Book Review - Burning Bright by Ron Rash

I finished Ron Rash's newest story collection, Burning Bright (2010) last night. I love Ron Rash in general, and some of his novels are among my favorite books, including Serena, which I thought was the best book I read last year. This bunch of stories left me feeling empty though. I guess that is partly the point, given his choice of topics and subject matter, but it does not make for a satisfying or uplifting read. As always, the stories are all firmly rooted in the western Carolina mountains, with the settings ranging from Civil War days to the current. The characters are mostly broken people in bad situations. As observant readers of prior reviews will know, I like sad stories and tragic situations as much as anybody, given the dramatic opportunities they present for a good writer, but this book seemed to me to be universally devoid of hope, even implied hope. And I guess that's why I am left feeling very ambivalent about it, which surprises me given my love of Rash's work in general.

The book is 205 pages of fairly small format "light" pages, so it is a quick read. Rash's prose is very fluid and easy, so it is not a large time investment to get through this book. I am somewhat hesitant to recommend it strongly, although I would recommend it. But readers should be forewarned; this is dark stuff and will not suit everybody's tastes.

3.5 stars out of 5. Well written but dark.

Books read in 2010: 20 [totalling 4,498 pages]
New authors: 13
Published in 2010: 12 [including this]
Classics: still 3