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, 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.
Jayber Crow: A Novel
By Wendell Berry
Copyright (c) 2000
Counterpoint
ISBN13 9781582431604
Page Count: 363
Genre: Fiction
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