Tobacco Road and God's Little Acre

by Erskine Caldwell

Tobacco Road and God's Little Acre. Two Novels in One Volume by Erskine Caldwell

331 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1961

About the author

Erskine Preston Caldwell was an American author. His writings about poverty, racism and social problems in his native South won him critical acclaim, but they also made him controversial among fellow Southerners of the time who felt he was holding the region up to ridicule.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erskine_...

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two individual stories, I learned some new words(not profane ones) and the drastic change in writing and style(from 1930s) was refreshing but the first book had no plot at all and the 2nd had a weak tentative plot and the characters were of very weak moral character or they were doormats. Worth a read just to taste the style from an extremely different era.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely bleak, but strangely fascinating stories of the rural poor in the Depression era.

[Carl Parsons · Rating 2 out of 5]

Today Tobacco Road seems woefully outdated with stereotypical characters and an improbable plot. Instead of showing sympathy for his characters, as he is reputed to do, I think that Caldwell ridicules them.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having just finished Tobacco Road I rolled right into God's Little Acre. Right off the bat the style is quite different. I wouldn't accuse Caldwell of being wordy but this is quite a bit more developed in character, events, societal inequities, and evaluation of ones place in the world.

In my mind this set the author in front of a blank page and I was able to imagine that Tobacco Road was intended to be a minimalist vision of reality. One where "it is what it is and that's all there is to it. Hell, I don't even know what it is." Compared to God's Acre "I don't like what it is and I'm gonna dig holes in the ground for 15 years. "I don't like what it is and I'm gonna turn the power on!"

Fortunately, the book I have included both stories, otherwise I would have considered Caldwell not worth a further look. But here I detect a considered course of action and deliberation in the story telling.

I haven't come to terms with what I think about Rosamond, Griselda, and Darling Jill in the kitchen. It certainly was an odd turn of events. Rosamond dejected, and of the past. Griselda in full blossom, and of the now. Darling Jill in anticipation, and wanting for the future. Poor Rosamond.

[Maggie Eisenberger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm sorry, there are no words. It's impossible to decide if these are slapstick comedies or the deepest of tragedies.