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Product Description
Observer
'A work of strange beauty, totally original.'
VS Pritchett
'One of the most gifted and startling writers to have come out of the American South.'
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I have long wanted to read something of Flannery O'Connor's and am glad I now have read her masterpiece. It is a strange and sad story of the far fringes of Christian faith and what degeneracy happens when this goes wrong. Flannery writes in a spare, pure style, capturing the speech and starkness of the deep South and its mentality. Highly recommended.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The story opens with Hazel Motes, a man recently discharged from the Army, on the train to the fictional town of Taulkinham, Tennessee, where he's "...going to do some things I never have done before." Hazel has never been to Taulkinham and once he does get there and has sorted out his lodging, he goes about trying to start `the church without Christ' by street preaching.
Hazel believes that he can be saved from evil by believing in nothing. If he has no soul to save then there is no such thing as sin and therefore he can do whatever the hell he likes. By avoiding sin this way he will get to meet Jesus (or something like that).Of course in doing this, Hazel just proves himself as a believer and other characters are used to argue different aspects of theology.
Other characters in the book include a preacher who may or may not have blinded himself with acid, his daughter who only believes in self-gratification and Hazel's follower Enoch who is trying to find the new physical Jesus. It's a strange strange book which brings in one grotesque character in after another and I'm not entirely sure what to make of it all.
I am glad I read it, the characters were all thought provoking and there was a large amount of black comedy throughout. However I don't think I really connected at all with the story and found the narrative quite strange and out of place in parts.
Hazel believes that he can be saved from evil by believing in nothing. If he has no soul to save then there is no such thing as sin and therefore he can do whatever the hell he likes. By avoiding sin this way he will get to meet Jesus (or something like that).Of course in doing this, Hazel just proves himself as a believer and other characters are used to argue different aspects of theology.
Other characters in the book include a preacher who may or may not have blinded himself with acid, his daughter who only believes in self-gratification and Hazel's follower Enoch who is trying to find the new physical Jesus. It's a strange strange book which brings in one grotesque character in after another and I'm not entirely sure what to make of it all.
I am glad I read it, the characters were all thought provoking and there was a large amount of black comedy throughout. However I don't think I really connected at all with the story and found the narrative quite strange and out of place in parts.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I wish I'd discovered Flannery O'Connor years ago. Wonderful Southern Gothic writing/plot etc,
Deals with the church, chicanery & non believers.
Some similarities with Faulkner - ie written dialogue in vernacular & literary descriptions of the story.
Some people hate Faulkner, I love his style & narrative skill.
Flannery O'Connor died young of lupus disease, a great loss to all of us.
Deals with the church, chicanery & non believers.
Some similarities with Faulkner - ie written dialogue in vernacular & literary descriptions of the story.
Some people hate Faulkner, I love his style & narrative skill.
Flannery O'Connor died young of lupus disease, a great loss to all of us.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
fascinating and I don't know why?
I read this in half a day, was engrossed and found the whole book "page turning" good.
It is short, perfect for a short flight or train journey somewhere. Read more
It is short, perfect for a short flight or train journey somewhere. Read more
Published 6 months ago by G. Brooks
Wise Blood; Flannery O' Connor
Flannery O'Connor is an author whose writing I have always wanted to explore. Her writing style has been categorised as `Southern Gothic' being influenced by her home environment... Read more
Published 8 months ago by N. A. Spencer
An exceptional book
I was introduced to this book a while ago but have only just gotten around to reviewing it. It is extraordinary. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Sandy
Absolute and utter rubbish
Simply do not waste your time with this poorly written book as it is unreadable and utter rubbish. the true sign of mediocrity is that such a book is considered to be good.
Published 11 months ago by Naeem Abu Junayd
Beautiful, unexplained characters...
Any book that has a character kill a guy and put on a bear suit has to be pretty special...and this one is. I love it. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Stavrogin
The Best Book I Have Ever Read
Wise Blood will draw you in, make you laugh and make you think with its darkly humourous description of one man's struggle to make sense of his own existence. Read more
Published on 20 Jan 2002
Puts Hannibal Lecter In His Place - The Dustbin
I am completely new to Flannery O'Connor although I have been aware of her through citations in articles and books. Read more
Published on 26 Jun 1999
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