A World Made of Fire

by Mark Childress

The ambivalence of fire as evocation of glowing love and furious destructionpermeates this stunning first novel by Mark Childress, a young Southern writer who gives fresh expression to his region's literary preoccupations. A World Made of Fire is set in rural Alabama in the decades before World War I . . . Childress has created a wholly believable world. The landscapes are forceful and the characters deeply felt. . . . A World Made of Fire probes varieties of tenderness and love, principally from the viewpoint of [a] young girl, Estelle Bates, whose literary forebears include Lena Grove in Faulkner's Light in August. . . .Childress dramatically traces her course, keeping the violent and the tender elements in a tense, remarkably effective balance. . . . Reading it is rather like staring for a good long while into the coals of a fire; in that concentration of energy, many things can be learned.

Genres: Fiction

283 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

Mark Childress was born in Monroeville, Alabama. He is the author of the novels A WORLD MADE OF FIRE, V FOR VICTOR, TENDER, CRAZY IN ALABAMA, GONE FOR GOOD, ONE MISSISSIPPI, and GEORGIA BOTTOMS. Childress has received the Harper Lee Award for Alabama's Distinguished Author, Thomas Wolfe Award, the University of Alabama's Distinguished Alumni Award, and the Alabama Library Association's Writer of the Year. He is a staff member and a director of the Community of Writers at Squaw Valley. He has lived in Ohio, Indiana, Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia, California, Costa Rica, and currently lives in Key West, Florida, where he is writing his eighth novel and a film script.

Reviews

[Reid · Rating 2 out of 5]

This books starts off well, with an interesting story and well-drawn characters. About a third of the way in, though, it devolves into an odd mysticism that the author seems incapable of either delineating or sustaining. There is no plausibility to the character of the "boy touched by fire", and no deeper meaning lurking in the darkness of evil which seems to surround this town. One wonders if Childress is not another in a long line of young Southern writers who hope to claim Faulkner's crown; if so, he is not up to the task, and perhaps should content himself with simple storytelling until his craft is a bit more honed.

In all fairness, this is a first novel, and 25 years old. He has written more since; perhaps he has a better grasp at this point and I should give him another chance. His prose is sharp and strong, and his characterizations sure, even where his story is weak. My guess is that his later novels were much better.

[Gwen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first half of the book, by the end I was getting tired of it and didn't like the direction it took. I felt confused some of the time.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was in college I heard the author give a reading from this at my dorm and was so enchanted I bought the book on the spot. More than 20 years later I still think Childress is underrated as a fine Southern writer. He should be a lot more famous than he is.

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh. This book started out with a lot of promise... then went downhill from there. By the end, I had no idea what was going on.

[Summer · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is so, so awful! I hated it. There were a lot of themes of hoodoo (however you spell it) and witchcraft and all these crazy symbols...I had to read it for Alabama lit and was then forced to give a presentation on this awful thing.
But I feel like I need someone else to read it so I can discuss...so maybe I would recommend it to my friends, even though it is so crappy.

[LInda L · Rating 1 out of 5]

Started out OK, but quickly deteriorated into weird. Then got worse.

[Libby · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have read all of Mark's newer books and have loved them. When I found this one and realized it was a much earlier work, I decided to give it a try. Unfortunately, I didn't care for it at all.

[Anna]

I really like this author. This book is not for the squeamish, but I couldn't put it down. Loved his characters, esp. the southern dialects.

[Nancy Baker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m glad I read other books by Childress before this one or else I probably wouldn’t have read anything else by him.

[Jered · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started off so strong...
...then fell to shit. Disappointing.

[Martina Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved loved loved this book. To be sure, it is a dark and delicious tale, but one that reminds me why a good writer is such a treasure and, certainly, Mark Childress is not only a good writer, but an extraordinary writer. Highly recommend!

[Tuluka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, had to go back and re-read again to "get" it all. But, enjoyed it.

[Elli · Rating 2 out of 5]

Picked it because it looked interesting, but it was super weird. Had a hard time getting into it but made it too far to stop, so I finished it haha. Kinda dark.

[Ajcc]

F 813.54 CHIL

[K.T. Archer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story line and the unexpected twists kept me turning the pages.

[Lucinda Mcintyre · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good first novel - - but i like his later funnier stuff better.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story. It's my second Mark Childress book and I have liked them both!