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The Sweet Everlasting: A Novel
In The Sweet Everlasting, Judson Mitcham cuts through the moral ambiguities of life in the midcentury, rural South to show us the heart and soul of a good but flawed man.Sharecropper's son, mill worker, and ex-convict--Ellis Burt surely knows adversity. For a brief and cherished time there was a woman, and then a child, too, who had been a kind of salvation to him. Then they were gone, leaving Ellis to carry on with the burden of what he had done to them, of the ruin he brought down upon them all.
In The Sweet Everlasting, Ellis is seventy-four. Moving back and forth over his life, he recalls his Depression-era boyhood, the black family who worked the neighboring farm, his time in prison, and the subsequent years adrift, working at jobs no one else would take and longing for another chance to rejoin what is left of his family. Ever in the background are the memories of his wife, Susan, and their boy, W.D.--how Ellis drew on her strength and his innocence to resist everything that threatened to harden him: the shame that others would have him feel, the poverty he had known, and the distorted honor and pride he had seen in others and that he knew was inside him, too.
Like the hero of William Kennedy's masterpiece, Ironweed, Ellis Burt is a man of uncommon personal dignity and strength, always moving toward, but never expecting, redemption.
In The Sweet Everlasting, Ellis is seventy-four. Moving back and forth over his life, he recalls his Depression-era boyhood, the black family who worked the neighboring farm, his time in prison, and the subsequent years adrift, working at jobs no one else would take and longing for another chance to rejoin what is left of his family. Ever in the background are the memories of his wife, Susan, and their boy, W.D.--how Ellis drew on her strength and his innocence to resist everything that threatened to harden him: the shame that others would have him feel, the poverty he had known, and the distorted honor and pride he had seen in others and that he knew was inside him, too.
Like the hero of William Kennedy's masterpiece, Ironweed, Ellis Burt is a man of uncommon personal dignity and strength, always moving toward, but never expecting, redemption.
200 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1996
3 people are currently reading
107 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
January 7, 2020
Achingly beautiful writing and a sad but poignant story.
September 29, 2024
This is a beautifully crafted novel that delves into themes of memory, loss, and redemption in a small Southern town. The protagonist, Ellis Burt, is a man haunted by his past, specifically the choices he made as a young man that continue to ripple through his life.
Mitcham’s prose is lyrical yet grounded, painting vivid portraits of rural Georgia and the quiet struggles of its inhabitants. The novel’s pace is slow and reflective, mirroring the inner turmoil of Ellis as he grapples with his guilt and longing for forgiveness. This introspective journey makes for an emotionally resonant read, especially for those who appreciate character-driven stories.
While *The Sweet Everlasting* excels in its atmospheric writing and emotional depth, it might not appeal to readers looking for a fast-paced plot. The novel is more focused on internal conflict than external action, and at times, the slow unfolding of Ellis’s story may feel meandering. However, for those who enjoy contemplative fiction and rich character development, Mitcham’s novel is a rewarding exploration of the human heart, filled with quiet beauty and poignant reflection. It’s a meditative, bittersweet tale about the long-lasting consequences of our choices and the hope for reconciliation.
Mitcham’s prose is lyrical yet grounded, painting vivid portraits of rural Georgia and the quiet struggles of its inhabitants. The novel’s pace is slow and reflective, mirroring the inner turmoil of Ellis as he grapples with his guilt and longing for forgiveness. This introspective journey makes for an emotionally resonant read, especially for those who appreciate character-driven stories.
While *The Sweet Everlasting* excels in its atmospheric writing and emotional depth, it might not appeal to readers looking for a fast-paced plot. The novel is more focused on internal conflict than external action, and at times, the slow unfolding of Ellis’s story may feel meandering. However, for those who enjoy contemplative fiction and rich character development, Mitcham’s novel is a rewarding exploration of the human heart, filled with quiet beauty and poignant reflection. It’s a meditative, bittersweet tale about the long-lasting consequences of our choices and the hope for reconciliation.
November 4, 2012
Holy Moly! After reading the first 40% of this book, I was ready to "let it go". It just did not "grab" me. However,I kept reading, and boy oh boy, did it increase in depth. Warning: Beware if you are insulted by derogatory references to African Americans. It will make your stomach turn, but being realistic this was a very true representation of the thoughts and feelings of some non-black people at the tis time. That's fact, ugly, but indeed fact. Anyway, the story is a well written case study of the generational effect of racism. As the story unfolds, I clearly understood the author's purpose in presented the harsh thoughts of some of the town's residents. Many unexpected twists and turns.
May 14, 2008
Two things I like about this book as I am still mulling it over:
one, its prose is clear and easy; disarmingly so, because what Ellis Burt, at 74, reveals as he reflects on a life of pain and joy isn't so obvious.
two, the ending: as they say, poetry and imagination in motion, a search for some comforting redemption.
one, its prose is clear and easy; disarmingly so, because what Ellis Burt, at 74, reveals as he reflects on a life of pain and joy isn't so obvious.
two, the ending: as they say, poetry and imagination in motion, a search for some comforting redemption.
September 18, 2021
Picked this up in a local bookstore in Savannah. I was looking for a local author, and this guy was at least from the state. Very surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. It was the story of a sharecropper's son growing up in Georgia. At times very touching; at other times, very raw. Always captivating.
June 11, 2022
A moving story, as slow as a summer day in Georgia, and just as sweet and pungent as a ripe peach. Ellis looks back at his life, growing up in the 1950s, in a family of sharecroppers. He describes what he sees of this Southern life, in the cadence of a man deeply embedded in the linguistics of his time. “ The sun was coming slant way through the trees. I seen a snake doctor hover right where the water hit the rocks.” The story rambles back and forth, and just when you think it’s got nowhere to go, it hits its’ stride, holds your heart, and never lets go.
July 26, 2019
Disturbing, to say the least. The author clearly has talent, and he crafts very interesting characters, but there is little redemption in this novel. It is unnecessarily graphic (near-incest and violence) and depressing. The never-ending tragedies become rather hyperbolic, especially near the end. And the conclusion itself is unsatisfying. I don’t expect a happy ending in every novel I read, but this one left much to be desired—even for a realistic “unhappy” ending.
February 6, 2021
I loved this book: very well-crafted, recounted in believable vernacular and patterns of speech that are familiar to many Southerners. Well-drawn characters, and what a poignant story. It's not linear, but comes together in a way that makes complete sense. It's hard not to root for the protagonist no matter what he did - and some of his actions were reprehensible. One depiction of graphic violence and some racial slurs, in keeping with the time the book is set in.
February 21, 2020
Ellis narrated a wonderfully sad story, a share croppers son so pitifully poor but rich with the love of good parents. I re-read this book when I got to Chapter 24, I just couldn't bear to finish the story. Some books deserve a sequel, but it was obvious that Ellis' story was going to end.
The writing reminded me of one of my favorite authors, Kent Haruf.
The writing reminded me of one of my favorite authors, Kent Haruf.
September 8, 2017
Beautifully written but very disturbing -and sad - makes you want to go back and rewrite the book with a happier ending.
July 21, 2023
Sweet. Poignant. I liked it. A nice slowly paced reminiscence of a long life set a century ago in the deep south.
August 9, 2023
Stopped reading. Not my style
August 1, 2024
Pretty good for a quick read
February 23, 2016
This is a well told story. Mitcham crafts his novel with vignettes from the life of Ellis which jump back and forth in time, from his childhood in the 1930s, his life as a young man in the 40s and 50s, and finally to his life in the present (in the 1990s).
Ellis was born in to Georgia sharecroppers. His parents never had much of a break, but as a young man, he gets one as he hires on at a cotton mill and soon becomes a mechanic, fixing the looms. He marries Susan, a beautiful woman. They have their fights, but mostly get along well. They are blessed with a child. Susan transforms their yard, around their little mill row house, into a garden of wildflowers. The garden is so well done that it eventually draws the attention of the Atlanta newspaper and the women of the local garden society. Over all, life is good. Yet Susan and Ellis are carrying a secret from their past. When the two of them share their secrets, it tears them apart. In a heated argument, their son runs out of the house and into the street and dies under the tires of a neighbor’s car. Susan leaves Ellis and he tries to commit suicide. His first attempt, burning himself to death, fails as he’s saved from the inferno. But the mill row houses are close together and other homes burn, the flames burning bad a neighbor woman and an explosion in the fire blinding a firefighter. After being released from the state mental hospital, Ellis spends six years and two months in prison. He’s released in 1960 and lives doing odd jobs, always regretting the fight he’d had with Susan. At the end of the book, thirty-five years later, he finds her. She’s in a nursing home, alone, with Alzheimer’s. She doesn’t know him, but as he works in the home as a janitor, he continues to care for her, the woman he never stopped loving.
I enjoyed this book. Ellis is a good man with bad breaks. Reading the book, I found myself pulling for him as he struggles to do what is right. Mitcham paints a picture of life in the South during the 1940s and 50s, and does a good job of addressing the issue of race, which was always close to the surface. Although the book is not religious, Mitcham tackles the process of redemption. How does one live a life after having made a mess of things? Through Ellis, we’re shown one man’s struggle to do good despite his past.
Ellis was born in to Georgia sharecroppers. His parents never had much of a break, but as a young man, he gets one as he hires on at a cotton mill and soon becomes a mechanic, fixing the looms. He marries Susan, a beautiful woman. They have their fights, but mostly get along well. They are blessed with a child. Susan transforms their yard, around their little mill row house, into a garden of wildflowers. The garden is so well done that it eventually draws the attention of the Atlanta newspaper and the women of the local garden society. Over all, life is good. Yet Susan and Ellis are carrying a secret from their past. When the two of them share their secrets, it tears them apart. In a heated argument, their son runs out of the house and into the street and dies under the tires of a neighbor’s car. Susan leaves Ellis and he tries to commit suicide. His first attempt, burning himself to death, fails as he’s saved from the inferno. But the mill row houses are close together and other homes burn, the flames burning bad a neighbor woman and an explosion in the fire blinding a firefighter. After being released from the state mental hospital, Ellis spends six years and two months in prison. He’s released in 1960 and lives doing odd jobs, always regretting the fight he’d had with Susan. At the end of the book, thirty-five years later, he finds her. She’s in a nursing home, alone, with Alzheimer’s. She doesn’t know him, but as he works in the home as a janitor, he continues to care for her, the woman he never stopped loving.
I enjoyed this book. Ellis is a good man with bad breaks. Reading the book, I found myself pulling for him as he struggles to do what is right. Mitcham paints a picture of life in the South during the 1940s and 50s, and does a good job of addressing the issue of race, which was always close to the surface. Although the book is not religious, Mitcham tackles the process of redemption. How does one live a life after having made a mess of things? Through Ellis, we’re shown one man’s struggle to do good despite his past.
January 3, 2016
Ellis Bunt, the protagonist of The Sweet Everlasting, is a soft-spoken everyman, the son of a poor, white Georgia sharecropper. His story is not sexy or edgy or hip, but it managed to hold this reader’s attention by virtue of its authentic voice, its depth of feeling, and its visceral evocation of a time and place I am eternally grateful not to have experienced myself—the Deep South in the early twentieth century.
I generally avoid stories set in the American South. As a Northerner, I must confess that I imagine it as a place where there is a strong bias against intellectuals, where a primitive sort of religion holds sway, and where racism, and most other –isms, for that matter, are rampant and overt. In all fairness, I will admit that I have never been there myself, but base my impressions on the first-hand accounts of friends and family who have actually lived there, on news stories, and on books like Their Eyes Were Watching God, To Kill a Mockingbird, and this one. I would never have read this book if not for the strong recommendation of a friend, one of those who grew up in the South.
It was a painful read for me. The author did a fine job of juxtaposing the joys of a simple life and the enduring power of love with the insidious power of a culture of racism. Even the purest soul can be corroded by a sort of osmosis in a setting of such pervasive and deep-seated hatred. This is a beautifully written and moving book, but a melancholy one.
I generally avoid stories set in the American South. As a Northerner, I must confess that I imagine it as a place where there is a strong bias against intellectuals, where a primitive sort of religion holds sway, and where racism, and most other –isms, for that matter, are rampant and overt. In all fairness, I will admit that I have never been there myself, but base my impressions on the first-hand accounts of friends and family who have actually lived there, on news stories, and on books like Their Eyes Were Watching God, To Kill a Mockingbird, and this one. I would never have read this book if not for the strong recommendation of a friend, one of those who grew up in the South.
It was a painful read for me. The author did a fine job of juxtaposing the joys of a simple life and the enduring power of love with the insidious power of a culture of racism. Even the purest soul can be corroded by a sort of osmosis in a setting of such pervasive and deep-seated hatred. This is a beautifully written and moving book, but a melancholy one.
November 22, 2016
On the one hand, this is a well-written story. But it is a sad, dark story that doesn't have a 'happily ever after' ending. Which in itself is fine--life is messy, and good fiction needs to reflect that. But there were strands of redemption woven throughout the tale and I so wanted the protagonist to grab hold of one to give meaning and fulfillment to his life. In places, The Sweet Everlasting is very literary and philosophic. But ultimately it is so depressing.
September 25, 2010
This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. The story and writing were both great. I enjoyed learning about the sharecropping era and the rich history of the South. The relationship in the story was amazing and it was hard to swallow the tragedy. Great book, great writer! I am so glad that I dug this off the bookcase!
July 19, 2014
The setting takes you to the south and lets you live there with the characters. This book makes you hungry for the simple things, like a tomato sandwich or a walk along a creek. Then you see that the simple good old days weren't so after all...life was complex and hearbreaking ... North/South or Past/Present the heart of the story is timeless and universal.
May 15, 2012
I really, really liked this book. I am a sucker for Southern fiction. And for stories of not so perfect people struggling toward redemption. While parts of this book were incredibly difficult to read (one chapter of heart-wrenching violence), I didn't think any of the violence or ugliness was gratuitous.
Thanks to my friend Kirsten for loaning it to me! Recommended.
Thanks to my friend Kirsten for loaning it to me! Recommended.
October 20, 2008
Found this hard to read simply b/c I never could empathize with the narrator - didn't like him, never felt close to him as a reader. I also guessed part of the ending by the middle of the book. I think it's an interesting read, but not one of my favorites.
July 3, 2012
Simplicity with depth. A story of struggle, remorse and living with a sorrow one cannot undo. The main character captured my heart and earned my forgiveness. A southern story of obstacles and hardship but pure in the human spirit.
March 6, 2008
What a beautiful and difficult book. A novel about the systemic evils that become a part of us, and the systemic beauties that redeem us.
October 9, 2008
He is from Macon. An excellently written Southern novel.
September 3, 2013
It starts off with the narrator saying he had spent time in prison. This unusual love story unfolds in well placed bits and pieces. Exquisitely told.
November 13, 2016
Have found a new favorite author... "The Sweet Everlasting" is a rare, heartfelt song to the human spirit, created with love, humility, and family.
July 21, 2018
At the core of every Southern novel I have read has been race, often accompanied by poverty, religion, and land/dirt.
Mitcham's novel does a great job of blending all those elements with personal damage to create a compelling story of love, loss, and perhaps a path to redemption.
Highly recommended.
Mitcham's novel does a great job of blending all those elements with personal damage to create a compelling story of love, loss, and perhaps a path to redemption.
Highly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews