Identify Regarding Books The Memory of Old Jack (Port William)
| Title | : | The Memory of Old Jack (Port William) |
| Author | : | Wendell Berry |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Special Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 170 pages |
| Published | : | October 8th 1999 by Counterpoint (first published February 1st 1974) |
| Categories | : | Fiction. Novels. Historical. Historical Fiction. Literature |
Wendell Berry
Paperback | Pages: 170 pages Rating: 4.28 | 2317 Users | 319 Reviews
Ilustration Supposing Books The Memory of Old Jack (Port William)
In a rural Kentucky river town, "Old Jack" Beechum, a retired farmer, sees his life again through the sades of one burnished day in September 1952. Bringing the earthiness of America's past to mind, The Memory of Old Jack conveys the truth and integrity of the land and the people who live from it. Through the eyes of one man can be seen the values Americans strive to recapture as we arrive at the next century. "Few novelists treat both their characters and their readers with the kind of respect that Wendell Berry displays in this deeply moving account . . . The Memory of Old Jack is a slab of rich Americana." —The New York Times Book ReviewList Books Concering The Memory of Old Jack (Port William)
| Original Title: | The Memory of Old Jack |
| ISBN: | 1582430438 (ISBN13: 9781582430430) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Series: | Port William |
Rating Regarding Books The Memory of Old Jack (Port William)
Ratings: 4.28 From 2317 Users | 319 ReviewsCriticize Regarding Books The Memory of Old Jack (Port William)
Jack Beechum is old now. He is unable to help when the men gather the crops, he is a fixture when old men gather at the local store, he has had to give up his farm to a tenant and reside in the Port William hotel, where he is one of several permanent roomers. But, Jack has had a full life, was once a strapping man who sat a horse like a king, has known love and failure and heartache, and his memories are richer than his current life would allow. Most importantly, he has friends and family whoBerry's poetic sensibilities really allow the prose to sing. There's a rhythm to the language that seems to follow the rhythms of natural things--seasons, rivers, harvests.Berry uses memory here in a couple of intertwining ways. On the one hand, the book follows the memories of "Old Jack" Beechum as he reflects back on the eight-plus decades of his life. While they build slowly, his courtship with Ruth and the episode with Will Wells take the book in surprising and heartfelt directions.However,
A lovely book and it has such gorgeous writing. I dare you to read this and not tear up. I have come to read several of Wendell Berrys books set in the fictional Kentucky town of Port William. They focus on the families of the town, related by birth and their ties to the land. All are as kin, they rely on each other, know everything about one another and share common joys and sorrows. There is a shared understanding of each ones weaknesses and strengths. The land on which they live and the tight
Yes, yes, yes. Each sentence is a jewel from this farmer/poet/novelist. Read it carefully and within a few days' time. Don't miss it if you value land, relationships, reflection, drama.
What stood out to me in this reading of Old Jack were the narrator's words on ambition, in conjunction with the well established sense of place present in all of Berry's fiction. Through his narrator, Berry offers a critique of unconsidered ambition, or ambition that adheres thoughtlessly to the ladder of success offered by the surrounding culture. This emerges first in the character of Andy Catlett, who wrestles with the knowledge that he has a powerful and able mind and wants to make something
Berrys novels always evoke a strong awareness and appreciation for the land, and also for the caretakers, the farmers of it. This poignant one tells how hard Jack worked for his land, to the exclusion of his family. It is another one to read slowly, and to savor the richness of his language and descriptions.
A beautifully written and intimate portrayal of A farming man at the end of his days in rural Kentucky in 1952. As Jack reminisces about his life on the land, the town and his memories of bygone days we see the importance of community, family and the land and the struggles he endures with all of these. While this was set in rural Kentucky America, I could identify with Jack and his love and struggles with the land. I loved how the author drew us into this community and made us care about the
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