Junior Ray

Junior Ray #1

by John Pritchard

This novella takes the reader on a wild ride inside the mind of a Mississippi Delta good-old-boy ex-deputy sheriff who is as vicious and racist as the worst 1950s-'60s stereotypes. Junior Ray Loveblood narrates the story in his own profane, colloquial voice, telling why he hates just about everybody, and why he wants to shoot Leland Shaw, a shell-shocked World War II hero and poet who is hiding in a silo from what he believes are German patrols. Through a series of sleights of hand, misdirections, and near misses, Junior Ray and his sidekick Voyd give a dark tour of the Delta country as they chase their mysterious prey. Junior Ray's thoughts are peppered with excerpts from Shaw's notebooks - sometimes starkly different from Junior Ray's diatribe, sometimes eerily similar - and by the end of the story, it is up to the reader to sort out whose reality is more fantastic, Shaw's or Loveblood's, as the one stalks the other through the pages of this darkly comedic story.

158 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2005

About the author

Born in 1938, John Pritchard grew up in the Mississippi Delta, a place so peculiar that it may have forced him to write. He lives in Memphis, Tennessee, where he has taught college English, written jingles, and worked in advertising and PR. In the 1960s, Pritchard worked as a copyboy and then as a news clerk for the New York Times. In the 1970s, he wrote lyrics on Music Row in Nashville, where his songs were recorded by some of the major labels: Warner Bros., RCA, and A&M. The author has also worked as a deputy sheriff. Barnes and Noble named his Junior Ray one of their Top Ten Sensational Debut Novels for 2005. It was followed in 2008 by a sequel, The Yazoo Blues, and now in 2013, by Sailing to Alluvium. A fourth installment, The Quitman County Bathhouse, is in progress.

Reviews

[Richard Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Junior Ray takes readers on a journey through the Mississippi Delta landscape of an earlier, less tolerant era and displays it through the eyes and coarse words of a narrator – Junior Ray Loveblood – born of that time and that place.

Junior Ray’s story is awash (that may not be a powerful enough word) in enough foul language and circumstances of intolerance to turn-off many readers. I, however, felt Junior Ray’s raw and unfiltered dialogue served a purpose. Allowing Junior Ray to speak as he does adds depth and realism to him and his interactions. And it’s that authenticity that makes Junior Ray a unique and compelling read.

Language and insensitivity aside, the author provides what I imagine is a masterfully described time-capsule of the sights, sounds and atmosphere of life in rural Mississippi at the time. Unfortunately, the accompanying cat-and-mouse story lacks sufficient punch to adequately support the in-your-face dialogue and vivid descriptions.

Pritchard’s unapologetic approach to the people and times will challenge readers and will likely leave a lasting impression. For me the impression is generally positive. Based on other’s reviews, clearly not everyone feels the same.

To maximize your enjoyment of Junior Ray, open your mind before you open the book.

[Jeanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not for the squeamish or politically correct, this shocking novella takes us to the Mississippi Delta during the fifties. Sheriff Junior Ray Loveblood has a story to tell--the story of how he pursued the escaped mental patient (and poet), Leland Shaw. Junior's antics, as well as his blatant racism and penchant for profanity, make for a very colorful tale.

Pritchard's grasp of the dialect is amazing--you can her Junior Ray speak. In fact, this would probably be great if read aloud. On the other hand, the profanity gets to be a bit much, even for me.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining and often hilarious novel about a sheriff's deputy in the Mississippi Delta who decides he needs to kill Leland Shaw, a WWII veteran who just escaped a mental institution. The novel is written in the first person and very much in the dialect of Junior Ray, who is racist, sexist and ignorant. This makes it sometimes difficult to read, despite its shortness. Sometimes, however, Junior Ray inadvertently provides keen insight into the human condition. The book, like its narrator, is profane, irreverent, and hysterical. Highly recommended for those who aren't squeamish.

[Richard J. Alley · Rating 3 out of 5]

A word about my ratings. I don't adhere so well to the star rating system. If I like a book a lot, it gets three stars. If I dislike it, one. Don't read so much into what it all might mean, it's very simple, if I like a book and think you should read it, it gets three stars. Five stars are not for mortals. Five stars are reserved for bananafish, Gatsbys, potato barns, Havishams and lords of the apes.

Many times I will expound on a book or books at my blog, Urf! (http://uurrff.blogspot.com). Come see me there!

[Raymond Rockwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is fascinating in its perversity,as a
redneck deputy pursues a missing person in hopes of having an opportunity to shoot him!
Missing person or fugitive or traveler through a chronosynclastic infundibulum...
the pursued is a psychotic poet. The psycho-
pathic policeman
obsessed with the chase (Junior Ray)is no slouch at
figurative language either,opulent in obscenity.

[Rita · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm just not loving it. Maybe because I've known too many people like this in real life to be shocked by it or find it humorous in any way.