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The Chase
Horton Foote's only novel.
From the original edition's dust jacket:
THE CHASE is the story of the people of a small town--people forced to come to grips with a nightmare come true.
No one in town had really ever wanted to see Bubber Reeves again, not even his parents and certainly not the sheriff. But now he had killed a man to get out of the penitentiary and everyone agreed that he would come home. This is the tale of the homecoming of the local bad boy grown worse, of his final struggle to regain stature as a free man.
The news of Bubber's escape affected almost everyone. His agonized mother tried to discover where she had failed; his promiscuous young wife feared her sins would be discovered; the sheriff had good reason to fear for his very life. The town buzzed with rumors. The scent of danger and forthcoming bloodshed was in the air. Old grudges were revived and refurbished, and that evening the men carried guns.
THE CHASE is a rare study of people: real people, pathetic people, courageous, quaint and cruel people. Mr. Foote has ingeniously isolated his town, threatened it from the outside, and laid bare its heart and soul. It lives and breathes with almost miraculous intensity.
From the original edition's dust jacket:
THE CHASE is the story of the people of a small town--people forced to come to grips with a nightmare come true.
No one in town had really ever wanted to see Bubber Reeves again, not even his parents and certainly not the sheriff. But now he had killed a man to get out of the penitentiary and everyone agreed that he would come home. This is the tale of the homecoming of the local bad boy grown worse, of his final struggle to regain stature as a free man.
The news of Bubber's escape affected almost everyone. His agonized mother tried to discover where she had failed; his promiscuous young wife feared her sins would be discovered; the sheriff had good reason to fear for his very life. The town buzzed with rumors. The scent of danger and forthcoming bloodshed was in the air. Old grudges were revived and refurbished, and that evening the men carried guns.
THE CHASE is a rare study of people: real people, pathetic people, courageous, quaint and cruel people. Mr. Foote has ingeniously isolated his town, threatened it from the outside, and laid bare its heart and soul. It lives and breathes with almost miraculous intensity.
- GenresFiction
274 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1956
About the author
Horton Foote
121 books48 followersAlbert Horton Foote, Jr. was an American playwright and screenwriter, perhaps best known for his Academy Award-winning screenplays for the 1962 film To Kill a Mockingbird and the 1983 film Tender Mercies, and his notable live television dramas during the Golden Age of Television. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1995 for his play The Young Man From Atlanta.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 29, 2025
Another book that I learned of via the Neglected Books blog. I understand that this was originally a play written in 1952, which the author subsequently adapted into this prose novel version. The play and the novel are apparently quite different, which is typically the case in these scenarios, but I haven’t read the play so will have to take others’ word for that. They do have the same title though. As of the date of this review (August 2025) there are only 4 other reviews on GR, and at least two of them look as if they relate to the play rather than the novel. If anyone is inclined to read this, you might need to make sure you are getting the version you want.
There’s a bit of a “High Noon” vibe at the start. Sheriff Hawes (I don’t think we are ever told his first name) maintains law and order in the small town of Harrison, Texas. He gets news that a local man called “Bubba” Reeves has escaped from the State Farm. Reeves has a few scores to settle with people in Harrison, so the prospect of his return is alarming. I believe the movie High Noon was also released in 1952, so I couldn’t help wondering if the author had drawn some inspiration there. That apart, there’s no similarity between the plot of that movie and the plot of this book.
Like many small towns, Harrison has tensions hidden beneath an outwardly calm surface. The potential return of Bubba Reeves acts like a sort of fuse, causing a metaphorical explosion. The novel is in three parts, with the first two parts taking place within a single 24-hour period.
The Neglected Books blog described this novel as “fast-paced”. It’s a description I agree with and one I can’t really better. I found it a riveting read. One thing to be aware of is that some of the characters (generally the ones portrayed as unpleasant) have strong racial attitudes. The novel also features casual use of the n-word. I guess that’s just how it was in 1950s Texas.
I quite liked the way the author worked the ending.
It would be interesting to see the play, but I don’t imagine it is performed any more.
There’s a bit of a “High Noon” vibe at the start. Sheriff Hawes (I don’t think we are ever told his first name) maintains law and order in the small town of Harrison, Texas. He gets news that a local man called “Bubba” Reeves has escaped from the State Farm. Reeves has a few scores to settle with people in Harrison, so the prospect of his return is alarming. I believe the movie High Noon was also released in 1952, so I couldn’t help wondering if the author had drawn some inspiration there. That apart, there’s no similarity between the plot of that movie and the plot of this book.
Like many small towns, Harrison has tensions hidden beneath an outwardly calm surface. The potential return of Bubba Reeves acts like a sort of fuse, causing a metaphorical explosion. The novel is in three parts, with the first two parts taking place within a single 24-hour period.
The Neglected Books blog described this novel as “fast-paced”. It’s a description I agree with and one I can’t really better. I found it a riveting read. One thing to be aware of is that some of the characters (generally the ones portrayed as unpleasant) have strong racial attitudes. The novel also features casual use of the n-word. I guess that’s just how it was in 1950s Texas.
I quite liked the way the author worked the ending.
It would be interesting to see the play, but I don’t imagine it is performed any more.
February 25, 2015
Nunca había oído hablar de Horton Foote ni de La Jauría Humana (ni del libro ni de la película), simplemente me dejó el libro una amiga pensando que quizá me gustase. Y efectivamente, me ha gustado mucho el ritmo y la forma de tratar y mezclar las diferentes historias y los personajes, todos muy reales y con transfondos interesantes. El argumento es muy emocionante. Se nota que es autor de teatro (creo que esta es su única novela) por el marco temporal, la acción se desarrolla en un solo día. Hay ademanes de racismo que quiero creer que son para demostrar el ambiente en el que viven los protagonistas.
December 31, 2025
Incluso el vínculo materno puede quedar paralizado por el miedo y la presión. El amor materno no desaparece, pero se ve atrapado entre el instinto de proteger y el terror a la comunidad.
La jauría humana se narra despacio, en capítulos cortos, contando la vida cotidiana de un territorio donde sus habitantes conviven con aparente tranquilidad. Sabremos lo que guardan en su interior cuando reciben la noticia de que Bubber Reeves ha huido de la cárcel donde cumple condena.
Los Reeves forman parte de esta vecindad y el hijo de ambos es el fugitivo. También en ellos se crea la alarma y preocupación al pensar que Bubber se dirige al pueblo donde creció con un objetivo que no puedo desvelar.
El comienzo de la lectura induce a pensar que Bubber es el personaje central, para descubrir después que Foote lo utiliza como detonante para revelar la degradación de toda una comunidad.
Esa inquietud general que se crea es indicador de que algo empieza a fraguarse entre los vecinos: el verdadero drama de que el pueblo empieza a devorarse a sí mismo. Y esto es quizá lo más perturbador. No hay nada peor que una jauría.
Es llamativo sentir cierto sosiego durante la lectura y al mismo tiempo notar como va creciendo la tensión entre la comunidad.
Se trata de una madre que quiere, por encima de todo, salvar la vida de su hijo; de un sheriff hastiado de su trabajo que pone en marcha a su equipo para encontrar al fugitivo y cumplir la ley. Y luego están los que convierten la búsqueda en una persecución: son la verdadera jauría, que no solo desean la muerte de Bubber, también se ponen en contra de la ley y desean hacer su justicia.
Este acontecimiento saca a la luz los peores aspectos de una comunidad de vecinos trastornada que ve en Bubber el objetivo ideal para expiar sus culpas. Ya sean frustraciones personales, sensaciones de impotencia, resentimientos sociales, incluso aburrimiento moral, lo convierten en el blanco ideal.
Es una novela excelente por su narrativa y, sobre todo, por la reflexión que plantea sobre la capacidad del ser humano para llevar a cabo tales acciones. La fuerza de la novela no reside en el final, sino en como Foote retrata el declive de una comunidad.
La jauría humana se narra despacio, en capítulos cortos, contando la vida cotidiana de un territorio donde sus habitantes conviven con aparente tranquilidad. Sabremos lo que guardan en su interior cuando reciben la noticia de que Bubber Reeves ha huido de la cárcel donde cumple condena.
Los Reeves forman parte de esta vecindad y el hijo de ambos es el fugitivo. También en ellos se crea la alarma y preocupación al pensar que Bubber se dirige al pueblo donde creció con un objetivo que no puedo desvelar.
El comienzo de la lectura induce a pensar que Bubber es el personaje central, para descubrir después que Foote lo utiliza como detonante para revelar la degradación de toda una comunidad.
Esa inquietud general que se crea es indicador de que algo empieza a fraguarse entre los vecinos: el verdadero drama de que el pueblo empieza a devorarse a sí mismo. Y esto es quizá lo más perturbador. No hay nada peor que una jauría.
Es llamativo sentir cierto sosiego durante la lectura y al mismo tiempo notar como va creciendo la tensión entre la comunidad.
Se trata de una madre que quiere, por encima de todo, salvar la vida de su hijo; de un sheriff hastiado de su trabajo que pone en marcha a su equipo para encontrar al fugitivo y cumplir la ley. Y luego están los que convierten la búsqueda en una persecución: son la verdadera jauría, que no solo desean la muerte de Bubber, también se ponen en contra de la ley y desean hacer su justicia.
Este acontecimiento saca a la luz los peores aspectos de una comunidad de vecinos trastornada que ve en Bubber el objetivo ideal para expiar sus culpas. Ya sean frustraciones personales, sensaciones de impotencia, resentimientos sociales, incluso aburrimiento moral, lo convierten en el blanco ideal.
Es una novela excelente por su narrativa y, sobre todo, por la reflexión que plantea sobre la capacidad del ser humano para llevar a cabo tales acciones. La fuerza de la novela no reside en el final, sino en como Foote retrata el declive de una comunidad.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews