The Feud

by Thomas Berger

During the late 1930s in small-town America, the Beeler family of Hornbeck experiences a series of encounters, ranging from conflict to romance, with members of the Bullard family of nearby Millville

Genres: Fiction, Humor, Historical Fiction, Novels, Comedy, Literary Fiction, Literature

263 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Thomas Louis Berger was an American novelist, probably best known for his picaresque novel Little Big Man, which was adapted into a film by Arthur Penn. Berger explored and manipulated many genres of fiction throughout his career, including the crime novel, the hard-boiled detective story, science fiction, the utopian novel, plus re-workings of classical mythology, Arthurian legend, and the survival adventure.

Berger's use of humor and his often biting wit led many reviewers to refer to him as a satirist or "comic" novelist, though he rejected that classification.

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been mixing in more Pulitzer Prize winners/nominees in my reading queue, and this one, a nominee in 1984 (Ironweed won), piqued my interest because of its almost complete obscurity (there isn't even Wiki page for it). To my surprise it was very entertaining, a raucous comedy of errors filled with lust, vengeance, violence, and complete stupidity with everyone involved. Falls a bit short of 5 stars because the feud itself sort of just limps out instead of climaxing, but I suppose such is the way these things often go in real life. Also, some weird racism which is hard to get too offended at as, like I said, every character is a special kind of stupid, but it doesn't have any real point, so it would have been best to cut back on it. Mostly, though, a fun, randy read. Maybe it didn't deserve the Pulitzer, but it doesn't deserve obscurity, either.

[Jon Recluse · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightfully funny novel concerning feuding families, re: the Hatfields and the McCoys, that amply displays just how silly these things can be. Although set in the 1930s, the comedy is timeless, as the motives and machinations behind these neighborhood brouhahas never really change.

Highly recommended.

[M. Sarki · Rating 3 out of 5]

A rough and tumble foray into an earlier time when violence and bigotry reigned supreme. Unsettling in its easy to read narrative. Disconcerting in its portrayal of real America.

[Jacob Howard]

just when i thought the cover had nothing to do with the book...

[Peter Weissman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like Thomas Berger, a lot. He's a humorist, and a satirist, and a good one. It was my good fortune to be assigned this book to copy edit by one of the publishers for whom I've done freelance work, and I can unequivocally say it was the best book I ever edited. But I do like some of his other books better.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mayberry as told by Erskin Caldwell. This book is one of the best I've read in quite a while. The characters are brilliant, the writing is brilliant, the pacing, the plot--it's all brilliant. Berger is one of my favorites, and this THIS is the reason why.

[Shelley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Having loved Little Big Man and The Return of Little Big Man, I had high hopes that I would love all things by this author. Didn’t happen. I almost quit on this one altogether, but pressed on thinking it might turn into something substantial. Instead, it continued on in the same plodding way sans any real humor, insight, or relevance to the boring end. I don’t appreciate stories written about ignorant or uneducated people for no redeeming reason and only to cast them in stereotypical roles for the sake of ridicule or exploitation. Ho hum to the bone.

[Old Man JP · Rating 4 out of 5]

A comedy about a feud between the Beeler family of Hornbeck and the Bullard family of Millville. It all began when Dolf Beeler went into Bud's Hardware to buy some paint thinner and a series of misunderstandings led to an argument between Dolf and a relative of Bud's, Reverton. Then a feud began after Bud's Hardware burned down and Dolf's car blew up. The humor in the book is mostly slapstick and borders on being silly and, pretty much, everybody in the story is an idiot but it did make a fairly good read.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the attention to detail throughout. I gave it 4 stars because I thought it ended abruptly, with lots of loose ends.

[Robert Nolin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-reading this for the first time since the '80's, I think, back when I discovered Berger's wonderful style. This is a perfect book of its kind, a comedy of errors. Somehow no-so-smart people do dumb things and we don't laugh at them, but with them. Sure, we haven't done anything quite *that* dumb, but our own mistakes and past blunders seem equally bone-headed to us anyway. Now that I'm writing novels, what struck me most was how every single section is in the POV - third person- of one of the characters. It's like a master class in Point of View in fiction. What comes across, to me, is that all of these people's inner monologues sound alike - not in a bad way. Alike in that they are all fragile mortals struggling--stumbling--along from day to day. It's a very compassionate story, I think, using humor to help us see our common humanity. Normally a novel is told from a single point of view, or perhaps a few people at most. But here we get to see inside every single character, while the plot seamlessly rolls on. No wonder this was nominated for the Pulitzer in 1984. A tour de force, IMHO.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you've never read Berger's works, start with this one, which I just reread after about twenty years. Still holds up--and better. Berger is so good at dramatizing the internal monologues of small-town losers that you can't believe how good he is and how funny, even when the writing isn't laugh-out-loud. He homes in on their cliches, values, and assumptions so well. A friend of mine just said, "Berger should be and should have been given full Postwar Literary Lion treatment. They're all fading now: Go to the store and the only one who still commands half a shelf or more is Kurt Vonnegut. But Berger should have shone alongside John Updike and more brightly than Philip Roth." Amen. This is Berger at his best.

[🐴 🍖]

not funny. really effing good, sure, but not funny, unless you think e.g. eugene o'neill plays or sth like steelwork by gilbert sorrentino is funny. (and deeeeefinitely not "affectionate" as the time blurbist on the back cover would have it.) following a misunderstanding over a cigar 2 midwestern families proceed to run one another thru the meatgrinder, swept along by xenophobia, toxic masculinity, the lack of a social safety net, etc etc. pity that the ending is so monumentally anticlimactic; but to delve into the structural roots of violence in smalltown america like this w/o getting in the way of telling a great story is p dang impressive. stephen king, take note

[Realini Ionescu · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Feud by Thomas Berger

Exhilarating masterpiece

This book appears to be so simple and yet it is a spellbinding, fabulous work.
In fact, I loved it so much that somewhere at 60% I stopped and have placed it in the waiting section of my to-read list.
When I enjoy a book extremely, I tend to like to prolong the pleasure, which ultimately means that I simply stop reading it.
I have interrupted the encounter with Paradise Lost, Adventures in the Screen Trade, No Orchids of Miss Blandish and a few more.
The feud starts with a small argument, which degenerates into a full blown “feud” with casualties and hurt feelings all around.
I have to repeat myself and say that I was so impressed with this novel, that I went on and searched for the author.
Thomas Berger is also the writer who has created Little Big Man, another chef d’oeuvre that I have finished before The Feud.
It all starts in a shop, where a belligerent customer is upset because the son of the owner, working on the premises comments on the cigar he has in his mouth
- We have a policy regarding smoking
- So
- It is dangerous and not allowed
- I will take my business elsewhere
- Son, let the client be…
These are not the words spoken, but what I recall of the exchange which leads to a kind of a climax in the first few pages.
In the shop there is a cousin of the proprietor that likes to show off and has a penchant for violence, in evidence later on.
He uses a gun he has to scare the customer and even handcuff him, threatening that jail would come next.
It turns out that he is no policeman and in fact he no longer holds even his old job as a sort of detective for the railroad.
A Series of Unfortunate Events follows, as in that book which bears this title and shops burn down, cars are blown up.
I fell that I may give a little bit off here, since I may entice a few lost readers who stumble upon this note.
Otherwise, this a forgotten gem of a book I found looking it up that it only has 199 ratings on goodreads.
Nevertheless, I am convinced that is an extraordinary work that more than deserves the Pulitzer that was awarded for it.
The plot involves a Romeo and Juliet type of love story, whereby the son of the berated client falls for the daughter of the other party.
All throughout, the book is also incredibly funny, with various characters competing for the role of the craziest attitude, act or speech.
There is a sheriff that competes with characters in some classic comedies- Blazing Saddles or The Life of Brian.
A teenager gets hold of a gun and that is serious, but at the same time hilarious in its development and consequences.
There are shootings, but even those have a part tragic, part humorous aspect, with pie in the face and fights that create an atmosphere of merry go round at times.
Again- I was thrilled by this book.

[Andrakuf · Rating 1 out of 5]

No po prostu dramat. Jest to zdecydowanie najgorsza książka jaką czytałem od dziesięcioleci, a już na pewno jedna z najgorszych jakie w ogóle czytałem w całym życiu. To jest gorsze nawet od 50 twarzy Greya, a tam już było dno.
Na okładce jest informacja, iż książka ta jest majstersztykiem komizmu, no ja przez jej ponad 200 stron nie tylko nie zaśmiałem się ani raz, ale nawet nic nie wywołało drgnięcia ust w tym kierunku. Już rozpoczęcie akcji jest zwyczajnie głupie. Ja wiem, że często największe konflikty zaczynają się od głupot i ludzkiego zacietrzewienia, ale tutaj ten zabieg fabularny zupełnie nie siadł. Co więcej w toku akcji bardzo denerwujące są liczne uproszczenia, które w zamyśle mają popychać akcje do przodu a w rzeczywistości wywołują wrażenie, że coś w toku czytania przegapiłeś.
W ogóle cała ta historia jest o niczym, do niczego i donikąd nie zmierza. Zawarte w niej słowa nie są warte nawet papieru na którym je wydrukowano.

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thomas Berger is one of the first novelists that I discovered on my own I read several of his novels including Arthur Rex and Neighbors. It was great to rediscover Berger with this excellent novel.
The Feud is set somewhere in the Midwest in the 1930’s for no good reason at all two families from neighboring towns become embroiled in a conflict with the potential to turn violent. Most of the characters are stupid and vulgar. There is plenty of sex and corruption to go along with the Feud. The book is darkly funny and takes a dim view of most of its characters. I thoroughly enjoyed it and plan to read some more of his work.
Berger wrote skillfully over a wide range of genres. While he was writing he was well known by discerning readers and critics. Today he seems the have faded from memory. That is a shame given his unquestioned talent

[Richard Dooling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oddly compelling, even though the feud is over a petty slight between two families who should know better. It's Capulets and Montagues and Hatfields and McCoys with a decidedly lower middle class tilt. A grim but funny glimpse of small town rivalries and small-minded families.

This novel was famous for being nominated by the Pulitzer jury for the 1984 Prize but was overruled by the Board, who awarded the Prize to William Kennedy's Ironweed. I came to it by way of Little Big Man, which was excellent. I intend to read more Berger, because I see that he tried his hand with great success to many different genres of fiction and resisted being called a satirist. Always an iffy brand for a novelist. People like a story first, then satire if it happens to come along. But The Feud has both story and satire.

[Mark Oconnor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this a bit more than Neighbors, although it does have a rather abrupt ending with no resolution (same thing with Neighbors). I liked his writing style alot, he is great with voices and dialogue and has this knack for having his characters think or say things that are hilarious but completely inappropriate which reminds me of John Updike but in a different way. Will probably read Little Big Man next.

[Jacob Alarcon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Feels like the perfect caper to a career of excellent prose (despite this being my first Berger) But I'm struggling to find a point of the novel aside from the comedy of humor errors. Not that every book needs some philosophical purpose but Berger seems talented enough to warrant the want. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys a good story of rivalry with more than a couple laughs and beautiful passages.

[Chaitra · Rating 2 out of 5]

It started out okay but when Dolf ended up in the hospital and went out of the book for a large part of it, I didn't really care for the feud any longer. There was no point to it, considering one of the main antagonists was out of commission. The end, when it came, barely justified the premise of the book.

[Bill FromPA]

Previous: Reinhart's Women
Next: Nowhere

[Andlandm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good novel, re-read after 40 years. When I first read it I thought it was a laugh a minute, but reading it at a more advanced age I just see it as idiocy on the part of the characters. Very little humanity in any of them.

[Candice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amusing character sketch with an abrupt ending.

[Yassi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Imagine Romeo and Juliet as directed by the Coen Brothers with Quentin Tarantino as adviser!!!!! Sweet and old fashioned prose, hilarious comedy of errors.
Highly recommend

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good read. Two small towns, in close proximity, is the setting for this book. Berger tells a good story.

[George · Rating 3 out of 5]

A 3.5 star rating. A funny book about two families in a small American town in the late 1930s. There are a number of odd ball characters. Tony, a 16 year old lad who is just discovering girls, punches a police officer, decides to become a Canadian mountie by running away but then decides to get a job in the town. His sister Bernice comes home from the city to have a week or so at home and loves men. Doesn't help out at home and runs up the family grocery charge account. The hardware store burns down, people are killed, a teenager threatens people with a gun....and that's just a small sample of what happens in this light comic novel of 262 pages.

[Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

In The Guardian this book was recently championed as a forgotten classic. On the strength of this review (and Tom Cox gives a fair assessment of the novel) I hunted out this hard to find book, and was not disappointed.

Although initially I was, a little. The prose is a little lacklustre. On the strength of this one book, I wouldn't recommend Berger for his writing style. His narrative, however, especially as you are caught up in its wheels after about a third of the way, is excellent. All the comparisons mentioned by Cox in his Guardian review are on the mark: the Coen Brothers, 30s screwball comedies (but a darker, more lower class version of that). In the end, it also made me think of a less cartoonish version of The Simpsons.

I think that with some effort, this migth be turned into a film that's even better than the book. Or a TV-series, which would require less pruning of the narrative lines. Because that's how the book works, it's as though it's imagined as a film script from the start.

In the meantime, we have this outrageous little novel, which is sadly out of print.

[Alarie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Everyday people acting like total imbeciles have long been a mainstay of comic writing. The ploy fell a bit flat for me in this election year when bad behavior is the norm. Men with guns who abuse power, terrorize people, and assault women were never funny to me, and I don’t want to read about racism unless it’s used purely for historical context. Not funny. That said, this often slapstick novel did make me laugh.

Many of the main characters were endearing, so I was pulling for things to work out. Set in the late 1930s, two families in adjoining small towns get caught up in a feud. What starts by each side behaving idiotically is soon fueled by unfortunate (or humorous) coincidence, malice, ignorance, and fear. There’s even a Romeo and Juliet twist – without any harm to the young lovers.

[Tommy Baker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was on board with this mildly dark satirical comedy for the first half or so. Then I think Thomas Berger makes a mistake of misjudging the interest the reader might have in such a prick of a character like Reverton Kirby, even if meant in a comically ironic way. It's really unpleasant rattling around in his head for a couple of chapters. When reading this I started to think longingly about the next book to start. A more successful miserable character is his teenage cousin Junior, but even with him, I mean, do I really need to know he likes to piss in the shower?
The other family in this "feud" is much more readable, especially the brothers Tony and Jack. Their dialogue is great, and much more personally relatable in their human foibles.

[Christopher Sutch · Rating 3 out of 5]

This 1983 novel won Berger the Pulitzer, though I'm not sure why. It's a fine novel: interesting characters, competently written. But that's also the problem with it: there is nothing very original about it, nothing that gives Berger's best works a special flavor or make them worthy of interest. Partly, for me, this comes from my lack of interest in the setting (1930s Ohio town life, much like his earlier novel _Sneaky People_). Also, though, there is little social satire or commentary in this work (even the topic of race and racism, a staple in Berger's earlier works, is largely by the way here). Rather a disappointing reading experience.

[Dhaval · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5/5 stars
The American classic of the Beelers and Hornbecks in small town America. A feud erupts between the families when Mr. Beeler goes over to Mr. Hornbeck's hardware store for some supplies. A series of comical misplaced blame leads to a slapstick comedy of misunderstandings. Mr. Berger also highlights the hypocrisy of the "wholesome" small town, as each character rationalizes their poor decision making. A reminder that vices weren't invented anytime recently.