Blue Calhoun

by Reynolds Price

"This starts with the happiest I ever was, though it brought down suffering on everybody near me. Short as it lasted and long ago, I've never laid it all out yet, not start to finish. But if I try and half succeed, you may wind up understanding things, choosing a better road for yourself and maybe not blaming the dead past but living for the here and now, each day a clean page."
April 28, 1956, was the day Blue Calhoun met a sixteen-year-old girl named Luna. And for the next three decades, their love has borne consequences of the most shattering -- and ultimately, perhaps healing -- kind for everyone they know. As Blue recounts the years and their events for us -- fervently, tenderly, knowing full well his own deep responsibility -- we are made witnesses to a story of classic dimensions, a story of love and suffering, family and friendship, death and redemption.

Genres: Fiction, Novels, Adult Fiction, Southern

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Reynolds Price was born in Macon, North Carolina in 1933. Educated at Duke University and, as a Rhodes Scholar, at Merton College, Oxford University. He taught at Duke since 1958 and was James B. Duke Professor of English.

His first short stories, and many later ones, are published in his Collected Stories. A Long and Happy Life was published in 1962 and won the William Faulkner Award for a best first novel. Kate Vaiden was published in 1986 and won the National Book Critics Circle Award. The Good Priest's Son in 2005 was his fourteenth novel. Among his thirty-seven volumes are further collections of fiction, poetry, plays, essays, and translations. Price was a member of both the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and his work has been translated into seventeen languages.

Photo courtesy of Reynolds Price's author page on Amazon.com

Reviews

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blue Calhoun is a fine read and kept me coming back to the book night after night. Blue is a character with lots of passion, but he's also driven in ways that tend to harm those closest to him. Blue's biggest strength and related flaw is that he loves too many women. When he falls hard for a young woman, Luna Absher, he's hellbent on following his instincts without paying much attention to prior vows and commitments. The ripple effects of his on and off relationship with Luna have immediate and long term effects on those closest to him and truly change his life. The book is set in North Carolina during the Fifties and brings this small town atmosphere to life.

[Susan Ludwig · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 the story became too much.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reynolds Price writes of incest and pedophilia in such a courtly style that I had to re-read certain passages to verify the recitation of unspeakable acts committed on children by people whom they trusted. The "hero" is not a likeable person and it is difficult to comprehend how his mother, wife and daughter continue to give him so many "second" chances. His weaknesses are apparent, as is his awareness of the hurt that he inflicts; however, he doesn't redeem himself by being aware since he continues to pursue his own aberrent desires while knowing they are hurtful. Reynolds Price is an author I have liked for many years. He doesn't fear to tread where others might. His style is understated and very southern in tone so that the reader is sometimes taken unaware. This is not his best effort, but I will continue to read what he writes with gratitude for his gifts.

[Liz Strillacci · Rating 5 out of 5]

How do you describe a book about sex and passion gone awry in characters you cannot help but love? Reynolds Price once again creates characters that are human, fallible, wrong-headed and irresistible. Pouring onto the pages like liquid gold, Mr. Price spins a tale of infidelity, small redemptions and lingering questions in the midst of a family based on love and strongly grounded. I wish I'd known them.

[Teacher Chad Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful book. Reynolds Price is a master at writing a portrait. The entirety of a human being seems truly contained inside this novel.
The pace and romance dips in the latter half of the book, but if you took a highlighter to this book to note every beautiful sentence, the book would be neon by the time you were done.

[Krissys Bookshelf Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Author: Reynolds Price
Title: Blue Calhoun
Series:
Cover Rating:
Bronze Star

Book Rating:
3 Stars



About the Book:
April 28, 1956, was the day Blue Calhoun met a sixteen-year-old girl named Luna.

And for the next three decades, their love has borne consequences of the most shattering -- and ultimately, perhaps healing -- kind for everyone they know.

As Blue recounts the years and their events for us -- fervently, tenderly, knowing full well his own deep responsibility -- we are made witnesses to a story of classic dimensions, a story of love and suffering, family and friendship, death and redemption.



My Thoughts:
Blue Calhoun is a bizarre book, its hard to say if its the readers empathy for Blues broken out look on life or the readers disgust with the fact that hes so obsessed with this young girl that makes it so.

Its his fascination with her innocence and his jaded outlook on life that draws him to Luna so much. He's tired of his life and the way his life has turned out and she feels like a fresh start for him he wants to feel alive again.

That's what she does for him regardless of the fact that he knows he has obligations to his family and responsibilities he shouldn't abandon just because he isn't happy with the way things have turned out.

I can't really say whether Blue Calhoun is a really good book or a really bad one because there is just too much conflicting emotions I have toward Blues constant ramblings and inner dialogue trying to reason and defend his feelings for such a young girl who is around the age of fifteen and with Blue being in his forties its really inappropriate.

This issue is brought up repeatedly in the story which gets annoying but you also can see not just Blues conflict, readers can see how Luna sees him as a father figure because she's too young to understand and in his mentality he disconnects from reality, seems to mirror her mental maturity level and continuously ignores warnings from others just to be with her taking on both a father/lover/friend role. You see two sides to both Blue and Luna in this aspect. Both are childish, both are jaded by their lives.

Blue knows its wrong to want Luna so much and yet hes drawn to her and refuses to deny himself the chance of having her for himself when he has the chance to sneak in "alone" time with her. Its really infuriating and disgusting but the book is written really well.

The authors ability to describe an emotion or a scene is really impressive. He's a talented writer but I still don't know how to rate this book so I'm gonna have to lean to the side and stand in the middle. Just as Price as done I leave it up to other readers to decide what they think.



Disclaimer:
Krissys Bookshelf Reviews purchased a print copy for personal collection. All thoughts, comments and ratings are my own.

Note:
If any of Krissy's Bookshelf Reviews has been helpful please stop by to like my post or leave a comment to let me know what you think. I love hearing from you!

[Lana Gerber · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did finish this book. The characters are immoral and evil. The story is unnecessarily convoluted and repetitive. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone and I feel kind of dirty having completed it.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first I really didn't like this book at all. I found it to be slow and boring and my mind would often wander. But the more I read, the better it got and the more I liked it. Give it a chance, you won't be disappointed.

[Mel C · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m rarely caught off guard but the twists in a story but I absolutely loved this novel! It took me a while to really get into it but it had a beautiful developed storyline and kept me engaged the entire time. I truly gained new perspectives into the inner workings of love, marriage, and family.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not what I was expecting, I wasn’t thrilled with the topic but felt compelled to keep reading. I chose the book because I remembered really enjoying Kate Vaiden. That was at least 25 years ago

[Julie Finn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't really remember what it was about.....

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well-written, but much of the disturbing behaviors seemed bizarre and unnecessary.

[Phil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Almost the perfect southern novel. This reminded me a lot of Faulkner believe it or not. The undertones of child abuse and the permanent harm it brings to all concerned overlays a story that reveals an astounding frailty in all involved. This novel is not for the feint of heart since it involves some sensitive topics. But these topics are an eye opener to southern attitudes in a setting of ignorance and moral depravity. It's like being in a confessional listening to a sinner confess a series of wrongs while asking forgiveness from his one and only grandchild. The novel demonstrates so well the thread of abuse of the self and others and its physical, spiritual and mental consequences. Yet it is so deftly handled that the novel reads like a thriller, a really page turner that is difficult to put down. Price is so good at keeping us on the edge of our seat throughout.

[Kristi Brendle]

As all of Price's books go, he pontificates ad nauseum. The story was gripping at first, although as a reader you're screaming "RUN AWAY!" at the main character's behaviour. Personally, I couldn't ingest any more "Poor me, poor her, this is wrong but Ima gonna do it anyway" prose. Seriously, more than half the book was filled with internal struggle. Price is amazing, but it's almost as if he needs the reader to give validation to his characters' struggles. After 100 pages of such, I had to tell him "Figure it out for yourself." I hate to give up, but I couldn't take anymore.

[Katy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. I've loved every other book that I've read by Reynolds Price (six, I think). And this one does have a few soaring passages. But the narrator of this one is a nearly 40 year old man who falls in love with a 16 year old girl. Hard to feel much sympathy or empathy for him. And despite that flaw/mistake, he keeps taking the blame for everything else bad that happens to his loved ones, and some of it simply isn't his fault. But this book won't stop me from reading Mr. Price again.

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my favorite Reynolds Price novel. It tells a lot about the town of Raleigh, I am familiar with the streets and neighborhoods. What I think I took from this was how much the characters loved one another. There is a lot to be said for unconditional love.

[Brenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure how I feel about this book, but I liked it. Sort of, kind of, almost really liked it....

What I'd really like is to discuss it with someone to see why I'm so intrigued with discussing a book that I'm not sure I really liked.

[Kayla Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Blue Calhoun by Reynolds Price quite a few years ago, and it has always stuck out in my mind as one of my favorite books. It's a great piece of Southern Literature that I would definitely recommend.

[Madeline Griffin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hard to rate this book. Reynolds Price is a great, beautiful writer. However, I found this book rather creepy. I geuss this is Price's" Lolita". Pretty depressing book, about a man with a wife and child who throws everything away because of his obsession with a 16-year-old girl. Ick!

[Stephanie Burt · Rating 3 out of 5]

An uncomfortable main character, but a setting and story you won't forget. Lolita anyone?

[Elizabeth A.]

thick and sugary

[Beverlee · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn't finish this book -didn't like the way the story was told - didn't like the story.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read it back in the mid-90s and don't remember much about it. I was reminded of it in reading Reynolds Price's obit.

[Barfiticus · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read the book. I didn't remember reading it; so, obviously, I don't think that highly of it.

[Trina · Rating 3 out of 5]

continuing my love of Reynolds Price... this novel did not disappoint. the story is a little disturbing.
my yellow lab is now named after the central female character.

[Namaste · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hated it. Main character is a perv.

[KG · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great writing as usual but a deeply disturbing book.

[Peter Biello · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this. Blue is cursed, but I still love him.