Reviews for Catherine Carmier

The average rating for Catherine Carmier based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2018-02-17 00:00:00 Manny Cee So, what's this about really? It is a description of a place and a time. The setting is rural Louisiana in the 1960s. Cajuns, Whites and Blacks are competing for land, for employment and for their very existence. It is about a dysfunctional family--a father deeply tied to his daughter, a daughter deeply tied to her father, this being the Catherine of the book's title, and a mother who needs to be needed. Each feels emotionally and sexually deprived. They want more. They are not satisfied. Jackson, the central protagonist of the novel, he is not satisfied either. He left this hometown, has gotten himself educated in California, but has now returned. He is searching for more. Intellectual improvement, a promising future and of course love too. Disappointed by what he saw and experienced in California, he is at a loss of where and how to proceed next. This is a book about frustrated earnings--physical, sexual, emotional and intellectual. Earnings are so strong and so frustrated that they overflow into violence. The characters are searching for fulfillment, not always through themselves but through others. The prose is abrupt, strong, sometimes brutal, interspersed with dialogs mirroring the language of the town's people. Conversations are a mix of black, creole and Cajun dialects. The story becomes more complicated than you originally think; it is this that raises it up a notch. The telling is powerful and moving. I ended up liking it, despite the fact that dysfunctional family stories are not my usual cup of tea. Audible in the US sells the audiobook. It is produced by Blackstone Audio Incorporated. It is said t to be narrated by S. Patricia Bailey, but it isn't. It is narrated instead by D.M. Green. Audible should provide accurate information! I have notified them; hopefully the information will be corrected. At the beginning I found the narration to be unprofessional. The tempo and volume varied, words were indistinct and the production of the recording was quite simply poor. As one proceeds the reading becomes stronger and clearer. The annoying variations subside. By the end, Green's reading had improved a lot. I have given the narration three stars.

Review # 2 was written on 2017-01-20 00:00:00 Sebastian Weiner I am always drawn to stories that feature a return to a family or community after a prolonged absence, and Gaines presents a poignant one in Catherine Carmier. Jackson returns not as a fresh faced enthusiastic young man ready to take up the challenge and duty to give to his community what he has received in California, but is instead disillusioned and frustrated with the unfairness and cruelties that seem to be true no matter where he goes because of who and what he is. For Jackson, leaving his small segregated community in Louisiana, was an opportunity to taste freedom through education and being surrounded by people who are more open minded. Unfortunately, Jackson finds a different reality than what he dreamed. I was immersed in the story almost immediately. I felt for and understood both Jackson and Charlotte's perspectives. Jackson not wanting to be restricted by the harsh social prejudices that are adhered to by all sides in his home town is understandable. All of the racist rules had to have made him feel choked off from opportunities that should be available to him. As a young man wanting to feel respected and valued not only as a man, but as a full human being Jackson can't bring himself to willingly step back into the place that would be assigned to him. Yet, Charlotte wants Jackson to return not only for her own selfish reasons, but to also be a hopeful example to the other young people in the community. The tension from the push and pull of family and community obligation versus the desire to move forward unencumbered by the debt and unfair and unequal social restrictions are painful to witness. Even Jackson's fascination with a young woman, who in his mind should be within his reach, is yet another frustration and hit to his manhood added to his return home. Unsurprisingly, Gaines smoothly incorporates complex themes of race, colorism, class, gender, and family obligations into a short book. My only complaint is that the ending left me wanting a full conclusion to Jackson's fate that isn't given. However, I have to admit that the ending does work because it leaves issues only half settled, which felt realistic. I am very glad that I am reading all of Gaines' books this year and Catherine Carmier was an excellent start. Where you can find me: •(♥).•*Monlatable Book Reviews*•.(♥)• Twitter: @MonlatReader Instagram: @readermonica Facebook: Monica Reeds Goodreads Group: The Black Bookcase