The Bully of Order

by Brian Hart

Set in a logging town on the lawless Pacific coast of Washington State at the turn of the twentieth century, a spellbinding novel of fate and redemption--told with a muscular lyricism and filled with a cast of characters Shakespearean in scope--in which the lives of an ill-fated family are at the mercy of violent social and historical forces that tear them apart.

Keen to make his fortune, Jacob Ellstrom, armed with his medical kit and new wife, Nell, lands in The Harbor--a mud-filled, raucous coastal town teeming with rough trade pioneers, sawmill laborers, sailors, and prostitutes. But Jacob is not a doctor, and a botched delivery exposes his ruse, driving him onto the streets in a plunge towards alcoholism. Alone, Nell scrambles to keep herself and their young son, Duncan, safe in this dangerous world. When a tentative reunion between the couple--in the company of Duncan and Jacob's malicious brother, Matius--results in tragedy, Jacob must flee town to elude being charged with murder.

Years later, the wild and reckless Duncan seems to be yet another of The Harbor's hoodlums. His only salvation is his overwhelming love for Teresa Boyerton, the daughter of the town's largest mill owner. But disaster will befall the lovers with heartbreaking consequences.

And across town, Bellhouse, a union boss and criminal rabble-rouser, sits at the helm of The Harbor's seedy underbelly, perpetuating a cycle of greed and violence. His thug Tartan directs his pack of thieves, pimps, and murderers, and conceals an incendiary secret involving Duncan's mother. As time passes, a string of calamitous events sends these characters hurtling towards each other in an epic collision that will shake the town to its core.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, American History

400 pages, Paperback

First published September 2, 2014

About the author

Brian Hart was born in central Idaho in 1976. He received an MFA from the Michener Center for Writers in 2008. He currently lives in Austin, TX with his wife and daughter.

Reviews

[Morris · Rating 2 out of 5]

This review is of a complimentary copy provided by Harper through the Goodreads First Reads program in exchange for an honest review.

“The Bully Order” by Brian Hart is an unapologetic novel set on the coast of Washington State in the early 19oo’s. It is gritty and doesn’t shy away from just how brutal and miserable things were during that time in that area.

I really wanted to like this novel. The history is sound and a refreshing take on an era that is all too often romanticized. A few of the characters were engaging and made me want to know more about them. Unfortunately, those were the only redeeming qualities I found.

The beginning of the book is slow and filled with words that make it seem as though the writer went crazy with a thesaurus. It really bogs the flow down and makes it near impossible to get sucked into what may otherwise be a good story. The flips between points of view were enough to make me seasick. I stuck with it in the vain hope that it would get better, but the flaws pulled me too far out to ever really settle into the story.

[Barbara Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the reasons I chose to read this book is because of its setting and time period. The story takes place in the late 1800's in the Pacific Northwest, and Hart paints a vivid verbal picture of the harsh conditions the characters in a mill town called "The Harbor" face daily in their efforts to earn a living and make a home for themselves. In the first chapter, readers are warned about and welcomed into this callous fictionalized by one of the main characters, Jacob Ellstrom:

“You say San Franciso is a rough town? New York? Shanghai? Our washerwomen are tougher than their meanest ax-murdering thugs. Our smallest, puniest orphan can beat Jim Corbett at arm wrestling.”
***
“Soon men again filled the streets. Look at them, all of them, beasty little slints. They landed here: torn, dirty and scared; starving mostly, flashing their frantic grins and yellowpine teeth. Do your best, gents, and welcome to the Big Show. ..Welcome to the white man’s burden, the slaughter of war ponies, the poisoning of the well. We’re doing it here, and we’ll take more if you got them."
***
“A body is a mob, a convulsion, an orgasm of destitute rabble. List to it breathe. Feed it. Keep it appeased, always. It’s written on the wall: The Harbor Welcomes You."

Hart does a great job of immersing readers into the hustle and bustle of a community where men toil long hours in the sawmills, sailors cause a ruckus, and criminal activity abounds. Part of what makes the world-building so effective is that the story is narrated by multiple characters giving readers a wider lens to peer into this gritty, cold, and brutal world and the lives that crumble under its weight. The pages are filled with betrayal, murder, heart-break, and remorse.

The two different types of POVs used to tell the story are another aspect of the book that I found interesting. Each chapter of the story is narrated from a particular character’s perspective, and Hart uses a first person POV to give Jacob, his wife Nell, and their child, Duncan a voice. By using a first-person POV, Hart invites readers to connect on a deeper emotional level with this family. However, when the story’s viewpoint shifts to other characters in the community, the author uses a third-person limited omniscient POV creating some distance between the reader and the character. Why the switch? Perhaps to emphasize that the members of the Ellstrom family are the central characters that drive the story.

Hart has created a cast of flawed characters from a range of socio-economic classes whose lives intersect in indelible ways that are often spurred by weakness, desperation, and violence. I didn’t care for many of these characters although I was interested in their backstories and what lay in store for them as the plot progressed. It’s hard to connect with self-centered characters whose greed and brutality overshadow any redeeming traits they might have. However, I don’t see this as a weakness in Hart’s character development. I think his intention is to show how hardened and indifferent people can become living in this environment.

Since the novel’s focus is on Jacob Ellstrom’s family, I really tried to like to empathize with their characters and their quest to start a new life together in The Harbor. While I was saddened to see their family fall apart, I didn’t feel much sympathy for Jacob or his wife, Nell. Jacob is a charlatan, posing as medical doctor building his practice and his place in the community from a foundation of lies. He is a weak man willing to abandon his wife and baby to save himself instead of taking a stand and protecting his family. Although Nell is a victim in many ways, she also makes poor choices that cause me to lose any sympathy I might have had for her. Their young son Duncan is the one who pays the price for his parents’ cowardice. He grows to be a rebellious, angry young man, quick to lash out at others, even those few who try to offer support. However, no matter how difficult his childhood was, it doesn’t excuse his misdeeds. All in all, I didn’t respect any of these characters. Loyalty, even within families, is scarce or non-existent.

Hart delves into the conflicts and failures of father-son relationships not only with Jacob and Duncan, but also with Matius and Jonas, and Mr. Boyerton and his son, Oliver. The author explores the depth of each son’s deep-seated anger and the triggers that bring it to light. Duncan’s hatred of his father and the inner turmoil he experiences because of it is the most apparent in the book and is examined with brutal honesty:

It wasn’t easy to hate him—he was my father, after all—but I persevered, for Mother’s sake. I spent long nights calculating slow death. I sharpen blades and load guns, but all of it ended in a dream. I hated how deeply I could sleep when I lay down plotting patricide. Morning arrived with memories of the old man stomping around the kitchen, and it felt like my own blood pouring out of me, aching as it went. I wondered sometimes if it would hurt more or less not to kill him, to let him live, because I feared, ultimately that I couldn’t do it.”

Hart also explores themes of forgiveness and redemption that make this a thought-provoking read. The story has a nebulous resolution, leaving the reader to speculate about what happens to some of the central characters and what their future might hold for them. Usually, I like clear, tidy endings, but in this case, I think it’s appropriate for each individual reader to decide what happens to the characters at the end. I’m sure readers will have mixed and varied opinions about what type of resolution these characters deserve.

Overall, reading the book was a slow but engaging experience for me. At times, I wondered about the inclusion of some scenes and their relevance to the overall plot. In some places, the author uses flashbacks to help the reader understand a character’s motivations, but the transitions to the past events aren’t always smooth. Some of the more emotionally explosive and dangerous scenes lacked the suspense and intensity I anticipated and were somewhat anticlimactic for me. Despite these shortcomings, I would recommend the book to those who enjoy historical fiction and aren’t put off by the story’s dark atmosphere.

Source: I received an ARC of this book from the author to provide an honest review. The quotes taken from the pre-published copy may have changed or been omitted from the final version.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

A late nineteenth-century Washington state lumber town is the setting for Hart’s second novel, a dark story of family violence. As the novel speeds into the 20th century, various voices, some first-person and some third-person, provide shifting commentary on the happenings of this frontier harbor. The Bully of Order resonates for its strong theme of sons cursed to repeat their fathers’ mistakes, and the violent, doom-laden atmosphere brings Cormac McCarthy to mind.

(Non-subscribers can read an excerpt of my full review at BookBrowse.)

[Bagman · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were facets of this book that I really enjoyed, such as the way the plot developed at a slow, even pace allowing the reader to get a full and in depth understanding of the characters, and elements that led to the story's climax. There was the use of colorful, descriptive language used throughout the book that added historical content and realism. The way the editor allowed the author to express his every emotion through word and paint a virtual picture of each scene.

On the reverse side, I really hated the way the plot developed at such a slow pace using paragraph after paragraph of character narrative to explain their current status. It often had me hoping that the next epage would bring an end to the chapter and move the plot along. I did not enjoy the way this author inserted every colloquialism and bit of slang from the era that he could dredge up, often leaving me wondering what the hell he was talking about. Finally,I did not like the way that the editor allowed the author to ramble through almost four hundred pages to complete a story that could have been amply stated in two hundred and fifty, thank you very much.

This is a period piece reminiscent, unfortunately, of The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton. If you liked The Luminaries, you should love this novel by Brian Hart. Detailed; violent without being overly graphic; colorful and authentic (again, I can only assume). The Bully of Order is a mini version of The Luminaries without the mystery.

[Philippe Malzieu · Rating 4 out of 5]

At the beginning there is violence. It is thus an account of the origins. A kind of founding myth.

A lost corner of the northern Pacific, the rage to survive, love, death, sex, rape, armed robbery… This book makes me think of the « gang of New York ». Questioned on the unbearable violence of his film, Scorcese retorted that had occurred thus. Macchiavel would find this violence illegitimate. It is the limit of his demonstration. We need Rene girard. American has a particular relationship with transcendence. At the beginning, there is the murder, but it is a sacrifice, it is really a founding myth.

M. Hart has talent. His style, often poetic, can be also naturalist. He already belongs to american author mythology. He had made many jobs before writing, It only misses gold-digger. Wait his next book. Probably a grat one.

[Sean Owen · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Bully of Order" is historical fiction of the only kind that's worth reading. Hart is trying to bring to life a people who were so little noted when they were alive that it's a stretch to call them forgotten. Hart's 19th century Pacific Northwest logging port is a rough and dirty place where life is cheap and short.

Hart has a grip on something interesting here, but in his efforts to create an epic he loses hold on what could have been great. The day to day of the town and the rapid changes in fortune would have been enough to carry the story. Hart unfortunately felt the need to add a story within the story and mystical characters.

[Catherine Mustread · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brutal, revolting, yet riveting and brilliant overwhelming story of mobsters, swindlers, frauds, and murderous criminals, with the Ellstrom family caught in the middle and representative of all these character types. The setting is a Washington state river town near the Pacific coast in the midst of a lumber boom at the turn of the 20th century. The weather is so damp and the mud so deep, it pervades the atmosphere of the book. A subplot of the book is a story (mythical?) of Russian explorers and the Aleuts at the end of the 18th century. The level of violence and foul language is extreme though true to the times and place, definitely not a book for anyone seeking a "gentle" read.

Lawlessness is the rule of the community and Jacob, the former (fraud) doctor turned drunken outlaw hermit, "wondered if at the bottom of every argument against the rule of law is man’s inability to accept kindness, the antithetical strains of loneliness and independence."

The NYT review (by James Scott 2Jan2015) has the following quote: “"This is war but bloodier,” one voice tells another. “Nah,” the other replies, “I seen war and this is darling compared.” Those brave enough to forge ahead are soon faced with a fond recollection of a sexual act with a steer’s heart and a story that culminates in a dog’s hanging itself, among other atrocities."

[Becky · Rating 2 out of 5]

I honestly just didn't hit it off with this one. I started it. I started it over. I thumbed through and skimmed it. I read other reviews and I started once again. By this point I think I harbored some serious resentment towards The Bully of Order! Some have pointed out that the author's style takes some getting used to but I never was able to get the hang of it. Instead I slogged through, page by page, wishing and hoping that I'd be able to come to some sort of compromise with the book - or that it would just wear me down - and hoping that it would pick up. It never did.

This is an incredibly bleak book. The author's style leans towards clipped sentences and something close to stream of consciousness narration on the part of the characters (close to, but not exactly - either way it made it difficult to follow).

I should point out that there are some quite nice reviews of this book. I should further point out that the author's style isn't bad but was something I simply couldn't wrap my brain around at this point in time.

[Jean · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one seemed interminable. I finally gave up. I picked it up because it was recommended by the Chautauqua Literary Reader's Society for 2016, but it is not one of my favorites. It is chosen because it has to do with the week long series on Cities, but as far as I am concerned this failed to really tell the tale of Seattle. It is more about the quirky characters who live out west as loggers, farmers, prospectors, n'er do wells, etc. It gets off track with these characters and after awhile I just didn't care about them. It was way too long for me and rambled, so I don't recommend it. As per prior experience, I will hear the author next summer and find out how I missed the point and will end up liking it more than I think...

[Paul Womack · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another of the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle selections for season 2016. I found it a ponderous read, some surprises that were interesting but generally just not a book I found exciting. I feel badly for the author that I feel this way however, for he must have worked hard on this and poured himself into it.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Compelling story and characters but the writing is a mess: New characters are continually introduced, long after we're overloaded. The structure is back-and-forth-and-back-and-forth. And there's an interminable and unnecessary Russian story that is told in bits and pieces.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

Despite my recent interest in Jess Walter’s The Cold Millions, set in 1909 Spokane, and Karl Marlantes’ less successful but still interesting Deep River, both set in the early twentieth century’s Pacific Northwest labor strikes and vicious strikes, I couldn’t get swept into a parallel account as the logging camps and damp piers around Seattle, in The Bully of Order.

It failed to pull me into the leaden, sullen, and stolid narrative. Characters don’t have to be saints to earn sympathy but the cast of family, bosses, and workers lack depth, unless grousing, bellyaching, brawling, and boozing count. They cheat, murder, brood, bail, boast, and beat each other up physically or mentally.

It lacks the ability to hold the attention of a reader, however inured to their innate resignation and bitter recrimination. A shame, as the dreary setting and the sordid scenes could have been dramatically altered to integrate the people into the potentially powerful backdrop. But this feels like a hybrid of the soulless naturalism of the period in literature combined with our expectations for gore, lust, and curses. It doesn’t deliver profound observations or transformations of weak folk who overcome their fears or limitations.

[David Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reluctantly, I joined those who gave up on this book. The prose was elegant indeed; but way too elegant for the brutality and depravity of its characters and their story. For example, here is Jacob, the depraved husband, contemplating as he returns home to the wife and child he abandoned while on a two-week alcoholic absence:

"A sober morning, and without warrant I arrived. No thunder ushered me in, no lightning, only a quiet and endless rain. The making of a road ends in the making of it, an ocean voyage, the shore. Fall tumbles to winter. The making of a brute completes in a murder. The ruin of a life: I stand waiting. There's no other place, even if I had strayed. And I had, mostly, I had."

A bit over the top, I think.

[David Abbot · Rating 3 out of 5]

A depressing book with diverse but unlikeable characters. Every character makes terrible decisions, and they all suffer the consequences for them.
I will say that Hart does a good job of changing the writing style as the chapters change point of view, although some of the narrators are hard to follow. I read this book a few months ago, and I still remember much of the book vividly. But for the life of me I can't remember exactly how it ends and what happens to the father and son at the center of the story, and that's not a sign of a good book.

[Mark Melrose · Rating 2 out of 5]

Be prepared to whipsawing between characters and chronologies. I think the author had a good idea, but this book is confusing and disappointing. He tries to hard to include countless words and expressions that he must have looked up somewhere which did little to add to the story. I skipped parts of the stories within stories which were tedious. I didn’t give it one start only because at times the descriptions and plot were well done, but that was a minority of the book.

[Jimo15 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I want to give this 3 stars since the author did a good job of developing the characters. But I cannot say I liked the book since I would not recommend it to someone else. None of the characters were really likeable people. They didn't learn from past mistakes or from generation to generation. A lot of selfishness or "not my fault" reasons.

[C.E. Hanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a low 4-Star effort. Hart’s writing is exceptional and the story is engaging, but the centre cannot hold and it unravels somewhat in the last 100 or so pages. Still, recommended and I look forward to his future work.

[Marlene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally published at Reading Reality

It drove me crazy trying to figure out exactly where this book takes place. (The disadvantage of an eARC is that there is no map, even if the book has one). I think this stretch of coastline is somewhere between Gray’s Harbor and Cape Disappointment, but that covers a lot of ground.

I cared because I live in Seattle, and picked this book because it takes place in an extremely fictionalized Washington coast at the turn of the last century, around 1900. Early Seattle history is pretty damn colorful to begin with, so I wanted to see how an author would deal with making it even more picturesque. Or even possibly more picaresque.

For me, The Bully of Order is very much of a mixed feeling book. I love historical fiction, and I am always interested in the history of places I live or have lived, so this was all set up to be a two-fer; the parts of the story that aren’t in “The Harbor” (maybe Gray’s Harbor?) are set in Alaska.

The story has multiple viewpoints. Many multiple viewpoints. Narrators switch in and with regularity. And alacrity. To use an old expression, it seems as if everyone has a dog in this hunt.

There is a hunt. Multiple of them.

The story seems to be about Jacob Ellstrom and the complete mess he makes of his life and the lives of everyone around him. He comes to The Harbor with his young wife Nell, and claims to be a doctor. On the frontier, a lot of people claimed a lot of things that weren’t necessarily true “back in the States”, but a doctor is only as good as his self-confidence makes him (and the last patient he saved).

If there is one thing that Jacob Ellstrom doesn’t seem to have much of, it’s self-confidence. He lets everyone else define who he is. His wife thinks he’s a good man, but his older brother bullies him into bad behavior, including racking up massive debts and drinking to the point where he botches his medical practice.

There’s also a conspiracy of silence about his brother’s rape of Nell, Jacob’s wife. Matius Ellstrom is set up to be the embodiment of evil, and he pretty much succeeds at that. Escaping Matias, or running away instead of standing up to him, becomes the driving force in Jacob’s life, Nell’s life, and their son Duncan’s life.

The Harbor is a gritty logging boom town that the reader knows is going to bust; the omnipresent timber woods, do, in fact, run out. The town never gets civilized, and criminal lawlessness is always just one drink too many away.

The miasma that surrounds The Harbor reminds me of the dark atmosphere of Deadwood, but the storytelling in The Bully of Order isn’t nearly as clear. It definitely is just as bloody.

The story is both Jacob’s search for redemption, and Duncan’s search for retribution. At the end, it is left up to the reader to decide whether either of them achieved what they desired.

Escape Rating C+: The language used in the story is lyrical, even when (especially when) the events that are described are heading downward into an increasingly dark and complex history for the characters.

The chorus effect of the number of perspectives reminded me a bit of The Spoon River Anthology; every single person has their own part to play, and their own way of telling their particular bit. I particularly liked Kozmin the Hermit’s tale of the Russian scout who traveled with Baranov during the early days of the Russian outpost in Alaska. The Bully of Order has itself been compared to Russian literature, both in its darkness and the bleakness of its setting and story.

The Bully of Order is not a story for the faint-of-heart; bad men do bad things often for bad reasons, and if anyone escapes a terrible fate, it’s by luck and not by their actions. The Pacific Northwest was a rough and brutal place back then (true stories of the Klondike Gold Rush will make your hair stand on end), but out of that brutality arose the beautiful places that we know today.

The journey, at least as portrayed in The Bully of Order, was often a very dark and very sad one. No good deed, and very few of the bad ones, went unpunished.

[A Storied Soul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a review. Thank you!
This review originally appeared on my blog: The Literarium

Set in a west-coast American logging town in Washington state at the turn of the 20th century, The Bully of Order chronicles one family's fall from cohesion into dysfunction in the midst of a changing country on the cusp of modernity.

I'm not sure where to begin with this book. One thing I will say is that I struggled with reading this. I was interested in it at first, and when I received it, I dove into reading it immediately. My anticipation diminished though, and I found my reading slowed. But, before I get to that, let me tell you about the good things.

This time period, setting, and atmosphere of this novel is spectacular. As I read, I was reminded of the styles and atmospheres of Charles Dickens's and William Faulkner's novels.I feel that if these two authors had a baby, this is the novel that child would write. The atmosphere of The Bully of Order is dark, dirty, and Hart really gets into the psyches and lines that are drawn between people, something that reminded me of Dickens and is something that Hart captured quite well. Hart's examination of society, family, and our relationships with people was something that reminded me of Faulkner; we also get a lot of examination of Faulkner-esque regionalism that makes me think back to his works. The emotions and feelings of the setting and characters are raw, honest, and real. Hart focuses on a classic brand of realism that really suits this book.

I also liked that Hart chose to write about a subject in American literature and history that not many novelists write about. This book is about the West Coast, the logging industry at the turn of the century--these are subjects I haven't seen a lot of and haven't read a lot of. I feel like the subject matter of The Bully of Order sets this book a part from other contemporary books.

Now for the things I didn't love about The Bully of Order: the writing. The writing in this book is the reason I struggled with reading this. The writing felt clumsy at moments, and the syntax/vocabulary through much of the narrative bogged down the story. The writing and syntax contributed to me having a difficult time getting completely engrossed in the story. So, what I thought could have been a really fast-paced engaging read ended up feeling like a slow historical text. So while it was a bit Dickens or Faulkner-esque, it didn't have any of their magical style of prose.

There are also a lot of characters that are introduced throughout the narrative, and it can be difficult to keep track of them all, particularly with the back-and-forth structure of the book. The only thread I really enjoyed were Nell's and Duncan's; this is the family we follow. I really cared about Nell and her struggles with a husband that just isn't "all that" and how this affects her son Duncan as he grows up. Being a woman then was tough, and also having a son to consider when making decisions for yourself makes things even more difficult. The book would be so much stronger if it were relegated to Nell's point of view.

Overall, I would still recommend that you pick up this book, because it's a new look at the turn of the 20th century and is a book that doesn't focus on "Downton Abbey-like" themes--books about this time period could use less rosy-tinted viewpoints. If you like historical fiction about this time period, and if you like raw, gritty, and honest examinations of the major themes and issues surrounding the turn of the 20th century, you should pick this up. However, I just don't think this book was my cup of tea.

[Joanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let me start by saying this was a very interesting novel giving you an honest look at life in a logging town at the height of the industry. Hart shared with us the raw and primal lives of the people of this community as they lived day to day. With that being said, I need to warn you that this book is definitely not for the faint-hearted. But if you are looking for an honest glimpse into this piece of history, then this novel is for you.

There are a lot of characters in the book and different chapters offer narrations for several characters. I was impressed with Hart's ability to introduce new characters to us, because even though they have similar needs within the community, they all come from different walks of life. We learn about Jacob, who works hard his whole life but makes bad decision after bad decision. Then there is his son Duncan, who is an unfortunate victim of circumstance. Jacob's wife, Nell, who blindly followed him to this wild country in search of a better life, only to be cast aside by the community because of her husbands actions. These are just a few of the characters in the novel with just a fraction of their personal predicaments.

Besides Jacob's lies about who he really is, his brother Matius has a downright evil streak. When Jacob seems to be getting things back on track with his family, Matius does something that will shatter Jacob's family as he knows it. The Ellstrom family will never be the same and young Duncan can't help but be drawn down a dark path of his life. Violence becomes a normal part of Duncan's life, and he can't help but embrace his violent tendencies when things do not work out as planned.

This book was kind of a slow read for me as it was packed with vivid details and information. One of the most difficult chapters for me to read was about Jacob when he was in a very dark time of his life, probably drunk most of the time. That chapter was so scattered that I couldn't help but compliment the author, because I imagine these thoughts could be pretty accurate for a man in his circumstances.

For those that are history buffs and interested in the early logging industry, this book would be right up your alley. With themes of family, secrets, lies, and survival you may enjoy this book too. I recommend this novel for either personal leisure or as a book club discussion.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book follows the lives of the Ellstrom family in a logging town on the rough and tumble Olympic Peninsula in Washington State during the late 1800s (it starts around 1886 and runs until about 1902). Starting with "Doctor" Jacob Ellstrom and his wife Nell and their toddler Duncan, just before Jacob is exposed as a fraud. Once exposed, he abandons his family and things just go downhill from there.

The story later picks up when Duncan is older and has grown into a troubled young man, not having anyone to properly guide him, and he finds himself in quite a bit of trouble.

There are a lot of characters to keep track of, and I actually wound up being okay with that (sometimes I can find myself lost). The problem I had was the rambling though processes of most of the characters. I felt like I was dealing with a room full of ADD riddled characters, with their thoughts always straying this way and that. I felt like yelling, "Please, just focus!" It really made it hard for me to maintain my own focus at times.

The author is actually a very good writer, but as with Cormac McCarthy, I find his writing somewhat stilted and scattered, and it really took some getting used to. I wound up having a lot of respect for the author's talent, even while I found myself sometimes skimming over paragraphs of text that were too laborious for me to read.

My final word: This is really a story about failure. Everyone fails everyone else, and themselves most of all. Some eventually realize their failures, and some just don’t care.This story is not for the faint of heart, as it is very crass and abrasive, and many will find the language and certain situations offensive, but it is also a fairly realistic portrayal of life in the newly settled northwest. The story is not sensitive and sentimental. It is gritty and unromantic and provocative. Interesting characters abound. The writing sometimes made me work a little harder than I like (I generally prefer literary fiction that is a rambling stroll through a flowery meadow rather than a taxing and arduous climb through mud and muck), but this story is well done. This author knows what he's doing, and he has crafted an interesting story with colorful characters to make all of the hard work worthwhile.

[Tia Bach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jacob Ellstrom had made a respectable life for himself--and his wife, Nell, and son, Duncan--as the town doctor. Unfortunately, when a new doctor comes to town, Jacob is revealed as a fraud. Lost, he takes took off and Nell is left to pick up the pieces.

With few options, Nell does the best she can for herself and her son. After a traumatic event, she is forced to make a drastic decision; this leaves both Jacob, when he returns, and Duncan floundering. Ultimately, it seems nobody can escape the perils of the time and the disappointments of the heart.

First, I must commend the author on a beautifully written and engaging story full of memorable characters. Since it's told from several characters' points of views, the reader gets many perspectives on what's happening. Unfortunately, my favorite character, Nell, wasn't as present as I would've liked and there were a few point of view switches that were too abrupt. The crux of the story is Jacob, Nell, and Duncan, and I wish the focus would've never left them.

That being said, the imagery of the times and the location is amazing. I felt pulled into the time period and world the author created. Plus, the story never lacked for emotional power--there was nothing easy for this family or the people around them. It's gritty, real, and powerful.

Although I wanted a satisfying ending, one of hope and fulfillment, it wouldn't have worked here. Instead, the author leaves the reader with the ability to come to their own conclusion.

Readers who appreciate memorable characters, gritty story, beautiful language, and historical fiction will want to add The Bully of Order to their to-be-read pile.

Note: I received a complimentary copy for review purposes. A positive review was not requested or guaranteed; the opinions expressed are my own.

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a book that took me a bit to get used the the author's rhythm of writing but once I did I was rewarded. It was not a light or happy book by any stretch of the imagination but it was a book that made me think and really evoked a range of emotions.

It takes place in Washington Territory at the very end of the 19th century when it was still a wild and untamed area. Mr. Hart knows how to create a mood and I swear sometimes I could feel the humidity as I sat and experienced the story. It's told in alternating voices and the core characters are the Ellstroms; Jacob, Nell and their young son Duncan. They have moved to the area so Jacob can practice medicine but a visit from his brother - evil personified who leaves nothing but destruction in his wake - breaks the family apart causing Jacob to run off leaving Nell alone with the care of Duncan. He grows up with little direction and his life is not easy and disaster awaits.

It is a dark book. Very dark. It takes place in a different time and it is written within its time with the attitudes and mores of its time so it is far from politically correct for today's sensibilities. But for it to remain true to its story this is necessary and so are the scenes of violence. This is not a book that glosses over what it takes to create a society out of wilderness. Nor does it gloss over the evil that man can inflict upon man.

Excepting Nell most of the characters are hard to like but that did not make me hate the book like happens quite often for me. The writing gathered me up and drew me in despite them. It was a challenge to read, it was hard to read but I'm very glad that I did read it.

4.5

[Sandie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brian Hart has written a novel about life in the Pacific Northwest as it is settled by Americans moving ever westward. But this is not the west of Bonanza. This is the west of Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian, of the west shown on the popular TV show, Hell On Wheels. This is a west where life is cheap and death comes at the drop of a hat.

The Ellstrom brothers have come to make their fortune. The town where they settle is built on lumber and the mill that planes the boards. They also try farming, logging and even a trip to Alaska. Each of the two brothers has a son and Jacob has a wife willing to live under the primitive conditions found there. Life is hard and brutality reigns. Those who are strongest and willing to take what they want gain the riches to be found.

A sudden act of violence and a dark family secret tears the Ellstrom family apart. One son falls in love with the daughter of the mill's owner, and he is not about to have his child link up with a poor man. The struggle over the woman leads to disastrous consequences and fuels the novel's action.

Hart has written a searing indictment of what it really meant to settle uncivilized areas and how the Northwest was really created. It is a tale of violence and random kindnesses, of men and women fighting against the environment and often failing to connect with each other as the battle wore them out. It is a stunning work and readers won't soon forget it. This book is recommended for readers of literary fiction.

[Richard Sutton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Redemption is strictly optional...

Writing about the developing Northwest, author Brian Hart joins an august club of writers who have wrestled with the nature of a place so rich yet so intimidating. His work brings to mind the earlier fiction of writers such as Sam Clements and Bret Harte, who could mix human weakness and dreams with the mud, ice, sawdust and blood until the smells and sounds pervaded every page. The Bully of Order utilizes opening sequences of impressions, conversation snippets and brilliant flashes of stark, natural scenes as it weaves the complex story of a small family's struggles and repeated failures. Hart's changing points of view seem to reinforce the transitory nature of all human endeavor among the dripping Hemlocks, giant, brooding Firs and cedars. The sense of place he creates is palpable, damp and fragrant. This is a deeply absorbing book that held me spellbound. The characters are memorable with unique quirks, regional color and gaping flaws. Having grown up in the Pacific Northwest, I'm well acquainted with the smell of the mill, the clang of saws running, sawdust fires, loads being dropped, trees felled. For those who enjoy a rousing read that will transport them into a disturbing period of our history when redemption was strictly optional, The Bully of Order is a must. I will look forward anxiously, for the author's next project.

[Schuyler Wallace · Rating 2 out of 5]

Brian Hart tries to present a memorable story, displays some talent, but, in the end, falls prey to the bane of all authors; the tendency to dig too deep and losing focus.

His story about life’s hardships in the late 1880s Pacific Northwest has elements of realism, some great descriptive passages, and formidable characters. Unfortunately, as it progresses, demented mind reflections, drunken visions, and the disorganized handling of common affairs too often cloud episodes of interest. It is these departures that turn a grand idea into a stumbling account with a fuzzy storyline.

As a Pacific Northwest resident I welcome stories of the area and am appreciative of the many talented writers who recount its wonders. The hardscrabble conditions of soggy and frigid weather, exploiting the natural bounty of lumber, fish, and glittery minerals, and living an independent, stubborn life make for many adventures that demand chronicling. Hart does that but unfortunately his story becomes as dreary as the weather and his characters as unlikeable as rain down the neck.

[Gayle Slagle]

I found The Bully of Order by Brian Hart to be a fascinating, intriguing, spell-bounding novel. Hart is a writer reminiscent of Cormak McCormick in that his sentences are often short and choppy, there is no lack of violence and gritty language, the characters are often unlikable if not downright deplorable, and he pulls no punches in depicting life. The story is told from several points of view and I felt that this was very effective. It tells the story of a family racked by violence in a logging town in the Pacific Northwest in the late 1800's. The characters tell their story honestly and without apology. The story does bog down at times, but in the end, I feel that the result is overall excellent. Hart's writing may not be to everyone's liking, but I found that if fit the characters and the storyline of the novel. Hart is an excellent story teller and I enjoyed his writing style. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future,

[Les · Rating 2 out of 5]

The gritty, disgusting and ultra violent world of merciless white men in Pacific Northwest logging towns of the late 1800's. You done yet? I sure enough should have been. Hart is likened to Cormac McCarthy but...yeah, that's misleading, because McCarthy lets the story boggle your mind rather than the language it's presented in. Some great reflective one-liners and a beyond flawed protagonist (actually a couple of European Bigger Thomases) who ended up in a manhunt, which is the only reason I finished this book. Ten percent of it went over my head and 25 percent went under my feet - incoherence is NOT elevated thought, though some is present. After a point, it felt a bit askew - these characters who were all so deep and philosophical - though some of it felt forced and thus not as "deep" as it was presented. I'm guessing for some the flow of the author's writing, once they got into it, made this book a real treat, but I'm in other camp. Read at your own risk.

[Krystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a Goodreads-firstreads giveaway. This book ended up surprising me; when I first started reading this book, I did not think I was going to get very far... The first few chapters were hard to follow and the writing style was choppy. However, after a pushing on a little further I became accustom to the clipped narrative style and found myself getting drawn into the gritty coastal world and all the good/bad that it had to offer. One thing I especially liked was how Brian Hart did not waste a lot of time building up to events, but rather had life changing events happen in the blink of an eye. Characters then grappled with their often impulsive choices and mistakes throughout the course of the novel, which made the characters more human. You will need to approach this book with a little patience and perseverance, but it will pay off if you see it through past the first few chapters.

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a tough, ugly read - very graphically violent with the apparent intent of showing how hard it was to live in the Pacific Northwest as cities and lives were getting established during the logging era after the gold rush era. Although to be honest, I'm not sure what the author was really trying to say since I was so repulsed by the characters and senseless violence. The characters are harsh caricatures of sad, evil , desperate, treacherous people. This is a Chautauqua book selection for a week in the summer of 2016 so I will go to hear the author speak about the book just to try to understand why someone would want to write a book like this and why The book was chosen for us to read. I obviously missed something!