Final Impressions: Dog of the South by Charles Portis: August 2018

[Tom, "Big Daddy"]

Comments on this board are made with the assumption that readers have finished the book and may include spoilers.

[Tom, "Big Daddy"]

I finished listening to an audiorecording of this book and must say that I'm glad that I was unable to find a print version. As it was I dedicated too much time to this book than it deserves. Here is my review. On to Varina.

[Lawyer, "Moderator Emeritus"]

Well, I did it. Read every word. Dammit. My review is HERE.

[Diane, "Miss Scarlett"]

It looks like it's unanimous. I haven't read one positive thing about this in our threads. Anyone out there who has a kind word or actually liked this one, let us hear from you. And tell us why.

[Peter]

I thought I would be the odd one out - but apparently not. A disappointment to put alongside A Confederacy of Dunces.

For what it's worth, my review is at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Diane, "Miss Scarlett"]

I didn't review, because I did not get past chapter 4. But Confederacy of Dunces is also on my all-time worst list, and millions of people thought that was brilliant, including Walker Percy, so what do I know?

[Judi]

Done. I finished it. One of the most vague, meandering books I have ever experienced. Two stars is generous. Not worth a review.

[Diane, "Miss Scarlett"]

Welcome to the club, Judi.

[Lawyer, "Moderator Emeritus"]

Judi wrote: "Done. I finished it. One of the most vague, meandering books I have ever experienced. Two stars is generous. Not worth a review."

Yep. *AHEM*

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

I enjoyed the heck out of it although I think the first half was funnier than the second half. Portis seemed to lose his way a little bit once Midge arrived in Belize. The characters reminded me of a Coen Brothers movie, which is why I pictured a Raising-Arizona-era Nic Cage as Midge. As usual, the narrator's internal and external dialogue was the funniest part of the book. Not only did I enjoy it, I'm keeping my copy and I'll read it again someday. Sorry you all did not get the same enjoyment from it that I did!

By the way, I thought "Dog of the South" was a reference to Midge, not the bus.

On to Provinces of Night and Night of the Hunter in October...

[B. R.]

For what it's worth I just finished travel writer Paul Theroux's book Deep South (p. 2015). Very good by the way. Theroux is a big fan of Charles Portis's works and met him in Arkansas during his travels in the south. Theroux's enthusiasm for Portis caused me to pick up and begin Portis's book Norwood. So far so good but only into it 30 pages. Portis seems to have some big fans out there.

[Janice (JG)]

B. R. wrote: "For what it's worth I just finished travel writer Paul Theroux's book Deep South (p. 2015). Very good by the way. Theroux is a big fan of Charles Portis's works and met him in Arkansas during his t..."

I have mixed impressions of Paul Theroux... on the one hand, his novel The Mosquito Coast was incredible. On the other hand, I tried reading Riding the Iron Rooster and I decided I definitely did not want to travel with him. Maybe I should just stick to his novels.