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Alex Driving South
Evan Carlyle, a bright young man on the make who emigrated to Canada during the Vietnam War, returns to his hometown and runs into the last person he wants to see, his old buddy, the legendary hell-raiser, Alex Warner. Evan’s life has been a series of successes; he has a flashy girlfriend and makes good money as a producer for CBC Radio. Alex has not been so lucky; he’s trapped in a dead-end marriage and owns a failing service station hit hard by the 1970s energy crisis.
Fueled by several cases of beer, these two head south in a snowstorm in an attempt to recreate their lost glory days. Inevitably they must confront unfinished business from the past, including their haunting memories of Elaine Isaac, the wild girl they both loved in high school.
This is the first of Maillard’s novels set in the “part-real part-fictional” town of Raysburg, modeled on his hometown of Wheeling. A story of a past that cannot be forgotten or forgiven, of courage and betrayal, and of coming home to Appalachia, Alex Driving South is now widely regarded as a foundational work in West Virginian literature.
“A novel whose passionate and afflicted world is splendidly realized.”
Myrna Kostash, Edmonton Journal
“A blistering novel…”
Adele Freedman, The Globe and Mail
“A richly textured, deeply felt story… funny, vulgar, sad, wise, and at times brutal… This one is a real treat.”
Library Journal
“A brilliantly written, astringent novel.”
The Malahat Review
Fueled by several cases of beer, these two head south in a snowstorm in an attempt to recreate their lost glory days. Inevitably they must confront unfinished business from the past, including their haunting memories of Elaine Isaac, the wild girl they both loved in high school.
This is the first of Maillard’s novels set in the “part-real part-fictional” town of Raysburg, modeled on his hometown of Wheeling. A story of a past that cannot be forgotten or forgiven, of courage and betrayal, and of coming home to Appalachia, Alex Driving South is now widely regarded as a foundational work in West Virginian literature.
“A novel whose passionate and afflicted world is splendidly realized.”
Myrna Kostash, Edmonton Journal
“A blistering novel…”
Adele Freedman, The Globe and Mail
“A richly textured, deeply felt story… funny, vulgar, sad, wise, and at times brutal… This one is a real treat.”
Library Journal
“A brilliantly written, astringent novel.”
The Malahat Review
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1979
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October 18, 2016
Ugh, visiting your old hometown.
For some it's an obligation steeped with dread, as it is for Evan Carlyle, an ex-pat CBC radio producer. He's returned to his old hometown in West Virginia (modeled after Wheeling) for the first time in 13 years to see his ageing parents.
The first person Evan bumps into on the street is the last one he wanted to see: his old high school buddy Alex. Evan hints that they did not part amicably all those years ago. Their chance encounter leads to an awkward reunion, dinner at Alex's home with his wife and kids, and a wild night of drinking and driving.
As the night unfolds and the pair knock back an inhuman amount of alcohol, the story of their lives unfolds in a series of flashbacks to their younger hellraising days. We meet their families, friends and lovers. We see how the courses of Evan and Alex's lives were set, and how they ended up where they did, before their one final ride together.
Great writing with well fleshed-out characters. Maillard should be more appreciated.
For some it's an obligation steeped with dread, as it is for Evan Carlyle, an ex-pat CBC radio producer. He's returned to his old hometown in West Virginia (modeled after Wheeling) for the first time in 13 years to see his ageing parents.
The first person Evan bumps into on the street is the last one he wanted to see: his old high school buddy Alex. Evan hints that they did not part amicably all those years ago. Their chance encounter leads to an awkward reunion, dinner at Alex's home with his wife and kids, and a wild night of drinking and driving.
As the night unfolds and the pair knock back an inhuman amount of alcohol, the story of their lives unfolds in a series of flashbacks to their younger hellraising days. We meet their families, friends and lovers. We see how the courses of Evan and Alex's lives were set, and how they ended up where they did, before their one final ride together.
Great writing with well fleshed-out characters. Maillard should be more appreciated.
Displaying 1 of 1 review