Books About the South

cawacko

cawacko

Well-known member
Anyone have a recommendation for good books about the South and it's history/culture etc.? I just finished reading a book about the 1970's and it spoke to lots of changes occurring in the South during that decade so that sparked my interest.
 
cawacko said:
Anyone have a recommendation for good books about the South and it's history/culture etc.? I just finished reading a book about the 1970's and it spoke to lots of changes occurring in the South during that decade so that sparked my interest.
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Little has changed, besides the Republican party being taken over by the Dixiecrats and pursuing their same old policies.
 
cawacko said:
Anyone have a recommendation for good books about the South and it's history/culture etc.? I just finished reading a book about the 1970's and it spoke to lots of changes occurring in the South during that decade so that sparked my interest.
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Read "A Confederacy of Dunces." that and DeTouquevilles "Democracy in America". I'd also suggest "To Kill a Mockingbird."
 
You have a good sense of humor Wacko. Read a confederacy of dunces. It's a work of genius and a good snap shot of the south (New Orleans) in the 1960's. LONG LIVE IGNATIOUS J. REILLY!!!

I think that for what you're interested in, recent history of the south, it will have what you're looking for. It's also highly entertaining and you'll get a good laugh or two.

Othern southern books I'd recommend are "The Sound and the Fury" by William Falkner and Mark Twains classic "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn."
 
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Mott the Hoople said:
You have a good sense of humor Wacko. Read a confederacy of dunces. It's a work of genius and a good snap shot of the south (New Orleans) in the 1960's. LONG LIVE IGNATIOUS J. REILLY!!!

I think that for what you're interested in, recent history of the south, it will have what you're looking for. It's also highly entertaining and you'll get a good laugh or two.

Othern southern books I'd recommend are "The Sound and the Fury" by William Falkner and Mark Twains classic "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn."
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I haven't read the first, but read Faulkner and Twin. I read a lot of Faulkner in high school, thought of reading them now! Twain and Faulkner, both brilliant!
 
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Mott the Hoople said:
You have a good sense of humor Wacko. Read a confederacy of dunces. It's a work of genius and a good snap shot of the south (New Orleans) in the 1960's. LONG LIVE IGNATIOUS J. REILLY!!!

I think that for what you're interested in, recent history of the south, it will have what you're looking for. It's also highly entertaining and you'll get a good laugh or two.

Othern southern books I'd recommend are "The Sound and the Fury" by William Falkner and Mark Twains classic "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn."
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For whatever reason I'm more into non-fiction however the conferderacy of dunces you mentioned got some really good reviews on Amazon so I may have to check it out. Thanks.
 
A Confederacy of Dunces is pure genius. Shame the author didn't write more.

If you want southern authors, Faulkner is always a good choice. While more of a playwright, Tennessee Williams has always had a knack for capturing the flavor of the south.

I'm not much of a reader of nonfiction, so I can't help you there.
 
cawacko said:
For whatever reason I'm more into non-fiction however the conferderacy of dunces you mentioned got some really good reviews on Amazon so I may have to check it out. Thanks.
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For non-fiction then you can't beat Alexis DeTouqevilles "Democracy in America.". It's amazing how a foreigner can so accurately describe the American experience far more accurately then his American contemporaries did. Maybe distance gave him an objectivity that we native Americans lack.
 
WinterBorn said:
A Confederacy of Dunces is pure genius. Shame the author didn't write more.

If you want southern authors, Faulkner is always a good choice. While more of a playwright, Tennessee Williams has always had a knack for capturing the flavor of the south.

I'm not much of a reader of nonfiction, so I can't help you there.
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It's a shame that publishers didn't recognize his brilliance. I think it's safe to say that it was the years of rejection which lead to Toole's depression and suicide. It also makes you wonder what other master pieces of literature are lying moldering in a heap cause some short sighted people couldn't recognize it as such?
 
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Mott the Hoople said:
It's a shame that publishers didn't recognize his brilliance. I think it's safe to say that it was the years of rejection which lead to Toole's depression and suicide. It also makes you wonder what other master pieces of literature are lying moldering in a heap cause some short sighted people couldn't recognize it as such?
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I am sure there are plenty. Literature is like music, we have to rely on the "gatekeepers" to recognize brilliance.
 
I'd love to see this made into a movie. The problem is it would take a screen writer as brilliant as Toole to write one.

John Goodman would have been perfect for this role 20 years ago. Now I don't think he's to old to be able to pull it off cause I don't think he could pull off being 30. Maybe Zack Galifalakis or how the hell ever you spell his name or maybe Jack Black.
 
Mott the Hoople said:
I'd love to see this made into a movie. The problem is it would take a screen writer as brilliant as Toole to write one.

John Goodman would have been perfect for this role 20 years ago. Now I don't think he's to old to be able to pull it off cause I don't think he could pull off being 30. Maybe Zack Galifalakis or how the hell ever you spell his name or maybe Jack Black.
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The funny thing is that even country music recognized the genius. There was a song out a few years back that used the "Thats my story and I'm sticking to it" scene with the hammock.
 
I remember someone posting a thread abut the book and there was quite a bit of discussion about who they would like to see playing the roles if a film of it was made.
 
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