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Stay More #10
With
Impossible to categorize, With is a sensual, irresistible tale, full of unexpected twists and turns. What starts out as a suspenseful recounting of child abduction evolves into the story of eight-year-old Robin Kerr growing up in the wilds of the Ozarks, left to fend for herself on a remote, inaccessible mountain-top. Without `human' company for a decade, forced to live off the land, Robin is never alone; her animal companions grow more numerous year by year, and the `live ghost' of a young boy who once lived on the mountain is her constant companion. With a dog, a young girl and a ghost as the main viewpoint characters in this remarkable novel, Donald Harington, creator of the mythic and magical Ozark town of Stay More, has given us a fascinating and triumphant story of survival and the most original love story ever told.
Hardcover
First published January 1, 2003
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About the author
Donald Harington
37 books114 followersDonald Douglas Harington was an American author. All but the first of his novels either take place in or have an important connection to "Stay More," a fictional Ozark Mountains town based somewhat on Drakes Creek, Arkansas, where Harington spent summers as a child.
Harington was born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas. He lost nearly all of his hearing at age 12 due to meningitis. This did not prevent him from picking up and remembering the vocabulary and modes of expression among the Ozark denizens, nor in conducting his teaching career as an adult.
Though he intended to be a novelist from a very early age, his course of study and his teaching career were in art and art history. He taught art history in New York, New England, and South Dakota before returning to the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, his alma mater, where he taught for 22 years before his retirement on 1 May 2008.
Harington is acclaimed as one of America's greatest writers of fiction, if not one of its best known. Entertainment Weekly called him "America's greatest unknown writer." The novelist and critic Fred Chappell said of him "Donald Harington isn't an unknown writer. He's an undiscovered continent." Novelist James Sallis, writing in the Boston Globe: "Harington's books are of a piece -- the quirkiest, most original body of work in contemporary U.S. letters."
Harington died of pneumonia, after a long illness, in Springdale on 7 November 2009.
Harington's novels are available from The Toby Press in a uniform edition, with cover illustrations by Wendell Minor. Since his death, The Toby Press has made available the entire set of Harington novels as The Complete Novels of Donald Harington.
Harington was born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas. He lost nearly all of his hearing at age 12 due to meningitis. This did not prevent him from picking up and remembering the vocabulary and modes of expression among the Ozark denizens, nor in conducting his teaching career as an adult.
Though he intended to be a novelist from a very early age, his course of study and his teaching career were in art and art history. He taught art history in New York, New England, and South Dakota before returning to the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, his alma mater, where he taught for 22 years before his retirement on 1 May 2008.
Harington is acclaimed as one of America's greatest writers of fiction, if not one of its best known. Entertainment Weekly called him "America's greatest unknown writer." The novelist and critic Fred Chappell said of him "Donald Harington isn't an unknown writer. He's an undiscovered continent." Novelist James Sallis, writing in the Boston Globe: "Harington's books are of a piece -- the quirkiest, most original body of work in contemporary U.S. letters."
Harington died of pneumonia, after a long illness, in Springdale on 7 November 2009.
Harington's novels are available from The Toby Press in a uniform edition, with cover illustrations by Wendell Minor. Since his death, The Toby Press has made available the entire set of Harington novels as The Complete Novels of Donald Harington.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
September 9, 2021
this is one of the best stay more novels, but by saying that i am still recommending, as i always do, for each one of you to sit down with his entire collection and read them all in order. and i don't want to hear any whining about your lives and the things you have to get done other than reading an obscure american writer's complete works, because i am wholly uninterested in your complaints. if you have ever heard a nagging inner voice telling you, "you know, you should probably read proust," then might i suggest doing this first? because i like proust, i do, i am devoting my summer to finishing the bastard, but as far as commitments go, somehow reading 13 books by harington will take less time than reading 6 by proust. and you will be the cool kid on the block that is an expert in a brilliant, unsung american hero. you don't want to be known as a terrorist, do you?? with your foreign literature and your smug face? seriously - buy locally, be a true patriot, and may he look upon you in his afterlife with favor.
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December 4, 2013
This is a flamboyantly ridiculous novel: a graceless, crudely-written pile of hillbilly nonsense that fascinated and repelled me at the same time.
The story follows a young girl who is abducted by a child molester and taken to live in his broken-down mountain retreat. It is told from the point of view of the girl, a dog, and the spirit (as opposed to ghost) of a former resident. The girl is a lithe young beauty, and as we watch her grow from a spunky young nymph to a
glorious pin-up, the book becomes a kind of cornpone wet dream taken to a mythic dimension.
Robin Kerr, the plucky heroine of the story, is the seven-year-old daughter of a poor single mom trying to make ends meet. She is, also, an object of lust for a sleazy cop, Sugrue "Sog" Alan, who takes her to live with him in a barely-refurbished secluded home stocked with provisions he has purchased with stolen drug money.
Sog dreams of an idyllic mountain existence with his unwilling child bride, but it doesn't quite work out. Robin does not, as he hoped, fall in love with him, and his own ill-planning, alcoholism, impotence and advancing poor health keep him in constant misery.
Robin, on the other hand, thrives over the course of years. She learns to read and farm, and uses her free time to make a full-range community of paper dolls. She is able to communicate in some limited fashion with Sog's neglected dog, Hreapha and both of them are tuned in to the with a spirit of a 12-year-old boy named Adam, spirit or "in-habit" of a former (but still living) resident of the home. The three of them are the nucleus of what becomes a family that includes Hreapha's pups, a cat named Robert, a snake named Sheba, a fawn named Dewey and an ill-tempered black bear named Paddington. She and her menagerie survive the elements, and together they conspire to bring about her reconnection with human society.
Inspired this all may seem, but Harington's imagination is actually rather thin gruel. He has no gift for language, his jokes -- which clot every page -- are groaningly unfunny, his animals are cuddly and Disneyfied, and you can almost hear him huffing and puffing every time he turns his attention to his female lead. Nonetheless,
it has the hypnotic charm of a campfire tale told by a free-basing farmhand. Even as it had me groaning, rolling my eyes, and scratching sputtering snorts of disgust in the margins, it also kept me turning the pages.
I couldn't put it down, and I've never been happier to see a book end.**
The story follows a young girl who is abducted by a child molester and taken to live in his broken-down mountain retreat. It is told from the point of view of the girl, a dog, and the spirit (as opposed to ghost) of a former resident. The girl is a lithe young beauty, and as we watch her grow from a spunky young nymph to a
glorious pin-up, the book becomes a kind of cornpone wet dream taken to a mythic dimension.
Robin Kerr, the plucky heroine of the story, is the seven-year-old daughter of a poor single mom trying to make ends meet. She is, also, an object of lust for a sleazy cop, Sugrue "Sog" Alan, who takes her to live with him in a barely-refurbished secluded home stocked with provisions he has purchased with stolen drug money.
Sog dreams of an idyllic mountain existence with his unwilling child bride, but it doesn't quite work out. Robin does not, as he hoped, fall in love with him, and his own ill-planning, alcoholism, impotence and advancing poor health keep him in constant misery.
Robin, on the other hand, thrives over the course of years. She learns to read and farm, and uses her free time to make a full-range community of paper dolls. She is able to communicate in some limited fashion with Sog's neglected dog, Hreapha and both of them are tuned in to the with a spirit of a 12-year-old boy named Adam, spirit or "in-habit" of a former (but still living) resident of the home. The three of them are the nucleus of what becomes a family that includes Hreapha's pups, a cat named Robert, a snake named Sheba, a fawn named Dewey and an ill-tempered black bear named Paddington. She and her menagerie survive the elements, and together they conspire to bring about her reconnection with human society.
Inspired this all may seem, but Harington's imagination is actually rather thin gruel. He has no gift for language, his jokes -- which clot every page -- are groaningly unfunny, his animals are cuddly and Disneyfied, and you can almost hear him huffing and puffing every time he turns his attention to his female lead. Nonetheless,
it has the hypnotic charm of a campfire tale told by a free-basing farmhand. Even as it had me groaning, rolling my eyes, and scratching sputtering snorts of disgust in the margins, it also kept me turning the pages.
I couldn't put it down, and I've never been happier to see a book end.**
January 17, 2012
The penultimate book I read, History: A Novel, was written by a Jewish-Italian author and is based in part on her own experiences in World War II Rome.
This book, With, read immediately after, was written by a deaf, American author and is based in part on his own experiences in the wilds of the Ozarks.
You would think that these novels could not be more different in style, plot and themes. Indeed, I like to alternate my reading choices (fiction to non-fiction, American to International). After a laborious 790-page trek through European political and philosophical rumblings, a bit of folksy Americana seemed in order. As one reviewer has admonished: buy locally, be a true patriot. But the Goodreads Gods do their own sifting; coincidences abound. I do not actively seek anthropomorphic characters, but.......
Both books feature dogs that speak, sorta, to young children that they take it upon themselves to protect. The dogs are all-knowing, prophetic and brave beyond belief. The children adapt well to unusual circumstances: one is left home alone at the age of one month while Momma goes to work; the other is abducted at age 7 and left to fend for herself in a mountain wilderness. Both books detail rapes (not really a plot-spoiler, I promise) that result in peculiar looking offspring.
Something strange is happening!!!!!!!
Anyhow, I liked With a lot, notwithstanding the frankly incredible elements. The menagerie of animals became real and I certainly wanted to see what happened to the little girl lost in the woods (Cue the Morphine song). This is a re-telling of the Garden of Eden, but where the snake is just one more buddy, and the people get to stay.
Harington, who died just a few years ago, created a fictional town, Stay More, where he set twelve novels. Characters make cameo appearances from one to another book. The town is not as funny as T.R. Pearson's but more hopeful than Faulkner's. But I like it there and intend to stay more.
This book, With, read immediately after, was written by a deaf, American author and is based in part on his own experiences in the wilds of the Ozarks.
You would think that these novels could not be more different in style, plot and themes. Indeed, I like to alternate my reading choices (fiction to non-fiction, American to International). After a laborious 790-page trek through European political and philosophical rumblings, a bit of folksy Americana seemed in order. As one reviewer has admonished: buy locally, be a true patriot. But the Goodreads Gods do their own sifting; coincidences abound. I do not actively seek anthropomorphic characters, but.......
Both books feature dogs that speak, sorta, to young children that they take it upon themselves to protect. The dogs are all-knowing, prophetic and brave beyond belief. The children adapt well to unusual circumstances: one is left home alone at the age of one month while Momma goes to work; the other is abducted at age 7 and left to fend for herself in a mountain wilderness. Both books detail rapes (not really a plot-spoiler, I promise) that result in peculiar looking offspring.
Something strange is happening!!!!!!!
Anyhow, I liked With a lot, notwithstanding the frankly incredible elements. The menagerie of animals became real and I certainly wanted to see what happened to the little girl lost in the woods (Cue the Morphine song). This is a re-telling of the Garden of Eden, but where the snake is just one more buddy, and the people get to stay.
Harington, who died just a few years ago, created a fictional town, Stay More, where he set twelve novels. Characters make cameo appearances from one to another book. The town is not as funny as T.R. Pearson's but more hopeful than Faulkner's. But I like it there and intend to stay more.
December 27, 2007
There aren't enough Ws, Ts, and Fs to describe how I feel about this bullshit old-man masturbatory fantasy. By the end, I couldn't choose between giving into disbelieving laughter or just plain puking, so I went with both. On a sentence level, the writing is messy, amateurish, and silly; the dialects and sexual euphemisms are almost hilariously wretched. The plot jerks from one major milestone to the next, often skipping large chunks of narrative to hurry the reader on to the author's real and somewhat creepy interest, which is Robin's ultimate sexual maturation. Finally, the ending is a betrayal of everything that came before. I was hoping to read the Stay More cycle, but I can't imagine enduring more of Harington's contrivances. (I did, however, like Hraepha and wish she were the main character.)
June 21, 2010
I detested this book. I hated it, from the clumsy rendering of an Ozarks accent to the dog who has a language parallelling human language, to the premise that a 7 year old could survive alone in the deep woods until adulthood with only a pet bear, deer, racoon, bobcat, and a bevy of dogs to help her out. The bear would've eaten her and the deer and the racoon if they hadn't all hightailed it earlier. I do love the magical realism of South American novels, but this didn't qualify as that, either.
The most incredible suspension of disbelief asks you to accept that the girl would not have once in a decade, not once have tried to find a trail that would lead her to people. The Ozarks may be isolated, but they aren't that devoid of people. Moreover, the in-habit, Harington's invention of a spirit of a still living person who once lived in that cabin, told her of the trail he took to town to go to school. And, the dog took a trail to another cabin in the woods when she wanted to see her boyfriend (yes, the dog has a boyfriend), and also brings the girl some scissors on one of her visits.
Okay, now explain this: I found myself compelled to read this through. I couldn't put it down. It takes a rare genius to write a book that is so repellent in so many ways, that defies willing suspension of disbelief, and that still makes you want to read over 500 pages. I have no explanation for this phenomenon. (Reading the reviews on Goodreads, I see other people had the same experience.) If I were studying stylistics, I would make this book a prime object of analysis, but I'm retired now and I'm just going to read another book.
The most incredible suspension of disbelief asks you to accept that the girl would not have once in a decade, not once have tried to find a trail that would lead her to people. The Ozarks may be isolated, but they aren't that devoid of people. Moreover, the in-habit, Harington's invention of a spirit of a still living person who once lived in that cabin, told her of the trail he took to town to go to school. And, the dog took a trail to another cabin in the woods when she wanted to see her boyfriend (yes, the dog has a boyfriend), and also brings the girl some scissors on one of her visits.
Okay, now explain this: I found myself compelled to read this through. I couldn't put it down. It takes a rare genius to write a book that is so repellent in so many ways, that defies willing suspension of disbelief, and that still makes you want to read over 500 pages. I have no explanation for this phenomenon. (Reading the reviews on Goodreads, I see other people had the same experience.) If I were studying stylistics, I would make this book a prime object of analysis, but I'm retired now and I'm just going to read another book.
March 2, 2025
“The important thing is not that one of your children dies in a waterfall and another one runs away from home but that some vicissitude robs you forever of the pleasure of their company. Farther along we’ll know all about it.”
"Farther along we'll know all about it,
Farther along we'll understand why;
Cheer up, my Brother, live on in the sunshine,
We'll understand it all, by and by."
Farther along I hope to know why Donald Harington and Stay More have gone by so unnoticed and unrecognized. But maybe there's no fate more befitting of Stay More?
"Farther along we'll know all about it,
Farther along we'll understand why;
Cheer up, my Brother, live on in the sunshine,
We'll understand it all, by and by."
Farther along I hope to know why Donald Harington and Stay More have gone by so unnoticed and unrecognized. But maybe there's no fate more befitting of Stay More?
July 9, 2010
I really like Harington, and really thought the other book of his I read, When Angels Sleep, was quite wonderful and accomplished. The guy can write, and he can write these wonderful overlapping kinds of stories, and also ones that go some pretty weird and dark places-- this one certainly starts out well, with the abduction of a little girl by a state trooper who intends to, well, molest her and kind of remake the world in his and her image. Promising, challenging, and interesting.
But as it goes, the book turns increasingly sentimental; the would-be molester dies, the gal domesticates a collection of animals (dog, bobcat, snake, bear, armadillo, deer, etc) and the spool sort of runs and runs and I found myself liking it less and less till by the end, it was a frankly disturbing fantasy that rationalizes a middle aged writers love for a girl who is barely legal. So, kind of icky, and wrapped in a lot of rationalizations and etc that are the opposite of the kind of open-eyed exploration of darkness we started with.
Not, then, a book I enjoyed. Two stars is too harsh because it's a good book in terms of writing and construction, but man it got under my skin.
But as it goes, the book turns increasingly sentimental; the would-be molester dies, the gal domesticates a collection of animals (dog, bobcat, snake, bear, armadillo, deer, etc) and the spool sort of runs and runs and I found myself liking it less and less till by the end, it was a frankly disturbing fantasy that rationalizes a middle aged writers love for a girl who is barely legal. So, kind of icky, and wrapped in a lot of rationalizations and etc that are the opposite of the kind of open-eyed exploration of darkness we started with.
Not, then, a book I enjoyed. Two stars is too harsh because it's a good book in terms of writing and construction, but man it got under my skin.
December 7, 2011
I am torn in my review of this book! I can't recommend it enough with its magical mountaintop fable and clever menagerie! What I wouldn't give for some Hreapha's and Roberts, Shebas and Ralgrub (characters with their own opinions on the world though they are dogs, bobcats, snakes, and racoons). But I can't help but commenting that the fantasy of the main character's sexual development is so written as some kind of nabokovian wet dream. At least the author acknowledges that and makes reference to the other character's love of Nabokov! It isn't often that I find myself feeling so separated from the storyline because the gender of the author creates such a distance from my "immersion" in the story. The story would lose its momentum for me because I would find myself sighing "wow, sooo written from an old man's point of view..."
That said, it's a beautifully written book and a charming story. I am happy to be introduced to this author and looking forward to some of his other works.
That said, it's a beautifully written book and a charming story. I am happy to be introduced to this author and looking forward to some of his other works.
September 17, 2018
2-stars is kinda harsh, but what a slog! 491 pages! I had, like, 50 pages to go, couldn't do it and speed-read the rest.
If there is a thought that occurs to him, interests (barrel making, wine making) he enjoys, you are going to hear it and read about them...in excruciating detail. But...Harington writes clean, efficient prose. You feel he must have spoken the same way he wrote and he must have been a joy to talk to. Both the story and the manner of its telling are original. By all accounts Harington is an American original.
Reading is an intensely personal thing. I prefer the author to get on with telling the story. I'm not asking for a 100-meter dash; he can use all the words he needs, but not indulge in endless and irrelevant digressions. But for some readers those same digressions are part of the pleasure of reading Harington and I understand that. Read the 5-star reviews.
So if you are going to read Harington, get your mind right (I did not, foolish me), slow your roll and enjoy it like a fine wine Harington himself would have enjoyed.
If there is a thought that occurs to him, interests (barrel making, wine making) he enjoys, you are going to hear it and read about them...in excruciating detail. But...Harington writes clean, efficient prose. You feel he must have spoken the same way he wrote and he must have been a joy to talk to. Both the story and the manner of its telling are original. By all accounts Harington is an American original.
Reading is an intensely personal thing. I prefer the author to get on with telling the story. I'm not asking for a 100-meter dash; he can use all the words he needs, but not indulge in endless and irrelevant digressions. But for some readers those same digressions are part of the pleasure of reading Harington and I understand that. Read the 5-star reviews.
So if you are going to read Harington, get your mind right (I did not, foolish me), slow your roll and enjoy it like a fine wine Harington himself would have enjoyed.
July 11, 2022
I love Donald Harington’s books for the world building and inventiveness and his mastery and playfulness with language.
Some of his novels are quite complex (prime example Some Other Place. The Right Place.). Harington likes to experiment: he jumps between timelines, gives voice to animals and ghosts, inserts himself and the reader into the story, and so on.
This creativity can be found in With, but the story is linear, and more weight is given to warmth and suspense.
The content sounds depressing: Pedophile (Sog Alan – he features as a kid in When Angels Rest) abducts little girl and takes her away into the wilderness.
But what Harington does with this is marvelous and upbeat. Just read the first chapter and see how he leads you into the unexpected.
In the beginning of the book was a minor incident that bugged me because it didn’t make sense to me. But in one of the final chapters it’s resolved as part of the story. Brilliant!
Apparently With was rejected by forty publishers due to the subject matter before Harington found someone willing to publish it. And then it became his most popular book.
This is my tenth Harington novel and with The Choiring of the Trees and The Cockroaches of Stay More in my top three.
Harington deserves to be so much more popular. Only one of his books, The Cockroaches…, has been translated into my native German for example. A sad omission.
Heads up for all Harington novices: Almost all his novels are set in Stay More, a fictional place in the Ozarks, and share characters and references. Each book can be read as stand-alone, but it’s more fun with the background. Start with Lightning Bug.
Some of his novels are quite complex (prime example Some Other Place. The Right Place.). Harington likes to experiment: he jumps between timelines, gives voice to animals and ghosts, inserts himself and the reader into the story, and so on.
This creativity can be found in With, but the story is linear, and more weight is given to warmth and suspense.
The content sounds depressing: Pedophile (Sog Alan – he features as a kid in When Angels Rest) abducts little girl and takes her away into the wilderness.
But what Harington does with this is marvelous and upbeat. Just read the first chapter and see how he leads you into the unexpected.
In the beginning of the book was a minor incident that bugged me because it didn’t make sense to me. But in one of the final chapters it’s resolved as part of the story. Brilliant!
Apparently With was rejected by forty publishers due to the subject matter before Harington found someone willing to publish it. And then it became his most popular book.
This is my tenth Harington novel and with The Choiring of the Trees and The Cockroaches of Stay More in my top three.
Harington deserves to be so much more popular. Only one of his books, The Cockroaches…, has been translated into my native German for example. A sad omission.
Heads up for all Harington novices: Almost all his novels are set in Stay More, a fictional place in the Ozarks, and share characters and references. Each book can be read as stand-alone, but it’s more fun with the background. Start with Lightning Bug.
August 28, 2017
If you haven't read Mr Harington, dated as you might think he is, you should.
Always centered around the good rural people of the Ozarks, each book brings its own morals and viewpoints to life in interesting and fun ways.
From the 'history' of the region based upon the type of structures they built, to the viewpoints of the local cockroach community, one is carried along in a world of fantasy and realism and thought provoking situations.
In this case, a 7 year old girl gets kidnapped for life long sex by a pedophile. What is ensues covers the Adam and Eve story, the viewpoint of some delightful 'pets', the desire to be 'with', some very strange sex, the little voices, real or imagined, we hear when we need someone, to self sufficiency, to family, etc ad naseum.
Of course, it will all almost make sense if you start with the first in the series.....
See review by Karen who got me into this in the first place.
Always centered around the good rural people of the Ozarks, each book brings its own morals and viewpoints to life in interesting and fun ways.
From the 'history' of the region based upon the type of structures they built, to the viewpoints of the local cockroach community, one is carried along in a world of fantasy and realism and thought provoking situations.
In this case, a 7 year old girl gets kidnapped for life long sex by a pedophile. What is ensues covers the Adam and Eve story, the viewpoint of some delightful 'pets', the desire to be 'with', some very strange sex, the little voices, real or imagined, we hear when we need someone, to self sufficiency, to family, etc ad naseum.
Of course, it will all almost make sense if you start with the first in the series.....
See review by Karen who got me into this in the first place.
April 1, 2015
This is one of the stories that I am so glad I now know. Oh wait, I already know it. It’s the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (the animals) with the wicked witch (Sugrue) and of course the handsome prince (Adam) only written by a better writer than Disney. It’s a story to muse over from time to time. Like when I’m driving through the Ozarks. It's a delightful book. And I haven't used that word delightful in a long time. The kind of story that you want to tell your grandchildren. If I had grandchildren. But wait, then your grandchildren might WANT to be abducted by a pedophile and go live on Madewell Mountain with a menagerie and an in-habit. I know I want to live there.
June 5, 2012
"The child really had no idea where she was going... after a while the girl came upon a marvelous but useless discovery: there was a pond of water where beavers had felled trees and made a beaver dam. From a distance Hreapha could smell the animals' scent... she was delighted to discover that beaver were living here on the mountainside so near the farmstead, and she was keen to investigate their dam and lodge, but did not want to be seen by the girl."
It is not possible to pass innocently through this novel like the dog Hreapha. This is one creepy, unforgettable novel with many moments of delight.
It is not possible to pass innocently through this novel like the dog Hreapha. This is one creepy, unforgettable novel with many moments of delight.
September 3, 2012
Donald Harington's "With" is billed as "the most original love story ever told"--and it may be. Harington is a master of narrative twists, clever range of points of view and even of tenses. Like "Room," this book begins with a horrible crime (the kidnapping of a young girl by a sexual predator) but takes surprising twists--in this case, into the fantastic. "With" is in part an homage to Nature and to The Peaceable Kingdom, set in the Ozarks in the 1960's. Had the great pleasure of reading Harington's wonderful novel by flashlight during two days of a hurricane passing through.
April 7, 2013
I got 25% through this book and gave up (at least for a while). Maybe I'll get back to it some day, but I found it to be a downer. I didn't like any of the characters, except possibly the dog. I didn't mind the dialogue at first but then it began to irritate me. Overall, it was too much like the bad aspects of the real world, which I like to escape by reading.
October 15, 2012
Although this book had its moments, I basically only finished it because I started it.
January 29, 2024
I cannot explain all the ways I loved this book. It was strange and sad and so real. Definitely one of my all time favorites.
November 8, 2019
I was a bit torn about how to rate this book. There were times that it dragged on, although I understand that we were following Robin to adulthood; but it was tedious at times. There were many things that bothered me about this book, like the focus on Robin’s need for a man being her primary want as she matured (clearly this book was written by a male), her strange bond and acceptance of Sugrue, and the sweetness vs disturbing reality and slight disgust of the eventual relationship at the end. There were inconsistencies and even impossibilities beyond the accepting of the fantastical in this book (umm how do you travel the world and still stay unknown? Passports I guess can be gotten illegally...).
Despite the issues, there were things I loved, and when a book sticks with me after I’m done with it, I know it’s affected me in a way many don’t. What I enjoyed was the concept of the in-habit as there are spiritual doctrines that discuss the ability of the soul to fragment and become whole again. While I’ve thought about this in terms of past traumas, I’ve never really considered the fragmentation of self in a living person attached to a place, but it makes sense. Shamanic soul retrieval and the concept of wholeness is known to be a powerful tool for healing and I will contemplate this in-habit concept for some time. Also, the different perspectives taken in this book was interesting. I actually enjoyed listening to each of them, especially the animals. I don’t usually like when books reference the reader, but in this case it didn’t bother me as much as it usually does.
Despite the issues, there were things I loved, and when a book sticks with me after I’m done with it, I know it’s affected me in a way many don’t. What I enjoyed was the concept of the in-habit as there are spiritual doctrines that discuss the ability of the soul to fragment and become whole again. While I’ve thought about this in terms of past traumas, I’ve never really considered the fragmentation of self in a living person attached to a place, but it makes sense. Shamanic soul retrieval and the concept of wholeness is known to be a powerful tool for healing and I will contemplate this in-habit concept for some time. Also, the different perspectives taken in this book was interesting. I actually enjoyed listening to each of them, especially the animals. I don’t usually like when books reference the reader, but in this case it didn’t bother me as much as it usually does.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 14, 2017
Not my personal review but Steven Moore sums it up very nicely...
“Like all of these works, With explores the pluses and minuses of abandoning civilization for a solitary life communing with nature. Sog wanted to isolate himself because he became convinced that "the world was just no damn good, life was a joke, the world was full of meanness and wrongdoing and corruption and selfishness and evil and backstabbing and shoddy merchandise and wickedness and bum raps and disorderly conduct and weakness and malpractice and greed and moral turpitude and what not. It had been his plan to learn her to appreciate the isolation of this wilderness that protected her from all that badness and transgression." Robin misses out on the usual joys and sorrows of teenage girls, but the novel makes a strong case that she's better off that way. Hudson's Rima the Bird Girl comes to a tragic end, but Robin is clearly a better person for her experiences, and in the final line of the novel she exhibits a wisdom far beyond her 18 years.” -Steven Moore
“Like all of these works, With explores the pluses and minuses of abandoning civilization for a solitary life communing with nature. Sog wanted to isolate himself because he became convinced that "the world was just no damn good, life was a joke, the world was full of meanness and wrongdoing and corruption and selfishness and evil and backstabbing and shoddy merchandise and wickedness and bum raps and disorderly conduct and weakness and malpractice and greed and moral turpitude and what not. It had been his plan to learn her to appreciate the isolation of this wilderness that protected her from all that badness and transgression." Robin misses out on the usual joys and sorrows of teenage girls, but the novel makes a strong case that she's better off that way. Hudson's Rima the Bird Girl comes to a tragic end, but Robin is clearly a better person for her experiences, and in the final line of the novel she exhibits a wisdom far beyond her 18 years.” -Steven Moore
November 4, 2017
4.5 overall but bizarre. The magic and occasional corniness were hard to take at times. The pedophilia and abduction were icky. But this weird book was really good overall to me. I enjoyed it. Refreshing to read something different for a change.
April 26, 2019
My favorite Donald Harington novel. Magical realism in the Ozarks.
January 12, 2020
One of the best books I’ve ever read.
December 21, 2021
A girl is abducted for nefarious reasons which don't come to fruition.
May 13, 2022
With a suspension of disbelief about one major point, this is a charming novel of magical realism. Remote Ozarks, nature, animals.
June 22, 2023
Pretty weird
December 1, 2024
Had a interesting setup that was pretty good. It started out well but it quickly got tired some. It's way too long.
May 15, 2009
Not what I was expecting. What was I expecting? Not sure. Plot wise, this old guy kidnaps a young girl and takes her off to live in an isolated mountain wilderness. And to the reviwers who've dismissed this book as being just about a creepy dude kidnapping a young girl and wanting to have his way with her...well, you clearly didn't read the whole book b/c the dude dies like halfway through the book (which I kinda guessed by reading the inside flap anyway) and before he dies we learn he's impotent and it's totally like not even about whatever sexual fetish you think it's about. Anyway.
Harington, who apparently lost his hearing to meningitis at age 12, does some interesting things narratively (a bit of strange meta-fiction towards the end too that was interesting) that I found to be very entertaining. Nothing too terribly new, just different perspective type stuff, but he so effortlessly transitions between voices and writes each one with such sincerity that you can't help but be wrapped up in the thoughts and emotions of the dog/girl/bobcat/old guy/"ghost"/mother, etc. And though I throughly enjoyed the book, I probably won't be reading another one by him. It's hard to explain why, but ya know when you visit a restaurant or something and you have a good time and everything and the food was good and generally had what you would call a 'good experience' but really, in your heart of hearts, you can say you probably, for no clear reason, would not go back? That's how I kinda feel about Harington and the world of Stay More (the fictious world most of books are based in). I came, took a look around, approved, but I don't think I'll be going back...though I'd recommend it to my friends. Unlike anything I've ever read, in a lot of ways. If I could use the term 'magical' without rolling my eyes, then I would use it. Magical in the way that great fiction can be magical.
Harington, who apparently lost his hearing to meningitis at age 12, does some interesting things narratively (a bit of strange meta-fiction towards the end too that was interesting) that I found to be very entertaining. Nothing too terribly new, just different perspective type stuff, but he so effortlessly transitions between voices and writes each one with such sincerity that you can't help but be wrapped up in the thoughts and emotions of the dog/girl/bobcat/old guy/"ghost"/mother, etc. And though I throughly enjoyed the book, I probably won't be reading another one by him. It's hard to explain why, but ya know when you visit a restaurant or something and you have a good time and everything and the food was good and generally had what you would call a 'good experience' but really, in your heart of hearts, you can say you probably, for no clear reason, would not go back? That's how I kinda feel about Harington and the world of Stay More (the fictious world most of books are based in). I came, took a look around, approved, but I don't think I'll be going back...though I'd recommend it to my friends. Unlike anything I've ever read, in a lot of ways. If I could use the term 'magical' without rolling my eyes, then I would use it. Magical in the way that great fiction can be magical.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 26, 2013
This was the first book I read by Donald Harington and I was blown away by the author's unique style and highly entertaining story. I did not know what to expect, but the book was a very pleasant surprise. It is one of several books written about a fictitious town in the Ozarks of Arkansas, Stay More.
The basic plot is about a retiring state trooper who is a closet pedophile, and who has not acted upon his impulse yet. He kidnaps a pre-teen girl, takes her to an isolated, old farm in the mountains (it was at this time I almost stopped reading). He begins to be sick, starts teaching the girl how to live in seclusion, and eventually dies. The story now relates how she survives on her own for many years.
Without giving away the unusual aspects of the book I enjoyed how the author used different narrators to tell the story. And although I do not care much for fantasy, the use of a "spirit" added to the plot as the girl grew up.
This was truly a book I could not put down. I loved Harington's writing style, and quickly began reading about his "Stay Morons" in his other books.
The basic plot is about a retiring state trooper who is a closet pedophile, and who has not acted upon his impulse yet. He kidnaps a pre-teen girl, takes her to an isolated, old farm in the mountains (it was at this time I almost stopped reading). He begins to be sick, starts teaching the girl how to live in seclusion, and eventually dies. The story now relates how she survives on her own for many years.
Without giving away the unusual aspects of the book I enjoyed how the author used different narrators to tell the story. And although I do not care much for fantasy, the use of a "spirit" added to the plot as the girl grew up.
This was truly a book I could not put down. I loved Harington's writing style, and quickly began reading about his "Stay Morons" in his other books.
Read
February 14, 2008Girl gets kidnapped by pedophile and taken to live the rest of her life in seclusion on a remote mountaintop. Pedophile dies, but girl remains on mountaintop. Girl makes friends with a ton of animals, and has a love affair with a ghost-like presence.
I really want to recommend it, because I couldn't put it down, and I was up until 2 AM finishing it. But...I think it would have been better if he had edited himself a little bit more. It's a long book, and there are a lot of parts and details that don't seem to me to really contribute. They read like maybe he was just having a good time playing with his imaginary friends.
Still, very enjoyable. Especially if, like I do, you enjoy stories of people making do when they get stranded or when their world turns upside down. Don't be afraid of the pedophile parts, he doesn't really get her.
I really want to recommend it, because I couldn't put it down, and I was up until 2 AM finishing it. But...I think it would have been better if he had edited himself a little bit more. It's a long book, and there are a lot of parts and details that don't seem to me to really contribute. They read like maybe he was just having a good time playing with his imaginary friends.
Still, very enjoyable. Especially if, like I do, you enjoy stories of people making do when they get stranded or when their world turns upside down. Don't be afraid of the pedophile parts, he doesn't really get her.
November 12, 2007
Greg recommended this one. I sent it to my mom, who was practically wetting her pants with excitement every time I asked her about it. I'm anxious to get into this and see what all the fuss was about.
***Update***
I couldn't put this book down. So original, and full of surprises. Some similarities to Faulkner--the author has fun playing with point-of-view, sometimes to the point of frustration for the reader. He personifies animals, but not in a Disney way--you can truly empathize with them by the end of the story.
This was a wonderful novel. I'm anxious to read more about Stay More.
***Update***
I couldn't put this book down. So original, and full of surprises. Some similarities to Faulkner--the author has fun playing with point-of-view, sometimes to the point of frustration for the reader. He personifies animals, but not in a Disney way--you can truly empathize with them by the end of the story.
This was a wonderful novel. I'm anxious to read more about Stay More.
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