“I think the greatest truth of fiction is conflict drives the narrative. The greatest truth of being poor in a rural environment is you’re only one paycheck away from disaster. The pressures on Beauregard are the pressures the people I grew up with faced and continue to deal with. Like my grandfather used to say, “Pressure will either turn you into a diamond or crush you to dust.” I wanted to write a story that most people could relate to, and most people that I know can relate to staring down the barrel of a big electric bill you let slide for a couple of months because the transmission went out in the car you are holding together with duct tape and wishes.” - From "True Southern Heritage: An Interview With S. A. Cosby."
When I couldn’t decide which book to read next I figured that I would try the first couple pages of some books from my to-be-read stack. I didn’t make it past the first book, S. A. Cosby’s Blacktop Wasteland. I was hooked with the first paragraph.
Beauregard “Bug” Montage, an ex-getaway driver gets pulled into doing one more job. Things go south. This is a southern noir with a lead character who is haunted by the past and facing problems in the present. His daughter needs college tuition, his mother is ill, and his business is failing. Of course just one more job turns into something much more complicated.
I like the author’s writing style. The characters, the dialogue, and descriptions really drew me in. Beauregard is fiercely loyal to his family, worships his father who disappeared on him, and is still a little addicted to the thrill of the getaway. This was an enjoyable, exciting, and fast read.
As I got further into the book I started noticing the use of similes. Some examples:
“He as slick as two eels in a bucketful of snot.” This one seems pretty useful these days.
“He so crooked they gonna have to screw him into the ground when he dies.” I laughed!
“His rubber soled shoes slipped over the gravel and asphalt like a sigh.” Smooth.
The author uses similes a lot. He mentions their use in an interview titled "Between the Lines: S. A. Cosby."
“Also, I’m addicted to similes. If you read my book and you think there are too many similes, you should have seen the first draft.”
I can see how that may turn a reader off, but I enjoyed them and I feel that they added to the atmosphere. I’m looking forward to reading his new book Razorblade Tears. That’s another thing I like. The titles.
Between the Lines: S.A. Cosby | THE BIG THRILL
No comments:
Post a Comment