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Home from the Hill
Twelve years after Hannah Hunnicutt was committed to a Dallas asylum, her body is brought home to northeast Texas to be buried alongside those of her husband and son. Etched on all three gravestones is the same date of death: May 28, 1939.
Home from the Hill is the story of that tragic day and the dramatic events leading up to it. The biggest landowner in the county, Captain Wade Hunnicutt was a charismatic war hero whose legendary hunting skills extended to the wives of his friends and neighbors. Humiliated by her husband’s philandering, Hannah grew to despise Captain Wade but was too proud to ask for a divorce; instead, she devoted herself to her only child. Torn between his mother’s adoration and an overwhelming need to win his father’s approval, Theron tried to become his own man. And he might have succeeded if he hadn’t fallen in love with the beautiful and innocent Libby Halstead.
Home from the Hill is the story of that tragic day and the dramatic events leading up to it. The biggest landowner in the county, Captain Wade Hunnicutt was a charismatic war hero whose legendary hunting skills extended to the wives of his friends and neighbors. Humiliated by her husband’s philandering, Hannah grew to despise Captain Wade but was too proud to ask for a divorce; instead, she devoted herself to her only child. Torn between his mother’s adoration and an overwhelming need to win his father’s approval, Theron tried to become his own man. And he might have succeeded if he hadn’t fallen in love with the beautiful and innocent Libby Halstead.
312 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1957
194 people are currently reading
466 people want to read
About the author
William Humphrey
73 books17 followersWilliam Humphrey was an American novelist, memoirist, short story writer, and author of literary sporting and nature stories. His published works, while still available in French translation, largely have been out of print until recently. Home from the Hill and The Ordways are available from LSU Press. In 2015, Open Road Media published the complete works of William Humphrey in digital form.
Of significant interest to readers of Humphrey are Wakeful Anguish, A Literary Biography of William Humphrey by Ashby Bland Crowder as well as Far From Home, Selected Letters of William Humphrey edited by Crowder, both available from Louisiana State University Press.
Of significant interest to readers of Humphrey are Wakeful Anguish, A Literary Biography of William Humphrey by Ashby Bland Crowder as well as Far From Home, Selected Letters of William Humphrey edited by Crowder, both available from Louisiana State University Press.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
December 1, 2017
Humphrey's tale of small-town life in Texas circa 1938 is pretty engaging, though I don't know that anyone reads this kind of writing much anymore. Most of the character's concerns that contribute to their ultimate tragedy might as well be those of people from another country for all the relevance that they share with contemporary America, or even contemporary Texas. Still, looked at from a anthropological point of view, the book is a good showcase for certain attitudes that were prevalent at one time--although I didn't live through the heart of those times, I am old enough to have experienced the vestiges of them. Humphrey writes about a time when community standards were so important that they dictated almost every facet of one's life, and Home from the Hill is a kind of chronicle of what could happen if anyone tried to circumvent those standards. The result is a picture of a time that ought to be required reading for anyone ever pining for 'the good old days', as Humphrey gives us a convincing, constrictive panorama of the 'old days' that is as asphyxiating as being locked in a closet.
From a technical standpoint, the book begins in what I thought was a rather over-the-top way, but after a couple of chapters, it either got better or I got used to it, because I was drawn into the story quickly, and finished the book in two days. I will mention, though, that in the few scenes where African-Americans are depicted, it is inherently offensive, but probably very indicative of small towns in America during this time. Humphrey isn't deliberately crude--it's obvious he's going for realism, but that realism can't help but be squirm-inducing in today's age. Again, though, looking at it as a study of people from this time, I think it could be eye-opening if all one has read are either the sanitized, politically-correct accounts that I see a lot of today, or the polemical narratives designed to inflame readers. In other words, contemporary accounts seem to frame historical problems in accordance with contemporary views. It can be enlightening to read what people thought who were contemporaneous with those problems.
I suspect Humphrey himself must have found the small Texas town life to be far too limiting--the back matter of my edition states that at the time Home from the Hill was published, he was living in New York, which I assume had a much more liberal atmosphere. With this book, the author seems to suggest that in the small towns of the American 1930's, everyone had a role--and one either fulfilled it, or suffered in silence, or left. In order to write the book he did, it was probably necessary to leave--reading it even today is almost enough to choke one with the stagnant air of a closed society, which was most likely Humphrey's exact goal. Although there are still tons of problems in our society today, a book like Home from the Hill, besides being an entertaining novel, also makes it clear that the answers most likely do not lie in the past.
From a technical standpoint, the book begins in what I thought was a rather over-the-top way, but after a couple of chapters, it either got better or I got used to it, because I was drawn into the story quickly, and finished the book in two days. I will mention, though, that in the few scenes where African-Americans are depicted, it is inherently offensive, but probably very indicative of small towns in America during this time. Humphrey isn't deliberately crude--it's obvious he's going for realism, but that realism can't help but be squirm-inducing in today's age. Again, though, looking at it as a study of people from this time, I think it could be eye-opening if all one has read are either the sanitized, politically-correct accounts that I see a lot of today, or the polemical narratives designed to inflame readers. In other words, contemporary accounts seem to frame historical problems in accordance with contemporary views. It can be enlightening to read what people thought who were contemporaneous with those problems.
I suspect Humphrey himself must have found the small Texas town life to be far too limiting--the back matter of my edition states that at the time Home from the Hill was published, he was living in New York, which I assume had a much more liberal atmosphere. With this book, the author seems to suggest that in the small towns of the American 1930's, everyone had a role--and one either fulfilled it, or suffered in silence, or left. In order to write the book he did, it was probably necessary to leave--reading it even today is almost enough to choke one with the stagnant air of a closed society, which was most likely Humphrey's exact goal. Although there are still tons of problems in our society today, a book like Home from the Hill, besides being an entertaining novel, also makes it clear that the answers most likely do not lie in the past.
July 27, 2015
Home from the Hill, a National Book Award finalist about to be re-released, is the kind of story that lingers and affects the reader’s mood long after it is over. Upon completing the DRC, I felt a sense of loss that only comes with really splendid literature. So thank you Open Road Integrated Media, and thank you Net Galley for hooking me up. And if the spirit of the late, great author lingers among us, I want to thank him for tearing out my heart and feeding it to me with a spoon. It’s that good.
We know from the get-go that this one won’t end well. We think we are prepared for it. The people that live in that sleepy little Depression-era Texas town are a closed-mouthed lot, but the narrator is telling us things that the stranger in their midst doesn’t know. We know it’s a tragic tale because of this, but later we get so caught up in the magic being spun that we forget ourselves, and we cannot help hoping.
Boomer-gens like this reviewer may find colloquialisms and slang terms they had long forgotten; my own family, some of whom harkened from that neck of the woods, used them liberally some fifty years ago. Between this and the skillful use of setting and character, I felt as if I were sitting in the Captain’s den (though women are really not allowed there) listening to Chauncey spin his hunting stories, ones borne of longstanding oral tradition. I almost fell off the bed when I saw the word “larruping”. I had thought it was an onomatopoeia until I read it. I had forgotten the term entirely, but Humphrey brought it back, and I could hear it in my father’s voice, though he has been dead most of my life.
Ahem. The story. All right, let’s try this: what if Shakespeare had written Romeo and Juliet, but instead of his characters fantasizing and vowing not be Capulet or Montague, they had said, “Well of course, I am a Capulet, and you are a Montague, but we’ll give it time. They’ll come around.” But oh my my my, they would have been so very wrong. Nobody is going to do anything of the sort.
In a sense, Humphrey almost makes Shakespeare seem shallow, because the foundation of his tragic love story is this: we may love someone our families may not prefer, yet we are still what we came from. Even as we strive to be better people, different people than those who bore us and those that came before them, a piece of them remains at the core of what we are.
So although Theron wants to be someone better than his mother and certainly better than his father, it’s just not that simple. He is an independent, whole new person, with his own ideas, dreams, and resolutions…and he is still his father’s son. And he is still Hannah’s lad.
Libby loves her parents dearly, and when things go wrong, it is them she turns to. But of course, there is Theron. She loves him, and nobody else will really do. Surely, in a world made of fine people with the best of intentions, there ought to be a way?
Not so much.
I’ve read a few sad-sack reviews written by former literature students who have whined that they were required to read this in college. I want to smack those people upside the head and tell them to be grateful, and maybe go back and read it again.
All I know for sure is that it not only immersed me in another time and another place…it also reminded me of who I am.
We know from the get-go that this one won’t end well. We think we are prepared for it. The people that live in that sleepy little Depression-era Texas town are a closed-mouthed lot, but the narrator is telling us things that the stranger in their midst doesn’t know. We know it’s a tragic tale because of this, but later we get so caught up in the magic being spun that we forget ourselves, and we cannot help hoping.
Boomer-gens like this reviewer may find colloquialisms and slang terms they had long forgotten; my own family, some of whom harkened from that neck of the woods, used them liberally some fifty years ago. Between this and the skillful use of setting and character, I felt as if I were sitting in the Captain’s den (though women are really not allowed there) listening to Chauncey spin his hunting stories, ones borne of longstanding oral tradition. I almost fell off the bed when I saw the word “larruping”. I had thought it was an onomatopoeia until I read it. I had forgotten the term entirely, but Humphrey brought it back, and I could hear it in my father’s voice, though he has been dead most of my life.
Ahem. The story. All right, let’s try this: what if Shakespeare had written Romeo and Juliet, but instead of his characters fantasizing and vowing not be Capulet or Montague, they had said, “Well of course, I am a Capulet, and you are a Montague, but we’ll give it time. They’ll come around.” But oh my my my, they would have been so very wrong. Nobody is going to do anything of the sort.
In a sense, Humphrey almost makes Shakespeare seem shallow, because the foundation of his tragic love story is this: we may love someone our families may not prefer, yet we are still what we came from. Even as we strive to be better people, different people than those who bore us and those that came before them, a piece of them remains at the core of what we are.
So although Theron wants to be someone better than his mother and certainly better than his father, it’s just not that simple. He is an independent, whole new person, with his own ideas, dreams, and resolutions…and he is still his father’s son. And he is still Hannah’s lad.
Libby loves her parents dearly, and when things go wrong, it is them she turns to. But of course, there is Theron. She loves him, and nobody else will really do. Surely, in a world made of fine people with the best of intentions, there ought to be a way?
Not so much.
I’ve read a few sad-sack reviews written by former literature students who have whined that they were required to read this in college. I want to smack those people upside the head and tell them to be grateful, and maybe go back and read it again.
All I know for sure is that it not only immersed me in another time and another place…it also reminded me of who I am.
February 24, 2015
William Humphrey (1924-1997) was a brilliant novelist, memoirist, and short story writer. Although he enjoyed wide critical acclaim and a fair amount of professional success, his work today is largely forgotten and most of it has been allowed to go out of print. Happily, Open Road Media has reintroduced his complete published works in ten Ebooks! HOME FROM THE HILL, Humphrey's first novel was written in the form of a classical tragedy. In a recurring theme of Humphrey's, he chronicles the end of an aristocratic Southern family and challenges many of the prevailing myths of Southern history and character. This novel was made into an unfortunate Hollywood movie. Although Humphrey claimed never to have seen it, the sale of the movie rights enabled him to realize his dream of a literary life.
March 22, 2022
One of my favorite movies is Home From the Hill with Robert Mitchum and Eleanor Parker, but this is one of those rare times where the movie (at least for me) was MUCH better than the book. I have never read any other books by this author so I’m not sure if it was the time in which it was originally written (1950’s) or if it was just the author’s style of writing, but I found it difficult to read. I never truly felt connected to the characters I loved so much on the screen, even though I was reading a nearly identical story (for the most part).
Unlike the movie, this story begins with a procession for Hannah Hunnicutt, whose remains are being brought home to her final resting place. She will be buried alongside the stones that bear the names of her husband (Captain Wade Hunnicutt) and her son (Theron Hunnicutt). The dates on all three tombstones read “died May 28, 1939.” Technically, so did Hannah.
And so the author begins to give you the saga of a family that could have been great, could have been happy and could have thrived in closeness and tenderness if it wasn’t for one item – a hardened heart. The parents’ hearts are open and loving to their son, but for the couple who created his very existence, they live as strangers. Their separateness leaves Theron to split his time and life between the feminine side of his mother who is well-bread, mannered and schooled in the ways of society and the large embodiment of manhood that his father represents. Wade is respected and feared by others, he is wealthy and powerful and answers to no one. He is a hunter and enjoys the outdoors and shares his enthusiasm for the hunt with his son.
If you were born into such an existence, you would think your surroundings normal. From an outsider’s standpoint, you see the damage being created by the hidden cracks. Their offspring is given a “show” of respect for one another with no outward signs of affection leaving him with a void of knowing how to build a meaningful and lasting relationship. Each family member is hunting for something. Wade is hunting for the attention and respect he cannot get from his wife and let’s his foolish pride keep him from crossing the line drawn between them. He therefore finds his pleasure in those who ask no questions and expect nothing in return. Hannah is hunting for revenge – even though down deep she denies it. She is hungry and hunting for affection and an apology that will never come so she drowns herself in the life of her son. Theron is hunting for direction and answers. Like any good hunter, you can sense when you are getting close to the prey, and Theron knows all the answers for adulthood lie within his parents, but doesn’t know how to set the trap to get the answers he so desperately wants.
When I hear the title “Home from the Hill”, I will still always see visions of the movie I love so dearly. However, the most endearing part of the book were the tombstones all marked with the same date of death (something NOT in the movie). It may haven taken many years for the last of the bodies (Hannah) to be received in the earth, but how fitting are the words from the poem, “Home is the hunter, home from the hill.”
Unlike the movie, this story begins with a procession for Hannah Hunnicutt, whose remains are being brought home to her final resting place. She will be buried alongside the stones that bear the names of her husband (Captain Wade Hunnicutt) and her son (Theron Hunnicutt). The dates on all three tombstones read “died May 28, 1939.” Technically, so did Hannah.
And so the author begins to give you the saga of a family that could have been great, could have been happy and could have thrived in closeness and tenderness if it wasn’t for one item – a hardened heart. The parents’ hearts are open and loving to their son, but for the couple who created his very existence, they live as strangers. Their separateness leaves Theron to split his time and life between the feminine side of his mother who is well-bread, mannered and schooled in the ways of society and the large embodiment of manhood that his father represents. Wade is respected and feared by others, he is wealthy and powerful and answers to no one. He is a hunter and enjoys the outdoors and shares his enthusiasm for the hunt with his son.
If you were born into such an existence, you would think your surroundings normal. From an outsider’s standpoint, you see the damage being created by the hidden cracks. Their offspring is given a “show” of respect for one another with no outward signs of affection leaving him with a void of knowing how to build a meaningful and lasting relationship. Each family member is hunting for something. Wade is hunting for the attention and respect he cannot get from his wife and let’s his foolish pride keep him from crossing the line drawn between them. He therefore finds his pleasure in those who ask no questions and expect nothing in return. Hannah is hunting for revenge – even though down deep she denies it. She is hungry and hunting for affection and an apology that will never come so she drowns herself in the life of her son. Theron is hunting for direction and answers. Like any good hunter, you can sense when you are getting close to the prey, and Theron knows all the answers for adulthood lie within his parents, but doesn’t know how to set the trap to get the answers he so desperately wants.
When I hear the title “Home from the Hill”, I will still always see visions of the movie I love so dearly. However, the most endearing part of the book were the tombstones all marked with the same date of death (something NOT in the movie). It may haven taken many years for the last of the bodies (Hannah) to be received in the earth, but how fitting are the words from the poem, “Home is the hunter, home from the hill.”
June 18, 2013
This is a much loved book from my early teens. I searched for a copy in used book stores for years & found one not long ago. The author was from a small Texas town not far from the smaller Texas town where I grew up. There was so much cultural truth in this book and so much of the sadness in the dysfunction of that culture. The writing may be dated (though lyrical) but the truth of the story remains. I also loved the movie with Robert Mitchum, Eleanor Parker, George Peppard, George Hamilton, etc... B & W with all the over-acting of the 50's & early 60's!
November 9, 2016
Well written and curiously interesting. A real page-turner!
September 4, 2016
Thanks to Open Road Integrated Media and NetGalley I’ve now discovered William Humphrey, who has sadly faded from view, a great shame if this fine novel is anything to go by. It’s his first and possibly most famous novel and it’s very good indeed, a real gem. It’s the story of the Hunnicutt family and set in a small town in northeast Texas. Captain Wade Hunnicutt is a womaniser and his exploits have far-reaching consequences for his long-suffering wife and only son. In Southern Gothic tradition, tragedy is inevitable and Humphrey’s novelistic skill is demonstrated by his sense of pacing, plotting and characterisation. I found it a powerful and compelling novel, with only the occasional longueur (the hunting scenes in particular) and overall a haunting and memorable tale.
April 21, 2018
Dear Writer, this is a good book if you are looking for an example of a strong self-centered character. It was made into a popular movie-George Hamilton, Robert Mitchum but from what I've seen from the movie trailer the book's story line is different than the movie's. Great vignette of the sport of hunting.
October 6, 2017
Dark beautifully written in the older style. Very much Faulkner like. You know the ending from the beginning pages and that adds to the tension of how it got there.
February 19, 2025
07/08/2019
ONE OF THE GREAT ONES
I first read this wonderful novel in 1968, at which time it established itself in my top 10 favourites, where it has remained ever since, even after reading over 5,000 books. Ten years later I read it again and decided to write to William Humphrey. In those days, long before emails, it was an air mail letter from the antipodes to America. In that first letter I made the observation that I could not help but draw comparisons between him and James Agee: both grew up in small rural American communities, he in Clarksville, East Texas, Agee in Knoxsville, Tennessee, both lost their father in car accidents when they were boys, both wrote highly successful novels drawing on the impact the death of their father had on their young lives. Both went on to luminous literary careers, Agee posthumously winning the Pulitzer Prize in 1958 for A DEATH IN THE FAMILY. I felt that he, too, should have won the Pulitzer for HOME FROM THE HILL. We subsequently exchanged a number of letters, I sent him a copy of an early published short story of mine, THE DRY LAND, set in outback Australia, which I felt he would find interesting, and he very kindly sent me a copy of his recently published book, FARTHER OFF FROM HEAVEN, which dealt with his young life and coping with the death of his father. Forty years later this is still on my book shelf, along with all of Bill’s novels and short stories.
In one of his letters Bill indicated he had not seen the movie, however, I feel he would not have been unhappy with Vincente Minnelli’s treatment of his novel and Robert Mitchum made a fine Wade Hunnicutt.
I believe William Humphrey is one of the finest writers of the 20th century and his skills have never been better displayed than in this, his first novel. If you enjoy family sagas set against a vivid background which is richly evocative of both time and place, you will be drawn into the drama of the Hunnicutts and the repercussions of their actions. In a sense it is a coming of age story with the sensitive young Theron caught in the conflict between his parents, striving to fit in with the wishes of his mother, Hannah, and win the approval of his powerful, demanding father. However, it is more than that, exploring the choices the characters make and depicting where those decisions will lead them, and there are few examples in literature that better show how the sins of the father may be visited upon the first born.
This is among a small number of books that I periodically read again to savour the pleasure of the prose, the interactions of the characters and the unfolding of the plot. THE GRAPES OF WRATH, THE EGYPTIAN. PLOUGH THE SEA, ALL THE KING’S MEN, LOOK HOMEWARD, ANGEL and THE PRINCE OF TIDES being some of the others.
From early times I have been inclined towards books with symbolic titles, often quotes from Shakespeare or the Old Testament. This was no exception, the title being drawn from Robert Louis Stevenson’s famous poem, Requiem, which was inscribed at his instructions as his epitaph on the sarcophagus that marks his grave on the summit of Vaca Mountain in Samoa.
“Home is the sailor, home from sea,
And the hunter home from the hill.”
I hope that some of my comments will influence you to check out this novel and feel sure you will not be disappointed. Happy reading. Eric
ONE OF THE GREAT ONES
I first read this wonderful novel in 1968, at which time it established itself in my top 10 favourites, where it has remained ever since, even after reading over 5,000 books. Ten years later I read it again and decided to write to William Humphrey. In those days, long before emails, it was an air mail letter from the antipodes to America. In that first letter I made the observation that I could not help but draw comparisons between him and James Agee: both grew up in small rural American communities, he in Clarksville, East Texas, Agee in Knoxsville, Tennessee, both lost their father in car accidents when they were boys, both wrote highly successful novels drawing on the impact the death of their father had on their young lives. Both went on to luminous literary careers, Agee posthumously winning the Pulitzer Prize in 1958 for A DEATH IN THE FAMILY. I felt that he, too, should have won the Pulitzer for HOME FROM THE HILL. We subsequently exchanged a number of letters, I sent him a copy of an early published short story of mine, THE DRY LAND, set in outback Australia, which I felt he would find interesting, and he very kindly sent me a copy of his recently published book, FARTHER OFF FROM HEAVEN, which dealt with his young life and coping with the death of his father. Forty years later this is still on my book shelf, along with all of Bill’s novels and short stories.
In one of his letters Bill indicated he had not seen the movie, however, I feel he would not have been unhappy with Vincente Minnelli’s treatment of his novel and Robert Mitchum made a fine Wade Hunnicutt.
I believe William Humphrey is one of the finest writers of the 20th century and his skills have never been better displayed than in this, his first novel. If you enjoy family sagas set against a vivid background which is richly evocative of both time and place, you will be drawn into the drama of the Hunnicutts and the repercussions of their actions. In a sense it is a coming of age story with the sensitive young Theron caught in the conflict between his parents, striving to fit in with the wishes of his mother, Hannah, and win the approval of his powerful, demanding father. However, it is more than that, exploring the choices the characters make and depicting where those decisions will lead them, and there are few examples in literature that better show how the sins of the father may be visited upon the first born.
This is among a small number of books that I periodically read again to savour the pleasure of the prose, the interactions of the characters and the unfolding of the plot. THE GRAPES OF WRATH, THE EGYPTIAN. PLOUGH THE SEA, ALL THE KING’S MEN, LOOK HOMEWARD, ANGEL and THE PRINCE OF TIDES being some of the others.
From early times I have been inclined towards books with symbolic titles, often quotes from Shakespeare or the Old Testament. This was no exception, the title being drawn from Robert Louis Stevenson’s famous poem, Requiem, which was inscribed at his instructions as his epitaph on the sarcophagus that marks his grave on the summit of Vaca Mountain in Samoa.
“Home is the sailor, home from sea,
And the hunter home from the hill.”
I hope that some of my comments will influence you to check out this novel and feel sure you will not be disappointed. Happy reading. Eric
January 12, 2020
An amazing book about an unfamiliar culture set in the past, yet it speaks of eternal emotions and familiar themes. The place is small town Texas (Sulphur Springs) with action that culminates in 1939. It is in some way Shakespearean in its near comic misunderstandings leading to tragic outcomes. It is classic, “what a tangled web we weave” novel in terms of the wealthy Hunnicutt family whose story drives the the plot: Captain Wade (World War I veteran, landowner, hunter of wild game and other men’s wives); his long suffering but somewhat devious wife Mrs. Hannah, and their “model son” Theron.
It takes a little time to get into the story—a puzzling funeral procession viewed by the men of the town, followed by lengthy, detailed, realistic pages of hunters and what they hunt. Once we have met the main characters in their different roles, the pace of the story begins to pick up and the patient reader is inextricably drawn into the gripping drama that follows.
Young son Theron wants only to be a hunter like his father though his mother shaped much of his early life. His eventually triumphant pursuit and conquest of a huge wild boar sets the stage for a town celebration that opens the door to the romantic intrigue that follows. The labyrinthine path of this lengthy section of the book suddenly comes to an unforeseen and “happy” conclusion that just as it culminates suddenly ends in dramatic tragedy.
The book’s at times painstakingly slow beginning is ironically counterbalanced by a conclusion that draws the reader along with baited breath, only to be forced to settle for the author’s evidently desired ending.
This book was a National Book Award finalist and deservedly so. The author, like many of his characters, loves to tell a story and does so while developing real people whose psychological motivations and deep thoughts he lays bare. Although I confess to a temptation to pack it in during the beginning sections,, I am more than glad that I pursued this interesting, satisfying book to its unforeseen conclusion.
July 20, 2022
In 1957 I was 12 and visited my grandmother each summer for one week. While there I read books from her bookcase, most probably written from about 1910 forward. So I got used to the angst and drama of the characters' thoughts and expressions and this book reminded me of that. In 2022, this well-written, very well-received book was irritating and seemed almost ridiculous. But here is what struck me about the thoughts of the character, who were portrayed by their thoughts and conclusions, not what they actually said. If I had to define it in today's terms, I would say is is reminiscent of the self-talk that we all engage in, to varying degrees. One day I may think a relationship is ruined and impossible to salvage, the next, based on the other possibilities my mind offers, hardly affected and the cause for my earlier panic is insignificant. Then when I go to bed, I might have rethought it and decided it certainly was significant! How could I excuse it? And go back to the certainty that I must end the relationship, In other words, the see-saw if thoughts and conclusions he describes are little different than what we experience today and can just as easily lead to bad endings. (Not as bad as in this book, I hope.). The culture that frames the thoughts is different, but the process is timeless.
Still, for 2022 readers, I give it three stars because it is so out of sync with our current culture that most people will not enjoy it.
Still, for 2022 readers, I give it three stars because it is so out of sync with our current culture that most people will not enjoy it.
September 24, 2023
An old book, written in an old style-very wordy by today’s standards, but it has its own charm and meaning.
As a hearse brings Hannah Hunnicutt to the cemetery to be buried in the family plot, there are already three headstones, one black, one white and the third red, all inscribed with the same death date.
As a hearse brings Hannah Hunnicutt to the cemetery to be buried in the family plot, there are already three headstones, one black, one white and the third red, all inscribed with the same death date.
June 5, 2018
Interesting story, much like Faulkner, about the mores of 1950's south. Strong characters. Gives the reader a realistic glimpse of an earlier time.
October 22, 2019
One of my all time favorite books!!!
July 24, 2020
What a fantastic read! Why have I never heard of William Humphrey before? Greek tragedy in a small east Texas town. Wonderful insights into the workings of the human mind. A solid 5 star read.
December 20, 2022
One of my absolute favorites. 3rd time reading it and I just get lost in the pure storytelling.
July 1, 2023
I read about 35% of this book hoping it would get more interesting. It didn't, so I cut my losses. I thought it was incredibly boring and slow. I kept losing interest, and life is too short.
November 29, 2023
Me gustó más que la película
February 7, 2025
Breathtaking!!
Could not put it down or guess where it was going. It evoked so many emotions in
me. There was one unexpected event after another.
Could not put it down or guess where it was going. It evoked so many emotions in
me. There was one unexpected event after another.
March 13, 2017
So true to the human spirit.
I could relate to the characters so easily. The jump to judgement, the class struggle, prejudices, love and loss, jealousy, etc... Truly a story for the ages.
I could relate to the characters so easily. The jump to judgement, the class struggle, prejudices, love and loss, jealousy, etc... Truly a story for the ages.
February 13, 2017
It is a well written book, but the story is a little melodramatic for me. Characters act without thinking, and just when you think they will be rational, they get stupid again.
July 31, 2015
Why I should have loved this book:
Place: I lived in East Texas not far from Sulphur Springs
Time: Born in 1950, the 40s - 50s is one of my favorite time periods
Nominee for Nat Book Award: This means it's good, right?
Why I could not finish this book:
Characters: Unrealistically cliche. The BEST of this and the BEST of that.
Plot: Uh, didn't see one--understand character-driven stories, but see above.
Voice: Felt that the entire story was being told (not shown, TOLD) second or third hand. Too much 'something' between me the reader and the story.
Place: I lived in East Texas not far from Sulphur Springs
Time: Born in 1950, the 40s - 50s is one of my favorite time periods
Nominee for Nat Book Award: This means it's good, right?
Why I could not finish this book:
Characters: Unrealistically cliche. The BEST of this and the BEST of that.
Plot: Uh, didn't see one--understand character-driven stories, but see above.
Voice: Felt that the entire story was being told (not shown, TOLD) second or third hand. Too much 'something' between me the reader and the story.
November 14, 2012
A good psychological study of one family and various persons in a small town. The main characters, a husband, wife, and teen-age son, have a profound influence on each other and events that unfold. Traditional roles for men and women are also explored. I found it a fascinating read.
Made into a movie of the same name starring Robert Mitchum, Deborah Kerr, George Hamilton, and George Peppard.
Made into a movie of the same name starring Robert Mitchum, Deborah Kerr, George Hamilton, and George Peppard.
September 19, 2013
I read this book many years ago and decided to give it another go. Still very good, though a bit dated. There is much here that men would enjoy..lots of hunting lore and "manly" pursuits, including philandering. The movie added a plot line that was invented out of whole cloth that was not necessary to the story. Very enjoyable.
February 24, 2015
Thank you to Open Road Integrated Media and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.
Wow! I can't believe I had forgotten this book! A little dated, but the tragedy of this look at a small Texan town and its inhabitants weathers well. Enough intrigue and cultural reference to keep it interesting. Fascinating and well worth reading.
Wow! I can't believe I had forgotten this book! A little dated, but the tragedy of this look at a small Texan town and its inhabitants weathers well. Enough intrigue and cultural reference to keep it interesting. Fascinating and well worth reading.
February 21, 2015
I recently read and enjoyed an old copy of William Humphrey’s book “My Moby Dick” and was looking forward to reading “Home From The Hill". It did not disappoint. Although some of the language may be unfamiliar to younger readers, I say get a dictionary and keep reading! A compelling and tragic tale.
Thank you to Open Road Integrated Media and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
Thank you to Open Road Integrated Media and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
May 28, 2015
Admittedly, I have a penchant for Southern Gothic; Home From The Hill was very good. Much of the novel is spent in interior monologues, which you might expect to be laborious reading, but instead are gripping reading. You always know that you are in the hands of a masterful writer.
September 20, 2010
Author is from Clarksville, TX, near where my mother's people grew up. His stories ring so true to the stories I heard about the grandparents and aunts and uncles from my mom
April 5, 2016
If there could have been more than one "Faulkner", it would have been Humphreys.
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