Serena: A Novel
by Ron Rash
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Book Reviews of Serena: A Novel
Book Review: Human evil; nature raped
Summary: 5 Stars
In a remarkable creation of human evil, Serena Pemberton, the new wife of lumber baron wannabe, George Pemberton, finds her mark. Her goal: power, regardless of the cost.
But the land, and the people who work it, who live within it, who benefit from its beauty, bounty and sustenance, get an important piece of the spotlight in Ron Rash's exquisitely written story set in the Great Depression of western North Carolina's Appalachian forests.
I finished this full and captivating story a few days ago, and it still evokes strongly felt and satisfying emotions of the amazing craft of writing that it is. Despite the evilness permeating the tale, redemption and even human goodness and love is present. Yet, I couldn't help asking myself if any good was going to come of the powerful evil saturating the story.
Be careful considering those who haven't finished reading the book, or who have commented about the evil characters within it. For this reader, there was the pervasive evil balanced by good, allowing the power of each to show itself clearly, brutally, lovingly and fully.
Book Review: disappointing
Summary: 3 Stars
Though the book jacket was promising- the follow through was weak. There was lots of potential for this to be a sweeping epic with many characters and intermingling back stories. In the end it felt like Rush didn't have the stamina or patience to really develop it. The characters (and there were many, perhaps too many), were all one-dimensional. Major events in the story were glossed over; a murder would occur and we would only find out later in passing. Meanwhile, he would spend more time on inconsequential descriptions of landscape, side character dialogue, or two of the main characters "cleaving their bodies" at night. I feel like Rush avoided writing the more important or difficult scenes. In the end, it was like watching a straight to DVD movie. A rushed plot with flat characters. You're not really invested, but you started it, so you might as well finish it. I gave it 3 stars rather than 2 because it was still readable and the setting was interesting. I've definitely read and put down worse.Book Review: Macbeth In the Great Smokies
Summary: 4 Stars
History, greed, blood and hubris, not to mention insightful portraits of Appalachian culture, abound in Serena. Macbeth comes to the Depression-era Great Smoky Mountains in the finest novel yet by North Carolina writer Ron Rash (The World Made Straight, One Foot In Eden). Ambitious newlywed timber moguls George and Serena Pemberton ravage the mountain landscape while savaging their competitors and fiercely resisting allies of the budding conservation movement led by Teddy Roosevelt. Rash's story is as fast, deep and mesmerizing as his setting's ancient rivers. Filled with Shakespearean levels of deception, cruelty and retribution (mountain-style), Serena speaks to current times with its portrait of modern business greed colliding with a very old land and its inhabitants. Rash has written some very fine novels before Serena, but it's as if those books were mere training for the heavy lifting he performed for this terrific novel.
Book Review: Good Story Could Have Been Made Better
Summary: 4 Stars
The book is a good read, but it could have been so much more. A basic tenet of fiction writing is to observe the character arc of the protagonist, who in this case has to be Serena. Much is lost when the reader is spoon fed what Serena is like through other characters. Serena never changed throughout the novel; her trajectory remained level thoughout the story. It the reader could have gotten into her head, as was the case with Pemberton, perhaps there would have been an opportunity to understand her. Dialogue is not nearly enough to understand someone. Serena had no self-revelation and no weaknesses per se. Like she has timber cut down in the slyvan areas, she cuts down anyone in her way, which leads to a disappointing ending. I would have liked to have seen the panther make an appearance.
I gave the novel a high rating because of superb prose. The metaphors and similies are fantastic.
Book Review: Good, but not great
Summary: 3 Stars
I spotted Serena at a local bookstore and was immediately captivated by both the plot summary and the photo on the cover. I finished the book with mixed feelings. The details and dangers of the logging industry in 1929 are fascinating, and another Amazon reviewer was on target in comparing the unabashed greed and ruthlessness of the main characters to Daniel Day Lewis' character in There Will Be Blood. The book also had me up late as the story winds up to its climax. However, the ending was as unsatisfying as it was predictable (deus ex machina in the extreme), and nothing prepares the reader for the loggers' remorse for a blighted landscape. Rash is very good at evoking a time and place, and some of the main characters are intriguing, but the story unravels a bit at the end, making it a three-star book in my opinion.