Tobacco Road, Erskine Caldwell

[Turk]

I am reading this book currently, i've i finished 1/3 of book, and it made me laugh so much. It seemed a mix of black comedy/satire/drama to me, especially Bessie Rice and her prayers are very funny, am i right or i understood it completely wrong?

[Jean-Baptiste]

I'm sure you can laugh all you want; I suppose it is meant to be funny (in a very horrible and tragic way.) It's been a few years since I read "Tobacco Road," but I recall many instances where I had to laugh to keep from puking out of pity for Jeeter Lester and his family. I found several of Erskine Caldwell's works similarly disturbing. Perhaps if one goes into the reading with conviction that such backward hillbillies are found only in the movies, then the story might be light-hearted. It was not so for me, but I don't think that you're misunderstanding anything, just because you find it humorous.

In any case, Caldwell's writing is great; whether it makes you laugh, or puke there is definitely substance. Enjoy the reading.

[Turk]

I finished it yesterday, before the dawn. At the end it didn't made me feel so affected. It was a good novel, but not great. Thx for your comment.