Publication
MacMillan (2011), Edition: First Printing, 320 pages
Original publication date
2010
2011 (1e traduction et édition française, Terres d'Amérique, Albin Michel)
Collections
Genres
Awards
Edgar Award (Nominee — Novel — 2011)
LA Times Book Prize (Finalist — Mystery/Thriller — 2010)
Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award (Winner — 2010)
Anthony Award (Nominee — Novel — 2011)
Crime Writers' Association Awards (Winner — 2011)
Barry Award (Nominee — Novel — 2011)
Hammett Prize (Nominee — 2010)
Alabama Author Award (Fiction — 2011)
ALA Notable Book (2011)
Spinetingler Award (Nominee — 2011)
Deutscher Krimi Preis (2019)
This Mystery is Amazing! (#8 — 2012)
Notable Books List (Fiction — 2011)
Description
Fiction. Literature. Mystery. Suspense. HTML: "The classic trifecta of talent, heart, and a bone-deep sense of storytelling....A masterful performance, deftly rendered and deeply satisfying. For days on end, I woke with this story on my mind." �??David Wroblewski A powerful and resonant novel from the critically acclaimed author of Smonk and Hell at the Breech, Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter tells the riveting story of two boyhood friends, torn apart by circumstance, who are brought together again by a terrible crime in a small Mississippi town. An extraordinary novel that seamlessly blends elements of crime and Southern literary fiction, Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter is a must for readers of Larry Brown, Pete Dexter, Ron Rash, and Dennis Lehane. In the late 1970s, Larry Ott and Silas "32" Jones were boyhood pals. Their worlds were as different as night and day: Larry, the child of lower-middle-class white parents, and Silas, the son of a poor, single black mother. Yet for a few months the boys stepped outside of their circumstances and shared a special bond. But then tragedy struck: Larry took a girl on a date to a drive-in movie, and she was never heard from again. She was never found and Larry never confessed, but all eyes rested on him as the culprit. The incident shook the county�??and perhaps Silas most of all. His friendship with Larry was broken, and then Silas left town. More than twenty years have passed. Larry, a mechanic, lives a solitary existence, never able to rise above the whispers of suspicion. Silas has returned as a constable. He and Larry have no reason to cross paths until another girl disappears and Larry is blamed again. And now the two men who once called each other friend are forced to confront the past they've buried and ignored for decades… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member msf59
Larry Ott and Silas Jones were friends. Larry was a white awkward, teenager, from a working class family. Silas was a black, athletic kid, from the very poor side of town. The setting is rural Mississippi, in the late 70s. Tragedy strikes. Larry goes on a date with a neighbor girl. The girl ends up
Now 20 years later, Larry lives a hermit’s life, working at his service station, that sees no business, due to Larry‘s checkered past. Silas has also returned, this time as town constable. Suddenly, another local girl disappears and all eyes are back on Larry. This is a well-written mystery, with nicely drawn characters and a clever twisty plot. Check it out!
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missing, never to be found. Larry is accused and quickly ostracized, by the entire town and his friendship with Silas is destroyed. For lack of evidence, Larry is never tried.Now 20 years later, Larry lives a hermit’s life, working at his service station, that sees no business, due to Larry‘s checkered past. Silas has also returned, this time as town constable. Suddenly, another local girl disappears and all eyes are back on Larry. This is a well-written mystery, with nicely drawn characters and a clever twisty plot. Check it out!
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LibraryThing member tututhefirst
Remember when we learned to spell "Mississippi" in grade school. EM eye crooked letter crooked letter,eye crooked letter, etc etc.?? This one gives us Mississippi in all its crookedness. I've read a lot of 'southern' fiction this year, so I have something to compare when I say up front that the
Set in the rural dirt-poor Mississippi of the 1970's as school desegregation was getting into full swing, and the Civil Rights movement was reaching fruition, Franklin evokes the racial tension and cultural baggage that made small town life in the south so problematic. He adds poverty, alcoholism, spouse abuse, and brain breaking hopelessness to characters who are striving to get through one day at a time. The descriptions of the setting and the life of both poor blacks and whites are as realistic as any I've read in months.
The two main characters grew up together, sharing some secrets (and keeping others private) that return to haunt them as adults. And here is where Franklin shines. He takes the individual stories of each, one black, one white, and carefully strings us along in reconstructing their pasts to arrive at a resolution that is shocking, stunning, poignant, and ultimately more hopeful than the story line would dare allow the reader to be. His mastery of dialogue is exceptional.
I won't do a spoiler on the story which centers around the two estranged friends: one who was suspected (but never arrested or convicted) in the disappearance of a high school girl twenty years ago, and is again under suspicion in connection with another recently missing girl, and the other who is now the town constable who must investigate the happenings. I will say that this is destined to be one of better books of 2010. It will not disappoint anyone looking for a strong contemporary police story written in exceptional prose. It has all three: good plot, good scenes, great characters.
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strong sense of place I look for in this genre is definitely here. I've read more than a few mystery/detective fiction books this year, and my requirements for those include strong characters and a plot that keeps me turning the pages. Franklin has given us all of these in this 5 star book.Set in the rural dirt-poor Mississippi of the 1970's as school desegregation was getting into full swing, and the Civil Rights movement was reaching fruition, Franklin evokes the racial tension and cultural baggage that made small town life in the south so problematic. He adds poverty, alcoholism, spouse abuse, and brain breaking hopelessness to characters who are striving to get through one day at a time. The descriptions of the setting and the life of both poor blacks and whites are as realistic as any I've read in months.
The two main characters grew up together, sharing some secrets (and keeping others private) that return to haunt them as adults. And here is where Franklin shines. He takes the individual stories of each, one black, one white, and carefully strings us along in reconstructing their pasts to arrive at a resolution that is shocking, stunning, poignant, and ultimately more hopeful than the story line would dare allow the reader to be. His mastery of dialogue is exceptional.
I won't do a spoiler on the story which centers around the two estranged friends: one who was suspected (but never arrested or convicted) in the disappearance of a high school girl twenty years ago, and is again under suspicion in connection with another recently missing girl, and the other who is now the town constable who must investigate the happenings. I will say that this is destined to be one of better books of 2010. It will not disappoint anyone looking for a strong contemporary police story written in exceptional prose. It has all three: good plot, good scenes, great characters.
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LibraryThing member RidgewayGirl
I closed this book and held it for awhile. I read all the blurbs and the information about Tom Franklin. I even read through the tiresome list of names in the acknowledgments section at the back. I was not ready to let this book go.
Set in southeastern Mississippi, in a dying mill town, Crooked
Now another girl's gone missing and the natural suspect is Larry Otts.
Dripping with atmosphere like a Spanish moss infested tree, Franklin makes rural Mississippi, both past and present, the central character of
Set in southeastern Mississippi, in a dying mill town, Crooked
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Letter, Crooked Letter tells the story of 32 Jones, who is the constable of tiny Chabot, which means he runs a speed trap to fill the town's coffers and directs traffic during shift changes at the mill. Anything bigger than simple assault he passes on to his boss, the chief investigator in Fulsom, the town up the road, large enough to have a Wal-Mart. Larry Ott is an outcast. Suspected in the disappearance of a girl who lived nearby when he was a teenager, he's lived under the small town suspicion that he got away with something for decades. He was an outcast back in high school, too; a reader and a nerd. But, for a short time, when they were boys, they were friends of a sort, loneliness pulling them together despite the fact that 32 is black and Larry white, in a time and place where that matters a lot.Now another girl's gone missing and the natural suspect is Larry Otts.
Dripping with atmosphere like a Spanish moss infested tree, Franklin makes rural Mississippi, both past and present, the central character of
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LibraryThing member browner56
When I was growing up on the west coast, one of my elementary school teachers taught our class to spell the name of a particular southern state by learning to say “M-I-S-S, I-S-S, I-P-P-I” in a sing-songy cadence that I guess was supposed to make it easier to remember. According to the author,
That difference implies a lot, I think, and is important to understanding the appeal of southern literature. As many wonderful writers (e.g., William Faulkner, Harper Lee, Flannery O’Connor, early Cormac McCarthy) have shown, novels set in the south are as much about the time and place—and the people produced by those circumstances—as they are about the details of the story. “Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter” is very much the sort of atmospheric, character-driven novel that carries on that proud lineage.
The story involves the mystery surrounding two presumed murders in a rural Mississippi town, one in the present day and the other 25 years in the past. Larry Ott, a middle-aged loner and social outcast, is suspected in both although nothing has been proven against him. Silas Jones, who grew up dirt poor and fatherless, is the local sheriff investigating the crimes. They were once the most unlikely of friends—Larry is white, Silas is black—and the secrets they share may hold the key to solving the cases.
While the tale is compelling enough on its own, what really elevates this novel is the strength of the writing and the characterizations. In Larry Ott, Franklin has created one of the most fully realized and empathetic characters that I have come across in a long time. I found myself quick immersed in Larry’s world and was deeply moved and affected by the experience. This is a powerful book and one that I will recommend highly to everyone I know.
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though, that apparently is not the way it’s done in the south; instead, the kids in that region were taught to say “M-I-crooked letter-crooked letter, I-crooked letter-crooked letter, I-humpback-humpback-I.”That difference implies a lot, I think, and is important to understanding the appeal of southern literature. As many wonderful writers (e.g., William Faulkner, Harper Lee, Flannery O’Connor, early Cormac McCarthy) have shown, novels set in the south are as much about the time and place—and the people produced by those circumstances—as they are about the details of the story. “Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter” is very much the sort of atmospheric, character-driven novel that carries on that proud lineage.
The story involves the mystery surrounding two presumed murders in a rural Mississippi town, one in the present day and the other 25 years in the past. Larry Ott, a middle-aged loner and social outcast, is suspected in both although nothing has been proven against him. Silas Jones, who grew up dirt poor and fatherless, is the local sheriff investigating the crimes. They were once the most unlikely of friends—Larry is white, Silas is black—and the secrets they share may hold the key to solving the cases.
While the tale is compelling enough on its own, what really elevates this novel is the strength of the writing and the characterizations. In Larry Ott, Franklin has created one of the most fully realized and empathetic characters that I have come across in a long time. I found myself quick immersed in Larry’s world and was deeply moved and affected by the experience. This is a powerful book and one that I will recommend highly to everyone I know.
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LibraryThing member lauralkeet
One evening Larry Ott returns home from work to find a masked intruder, who shoots him and leaves him for dead. Fortunately local constable Silas Jones had asked a colleague to stop by Larry's place, and they got to him just in time. Larry's life hung in the balance for several days. During that
Larry has been a recluse all his adult life. As a teenager he was accused of raping and murdering a girl he took on a date. She never returned home, her body was never found, and Larry refused to talk about it. While he was never charged with the crime, he was ostracized by the community. He took over his father's auto repair shop, but his only customers were people from out-of-town, just passing through.
Silas spent his boyhood in Chabot with his mother. They lived in a one-room hut on the Ott's property. Quite by happenstance, Larry and Silas became friends. Secret friends, because Larry was white and Silas, black, and public friendships just weren't possible. Larry's father put a stop to it in a humiliating and abusive way. Eventually Silas and his mother moved so he could become the star baseball player at a different high school, and the boys lost touch. Even after Silas returned to Chabot as Constable, their paths didn't cross. Until one day when Silas received a voice mail from Larry, just asking him to call. It was this message that prompted Silas' visit a few days later, just after Larry was shot.
At the time of the shooting, Silas was also investigating another young girl's disappearance, some 20 years after the incident that changed Larry's life forever. Everyone in town thinks Larry committed a crime again. That is, everyone but Silas. Slowly, we learn the basis for Silas' opinion, as we also uncover clues to Larry's assailant and the girl's disappearance.
I was completely caught up in this book, and at first it was because of the crime to be solved. But Tom Franklin revealed those details very slowly, while painting vivid portraits of Larry and Silas and filling in their back story. Eventually the shooting and the girl's disappearance became just secondary mysteries; in fact, both were actually pretty easy to solve. This book was much more about the mystery of these two men's lives, and the profound influence of past events. Again, Franklin revealed details slowly, and I often found myself rereading passages to make sure I was putting the pieces together correctly. The result was a moving account of friendship, betrayal, and hope.
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time we follow the hunt for his assailant, but more importantly we learn a lot more about Larry, Silas, and their lives in rural Chabot, Mississippi.Larry has been a recluse all his adult life. As a teenager he was accused of raping and murdering a girl he took on a date. She never returned home, her body was never found, and Larry refused to talk about it. While he was never charged with the crime, he was ostracized by the community. He took over his father's auto repair shop, but his only customers were people from out-of-town, just passing through.
Silas spent his boyhood in Chabot with his mother. They lived in a one-room hut on the Ott's property. Quite by happenstance, Larry and Silas became friends. Secret friends, because Larry was white and Silas, black, and public friendships just weren't possible. Larry's father put a stop to it in a humiliating and abusive way. Eventually Silas and his mother moved so he could become the star baseball player at a different high school, and the boys lost touch. Even after Silas returned to Chabot as Constable, their paths didn't cross. Until one day when Silas received a voice mail from Larry, just asking him to call. It was this message that prompted Silas' visit a few days later, just after Larry was shot.
At the time of the shooting, Silas was also investigating another young girl's disappearance, some 20 years after the incident that changed Larry's life forever. Everyone in town thinks Larry committed a crime again. That is, everyone but Silas. Slowly, we learn the basis for Silas' opinion, as we also uncover clues to Larry's assailant and the girl's disappearance.
I was completely caught up in this book, and at first it was because of the crime to be solved. But Tom Franklin revealed those details very slowly, while painting vivid portraits of Larry and Silas and filling in their back story. Eventually the shooting and the girl's disappearance became just secondary mysteries; in fact, both were actually pretty easy to solve. This book was much more about the mystery of these two men's lives, and the profound influence of past events. Again, Franklin revealed details slowly, and I often found myself rereading passages to make sure I was putting the pieces together correctly. The result was a moving account of friendship, betrayal, and hope.
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LibraryThing member Copperskye
If read as a mystery, Crooked Letter might be a disappointment. But if read as a dramatic, suspenseful Southern novel of friendship, youth, race and fear, it was excellent. Two missing girls, twenty years apart, and two boys, one black and one white, and a timeline that shifts easily back and
My thanks to HarperCollins for providing an ARC of this wonderful book.
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forth, had me on the edge of my seat. The story is achingly sad but ultimately hopeful and the characters very well-drawn. So much so that I would have liked to have had an epilogue to see the story played out a few months or years down the road.My thanks to HarperCollins for providing an ARC of this wonderful book.
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LibraryThing member Teritree001971
As CROOKED LETTER, CROOKED LETTER opens we are introduced to Larry Ott going about daily routine in life. It's nothing special, just the same daily routine you or I experience with only the location and occupation being different for most. We can relate to this Larry and his hum drum existence. If
Next we're introduced to Silas "32" Jones, who is the local constable. When we first see Silas he is making his rounds as constable, when he notices some buzzards circling overhead. it is in this portion when the reader notices the issue of race becoming prominent in the writing. To make us better understand and perhaps to also make us form preconceived ideas in matters to come, the author tells us "white folk" or "white girl" not merely a missing college student the entire state is looking for. At the first reading, we merely pass them by as he has planted the notion and continues on to tell us of Silas' problems in everyday life, ie requesting a new bronco, constantly getting refused, much as he does with Larry in the first chapter. In addition, we see a little of the personal relationships Silas has with the people around him. He is well liked by those around him and has personal relationships. Silas has the almost perfect life.
By the end of the first two chapters we see two smart, likable men. It is only as the story continues the reader sees the depth of each man. At one point, we find both men were friends and liked each other until life intervened. Both men eventually leave their home in Chabot, Mississippi, only to return years later to face the problems of living in a small town where everyone knows everything about everyone. Unfortunately, not everything we know always turns out to be the truth.
In Larry, we see a man who keeps his faith in God and his fellow man. No matter what the world throws at him, he somehow continues living even though only his mother and perhaps one other woman in Chabot, Mississippi sees him for the person he is. In Silas we see a man doing the best he can while living with regrets of the past. Even though he can do nothing to change most of them, he perseveres until in the end, he tells the truth, setting himself free. In Wally, we see a man who is seemingly only known the bad life has to offer. Wally takes these experiences and develops the way society expects. In him, we see how the way we treat others can cause horrors in our own lives we never thought possible.
By the end of the story, the author has you considering how our preconceived ideas and our tendency to jump to conclusions lead us to the wrong conclusion. How our judgmental attitudes wrongly convict the innocent people around us and sometimes it can come back to haunt us.
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we're not careful we can overlook the fact that Larry is completely alone in this first meeting. It is when we find him in his home facing a monster that we realize there is more to the story and this man Larry than meets the eye. Next we're introduced to Silas "32" Jones, who is the local constable. When we first see Silas he is making his rounds as constable, when he notices some buzzards circling overhead. it is in this portion when the reader notices the issue of race becoming prominent in the writing. To make us better understand and perhaps to also make us form preconceived ideas in matters to come, the author tells us "white folk" or "white girl" not merely a missing college student the entire state is looking for. At the first reading, we merely pass them by as he has planted the notion and continues on to tell us of Silas' problems in everyday life, ie requesting a new bronco, constantly getting refused, much as he does with Larry in the first chapter. In addition, we see a little of the personal relationships Silas has with the people around him. He is well liked by those around him and has personal relationships. Silas has the almost perfect life.
By the end of the first two chapters we see two smart, likable men. It is only as the story continues the reader sees the depth of each man. At one point, we find both men were friends and liked each other until life intervened. Both men eventually leave their home in Chabot, Mississippi, only to return years later to face the problems of living in a small town where everyone knows everything about everyone. Unfortunately, not everything we know always turns out to be the truth.
In Larry, we see a man who keeps his faith in God and his fellow man. No matter what the world throws at him, he somehow continues living even though only his mother and perhaps one other woman in Chabot, Mississippi sees him for the person he is. In Silas we see a man doing the best he can while living with regrets of the past. Even though he can do nothing to change most of them, he perseveres until in the end, he tells the truth, setting himself free. In Wally, we see a man who is seemingly only known the bad life has to offer. Wally takes these experiences and develops the way society expects. In him, we see how the way we treat others can cause horrors in our own lives we never thought possible.
By the end of the story, the author has you considering how our preconceived ideas and our tendency to jump to conclusions lead us to the wrong conclusion. How our judgmental attitudes wrongly convict the innocent people around us and sometimes it can come back to haunt us.
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LibraryThing member fuzzy_patters
Larry Ott is a 41 year old white man who has long been suspected of raping and murdering teenager Cindy Walker when he was a teenager. Meanwhile, his childhood friend, Silas Jones, is a black police constable helping investigator Roy French look for clues in the disappearance of teenager Tina
One of the things that struck me the most about this novel was how well Franklin weaves a consistent narrative through jumps in time and place while playing out his mystery against the themes of racism, guilt, and misplaced judgment. Franklin's characters seem real to the reader, and their ultimate well-being becomes supremely important. Through these qualities Franklin has crafted a novel that is thoroughly engaging to the reader and very difficult to put down.
Another thing that struck me about this novel was that it was a much deeper novel than the typical rape and murder detective novel. Franklin's novel is much more than an action packed romp akin to prime time network cop shows. Instead, it is a very human novel with characters who express real human emotions and act in ways that allow us to see a little of ourselves in each of them. It is this humanity that makes it a much more literary novel than is typically seen in a crime novel.
I was also very impressed with the way the setting of the novel almost became a character in and of itself. While reading the novel, I felt as if I could see Chicago and Mississippi as they really are, warts and all. I could see how they impacted the characters and made them who they were. The book is almost Faulknerian in this regard, although the writing style is much different from Faulkner's.
Overall, I found this to be a very good novel. It was the first novel that I have read by Tom Franklin, and I will definitely be seeking out more of his novels. It was well crafted and left me thinking about the novel long after I finished reading it.
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Rutherford. Naturally, Ott becomes a suspect in her disappearance as well.One of the things that struck me the most about this novel was how well Franklin weaves a consistent narrative through jumps in time and place while playing out his mystery against the themes of racism, guilt, and misplaced judgment. Franklin's characters seem real to the reader, and their ultimate well-being becomes supremely important. Through these qualities Franklin has crafted a novel that is thoroughly engaging to the reader and very difficult to put down.
Another thing that struck me about this novel was that it was a much deeper novel than the typical rape and murder detective novel. Franklin's novel is much more than an action packed romp akin to prime time network cop shows. Instead, it is a very human novel with characters who express real human emotions and act in ways that allow us to see a little of ourselves in each of them. It is this humanity that makes it a much more literary novel than is typically seen in a crime novel.
I was also very impressed with the way the setting of the novel almost became a character in and of itself. While reading the novel, I felt as if I could see Chicago and Mississippi as they really are, warts and all. I could see how they impacted the characters and made them who they were. The book is almost Faulknerian in this regard, although the writing style is much different from Faulkner's.
Overall, I found this to be a very good novel. It was the first novel that I have read by Tom Franklin, and I will definitely be seeking out more of his novels. It was well crafted and left me thinking about the novel long after I finished reading it.
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LibraryThing member CarolynSchroeder
I had the good fortune to receive this via the Early Reviewers' program and in many ways, it was a pleasant surprise and introduction to an author I had not before heard of. Set in the reclusive, rural world of present day Mississippi (with flashbacks to the 1970s-1980s), Franklin set a mood that
I did not rate this much higher because I felt the plot was absolutely horrible, meaning how the "murder mysteries" (in quotes because there is no mystery per se as one murder is a cold case, one a recent event and the reader is introduced to the murderer(s) a bit at a time) of sorts played out and got solved. Here, Franklin falls prey to every cliche in the book and at times, I rolled my eyes and really felt entirely let down ... that all that wonderful character development did not actually LEAD somewhere, real. But alas, contemporary fiction always seems to need that Hollywood ending (in fact, this one felt like Silence of the Lambs) lately. That is too bad as life is not like that and Franklin really shines when he shows us his. I would recommend this one, but not with the gusto I would have liked.
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was simply outstanding. I really felt emeshed in the daily lives of the characters, childhood friends, Larry (black "constable" for the town) and Silas (white "weird" bookworm mechanic), amidst the forests, chickens, reptiles, house dogs and quirky composition of local government and law enforcement (including the community induced kind). The writing is a bit awkward at first, but somehow it fits for the tone and I felt myself easing into the wonderful character development of time and people. In many ways, the author brought back the simple joy of just really getting "into" a new world, to slow down. Franklin's style was reminiscent of Carson McCullers as he is an expert at daily life and portraying what it must feel like to be baselessly ostracized, made to feel "weird" and all the odd ticks of humanity in a rural setting where jobs are scarce and relationships both difficult but germane to survival. He also did a superlative job with the racial issues, tackling them honestly and without excuses. I did not rate this much higher because I felt the plot was absolutely horrible, meaning how the "murder mysteries" (in quotes because there is no mystery per se as one murder is a cold case, one a recent event and the reader is introduced to the murderer(s) a bit at a time) of sorts played out and got solved. Here, Franklin falls prey to every cliche in the book and at times, I rolled my eyes and really felt entirely let down ... that all that wonderful character development did not actually LEAD somewhere, real. But alas, contemporary fiction always seems to need that Hollywood ending (in fact, this one felt like Silence of the Lambs) lately. That is too bad as life is not like that and Franklin really shines when he shows us his. I would recommend this one, but not with the gusto I would have liked.
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LibraryThing member tymfos
This is primarily the story of two men -- one black, one white -- who were freinds for a time during youth but have been estranged for years. One is an outcast, long suspected of being responsible for the disappearance of a girl during their high school years; one is now the local constable.
When I started this book, it was extremely difficult to put down when necessary; once my family went to bed, I didn't put it down until it was finished. If you are reading it strictly as a mystery, you may be disappointed. But if you enjoy skillfully-crafted, big-as-life characters with complex relationships; if you appreciate writing that can take you to a setting and make you see it and feel it, hear it, taste it, and smell it; if you appreciate an author who can handle difficult issues (such a racism) in an unflinching manner; if you value suspense of a more profound type than "whodunit," you may love this book as much as I did.
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Another girl has gone missing; who is the likely suspect?When I started this book, it was extremely difficult to put down when necessary; once my family went to bed, I didn't put it down until it was finished. If you are reading it strictly as a mystery, you may be disappointed. But if you enjoy skillfully-crafted, big-as-life characters with complex relationships; if you appreciate writing that can take you to a setting and make you see it and feel it, hear it, taste it, and smell it; if you appreciate an author who can handle difficult issues (such a racism) in an unflinching manner; if you value suspense of a more profound type than "whodunit," you may love this book as much as I did.
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LibraryThing member cammykitty
Tom Franklin's atmospheric literary mystery Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter description of small-town Mississippi during it's racist past and it's now less than perfect present makes this book, with it's twisted interweaving of personal relationships and it's sadly believable depictions of abuse,
What bothered me most about the book probably charmed other readers. Franklin uses a narrative style full of run-on sentences and gerunds piled one on top of the other. To me, it was a bit inellegant. Clearly, it was a deliberate choice meant to add a dreamy, image upon image quality to the piece. Instead it made me want to reach for a red pencil. Certainly, the style isn't imitating his characters' speech patterns. The dialog had a completely different style that was very convincing. Once I was into the book though, the style bothered me less. Either I had become used to it or he backed off from it. Sentence structure aside though, it was a satisfying read.
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worth reading. However, if you read mysteries because you like to solve puzzles, this one isn't for you. The murderer is the only viable suspect presented. What bothered me most about the book probably charmed other readers. Franklin uses a narrative style full of run-on sentences and gerunds piled one on top of the other. To me, it was a bit inellegant. Clearly, it was a deliberate choice meant to add a dreamy, image upon image quality to the piece. Instead it made me want to reach for a red pencil. Certainly, the style isn't imitating his characters' speech patterns. The dialog had a completely different style that was very convincing. Once I was into the book though, the style bothered me less. Either I had become used to it or he backed off from it. Sentence structure aside though, it was a satisfying read.
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LibraryThing member katiekrug
I won’t do justice to this book, no matter what I write. I am not even sure how to categorize it – mystery, coming of age, Southern gothic, an exploration of race – they all fit to one degree or another. Gorgeously written (despite some bad copy editing which left one too many typos in my
Fast forward 25 years and now the boys are tormented men (though for different reasons and in different ways), and old secrets and truths begin to come to light. Tom Franklin has created an authentic sense of place in tiny Chabot, Mississippi, as well as two compelling characters in Larry and Silas for whom it is impossible not to feel deep sympathy. While dark and sad throughout, [Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter] is ultimately a story of redemption and hope (and yes, I know it’s a cliché, but even clichés can be true). The book fell short of 5 stars for me due to a bit of a clunky resolution to the “mystery” part of the novel; however, one should not read this in anticipation of a typical work of suspense or a thriller. It is so much more.
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edition), Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter tells the story of two boys – one black, one white – each with his own pain, who find common ground for a few months and transcend their histories, family expectations, and loneliness to be just boys – roaming the woods and creek beds of their southeastern Mississippi home.Fast forward 25 years and now the boys are tormented men (though for different reasons and in different ways), and old secrets and truths begin to come to light. Tom Franklin has created an authentic sense of place in tiny Chabot, Mississippi, as well as two compelling characters in Larry and Silas for whom it is impossible not to feel deep sympathy. While dark and sad throughout, [Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter] is ultimately a story of redemption and hope (and yes, I know it’s a cliché, but even clichés can be true). The book fell short of 5 stars for me due to a bit of a clunky resolution to the “mystery” part of the novel; however, one should not read this in anticipation of a typical work of suspense or a thriller. It is so much more.
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LibraryThing member richardderus
Pearl Ruled: CROOKED LETTER, CROOKED LETTER by TOM FRANKLIN (p96)
Rating: one grudging star of five
Tedious sentences telling a tired old story in an unfresh way.
Carolyn twisted his head harder, and Larry pushed at her arm but she had his hair and he told himself not to cry. Then she slammed his
He stole a sideways look and saw her face. He'd never been that angry. He didn't think he had the ability to summon such anger, or the right. With her other hand Carolyn grabbed his arm and twisted it so he fell out of his desk, The Shining landing beside him on the floor.
This fight is important. I could not possibly, even upon making an effort, be less interested; also, the stupid and incredible (in the original sense) stuff about the kid thinking those thoughts while a girl is beating his head against the desk just finished off my willingness to go any further into the story I already didn't like.
Plus I do not ever wish to read the word "nigger" again. I was raised by a mama who smacked me when I said it as a four-year-old. "Daddy says it!" I protested. "If you can't learn to be better than your daddy, you won't be much in this life."
Maybe I'm not much in this life. But I don't use that word or its horrible ilk. And I don't hang with people who do, even in books.
Rating: one grudging star of five
Tedious sentences telling a tired old story in an unfresh way.
Carolyn twisted his head harder, and Larry pushed at her arm but she had his hair and he told himself not to cry. Then she slammed his
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head down, hard, onto his desk. Everybody laughed so she did it again.He stole a sideways look and saw her face. He'd never been that angry. He didn't think he had the ability to summon such anger, or the right. With her other hand Carolyn grabbed his arm and twisted it so he fell out of his desk, The Shining landing beside him on the floor.
This fight is important. I could not possibly, even upon making an effort, be less interested; also, the stupid and incredible (in the original sense) stuff about the kid thinking those thoughts while a girl is beating his head against the desk just finished off my willingness to go any further into the story I already didn't like.
Plus I do not ever wish to read the word "nigger" again. I was raised by a mama who smacked me when I said it as a four-year-old. "Daddy says it!" I protested. "If you can't learn to be better than your daddy, you won't be much in this life."
Maybe I'm not much in this life. But I don't use that word or its horrible ilk. And I don't hang with people who do, even in books.
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LibraryThing member BookMason
Best book of the south since To Kill a Mockingbird. A great novel of guilt, betrayal and redemption.
Franklin is a hugely under-rated and little known American writer who should be at the fore-front of modern American fiction writers. this is his third novel and shows is growing maturity at a
Both of his first two books are great stories, but each could be thought to have been written by a different writer.
Highly recommended.
Franklin is a hugely under-rated and little known American writer who should be at the fore-front of modern American fiction writers. this is his third novel and shows is growing maturity at a
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writer. Both of his first two books are great stories, but each could be thought to have been written by a different writer.
Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member jcwlib
This book was another book that I "heard" about on Twitter. I found an ARC copy on the giveaway shelf at work. I was immediately caught up in this book when the main character is held at gun point in the first chapter. The plot in the present day was so moving that it was hard to be interrupted
The writing was very moving and painted a picture of a small town in Mississippi as well as captured the racial tensions apparent in the south as well. I did figure out the mystery before the main characters did, but I thought the revealing to the characters was framed well. The ending was "happy" but sad at the same time. I would have liked maybe one or two more chapters to find our how the main characters adapted to life after the main catalysis.
I thought the author captured a "loners" life well. The reader definitely sympathizes with Larry even though the whole town is against him. I'm surprised he didn't move away after all the allegations. I liked that Silas' character was human and could be identified with. His actions spoke louder than words. The author definitely captures how human contact and friendship can look past race especially at a young age.
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with the flashbacks to build on the background story. The writing was very moving and painted a picture of a small town in Mississippi as well as captured the racial tensions apparent in the south as well. I did figure out the mystery before the main characters did, but I thought the revealing to the characters was framed well. The ending was "happy" but sad at the same time. I would have liked maybe one or two more chapters to find our how the main characters adapted to life after the main catalysis.
I thought the author captured a "loners" life well. The reader definitely sympathizes with Larry even though the whole town is against him. I'm surprised he didn't move away after all the allegations. I liked that Silas' character was human and could be identified with. His actions spoke louder than words. The author definitely captures how human contact and friendship can look past race especially at a young age.
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LibraryThing member writestuff
Larry Ott has lived his whole life in a small town in Mississippi. Different from other boys, quiet, and a bookworm, he doesn’t make friends easily. So when Silas, a black boy, and his single mother move onto the Ott’s land into a tumble down cabin, Larry cautiously extends a hand in
Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter opens twenty-five years after Cindy’s disappearance. Another local girl has gone missing and once again, the accusatory eyes of the town have fallen onto Larry. Silas has returned, working as a constable, and avoiding Larry while quietly doing his job. Old secrets are surfacing which will bring the two men back together again and may hold the key to the mystery of both missing women.
Tom Franklin’s Edgar Award nominated novel is both literary and mystery – a novel which takes the reader deeply into the South where racism infiltrates everything. Atmospheric and firmly anchored in place, Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter moves back and forth from the mid-70s to the present, gradually revealing the characters and uncovering their secrets.
Larry Ott is a sympathetic character – a man who has been ostracized and rejected his whole life, but who has maintained his gentle nature and humanity through it all. Larry, it seems, symbolizes all those bullied children who only wish for one friend in a world which seems against them.
I sped through this novel which is somewhat predictable, and yet still manages to be wholly satisfying. The relationship between Silas and Larry is complex and takes center stage; the mystery seems almost secondary to the real story about two men, one black and one white, who share secrets and a past which informs their whole lives.
Themes of the book include bullying, racism, and domestic violence. Readers should be warned, some of the language in the book is harsh and Franklin does not spare the reader the ugliness of racism. Despite this, the imagery and language never feel gratuitous because the idea of being different (whether it be due to skin color or something less tangible) is a strong concept in the novel. Larry is viewed as “scary” and strange because he is a bit of a recluse and prefers his books to socializing; Silas’s skin color keeps him in a less than responsible position on the police force.
Tom Franklin’s novel reminds me of another author whose work I have enjoyed: John Hart. Both men set their stories in the South and create damaged characters who are not well-accepted in society. Both authors weave the literary genre tightly together with mystery-suspense.
Readers who love both literary and mystery, will undoubtedly want to pick up a copy of Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter.
Highly recommended.
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friendship. The two boys connect almost instantly, but hide their friendship from people who might not approve of it – especially Larry’s abusive, alcoholic father. Then the unthinkable happens. Larry takes the beautiful and worldly Cindy Walker on a first date to the drive-in, and the girl is never seen again. Suspicion that Larry is responsible for her disappearance follows him from that day forward, and his only friend moves away leaving Larry alone once again.Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter opens twenty-five years after Cindy’s disappearance. Another local girl has gone missing and once again, the accusatory eyes of the town have fallen onto Larry. Silas has returned, working as a constable, and avoiding Larry while quietly doing his job. Old secrets are surfacing which will bring the two men back together again and may hold the key to the mystery of both missing women.
Tom Franklin’s Edgar Award nominated novel is both literary and mystery – a novel which takes the reader deeply into the South where racism infiltrates everything. Atmospheric and firmly anchored in place, Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter moves back and forth from the mid-70s to the present, gradually revealing the characters and uncovering their secrets.
Larry Ott is a sympathetic character – a man who has been ostracized and rejected his whole life, but who has maintained his gentle nature and humanity through it all. Larry, it seems, symbolizes all those bullied children who only wish for one friend in a world which seems against them.
I sped through this novel which is somewhat predictable, and yet still manages to be wholly satisfying. The relationship between Silas and Larry is complex and takes center stage; the mystery seems almost secondary to the real story about two men, one black and one white, who share secrets and a past which informs their whole lives.
Themes of the book include bullying, racism, and domestic violence. Readers should be warned, some of the language in the book is harsh and Franklin does not spare the reader the ugliness of racism. Despite this, the imagery and language never feel gratuitous because the idea of being different (whether it be due to skin color or something less tangible) is a strong concept in the novel. Larry is viewed as “scary” and strange because he is a bit of a recluse and prefers his books to socializing; Silas’s skin color keeps him in a less than responsible position on the police force.
Tom Franklin’s novel reminds me of another author whose work I have enjoyed: John Hart. Both men set their stories in the South and create damaged characters who are not well-accepted in society. Both authors weave the literary genre tightly together with mystery-suspense.
Readers who love both literary and mystery, will undoubtedly want to pick up a copy of Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter.
Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member zibilee
In the 1970s Larry Ott, also known as “Scary Larry” to the residents of his small Mississippi town, was accused of raping and murdering a local girl after taking her out on a date and returning home without her. Because no evidence or body was ever found to convict him, Larry was never charged
One of the things I liked best about this story was how atmospheric and evocative it was. I could feel the damp heat of the small Mississippi town and hear the insects buzzing around the characters’ ears as I read, and I felt that Franklin did a lot to pull his readers into the story with his descriptive prowess. As the narrative moved forward, I began to see the town’s insolvency and corrosion as physical forces in the story, and from the first, it was these things that made indelible marks upon my mind as I read and experienced the tale that Franklin so expertly tells. He also used a technique that I found very effective, which was that his sentence style was abbreviated, giving the story a conversational and convivial feeling despite the dark undercurrents of the narrative.
As Silas Jones, nicknamed “32,” goes about his business as constable, there was an undercurrent to his observations of the town. He and the others in his community are living in a dead-end town, and they all know it. Silas does his best to keep his memories about Larry out of his mind, but as things begin to escalate and Larry is put into danger, Silas begins to display some strange regard for this man and his property. Since not much is revealed about the history between the two at this point in the book, I began to speculate over what had gone on between them and why Silas went out of his way to ignore Larry yet still harbored curiosity and concern for him. As things progressed, I began to see that the altruistic Silas was not who I thought he was, and that the secrets he kept had more to do with protecting his image and status than being malicious.
Though he was a little strange and asocial, for most of the book I felt sorry for Larry because, for one reason or another, he was always the underdog and was constantly being slighted, maltreated and teased. It was heartbreaking to consider the realities of Larry’s existence, and what made it worse was that he was so trusting and naïve. Larry had a tough row to hoe because when he was growing up he was very lonely and was ignored by the other white children around him. This was why he eventually made a bid for Silas’ friendship. Larry also had to deal with a father who was cold and unresponsive and who could be very cruel to the boy. When Larry’s father uses his ire to separate Silas and Larry, the boys, once friends, become combatants. Larry’s life only gets more complicated after his date goes missing and he takes on the town’s hatred.
There was a lot of chronicling of racial prejudice in this book and the n-word was used liberally. These scenes, uncensored as they were, were hard to read and digest, and they made me a little uncomfortable, but they did give the story plausibility and credibility. Franklin’s style of writing was very evocative and beautiful while still being tense and suspenseful. Though there was not a lot of mystery to the identity of the kidnapper and murderer of the second girl, the fact that Franklin balanced what amounted to two suspense plot lines in addition to the story of Larry and Silas’ past really impressed me. It was the kind of story that kept me pushing through the pages, and this was not only because the story was compelling, but because Franklin uses his ability to craft narrative and dialogue expertly. The book provoked a lot of uncomfortable emotions in me, and in Franklin’s vacillation between the past and the present there was regret, sorrow and shame, but ultimately, hope as well.
This was not your typical suspense/thriller, and though it had all the components of books of that genre, it was far more literary and dense. There has been a lot said about this book, and I’m not sure if I’ve added anything new to the discussion, but I will echo others and say this was an extremely worthy read and one that shouldn’t be missed. Franklin does an excellent job not only with his characters, but with the braiding of the stories he creates. An excellent and compelling read. Recommended.
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with the murder but has had to live with the stigma all these years. Larry, a working class white man, is somewhat asocial and was considered strange even before the disappearance of the girl, and is now ostracized by the community. Now, many years later, another local girl has gone missing and Larry is the prime suspect. The small town is also home to the African-American constable, Silas Jones, who was once a boyhood friend of Scary Larry. Silas fled the small town after high school to play college ball but eventually returned to Mississippi, not having been able to forget the years and memories he collected there. Now estranged, the two men will come together over the unlikely circumstances surrounding the missing girl’s whereabouts, and the past between Silas and Larry will be uncovered for the whole community to witness. Both tense and perfectly paced, Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter is a masterpiece of suspense that sheds its secrets in onion-like layers as the story weaves between the present and the past.One of the things I liked best about this story was how atmospheric and evocative it was. I could feel the damp heat of the small Mississippi town and hear the insects buzzing around the characters’ ears as I read, and I felt that Franklin did a lot to pull his readers into the story with his descriptive prowess. As the narrative moved forward, I began to see the town’s insolvency and corrosion as physical forces in the story, and from the first, it was these things that made indelible marks upon my mind as I read and experienced the tale that Franklin so expertly tells. He also used a technique that I found very effective, which was that his sentence style was abbreviated, giving the story a conversational and convivial feeling despite the dark undercurrents of the narrative.
As Silas Jones, nicknamed “32,” goes about his business as constable, there was an undercurrent to his observations of the town. He and the others in his community are living in a dead-end town, and they all know it. Silas does his best to keep his memories about Larry out of his mind, but as things begin to escalate and Larry is put into danger, Silas begins to display some strange regard for this man and his property. Since not much is revealed about the history between the two at this point in the book, I began to speculate over what had gone on between them and why Silas went out of his way to ignore Larry yet still harbored curiosity and concern for him. As things progressed, I began to see that the altruistic Silas was not who I thought he was, and that the secrets he kept had more to do with protecting his image and status than being malicious.
Though he was a little strange and asocial, for most of the book I felt sorry for Larry because, for one reason or another, he was always the underdog and was constantly being slighted, maltreated and teased. It was heartbreaking to consider the realities of Larry’s existence, and what made it worse was that he was so trusting and naïve. Larry had a tough row to hoe because when he was growing up he was very lonely and was ignored by the other white children around him. This was why he eventually made a bid for Silas’ friendship. Larry also had to deal with a father who was cold and unresponsive and who could be very cruel to the boy. When Larry’s father uses his ire to separate Silas and Larry, the boys, once friends, become combatants. Larry’s life only gets more complicated after his date goes missing and he takes on the town’s hatred.
There was a lot of chronicling of racial prejudice in this book and the n-word was used liberally. These scenes, uncensored as they were, were hard to read and digest, and they made me a little uncomfortable, but they did give the story plausibility and credibility. Franklin’s style of writing was very evocative and beautiful while still being tense and suspenseful. Though there was not a lot of mystery to the identity of the kidnapper and murderer of the second girl, the fact that Franklin balanced what amounted to two suspense plot lines in addition to the story of Larry and Silas’ past really impressed me. It was the kind of story that kept me pushing through the pages, and this was not only because the story was compelling, but because Franklin uses his ability to craft narrative and dialogue expertly. The book provoked a lot of uncomfortable emotions in me, and in Franklin’s vacillation between the past and the present there was regret, sorrow and shame, but ultimately, hope as well.
This was not your typical suspense/thriller, and though it had all the components of books of that genre, it was far more literary and dense. There has been a lot said about this book, and I’m not sure if I’ve added anything new to the discussion, but I will echo others and say this was an extremely worthy read and one that shouldn’t be missed. Franklin does an excellent job not only with his characters, but with the braiding of the stories he creates. An excellent and compelling read. Recommended.
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LibraryThing member JackieBlem
I read an interview with Franklin from a couple of years ago that was very interesting. He was asked why, in his opinion, so many great writers come from the South. His answer: "...in part, there's a lot
more to write about in a failed place, a place mired in its own self-made sin. And it's more
characters. Material."
There are plenty of memorable characters and "rural noir" material in "Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter", named after the way school children are taught to spell Mississippi--M I crooked letter crooked letter I crooked letter crooked letter I humpback humpback I. And this book is VERY Mississippi--it's pretty much a character in its own right. Not in a Southern belle sort of way, but in a sweaty, small town, old grudges kind of way. This is very much a man's book, though women will like it as well. It's a literary crime/thriller novel that's full of taut suspense and engaging dialog that sets the mood and place of the book far more than any pastoral description could.
The basic plot--Silas and Larry were childhood friends, though secretly because Silas is black and Larry is white and the town, especially their
fathers, did not tolerate any sort of mixing of the
races. The secrecy and guilt got more complicated as the boys became teenagers and a young girl disappeared after a date with Larry. No body was found, but the town basically tried and condemned Larry anyway. He became a recluse running a mechanics shop after his Army service that no local would step foot in, trapped in a town he couldn't let go and that wouldn't let go of him.
Silas became a police officer--one of the two full time employees of his small home town. When another body turns up, suspicion once again falls upon Larry, and Silas is caught between old guilt, new crimes, and a scared and angry populace who have their doubts about a black police officer anyway.
This book sucked me in and held me tight as the pages turned and my mind tried to follow the twists and turns of both past and present to figure out just what was going on. The characters LEAP off the page--vivid, alive and staring you straight in the eye. You won't forget any of them any time soon.
more to write about in a failed place, a place mired in its own self-made sin. And it's more
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rural, for course, so it breeds the type of people who choose to live there or it traps people. Either way: characters. Material."
There are plenty of memorable characters and "rural noir" material in "Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter", named after the way school children are taught to spell Mississippi--M I crooked letter crooked letter I crooked letter crooked letter I humpback humpback I. And this book is VERY Mississippi--it's pretty much a character in its own right. Not in a Southern belle sort of way, but in a sweaty, small town, old grudges kind of way. This is very much a man's book, though women will like it as well. It's a literary crime/thriller novel that's full of taut suspense and engaging dialog that sets the mood and place of the book far more than any pastoral description could.
The basic plot--Silas and Larry were childhood friends, though secretly because Silas is black and Larry is white and the town, especially their
fathers, did not tolerate any sort of mixing of the
races. The secrecy and guilt got more complicated as the boys became teenagers and a young girl disappeared after a date with Larry. No body was found, but the town basically tried and condemned Larry anyway. He became a recluse running a mechanics shop after his Army service that no local would step foot in, trapped in a town he couldn't let go and that wouldn't let go of him.
Silas became a police officer--one of the two full time employees of his small home town. When another body turns up, suspicion once again falls upon Larry, and Silas is caught between old guilt, new crimes, and a scared and angry populace who have their doubts about a black police officer anyway.
This book sucked me in and held me tight as the pages turned and my mind tried to follow the twists and turns of both past and present to figure out just what was going on. The characters LEAP off the page--vivid, alive and staring you straight in the eye. You won't forget any of them any time soon.
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LibraryThing member creighley
A moving account of Larry who was accused of rape and murder when in high school. The body was never found, no charges were presented, but the town convicted and alienated Larry all of his life. Someone has shot Larry and now, another girl has been found raped and murdered and the town seems to
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know who did it. The police thiink Larry tried to commit suicide. Nicely written....a little weak with the tie-in between Larry and Silas. Show Less
LibraryThing member Nidge1
Loved this book. Different style of writing for me but got into the swing of it and loved it.
LibraryThing member Staciele
When this book came out, it received a lot of praise and excellent reviews. I wasn't sure I would be interested because it was a "mystery", but after seeing multiple reviews, I decided I had wanted to read it. This book is a mystery novel, but I also thought it was so much more than that. We didn't
I read this book with two other friends and we all loved it. We had a great discussion as this book has lots of topics to discuss. The author did such an amazing job giving the character's depth and we could imagine each one of them. We learned to love and hate them as well as feel sorry for them. I have to admit that I was rooting for Larry all along. I didn't want to believe that he was responsible for the horrific murders, but you will have to read the book to find out if I was right.
This book is a page-turner and has several twists and moments that will shock you. I was interested from page one all the way to the end.
One of my favorite passages from the book was from page 236,
"Maybe Larry was wrong about the word friend, maybe he'd been shoved away from everybody for so long all he was was a sponge for the wrongs other people did. Maybe, after all this time, he'd started to believe their version of him. But no more."
If you are looking for a rich story, with mystery, murder, and family relationships this should be your next read. With it being set in the deep south during the 1960's you can also get a bit of the history from that era. The author really puts his characters into that setting and gives you a clear picture of the times.
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have to read all the gory details about the murders that happened in this story, which I appreciated. The author took time to develop the characters, the setting and the history of the area. As I began to read this and the author was describing the area of Tupelo, Mississippi, I was driving through there on my way home from Florida. As I read about the area, I saw first hand what the author was describing. He didn't leave anything out.I read this book with two other friends and we all loved it. We had a great discussion as this book has lots of topics to discuss. The author did such an amazing job giving the character's depth and we could imagine each one of them. We learned to love and hate them as well as feel sorry for them. I have to admit that I was rooting for Larry all along. I didn't want to believe that he was responsible for the horrific murders, but you will have to read the book to find out if I was right.
This book is a page-turner and has several twists and moments that will shock you. I was interested from page one all the way to the end.
One of my favorite passages from the book was from page 236,
"Maybe Larry was wrong about the word friend, maybe he'd been shoved away from everybody for so long all he was was a sponge for the wrongs other people did. Maybe, after all this time, he'd started to believe their version of him. But no more."
If you are looking for a rich story, with mystery, murder, and family relationships this should be your next read. With it being set in the deep south during the 1960's you can also get a bit of the history from that era. The author really puts his characters into that setting and gives you a clear picture of the times.
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LibraryThing member mcelhra
Larry Ott and Silas “32” Jones were able to form a brief friendship growing up in small-town Mississippi in the 70s even though Larry was white and Silas was black. One day Larry took a girl to the drive-in and she was never seen again. Although Larry was never charged with a crime, the county
This book is a crime drama but it’s more than that too. It’s about Larry and Silas and the relationship between the two men. Larry and Silas are both well-developed characters when it would have been easy to make them stereotypes. I felt like I got to know them both really well and sympathized with both of them. The whodunit part of the plot wasn’t that hard to figure out but I don’t think that was the point of the book. This is a wonderful, character driven story to be immersed in.
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shunned him after that and Silas left town. Now twenty years later, Silas has returned as a constable and Larry continues to live as a hermit. When another girl disappears, they are forced to reconnect and confront their past.This book is a crime drama but it’s more than that too. It’s about Larry and Silas and the relationship between the two men. Larry and Silas are both well-developed characters when it would have been easy to make them stereotypes. I felt like I got to know them both really well and sympathized with both of them. The whodunit part of the plot wasn’t that hard to figure out but I don’t think that was the point of the book. This is a wonderful, character driven story to be immersed in.
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LibraryThing member Casey_Marie
This is not the Tom Franklin from "Poachers," a novella with a collection of short stories where the dialogue is hard tac and the violence both stark and gritty. Instead, in Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter, we see a softer side of the author and the true poetry of his prose reaches its own crowning
The title itself is derived from how children learn to spell their place of birth, Mississippi: "M-I crooked letter crooked letter I crooked letter crooked letter I humpback humpback ." But these letters are not the only thing backwards and twisted in the town of Chabot, MS. This novel touches on a myriad of subjects, such as the repercussions from any engagement with the criminal justice system to the still tenuous tension of racial politics in the contemporary South. However, the at the core of the novel is the brief childhood friendship between a white and black boy: Larry Ott and Silas "32" Jones.
The novel oscillates between present day, where Larry Ott lies with a bullet lodged in his heart, and his adolescence, where Franklin's prose shimmers with both Gothic beauty and decay. In 1982, Larry was accused of murdering a neighborhood girl he took on a single date, but lacking a body and other evidence he was never convicted of the crime. Twenty five years later, he is the prime suspect in the recent disappearance of yet another girl. But in that span of 25 years, social ostracism has taken a very real toll on Mr. Ott. Alone in his house filled with horror books that can only pale in comparison to the horror of his real life, he prays nightly for "one true friend" to come along. Comparisons to Boo Radley can be made, but the upright nature of his character makes him a modern day Atticus Finch and the moral compass of this novel.
No words I can write will ever do justice to Franklins novel, which will haunt long after the book is closed. Ultimately Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter is tale about repercussions, revelations and redemption. As noted in the Washington Post review of this novel, Franklin makes a haunting demonstration of Faulkner's claim that "the past is never dead. It's not even past."
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diadem.The title itself is derived from how children learn to spell their place of birth, Mississippi: "M-I crooked letter crooked letter I crooked letter crooked letter I humpback humpback ." But these letters are not the only thing backwards and twisted in the town of Chabot, MS. This novel touches on a myriad of subjects, such as the repercussions from any engagement with the criminal justice system to the still tenuous tension of racial politics in the contemporary South. However, the at the core of the novel is the brief childhood friendship between a white and black boy: Larry Ott and Silas "32" Jones.
The novel oscillates between present day, where Larry Ott lies with a bullet lodged in his heart, and his adolescence, where Franklin's prose shimmers with both Gothic beauty and decay. In 1982, Larry was accused of murdering a neighborhood girl he took on a single date, but lacking a body and other evidence he was never convicted of the crime. Twenty five years later, he is the prime suspect in the recent disappearance of yet another girl. But in that span of 25 years, social ostracism has taken a very real toll on Mr. Ott. Alone in his house filled with horror books that can only pale in comparison to the horror of his real life, he prays nightly for "one true friend" to come along. Comparisons to Boo Radley can be made, but the upright nature of his character makes him a modern day Atticus Finch and the moral compass of this novel.
No words I can write will ever do justice to Franklins novel, which will haunt long after the book is closed. Ultimately Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter is tale about repercussions, revelations and redemption. As noted in the Washington Post review of this novel, Franklin makes a haunting demonstration of Faulkner's claim that "the past is never dead. It's not even past."
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LibraryThing member debs4jc
I didn't expect this book to have a missing person, a dead body, and a shooting all within the first couple of chapters! I was reading it for book group, after all, and book group books generally don't have that much excitement. This book bucks the trend, however, since it also has a plot that
I and our group found this to be an intriguing read, and we enjoyed discussing it. As you can tell, it has a bit of a mystery to it, and it help keep the reader's interest as the secrets were revealed bit by bit. What really made it discussable was the treatment of the characters, which lead to us talking about what motivated each one. I highly recommend this to fans of thought provoking mysteries.
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centers as much on human relationships as it does on action. One of the main characters is Larry. Larry grew up in the small MIssissippi town where the book is set, but hes now an outcast. When he was a teenager, he went out on a date with a girl. Who disappeared. No one can prove that Larry had anything to do with it, but his tendency to read horror novels and his quiet nature doom him to a live of solitude. The other major character is Silas. Silas is black and his family moved to Mississippi when he was a boy. Back then his race didn't win him many friends, but now he has returned and is the town's constable. And now there is another girl who is missing, and Silas is helping investigate her disappearance. Everyone else seems to think Larry may have had something to do with it. But Silas seems to know more about Larry than he is telling.I and our group found this to be an intriguing read, and we enjoyed discussing it. As you can tell, it has a bit of a mystery to it, and it help keep the reader's interest as the secrets were revealed bit by bit. What really made it discussable was the treatment of the characters, which lead to us talking about what motivated each one. I highly recommend this to fans of thought provoking mysteries.
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LibraryThing member Milda-TX
Good drama/suspense/murder mystery about boys growing up in Mississippi. Alternates between now and 25 years ago as story unfolds. Started slow but halfway thru I had to stay up late to finish...
Media reviews
If you're looking for a smart, thoughtful novel that sinks deep into a Southern hamlet of the American psyche, "Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter" is your next book.
Language
Original language
English
ISBN
0230753051 / 9780230753051
Physical description
320 p.; 6.02 inches
Pages
320