Call number
FIC BER
Collection
Genres
Series
Publication
Counterpoint (2001), 384 pages
Description
From the simple setting of his own barber shop, Jayber Crow, orphan, seminarian, and native of Port William, recalls his life and the life of his community as it spends itself in the middle of the twentieth century. Surrounded by his friends and neighbors, he is both participant and witness as the community attempts to transcend its own decline. And meanwhile Jayber learns the art of devotion and that a faithful love is its own reward.
Subjects
User reviews
LibraryThing member tboonstra
I first heard the audio version--the narrator was wonderful and was great company on a long day of traveling. I read the print book later and enjoyed it as well, but there are long descriptive scenes which I think I was able to appreciate in print having heard them read earlier.
LibraryThing member chrissie3
What do I think of this book? I absolutely hated parts and other parts totally blew me over, the words were so perfect. The author IS an acclaimed poet. I was never indifferent to this book. Either I was furious or astounded by the quality of the writing. Should I give it one star for all the times
When Wendell Berry describes nature - a river, a forest, a foggy morning – it is not just beautiful, it is completely accurate. A river is something you hear and see. You feel its presence, and all this is conveyed in his words. Me, I adore walking in the woods or along a beach so I felt very attached to Berry’s words.
Humor. There is lots of humor. Tongue in cheek humor and that is my favorite. Great dialogs too.
I look at the story as a whole and I feel the message the author wants to convey is perfectly demonstrated by the events, by what happens, particularly its ending. This is a book about a barber (Jayber Crow) in Port William, Kentucky. He tells us about his life living through the events of the 1900s. He speaks of not only his life but all the people of the town, since being the barber he comes to know everyone. This is not a book of historical fiction; you do not read this to learn about either of the wars or the Vietnam War or the Depression, all of which he lives through. He never went to war since his heart disqualified him. He was orphaned twice, but I will not explain that. Read the book instead. He was first educated to become a priest, but he realized it wasn’t his calling. He did have faith. He philosophizes and thinks and questions. All of the things he lived through shape his personality. Berry creates a character that is believable.
The author has a pet peeve and he speaks through Jayber. Agriculture has become big business and this is just not good in the long run! Natural resources are being wasted. Small town life, based on sharing and trade where everyone knows each other is always better than big business. Small scale is always better than large scale production. But it is here that I got so annoyed with the book. I agree with the author’s/barber’s point of view. I am not opposed to the message, but it is repeated and said over and over and over to the point where I just wanted him to zip his mouth. Enough! I get it. I agree. I am not an idiot. I don’t need a lecture. Will you shut up! Do you understand how annoyed I got?!
There. If you can stand a little too much philosophizing and preaching and religious talk, which I could not quite swallow, you will also be given a good story that holds together, where the characters feel real, with lines that will make you smile or laugh or chuckle and most everyone will agree with the message imparted. The author is a poet ……except in those parts when he is proselytizing through Jayber.
P.S. Paul Michael narrated the audiobook I listened to. I liked his southern dialect. I liked the speed, which is rather slow, but I did want him to hurry up when Jayber went on and on and on with his proselytizing soliloquies. The women all sounded the same, and that annoyed me because their personalities were different!
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I felt like dumping it immediately? I cannot give it two or three stars because they are lukewarm ratings. I was never lukewarm to this book. Yes, I liked it a lot, four stars it is. I will explain what I liked and what I absolutely hated.When Wendell Berry describes nature - a river, a forest, a foggy morning – it is not just beautiful, it is completely accurate. A river is something you hear and see. You feel its presence, and all this is conveyed in his words. Me, I adore walking in the woods or along a beach so I felt very attached to Berry’s words.
Humor. There is lots of humor. Tongue in cheek humor and that is my favorite. Great dialogs too.
I look at the story as a whole and I feel the message the author wants to convey is perfectly demonstrated by the events, by what happens, particularly its ending. This is a book about a barber (Jayber Crow) in Port William, Kentucky. He tells us about his life living through the events of the 1900s. He speaks of not only his life but all the people of the town, since being the barber he comes to know everyone. This is not a book of historical fiction; you do not read this to learn about either of the wars or the Vietnam War or the Depression, all of which he lives through. He never went to war since his heart disqualified him. He was orphaned twice, but I will not explain that. Read the book instead. He was first educated to become a priest, but he realized it wasn’t his calling. He did have faith. He philosophizes and thinks and questions. All of the things he lived through shape his personality. Berry creates a character that is believable.
The author has a pet peeve and he speaks through Jayber. Agriculture has become big business and this is just not good in the long run! Natural resources are being wasted. Small town life, based on sharing and trade where everyone knows each other is always better than big business. Small scale is always better than large scale production. But it is here that I got so annoyed with the book. I agree with the author’s/barber’s point of view. I am not opposed to the message, but it is repeated and said over and over and over to the point where I just wanted him to zip his mouth. Enough! I get it. I agree. I am not an idiot. I don’t need a lecture. Will you shut up! Do you understand how annoyed I got?!
There. If you can stand a little too much philosophizing and preaching and religious talk, which I could not quite swallow, you will also be given a good story that holds together, where the characters feel real, with lines that will make you smile or laugh or chuckle and most everyone will agree with the message imparted. The author is a poet ……except in those parts when he is proselytizing through Jayber.
P.S. Paul Michael narrated the audiobook I listened to. I liked his southern dialect. I liked the speed, which is rather slow, but I did want him to hurry up when Jayber went on and on and on with his proselytizing soliloquies. The women all sounded the same, and that annoyed me because their personalities were different!
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LibraryThing member GwG
I love this novel. The lessons learned are subtle, but exceedingly profound. I enthusiastically loaned the book to a friend, who soon asked me "when does something happen?" So, as I said, the power of this story is subtle - perhaps not suitable for the impatient.
LibraryThing member nitroso
This book has a slow and relaxing pace. It takes a bit to get into it. It is very descriptive and Berry is a good observer of human nature. His observations really ring true.
LibraryThing member Wesbrook
Among the finest novels I've ever read. Certainly the best of the Port William Membership stories.
LibraryThing member RRHowell
This is a very strange novel, but I liked it a lot. You have to be willing to put up with a slow pace.
LibraryThing member johnredmond
An utter delight. I had read the essays and a little poetry and loved them, but I and been warned that the novel was probably the least successful of forms in which he worked. I don't know about the rest of his work but this book succeeds in every way! The themes of his essays are all here but
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integral to the story and in no way didactic. Please read this novel! Show Less
LibraryThing member SABC
The life story of Jaber Crow, Barber, of the Port William Membership, as written by himself.
LibraryThing member lukespapa
Jayber Crow is a masterful novel perhaps best read at the pace one reads poetry. The folk-laden prose is complex in its meaning much like a department store three-sided mirror; no matter which way you look, you see a different aspect. Through Jayber, the town barber, the author tells the story of a
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small southern community whose rhythm is tied to its inhabitants’ lifestyle. Though the book laments the loss of communal culture and our connectivity to the land, Jayber, who as a child is orphaned twice and who as a man has to stow his love, is a compelling, life-affirming, figure. Wendell Berry has provided an important meditative work that is full of both wisdom and warning. Show Less
LibraryThing member juniperSun
This story of a humble Kentucky bachelor born in the early 1900's warms me with its homely philosophy and the importance of community. Tho there are a few chapters in the middle that seemed to be just random tales of the community, better set in a book of short stories, the majority move the story
Some major themes are love and hate, loneliness and belonging, the effects of mechanization of farming and the destructive effects of being ruled by The Economy. I like Nathan's comment about Troy, who was continually "leveraging" his expansion with new equipment, new leased lands, and getting over his head in debt: "A lever has got two ends. Where is the fulcrum going to go?"
Knowing that Berry studied to be a priest, I appreciated the more that period of Jayber's life, and his eventual realization that he had too many questions to be a minister. Another reviewer felt that the book was unbelievable because Jayber "hadn't gotten past 8th grade". I, however, believe in the ability of any person in any culture to learn, think thoughtfully, and expand their knowledge and understanding through self-education or thru a natural bent towards observation and contemplation. At the end, tho I do not have the strength of faith to believe "that the Man in the Well is not lost" (p. 357), I would like to.
There were plenty of passages that I've marked to reflect on--always a sign of a good book, for me. While I can't say now what my favorite quote is, here is one at random: "There are moments when the heart is generous, and then it knows that for better or worse our lives are woven together here, one with one another and with the place and all the living things." (p. 210)
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forward--or sideways, as we learn about other folks in the area who have an influence on Jayber.Some major themes are love and hate, loneliness and belonging, the effects of mechanization of farming and the destructive effects of being ruled by The Economy. I like Nathan's comment about Troy, who was continually "leveraging" his expansion with new equipment, new leased lands, and getting over his head in debt: "A lever has got two ends. Where is the fulcrum going to go?"
Knowing that Berry studied to be a priest, I appreciated the more that period of Jayber's life, and his eventual realization that he had too many questions to be a minister. Another reviewer felt that the book was unbelievable because Jayber "hadn't gotten past 8th grade". I, however, believe in the ability of any person in any culture to learn, think thoughtfully, and expand their knowledge and understanding through self-education or thru a natural bent towards observation and contemplation. At the end, tho I do not have the strength of faith to believe "that the Man in the Well is not lost" (p. 357), I would like to.
There were plenty of passages that I've marked to reflect on--always a sign of a good book, for me. While I can't say now what my favorite quote is, here is one at random: "There are moments when the heart is generous, and then it knows that for better or worse our lives are woven together here, one with one another and with the place and all the living things." (p. 210)
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LibraryThing member creynolds
A quiet, contemplative book. Told in the first person narrative, Jayber was orphaned as a child, lived in an orphanage for a period and attended college before ending up back in his childhood community, serving as the town barber. It has some nice, thoughtful observations. Some may find it too slow.
LibraryThing member jd234512
What a lovely book! This story includes many acute observations and really delves into the life of Jayber. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who believes we are able to learn from nature.
LibraryThing member hws337
I listened to the audiobook version. I loved it. I only wish that I would have been reading a printed copy because many passages were so beautiful and I wanted to linger and re-read and soak up the words more deeply. The author has a lot to say in this story, and I have a lot to think about now.
LibraryThing member jimmoz
This is really a moving book. I cannot agree with the narrator's theology, but he is a wonderful person. For my own benefit, here is the ending. Mattie is hospitalized, and her husband is cutting the Nest Egg (forest). Jayber quietly goes to her hospital room:
Maybe, as a person sometimes does, she
And so she knew. Her eyes filled with tears, but she said quietly, "I could die in peace, I think, if the world was beautiful. To know it's being ruined is hard."
Then, in the loss of all the world, when I might have said the words I had so long wanted to say, I could not say them. I saw that I was not going to be able to talk without crying, and so I cried. I said, "but what about this other thing?"
She looked at me then. "Yes," she said. She held out her hand to me. She gave me the smile that I had never seen and will not see again in this world, and it covered me all over with light.
Maybe, as a person sometimes does, she
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felt me watching. She opened her eyes. When she saw it was me, she said, "Jayber. Oh, he's cutting the woods."And so she knew. Her eyes filled with tears, but she said quietly, "I could die in peace, I think, if the world was beautiful. To know it's being ruined is hard."
Then, in the loss of all the world, when I might have said the words I had so long wanted to say, I could not say them. I saw that I was not going to be able to talk without crying, and so I cried. I said, "but what about this other thing?"
She looked at me then. "Yes," she said. She held out her hand to me. She gave me the smile that I had never seen and will not see again in this world, and it covered me all over with light.
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LibraryThing member lauralkeet
Before reading this book, I knew vaguely of Wendell Berry as an environmentalist and was not familiar with his writing. [Jayber Crow] is one of several novels set in the fictional town of Port William, Kentucky. Jayber, the town barber, tells his life story from birth in 1914 to old age. Themes of
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I marked a couple of passages that struck me -- such beautiful writing:
She had come into her beauty. This was not the beauty of her youth and freshness, of which she had a plenty. The beauty I am speaking of now was that of a woman who has come into knowledge and into strength and who, knowing her hardships, trusts her strength and goes about her work even with a kind of happiness, serene somehow, and secure. It was the beauty she would always have.
And:
My vision of the gathered church that had come to me after I became the janitor had been replaced by a vision of the gathered community. What I saw now was the community imperfect and irresolute but held together by the frayed and always fraying, incomplete and yet ever-holding bonds of the various sorts of affection. ... I saw them all as somehow perfected, beyond time, by one another's love, compassion, and forgiveness, as it is said we may be perfected by grace.
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love, friendship, and community are intermingled with warnings about the impact of the automobile, the dangers of large-scale farming, and the futility of war. The prose is quiet and reflective; Berry's societal critique almost sneaks up on you as you find yourself nodding along with him. I'll be reading more of his Port William novels.~~~~~~~~~~
I marked a couple of passages that struck me -- such beautiful writing:
She had come into her beauty. This was not the beauty of her youth and freshness, of which she had a plenty. The beauty I am speaking of now was that of a woman who has come into knowledge and into strength and who, knowing her hardships, trusts her strength and goes about her work even with a kind of happiness, serene somehow, and secure. It was the beauty she would always have.
And:
My vision of the gathered church that had come to me after I became the janitor had been replaced by a vision of the gathered community. What I saw now was the community imperfect and irresolute but held together by the frayed and always fraying, incomplete and yet ever-holding bonds of the various sorts of affection. ... I saw them all as somehow perfected, beyond time, by one another's love, compassion, and forgiveness, as it is said we may be perfected by grace.
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LibraryThing member Steve777
Great ending.
LibraryThing member Pastor_Doug
“Jayber Crow: A Novel - The Life Story of Jayber Crow, Barber, of the Port William Membership as Written by Himself” by Wendell Berry
A sweet - and sad, and beautiful story of small town America...and the large, full lives of those who lived there. If you’d like to read what Wendell Berry says
The tittle character - by planting his roots in one place - and by virtue of his profession - comes to embody the hopes and dreams, and deaths, of rural life.
Spanning the first 75% of the 20th century, it’s also a treasure-load of historical fiction - of what life was like in the countrysides for most of the people who lived there during that time.
A sweet - and sad, and beautiful story of small town America...and the large, full lives of those who lived there. If you’d like to read what Wendell Berry says
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about progress, and farming, and science, but would rather read it in novel form this is the book for you.The tittle character - by planting his roots in one place - and by virtue of his profession - comes to embody the hopes and dreams, and deaths, of rural life.
Spanning the first 75% of the 20th century, it’s also a treasure-load of historical fiction - of what life was like in the countrysides for most of the people who lived there during that time.
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LibraryThing member larryerick
I'm going to struggle to give this book the review it deserves. One might describe this as one of a series of books that the author wrote about the fictitious town of Port William. One might compare this community to the ones in Andy Griffith's Mayberry or Northern Exposure's Cicely, but Port
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William and its inhabitants are less eccentric, while still showing plenty of human frailties and a reasonable amount of drama. This particular book is the narrative of the title character, who in some respects is a loner without being lonely. At the beginning of the book, I felt like I was getting little more than a quick guided tour of the area, much like a innkeeper giving the facility highlights for a new customer in record time. "Here's the bathroom, here's the ice machine, here's the thermostat, anything else? No? Goodbye." But then Mr. Crow settles into a more comfortable disposition with his reader and starts to let you into his view of his entire life, and it's easy to listen to what he has to say. In many respects, he is only describing life as it must happen in a thousand other places. And yet, Jayber has a way of repeatedly seeing a clarity and a depth of understanding about people and situations, that don't so much make him look wise as it does make him look very observant and reasonable. There is much truth in what he relates, truth for all of us. I would argue that the author struggles toward the end of the book at times. The tone gets much more reflective, to excess, I would contend, and then starts emphasizing a belief about Jayber Crow as a "given" that has not been substantiated by the rest of the book. Nonetheless, the author recovers nicely at the very end to provide suitable satisfaction for the reader. I am very inclined at this point to read more of the author's Port William fiction. Show Less
LibraryThing member scottjpearson
This book is the first one I’ve read by Berry, but the author has come to me highly recommended by consumers of literature. Jayber Crow sits in a series of books about a small town named Port William in Kentucky. Like much of rural life, the relationships among its inhabitants are intertwined,
As the town’s only barber, Crow is privy to much of the inevitable gossip that goes around this small town. A reader, he is an astute observer of human nature. He lives his life as a bachelor and attempts to pay expenditures by cutting hair and burying the dead at the local church. He is uninterested in exploring the wider world as Berry keeps him put in the town of Port William.
This work’s plot is about as slow as the pace of life in Port William and meanders about as gently and ineluctably as the river that flows through the town. Although such a scenario might turn off many modern readers (used to fast-paced concepts), it strangely works well for this novel. Much like Faulkner’s Yoknapatawpha County (only without the stream of consciousness), suspense slowly builds as the reader recognizes the complex inter-relationships of this area. National phenomena like wars and the growth of government are viewed through the lens of its impact on these isolated souls.
At first glance by a casual observer, Crow’s life might seem uninteresting. After all, he never lives with running water and does not travel; he also has no family relationships as an adult and never marries. Nonetheless, Berry skillfully brings out the interest, even nobility, in his life. Covered topics encompass romance, death, spirituality, self-government, and friendship. Berry communicates the motif about the virtuosity of the American everyman. His writing style is relaxing and accessible.
Although I typically prefer books with a faster plot, this book surprisingly worked for me. Readers with an interest in spirituality and religion (whether organized or unorganized) will find a fellow traveller in the author and the protagonist. Indeed, this book is explicitly a book about heaven, both on earth and leaking into the world-to-come. Small-town life is also idealized, so those who like to read about the intensity of relationships should also be intrigued. Finally, this book sits in a series by Berry (a series I am just starting), so its wider significance in the Port William series is an acknowledged draw to readers as well. Friends say that this book comprises the peak of Berry’s work. It certainly functioned as an attracting force to me.
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even incestuous. The book, set in the early-to-late twentieth century, describes the life story of Jayber Crow, an orphan and a barber.As the town’s only barber, Crow is privy to much of the inevitable gossip that goes around this small town. A reader, he is an astute observer of human nature. He lives his life as a bachelor and attempts to pay expenditures by cutting hair and burying the dead at the local church. He is uninterested in exploring the wider world as Berry keeps him put in the town of Port William.
This work’s plot is about as slow as the pace of life in Port William and meanders about as gently and ineluctably as the river that flows through the town. Although such a scenario might turn off many modern readers (used to fast-paced concepts), it strangely works well for this novel. Much like Faulkner’s Yoknapatawpha County (only without the stream of consciousness), suspense slowly builds as the reader recognizes the complex inter-relationships of this area. National phenomena like wars and the growth of government are viewed through the lens of its impact on these isolated souls.
At first glance by a casual observer, Crow’s life might seem uninteresting. After all, he never lives with running water and does not travel; he also has no family relationships as an adult and never marries. Nonetheless, Berry skillfully brings out the interest, even nobility, in his life. Covered topics encompass romance, death, spirituality, self-government, and friendship. Berry communicates the motif about the virtuosity of the American everyman. His writing style is relaxing and accessible.
Although I typically prefer books with a faster plot, this book surprisingly worked for me. Readers with an interest in spirituality and religion (whether organized or unorganized) will find a fellow traveller in the author and the protagonist. Indeed, this book is explicitly a book about heaven, both on earth and leaking into the world-to-come. Small-town life is also idealized, so those who like to read about the intensity of relationships should also be intrigued. Finally, this book sits in a series by Berry (a series I am just starting), so its wider significance in the Port William series is an acknowledged draw to readers as well. Friends say that this book comprises the peak of Berry’s work. It certainly functioned as an attracting force to me.
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LibraryThing member almin
A book to be read again....the writing is beautiful and complicated. Jayber Crow is a character to love, his flaws and goodness are on full display.
LibraryThing member Martha_Thayer
Delightful. Wendell Berry is good at making you want to visit places that probably don't exist.
LibraryThing member et.carole
The first book of 2012 was a worthy read. Jayber is a complex and brilliant character, and this is another one of those pastoral books that manage to hold my attention as well as an adventure story.
LibraryThing member Castlelass
Life story of Jonah Crow, nicknamed Jayber, barber of the small farming community of Port William, Kentucky, from his birth in 1914 to his life in retirement. He is orphaned at an early age, briefly attends divinity school, and eventually makes his home above his barbershop. He remains a bachelor
This is a classic celebration of the pastoral life. It is critical of industrialization. Farmer Athey Keith uses traditional farming methods – plowing with mules, rotating crops, and saving funds for emergencies. His son-in-law, Troy Chatham, represents the modern approach to “agribusiness,” borrowing heavily, buying machines, and depleting the land.
Jayber tells his own story, so we are privy to his thoughts. He questions religion and theology, leading to his departure from seminary school, but values faithful devotion and always cares about those around him, even to the point of embracing people he dislikes (not always successfully). The concept of heaven is also explored.
The characters are richly developed. By the end, I felt like they were my neighbors. Jayber’s voice is particularly strong. It felt like an older relative telling me his nostalgic stories. Berry’s writing is lyrical. There are passages that made me want to soak them in and ponder them for a while. The story is chronological, and proceeds at a leisurely pace. Most of the plot describes small-town life, farming, and community connections.
“Maybe you can imagine it: the moon hanging all alone out in the sky, its light pouring down over everything and filling the valley, and under the moonlight the woods, making a darkness, and within the darkness a little room of firelight, and within the firelight several men talking, some standing, some sitting on stools of piled rocks or on logs, some sitting or squatting or kneeling around a spot swept clear of leaves where they were playing cards, and all around you could hear the whippoorwills. Nearly everybody there had a coal oil lantern, most of them unlit to save oil. One of the two or three that were lighted hung from a low limb to illuminate the card game.”
Themes include belonging, independence, dealing with change, and the joys of living a simple life. Berry advocates stewardship of the earth and compassion for its inhabitants. I enjoyed spending time in Port William and found this book delightful.
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but cherishes a woman from afar. The narrative follows the intersecting lives of Jayber and the various residents of Port William. This is a classic celebration of the pastoral life. It is critical of industrialization. Farmer Athey Keith uses traditional farming methods – plowing with mules, rotating crops, and saving funds for emergencies. His son-in-law, Troy Chatham, represents the modern approach to “agribusiness,” borrowing heavily, buying machines, and depleting the land.
Jayber tells his own story, so we are privy to his thoughts. He questions religion and theology, leading to his departure from seminary school, but values faithful devotion and always cares about those around him, even to the point of embracing people he dislikes (not always successfully). The concept of heaven is also explored.
The characters are richly developed. By the end, I felt like they were my neighbors. Jayber’s voice is particularly strong. It felt like an older relative telling me his nostalgic stories. Berry’s writing is lyrical. There are passages that made me want to soak them in and ponder them for a while. The story is chronological, and proceeds at a leisurely pace. Most of the plot describes small-town life, farming, and community connections.
“Maybe you can imagine it: the moon hanging all alone out in the sky, its light pouring down over everything and filling the valley, and under the moonlight the woods, making a darkness, and within the darkness a little room of firelight, and within the firelight several men talking, some standing, some sitting on stools of piled rocks or on logs, some sitting or squatting or kneeling around a spot swept clear of leaves where they were playing cards, and all around you could hear the whippoorwills. Nearly everybody there had a coal oil lantern, most of them unlit to save oil. One of the two or three that were lighted hung from a low limb to illuminate the card game.”
Themes include belonging, independence, dealing with change, and the joys of living a simple life. Berry advocates stewardship of the earth and compassion for its inhabitants. I enjoyed spending time in Port William and found this book delightful.
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LibraryThing member LauGal
I discovered this author from a friend's suggestion.Mr. Berry's books are stories of people that have endured life and all it gives and takes from you.The stories take place in a simpler time. Each book is about a resident in the town. You are drawn into the story and its characters. When the book
Mr.Berry's books are a delight to read and hunker down with!
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ends, it is as if the character left a piece of themselves with you and you left a piece of yourself in Port William. I can highly recommend Jayber Crow.Mr.Berry's books are a delight to read and hunker down with!
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LibraryThing member megamommy
An epic about a plain and ordinary everyday man whose insights transform his plain and ordinary life into something worth reading.
Awards
Dublin Literary Award (Longlist — 2002)
Booklist Editor's Choice: Adult Books (Fiction — 2000)
Pages
384
ISBN
1582431604 / 9781582431604