ABANDONED. Robert Johnson character with a group of people on some journey or quest

[betsy]

I read this book at least 15 years ago so my memory of it is very vague unfortunately. There's a group of people on some kind of journey or quest, and they encounter a Robert Johnson type character (ie the blueplayer who sold his soul to the devil at a crossroads and then died in a knife fight), although it's never explicitly stated that's who it is.

[Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large)]

Perhaps Reservation Blues by Sherman Alexie? Was this in some sort of Native American setting?

[betsy]

OOh, that totally could be it! (although I don't remember reading it because it was so long ago). Thanks (again) Themis-Athena!

[Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large)]

My pleasure (again) -- I just hope it really is the book!

If it isn't, though, yours (again) sounds like something I might be interested in as well ... so I hope you/we do find it, after all! :)

[Kate]

Betsy, are you going to check to see if the Alexie book is the one you're looking for?

Please let us know, so we can shelve, find it, read it.

[betsy]

Yes, I"m going to order it and have a read. If you move this to 'solved' can I revive it if it turns out it's not the book?

[Cheryl]

We'll just leave it here then, as you're going to let us know soonish. But in any case, yes, threads can be moved back from Solved to Unsolved if necessary. :)

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Betsy, was Reservation Blues your book?

[betsy]

no, sadly it wasn't! great book though.

[Ann aka Iftcan]

Betsy--if you bump this up every 30 to 60 days or so, you'll increase your chance of getting it found.

[Sophie]

The characters in the movie "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" meet a Robert Johnson character, but that's probably not what you're thinking of :P

[Isabel (kittiwake)]

Robert Johnson appears in at least one of Charles de Lint's books. I don't remember if it is in a short story or one of his novels. Maybe Trader? It's definitely in one of the books I have listed on my shelf, but I don't think I mentioned Robert Johnson in my review. I don't remember if he is named in the story, or whether it is just obvious that he is actually Robert Johnson.

[Kris]

Just a guess - Dark End of the Street by Ace Atkins?

What's the tone of the story - mystery, fantasy, spiritual?

[Isabel (kittiwake)]

There was a Charles de Lint discussion underway on LibraryThing so I asked abut this there, and someone said that the story I am thinking of sounds like "Ten for the Devil" in Tapping the Dream Tree, and said "he's not called Robert Johnson but Robert Lonnie, everything else fits though. Met in a bar, blues player, mentions the Crossroads which is definitely part of the Robert Johnson story."

[betsy]

Thanks everyone, for your input - I'll investigate all your suggestions and report back. The more I try and remember, the more confused I get! But at least I'm getting to hear about authors I haven't yet read.

[Cheryl]

any luck yet?

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Checking in again - betsy, did you find it or are you still looking?

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

betsy left the group. Moving to Abandoned.