Appalachee Red

by Raymond Andrew

Bawdy and sometimes horrifying, hilarious on the way to being tragic, Raymond Andrews's Muskhogean County novels tell of black life in the Deep South from the end of the First World War to the beginning of the 1960s, from the days of mules and white men with bullwhips to the moment when the pendulum began to swing.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Southern, African American

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1978

Reviews

[Glen]

I didn't think this book as good as the other part of this trilogy that I've read, "Rosibelle Lee Wildcat Tennessee", but that's not to say that it isn't a very good novel indeed. The dialogue is not as extensive as in the other novel, probably because the title protagonist is known for being quite laconic, but the description are just as rich and lusty.

[Michael W Thomas]

Good novel

[Karen]

Amazing novel. It tells it like it was for rural African Americans in the rural South in the early and mid 20th Century.

[Girard Bowe]

Highly recommended to me by my b-i-l. What an excellent read! Appalachee Red is an almost mythic character. Most of what we know about him comes from the observations of and rare interactions with other people. The characterizations of major and minor players (and there are many) are well-done, with a wealth of detail - the story is foremost and never flags.

Andrews is a particularly gifted storyteller. His narrative voice hits all the right notes, telling a tale of a black community in Appalachee, Georgia, from about 1945 to 1963. Andrews' brother Benny did the most wonderful line drawings.

[George Lewis]

This novel falls in my top twenty of all time. The writing is precise, the storyline is compelling.
This book actually came out in October of 1978 by Dial Press, I have a publisher's edition with a typed letter from Dial Press introducing Raymond Andrews.
My only regret is that the author did not follow up with a sequel that included Apalachee Red.

[Kathy Kattenburg]

This book is many things, but what jumps out the most to me is how it shows the poisonous, twisted interrelationship between race hatred and sex. Incest and twisted connections between men and women run all through the novel.

Raymond Andrews' lively, colloquial writing style, and Benny Andrews' humorous line drawings make reading "Appalachee Red" a pleasure.

[Dieanna R]

Overall, it was not easy to follow the narrative. It was missing the seamless connections of the various character story lines. But I did enjoy the perspective of small town Black rural life from the time of the Civil War through the 1950's.

[Karen]

I can see the the writining is superb. And characters are so well drawn. It is just that I did not want to read any more abouthow tough it is growing up Black. Maybe someday I will come back to it.

[Romaine Richardson]

While working in the local public library in the early 90s, I came across this gem and then read them all. I loved his work, this book is very entertaining. Very lively characters and set in Georgia. Worth reading and his brother is the illustrator. I was very disappointed when he committed suicide.

[Nadine Brown]

2/19/11 Requested from Mtn View Library Links Sys

[Beverly]

Love this book!!!