Dirty Work

This is one of the best books Larry Brown wrote and demonstrates his powers beautifully. If you like Larry Brown you will know he was one of the finest writers to emerge from the South in recent times. Now tragically deceased he had a singular voice and if you read one of his books you are guaranteed to want to read them all. Dirty Work is the story of two ex-servicemen who meet each other in a VA hospital. One is terribly wounded physically and the other mentally. No need to say any more. Just read this book I guarantee you it will affect you greatly. What I love about it is the humour. It has some of the funniest passages of anything he wrote but is still hugely moving. This - along with Joe, Big Bad Love, Fay, Father and Son and his first collection of stories, Facing the Music - are my favourite Larry Brown books. I have still not read On Fire, I am trying to keep that one in reserve. Powerhouse writer who was a huge influence on my own writing.

This early work by Larry Brown is one of his best, a fine example of 20th century American literature. The novel is an intense, gritty and profound examination of the human experience in the modern world. As ususal in Brown's writing, the characters are vivid and very real; they are much like the people who surround us in our daily lives. The characters in Brown's novel are Southerners, but they are also Americans and could be from anywhere in the country, with the possible exception of certain major cities. Dirty Work is indeed a dirty work of art that forces the reader to deal with some very tough questions and hard realities that face people in modern America. It is, perhaps, not for everyone, but if you are looking for the best works of contemporary American literature, this novel, and others by Larry Brown, would be well worth your time.

This period of the south and the steamy afternoons of country drama play all the cards for Family, Patriotism, Race, Class and long forgotten prejudices. Joseph Wambaugh took the rural north for a journey and recently departed Larry Brown does the same for the northern reaches of Mississippi. Not an easy book to put down and not an easy set of emotions to find comfort in. Much like the works of author & Tennessee Sheriff David Hunter's works the less pleasant and the un-glossed image of the south remains.

3.5 stars - I read this for a book club, and it is not my style at all. I would not have chosen to read this on my own. Having said that, it was unexpectedly compelling once I got to the end. I had a hard time really connecting with the characters Walter and Braiden because they are so far from anyone or anything I've experienced, and I found the writing style difficult to truly be drawn into, but in the end, I came away with a sense of having eavesdropped on a brutal world that used these two men up then discarded them. The ending was quite unexpected - shocking to me in fact, made me gasp. Although I don't think this novel will tempt me to read more by Brown, I will say this story will stay with me because of how starkly Brown shows us the kind of life people like Walter, Braiden, and their families endure, and THAT is at the heart of this novel - the lives of people all too easy to dismiss, ignore, and overlook. It is worth reading for that. The 3 1/2 stars is because it was very slow going at first (I found myself putting it aside often), the writing style I found difficult to stay focused on, and my difficulty in really connecting with the two main characters.

To say "I am a Larry Brown fan" is an understatement. "Fay" was my first experience and I was hooked! Then the marvelous "Miracle of Catfish" and "Fathers and Sons"....but "Dirty Work" may just be my favorite. The power of these two characters and the way it builds to it's conclusion, well, it was like a punch to my heart! It's a "must read" for many reasons. One is to try to understand the effects of war, on body and soul, of those who go to war and return. It's a short book but enormous in scope! The relationship and compassion these two men develope for each other is unforgettable. The sadness I feel, that Larry Brown is no longer here to continue to write and move us to our core, is huge. His writing is a true American treasure.

Oh, what to say about this work. It is well crafted, intelligent. Presents concepts I had only thought about a little. Dealing with death. I wont say more to avoid a spoiler.I will say, the style of writingt was unfamiliar to me, but as I got in to the flow of the story I enjoyed it very much.I look forward to reading nor work by larry brown.

Mississippi has produced more than its fair share of great writers. William Faulkner, Tennessee Williams, Eudora Welty, Richard Wright, Willie Morris, Richard Ford. And Larry Brown. Does it have anything to do with being born in a poor, provincial state? Maybe. When you think of Mississippi you might think of Faulkner. Larry Brown is not like Faulkner. (With the possible exception of AS I LAY DYING) You won't need to get a dictionary to read Larry Brown. What you will need to do is calm down your nerves and hold on tight. You are in for a hell of a ride.

This is a short work... I liked it. The interplay between the two central characters and how the story unfolded worked for me, and seemed truthful. I would admit, that the outcome of this story may be troubling to some readers, but in my heart of hearts, I would hope to have made the same choice... judge me as you will.

Probably the best anti-war novel I have read, and that includes All Quiet on the Western Front. Two young men from rural Mississippi, one Black and one White, with the former's belief in God more sophisticated and moving than I thought possible. Insightful description of Basic Training, with the concluding "wisdom" of "don't die for your country, make the other sucker die for his." The sacrifice the white boy makes to the black man is selfless--and not an act that would be condoned by anyone who has a authentic concept of self-hood or courage. Reading this is the best way to detect the crap in shallow patriotic pronouncements

As far as Brown's books go, I'd place this as my second or third favourite that I have read. The back stories of each character and the way they are explored is interesting, and some parts of the book had me hooked. As with his other books (and this is a complaint from many), the repeated focus on beer and cigarettes may get a little repetitive to some. However, this is an essential component of his view of the South, so one can see why these references slip into much of his work.This does not rival Joe as a page-turning novel for me, but it is a good debut novel, and casts a stark image of war and the effect that it has on those that are wounded in conflict. The inner and outer monologues of the characters as they share their storeis in alternate chapters is an effective and different technique in this dual narrative. For this reason, it is quite different to Joe, Fay or Father & Son, and I would recommend it to fans of Larry Brown and people who enjoy Southern American literature.

This was my second Larry Brown after 'Father and Son' and he didn't let me down. It was another tale that I could not put down. I can't wait to read the next - my only reservation is that he wrote so few before his untimely death. If you enjoy the works of McCormack, Proulx and deWitt you will love Brown - his work displays a love of people despite their many faults.

Im a big fan of Larry Brown but missed this one. A very dark read but you can't put it down.