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The classic American novel of a philandering, murderous preacher from the national bestselling author of God's Little Acre. When preacher Semon Dye moves into the tiny Georgia town of Rocky Comfort, many of its citizens welcome him. After all, the only church in town is being used to store fertilizer. But sermons aren't the first thing on the mind of the tall, magnetic, and utterly dissolute man. Other callings take priority: women, whiskey, gambling, and hiding from the law. Even as he seduces wives, cheats at cards, and provokes old feuds, Dye manages to cast a dark spell over all the people in Rocky Comfort. Journeyman is a wicked send-up of religious fervor by an American master of dark political satire. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Erskine Caldwell including rare photos and never-before-seen documents courtesy of the Dartmouth College Library.… (more)
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Caldwell may have been thinking in terms of a Southern trilogy when he wrote “Journeyman,” beginning in 1933. The problem was getting this third novel published. The other two novels sold well, yet were so controversial that Viking Press was reluctant to publish “Journeyman” without substantial changes, which the author resisted. This went on for years until a compromise was reached.
The sex in Caldwell's novels was never graphic — this was the 1930s, after all — but it was suggestive enough to keep readers turning the pages. Years later, the third novel restored to its original version, sex dominates. Even in the revival service near the end of the book, women in spiritual ecstasy strip off clothing. Yet somehow the novel reads like literature just the same.
Caldwell's plot is simple enough. Semon Dye, an itinerant preacher, comes to Rocky Comfort, Ga., and stops at the shack of Clay Horey, who may be the world's laziest farmer. Semon plans to preach at the local schoolhouse on Sunday, but that gives him several days to stir up enough sin to make the Sunday service more worthwhile.
"I'll run the Devil out of this place," the preacher promises. A few lines later he adds "The Lord don't have to bother about me. He sort of gives me a free rein."
And so the preacher sets out drinking another man's corn liquor, seducing every attractive woman in sight — and in Caldwell novels all the women seem to be attractive — and using crooked dice to take Clay's money, his car and even his teen-age wife.
In one of the novel's memorable passages, Semon, Clay and another man take turns peeking through a crack in the side of a barn. They see nothing but trees and brush, yet somehow the scene seems more enticing, powerful and meaningful when viewed through that crack in the wall.
Caldwell's novel becomes a crack in the side of a barn, giving readers a small but fascinating view of life in 1930s rural Georgia.
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Omslaget viser titel og forfatternavn på rød baggrund
Indskannet omslag - N650U - 150 dpi
Oversat fra amerikansk "Journeyman" af Sven Møller Kristensen
Delfinbøgerne, bind 15
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| 813.52 |