The Review Broads Bros + Paws

with allyson and ben

You are here: Home / Home / Home / Book Reviews & Giveaway: The Outlaw Album

Home

Book Reviews & Giveaway: The Outlaw Album

Author: Daniel Woodrell
Daniel Woodrell’s raw tenderness juxtaposed against succinct, brutal portrayals of character all too human brings us to our knees. Desperate landscapes forge his characters into impossible, sometimes evil acts tinged with mauve sunsets of redemption. We page at his prose and gasp at the enormity of his talent. With the brash slap of his outsiders’ regional dialogues, his characters stand on the cusp of the landscape, diving into its emotional abyss. Woodrell’s prose pricks like the tines of a fork. If you inhale brilliant writing, study him. If you crave portraits of relentless desperation and moments of tenderness read him. And if you savor the dark and light of humanity, observe his characters in minuscule vignettes of the human psyche.
This collection of short stories creates its own impetus. Tales of  men yawping at love they cannot feel or hold, families that hate themselves yet survive, a husband’s devoted tenderness and brutality as he experiences his wife’s grief over a beloved pet and the revenge he takes – the monstrosities of war and the deranged actions that its’ survivors take; a woman who cares for a man who has raped her, and many other women, wounds him into a wheelchair and takes her own revenge. Woodrell stakes the heart with deranged, mangled and sometimes tender characters that blossom like red stains on the sheet.
Evil is never linear. Woodrell’s dark characters are not so much evil as strained to the bone with the struggle of life. Amazing vignettes, inside-out negatives that comprise lives tried on, lied, and sometimes worn out. Woodrell’s writing reeks of art – perhaps a bit of Guernica – but art all the same.
  • The Echo of Neighborly Bones
  • Uncle
  • Twin Forks
  • Florianne
  • Black Sheep
  • Night Stand
  • Two Things
  • The Horse in our History
  • We to Live On
  • Dream Spot
  • One United
  • Returning the River 

Like poet C. D. Wright, also from The Ozarks, Woodrell spins his poetic visions of the harsh realities of his landscape. A great American writer, the best in his genre. Perhaps, simply, the best.

The Outlaw Album: Stories is available for purchase at Amazon.com.

Ratings are based on a 5-star scale

Overall: 5

Review by Broad “A” – Ava

We received a copy of this title for our book review. All opinions are our own.

GIVEAWAY

Extra Entries

  • Tweet, stumble, etc. this giveaway by using the icons below this post – unlimited entries – 1 entry per action (unlimited)
  • Blog about this giveaway on YOUR blog! – 5 extra entries
  • Add this giveaway to other sweeps & giveaway sites – 5 extra entries
  • Follow the Review Broads – on the sidebar
  • Subscribe to The Review Broads for FREE
  • Link to this giveaway on your Facebook page
  • Become a fan of The Broads on Facebook
  • Follow Broad “Z” on twitter.
  • Grab our badge from the sidebar and add it to your site.

* Be sure to leave a comment letting me know if you’ve done any of these (if you already subscribe or have our badge – please note that in the comments as well).

* This giveaway is open to US residents, 18 and over and ends on November 18, 2011 11:59 EST.
* Good Luck

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Social Share Buttons and Icons powered by Ultimatelysocial