and failure to physically mature. Simultaneously, his emotional, intellectual and spiritual growth is exponential. By the end of the story Porter Osborne Jr. is a mountain of a man. When the reader learns that this mountain of a man stands no more than four feet ten inches tall and weighs a mere ninety pounds, it illuminates the wisdom shared by two different characters in the book (one at the beginning and the other at the end): "It's not the dog in the fight, it's the fight in the dog."
With Run with the Horsemen" author Farrell Sams has contributed a solid book to the shelf of Southern Literature. Run with the Horsemen compares favorably to the works of southern authors Willie Morris, Truman Capote and Rick Bragg. In fact, I enjoyed Run with the Horseman so much that as soon as I finished reading it I went directly to my local use book store and purchased a copy of The Whisper of the River so I can follow Porter Osborne Jr.'s continuing story as he leaves home and goes off to college.
Run with the Horsemen is a wonderful book.
It took me a while to get into the story. The narrator writes in the past tense, refers to himself in the third person ("the boy" aka Porter Osborne, Jr.) and the sentences run long. But I adjusted to the prose and was rewarded for the effort. This first volume of Porter's life story spans from childhood through high school graduation. Along the way there are enough adventures, dramas and historical asides to keep the narrative lively and fresh.
Porter struggles with his peers, mother, himself, teachers, girls, the Lord and most of all his father. He deals with issues of race, social status, gender, faith and family. And he invariably emerges from these tests on the side of truth, fairness and justice.
There's not a lot of high literary art in this novel. But there is one fascinating aspect of the story the author uses to great effect. As little Porter 'grows up' he obsesses with his diminutive size and failure to physically mature. Simultaneously, his emotional, intellectual and spiritual growth is exponential. By the end of the story Porter Osborne Jr. is a mountain of a man. When the reader learns that this mountain of a man stands no more than four feet ten inches tall and weighs a mere ninety pounds, it illuminates the wisdom shared by two different characters in the book (one at the beginning and the other at the end): "It's not the dog in the fight, it's the fight in the dog."
With Run with the Horsemen" author Farrell Sams has contributed a solid book to the shelf of Southern Literature. Run with the Horsemen compares favorably to the works of southern authors Willie Morris, Truman Capote and Rick Bragg. In fact, I enjoyed Run with the Horseman so much that as soon as I finished reading it I went directly to my local use book store and purchased a copy of The Whisper of the River so I can follow Porter Osborne Jr.'s continuing story as he leaves home and goes off to college.
Run with the Horsemen is a wonderful book.
July 20, 2011
Run with the Horsemen is a must read for any Southerner or anyone who has enjoyed To Kill a Mockingbird. One experiences of life in rural Georgia during the Great Depression and sees it from the eyes of a young boy.
I enjoyed every page and was sorry to come to its end. Ferrol Sams created a book that will likely be one of my all time favorites.
I enjoyed every page and was sorry to come to its end. Ferrol Sams created a book that will likely be one of my all time favorites.
February 11, 2009
This book is set in the south in the same era as “To Kill a Mockingbird” and is both funny and poignant as it explores the relationship between the races through the eyes of the protagonist, Porter Osborne III, a bright, sensitive boy growing up on a farm in Georgia. It follows him from childhood to WWII, when he graduates from high school. The book is based on the author’s own boyhood in Fayette County. He published the book, his first, in 1982 at age 60.
December 30, 2011
Ferrol Sams, where have you been all of my life? Run With the Horsemen vivaciously brought to life the daily happenings of a small southern town during the 1920s and 1930s. Accessibly-written, nuanced, scathing, scandalous, and hilarious. Rarely has reading a novel been such a pure delight.
April 28, 2009
I just love this whole trilogy-- I love watching the main character grow up and figure out life.
June 24, 2009
One of my top ten all time favorites.
June 21, 2019
A coming of age book featuring an endearing and mischievous young Porter Osbourne Jr who grows up on a farm in Georgia during the Great Depression. Part one of Ferrol Sams trilogy of stories of that time.
Read for On The Southern Literary Trail. 4 stars
Read for On The Southern Literary Trail. 4 stars
August 24, 2021
Young Porter Osborne is the scion of his prosperous farming family in Georgia (presumably as they go to Atlanta now and then). At the start he is pre-adolescent and this novel takes him through high school. He is very small, always, for his age, behind his peers puberty-wise, but not in intellect or, frankly, guile, which he uses to his advantage as he deems necessary. Sams manages to tread the treacherous border between what he, as a white lad, and his home friends, as black lads, can expect. The book, taking place as it does during that time period of a person's life where the lightbulb comes on about injustice, has to convince us that Porter is awakening with a true and unblinking conscience. I'm convinced that Porter is smart as a whip, too smart to be fooled by convention, and one of the lucky few with a vocation. At the same time, for all that, he is a privileged white boy and thus cannot, any more than any other person in that time and place (30's) avoid having certain things both dinned into or expected of him. He can be cruel, albeit rarely and usually with great regret, and he can make mistakes. Sams tells this story with humor and grace. Anything less than that and I'd have had to throw the book in the dumpster. As a matter of interest, I am reading this at the same time as I am reading [The Warmth of Other Suns] and the stories align. Sams is unflinching when necessary. A last word -- there are some truly funny scenes and situations -- the book is very balanced that way -- and the portrait of life in those times has the ring of deadly accuracy -- say, hog-killing day, cotton picking time, the progression of the agricultural and social events of the year. Reminiscent of William Maxwell's *So Long, See You Tomorrow*, William McPherson, *Testing the Current* and many others--one is reading of a moment in time and place. ****1/2
December 11, 2015
This book was absolutely incredibe! At first I read it because my parents and grandmother had both read this book and spoke very highly off it; and now that I have already finished, I agree. The characters are very life like and, as it is with most books, the reader gets lost in the story and forgets that the characters, ocurrences and places in the book are fictional! I hardily approve with the title as it is very meaningful and I feel that it sums the story up very well as Porter, or Sambo as he is reffered to by most people in the story, always seems to be chasing something; be it his father's approval, acceptance from his teachers or an award for debate or speech making.
As well as being quite intelligent and prestigios in school, sambo is very naughty around the farm, leaving quite a humourous mark on the book. Although he always means well, he is quite a prankster. After he lit a mule's fart on fire trying to make it plow faster and to stop being ornery, his father summed the situation up to one of his friends, "He's not a bad boy, I just can't think of everything to tell him not to do."
In my opinion, Ferrol Sams' writing style suits the context perfectly. Written in a light-hearted manor that makes even the most serious of situations funnny, this book tackles issues such as pride and poverty in the Great Deppression is a way that keeps the reader interested to the final pages! I would reccomend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction books that are well written with challenging vocabulary entwined into every page.
As well as being quite intelligent and prestigios in school, sambo is very naughty around the farm, leaving quite a humourous mark on the book. Although he always means well, he is quite a prankster. After he lit a mule's fart on fire trying to make it plow faster and to stop being ornery, his father summed the situation up to one of his friends, "He's not a bad boy, I just can't think of everything to tell him not to do."
In my opinion, Ferrol Sams' writing style suits the context perfectly. Written in a light-hearted manor that makes even the most serious of situations funnny, this book tackles issues such as pride and poverty in the Great Deppression is a way that keeps the reader interested to the final pages! I would reccomend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction books that are well written with challenging vocabulary entwined into every page.
June 17, 2016
3.5***
This is a semi-autobiographical novel detailing the coming of age of a young boy – the scion of a well-to-do cotton farmer in rural George, during the Depression. The Boy is the only son of a refined and long-suffering mother and an alcoholic, politically connected father. He is smart and resourceful, but confused about much of the information that he gathers by eavesdropping on the adults on and around the farm. He frequently feels alone, in part because he has only sisters, but also because he is so small compared to his classmates. The book covers his story from early childhood through high school.
The style of writing is somewhat stilted and distant. I had a hard time connecting to the boy and his circumstances. However, about 1/3 of the way through the book I grew to really enjoy the story of his journey to young adulthood. There are laugh-out-loud escapades, moments of tender young love, and scenes of horrible corporal punishment (which was wide spread and tolerated both at home and at school during that era). I found myself applauding his triumphs, and cheering for him as he grew into a morally strong young gentleman.
This is a semi-autobiographical novel detailing the coming of age of a young boy – the scion of a well-to-do cotton farmer in rural George, during the Depression. The Boy is the only son of a refined and long-suffering mother and an alcoholic, politically connected father. He is smart and resourceful, but confused about much of the information that he gathers by eavesdropping on the adults on and around the farm. He frequently feels alone, in part because he has only sisters, but also because he is so small compared to his classmates. The book covers his story from early childhood through high school.
The style of writing is somewhat stilted and distant. I had a hard time connecting to the boy and his circumstances. However, about 1/3 of the way through the book I grew to really enjoy the story of his journey to young adulthood. There are laugh-out-loud escapades, moments of tender young love, and scenes of horrible corporal punishment (which was wide spread and tolerated both at home and at school during that era). I found myself applauding his triumphs, and cheering for him as he grew into a morally strong young gentleman.
January 15, 2008
This series is a must read for everyone who grew up in the South, moves to the South, loves a person from the South, or just needs to know what it means to be "Raised Right.
Turns out I met all the criteria save the first. I fell in love with the stories, the moods, the lessons, and what makes all of the above more precious than is seemed before.
This book is the hook of the trilogy - it's impossible not to love the story of the boy growing toward manhood. If you had the pleasure to meet Ferrol Sams it's easy to see the wonder of that upbringing and the man it produced ...
And his stories in person were so much more entertaining... but the books still work the magic.
Turns out I met all the criteria save the first. I fell in love with the stories, the moods, the lessons, and what makes all of the above more precious than is seemed before.
This book is the hook of the trilogy - it's impossible not to love the story of the boy growing toward manhood. If you had the pleasure to meet Ferrol Sams it's easy to see the wonder of that upbringing and the man it produced ...
And his stories in person were so much more entertaining... but the books still work the magic.
July 26, 2019
“Run with the Horsemen” is the story of a precocious and mischievous youngster named Porter Osborne growing up in rural Georgia during the Depression. Ferrol Sams tells the story of Porter through episodes in the boy’s life, from plowing, to harvesting cotton, to riding a horse through a house, to clearing the nostrils country style, to the making of cane syrup, to the slaughtering a hog, and the making of biscuits. Mr. Sams is a storyteller and the writing is both reflective and amusing. Reminiscent of “To Kill a Mockingbird” and “Tom Sawyer,” “Run with the Horsemen” is a real treat, even if you didn’t grow up in the South as I did.
August 21, 2012
This glimpse at rural America will have you in stitches. I suspect the story is thematically biographical but there's no way to know. Sams' description of a young boy's daily adventure makes one long for the days of youth. Sams' posseses possibly the best vocabularly of any author I've read. And his creative use of seldom used adjectives is a real treat for the mind.
May 25, 2013
This is pretty close to The Waltons tv show. Only with more excretoryish humor. Mr. Sams enjoys bodily functions. Very simple story line. Life was so much simpler then. I may read the next in the series, only because there is no thinking involved and sometimes I am a simple guy.
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