Whiskey

by Bruce Holbert

Whiskey burns pleasantly as it goes down, but has a lasting, powerful effect.

Brothers Andre and Smoker were raised in a cauldron of their parents’ failed marriage and appetite for destruction, and find themselves in the same straits as adults—navigating not only their own marriages, but also their parents’ frequent collision with the law and one another. The family lives in Electric City, Washington, just a few miles south of the Colville Indian Reservation. Fiercely loyal and just plain fierce, they’re bound by a series of darkly comedic and hauntingly violent events: domestic trouble; religious fanaticism; benders punctuated with pauses to dry out that never stick.

When a religious zealot takes off with Smoker’s daughter, there’s no question that his brother—who continues doggedly to try and put his life in order—will join him in an attempt to return her. Maybe the venture will break them both beyond repair or maybe it will redeem them. Or perhaps both.

Whiskey is the story of two brothers, their parents, and three wrecked marriages, a searching book about family life at its most distressed—about kinship, failure, enough liquor to get through it all, and ultimately a dark and hard-earned grace. With the gruff humor of Cormac McCarthy and a dash of the madcap irony of Charles Portis, and a strong, authentic literary voice all his own, Bruce Holbert traverses the harsh landscape of America’s northwestern border and finds a family unlike any you’ve met before.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Novels, Literature

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2018

About the author

Bruce Holbert grew up in the country described in Lonesome Animals, a combination of rocky scabland farms and desert brush at the foot of the Okanogan Mountains. What once was the Columbia River, harnessed now by a series of reservoirs and dams, dominates the topography. Holbert’s great-grandfather, Arthur Strahl, was an Indian scout and among the first settlers of the Grand Coulee. The man was a bit of a legend until he murdered Holbert’s grandfather (Strahl’s son-in-law) and made Holbert’s grandmother a widow and Holbert’s father fatherless. A fictionalized Strahl is the subject of Lonesome Animals.

Bruce Holbert is a graduate of the University of Iowa Writers Workshop, where he assisted in editing The Iowa Review and held a Teaching Writing Fellowship. His fiction has appeared in The Iowa Review, Hotel Amerika, Other Voices, The Antioch Review, Crab Creek Review, The Spokesman Review, The West Wind Review, Cairn, RiverLit and has one annual awards from the Tampa Tribune Quarterly and The Inlander. His non-fiction has appeared in The New Orleans Review, The Spokesman Review and The Daily Iowan, and his poetry in RiverLit.

Reviews

[Faith · Rating 2 out of 5]

If there is any plot to this book I had not discovered it by the time I had read about 35%. It's a series of anecdotes (like a pointless episode with a bear). I didn't care for the writing style and I also didn't like the narration by the author of the audio book. It would have been better if he had used a professional who could modulate his voice. I didn't feel like spending any more time on this. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

[Audrey (Warped Shelves) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is based on an ARC of Whiskey which I received courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher (Farrar, Straus and Giroux).

Whiskey is a masterpiece of prose! What hooked me right away was the cover art, but it wasn't long at all before the story had me rapt. This novel is a sibling story as well as a family saga. Chapters are divided into EXODUS, LAMENTATIONS, and GENESIS, each section set in a different period of the brothers' or their parents' lifetimes.

This novel is deeply personal and full of quite raw emotions. I found Whiskey addictive; every time I set my iPad down for a break I found myself unlocking it once again within the next five minutes.

My favorite part of this story was definitely the atmosphere! Oh, how I wish I were in bleak rural Washington, reading this book snuggled under an Indian blanket in a window seat. To me, Whiskey was reminiscent of Daniel Woodrell's Winter's Bone (another of my favorites).

The only two problems (and I use this word lightly) that I found in Whiskey were (1), a few excess words or typos missed in editing, and (2) sometimes as I was reading events came on so suddenly that I wasn't quite sure what was happening or why. However, Bruce Holbert's excellent voice amended this, writing with a confidence that makes you just go along with the story regardless.

I DESPERATELY want to own my own copy of this book (preferably a paperback), and I will read it to tatters! Not only is this book marvelous, it has great potential for re-readability. I have already been telling friends and family to mark their calendars for the release date of Whiskey by Bruce Holbert. Do I smell a 2018 Goodreads Choice nominee?

Popsugar 2018 Reading Challenge: A book published in 2018

[Niki · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @approximately 30%.

While this book isn't bad per se, it was confusing, not in terms of plot but in terms of writing choices. I could barely make out which character we were following, or was speaking, at any given moment, since they all shared the exact same speaking patterns, and the setting changed rapidly, without much indication for such change. When I could barely even tell what was happening, it was hard to care about any of these people and keep reading.

I could be wrong, but the book probably needed a better editor.

**Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book**

[Lukas Evan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like a bottom shelf bottle of whiskey, you'll finish it but you won't feel good about it.

[Paige Zalewski · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unfortunately, this one was a struggle to get through. None of the characters resonated with me, and the structure was really confusing. I have absolutely no idea what happened when. The main quest throughout the novel (getting Bird back) was pretty anticlimactic and not a strong enough storyline to drive a whole novel (which is probably why the flashbacks were so heavily involved). I felt pretty nothing whatsoever towards Andre and Smoker at the end, and didnt take anything away from this story.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were times during the first half of this book where I didn't know if I would continue. What kept me going was the dialogue between the brothers - Smoker and Andre. They reminded me of characters Richard Russo may write about (and I love Richard Russo). It takes a bit to get in to the story but then the characters are so broken and flawed they grow on you. This could actually make a great movie. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC copy.

[Maggie Hundshamer-Moshier · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read I had never heard of before I bought it at my local library sale. A good testament to being born into a family that makes you feel unwelcome.

[Lolly K Dandeneau · Rating 3 out of 5]

via my blog: https://bookstalkerblog.wordpress.com/
“Is that your dog?” he asked

Andre shook his head. The man wore pressed gray slacks and a blue polo shirt and leather loafers with wine-colored socks.

“Seems friendly.”

“Anything’s friendly if you feed it.”

Not a lot of ‘friendly’ encounters in this novel about two brothers, Smoker and Andre, going back and forth through the years with their feral parents and broken marriages, and never quite reaching the bottom of the whiskey bottle. There’s a saying, “A cat’s a better mother than you”, in truth, a demon would be a better mother than Peg. As a child, “she was mean weather, not a misguided urchin.” To be fair, her upbringing wasn’t exactly all sunshine and daisies. When their father Pork and Peg are together, its hurricane season and the boys are the collateral damage. How could they come out of this wreckage without clenched fists and wild in their eyes?

Why did Claire and Andre’s marriage fall apart? Why has a religious cult taken Smoker’s daughter? Rest assured, the brothers are going to go after Harold and find his girl. Run ins with the law, detox, their parents, bears, cults… these two seemed doomed from the start set on rescuing others, but unable to save themselves, it’s more a lament on hard living.

With an eye on their parent’s courtship and fleeting glimpses into their upbringing, the savage birth of their futures seems foretold. Love can’t be maintained for either men, and if Smoker’s fathering skills serve as anything, it’s a warning that maybe the child is better off without him, or his careless, messed up wife. Nature, nurture, either way they were screwed. The writing style won’t be for everyone, and at times I got a little lost. Big things happen, but it’s over before I followed what was happening. I would have loved more story into Peg and Pork’s past, particularly the tender spot in the novel, Penny. Penny could have been the heart that beat a little longer, but it was such a fleeting moment, horrific and sad. Too, I wanted more about Harold and his little cult. Engaging one moment, losing me the next yet there was a lot of humor. It’s a barren existence for every character. Don’t look for hope. What happens to their mother, what they chose to do was heartbreaking, despite her meanness. Just when I started thinking things might turn around for the brothers, the author pushed my optimism off a cliff, and it ended just as it should. It’s a novel that is more like sitting at the bar as liquor burns your throat and belly, while a drunk is regaling you with tales about the lives of crazy folks he used to know.

Publication Date: March 13, 2018

Farrar, Straus and Giroux

[Kristin · Rating 1 out of 5]

2 stars

I received Whiskey and read it in exchange to write an honest review for PageHabit.

Whiskey. It’s not my drink of choice, but it is Andre’s, Smoker’s, Peg’s, and Pork’s. Not a whole lot is consistent throughout Whiskey, but if there’s one thing that is, it’s, well, whiskey.

Full disclosure: I’m not a country girl. I grew up in the Chicagoland, and I’ve lived in the Midwest my whole life. The reason I mention this is because I believe it partly affected how I felt about the story.

Whiskey takes place out West. It’s the story of a broken family, each member struggling through their own broken relationships.

Violence, drinking, sex, you name it—these are the cornerstones of the characters, and they drive them to make mostly poor decisions throughout the book. Two brothers – Andre and Smoker – are born to broken couple Pork and Peg. Not much defines Andre’s and Smoker’s relationships. Smoker has a child, which to me, stands as the only motivation for a character to do something unselfish in Whiskey.

The story is broken up in Genesis(es) and Lamentations (likely named not only for where that portion of the chapter was going, but also after Bible books). While parts of the story move forward, many parts move backwards, and some move sideways. It’s difficult to determine where you are in the story because there is no specific beginning or end point. Whiskey tells the story of people’s lives, and unfortunately, they’re mostly depressing stories.

While literary fiction as a genre can tell beautiful stories without needing a defined direction, and Whiskey certainly lacks direction, ultimately, it was a struggle for me to get through. It suits the genre well, but I hated feeling like the characters weren’t growing or bettering themselves, or trying to move in a direction . . . any direction.

Part of what threw me off was that I couldn’t sense a singular voice for each character. I felt like every character talked and acted the same. There was no distinct rhythm, voice, or characteristic for these characters.

While there were nuances I could critique here and there, I have to give props to Bruce Holbert for his writing style. It’s not for everyone, but that’s where the distinctiveness for Whiskey lies. It has an odd flow and I’ve never pictured scenes quite like how he describes them. Holbert sees the world in his own unique way, and it comes through in his writing.

While my limited Midwestern-ness might have held me back from appreciating certain aspects of the story, perhaps people with broader experiences in the West would have a greater appreciation for the setting in which Whiskey takes place.

I might not have fallen in love with Whiskey, but perhaps I’ll try my first glass.

[L · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book I finished just before this one was "The Full Ridiculous," a story of a middle-class man whose life unravels and how he goes about putting that life back together. Around halfway through "Whiskey" I realized it was also about lives unraveling, but these are hard men whose lives started unraveling before they were born. Another book that "Whiskey" brought to mind was "The Sisters Brothers" because of the combination of violence, a kind of sweetness, and humor.

I agree with some of the other reviewers who mention the writing style makes the story hard to understand and fairly important details arise so quietly or so late in the story that it takes a careful reading to spot them. However, I think the brothers are supposed to be men who are difficult to get a bead on, to tame, and to love, and that the writing is perfect for that.

This is not a book I'd recommend to everyone, but I liked it a lot.

[Melanie Johnson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bought this through PageHabit and it was not good. This was my first PageHabit box and might unsubscribe if his is the kind of stuff they send. Stick with #BOTM, where you have a choice.

[Megan Gendron · Rating 2 out of 5]

1) la chronologie m’a vraiment mêlée
2) est-ce qu’il y a une intrigue? est-ce qu’il y a un élément déclencheur? je le cherche toujours
3) j’ai complètement passé à côté de plein d’affaires. Soit je n’étais pas dans le bon mood pour accueillir ce roman, soit il n’était juste pas bon (à lire les avis, je pencherais plus pour la deuxième option)

[Carmi Cioni Podwojski · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring story that ended in death via car accident. Confusing writing style made this feel like a chore.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

Whiskey follows the story of two brothers, Andre and Smoker. Andre and Smoker grew up in a home faced with many struggles such as drinking, violence, the complicated relationship of their parents, and just the overall craziness that is their parents.

Influenced by their upbringing, Andre and Smoker deal with their own failing marriages, problems with drinking, and the law. But one thing for sure is that Andre and Smoker stick together no matter the situation, and they certainly find themselves in some interesting scenarios.

The writing style of this book was really interesting and not necessarily for everyone. I struggled with it because I found it hard to keep up with what was going on and to keep everyone’s story straight. The chapters in the book switch back and forth in time and ultimately tell the story of Andre and Smoker, and the story of their parents, Peg and Pork. I think because each of these characters while they have their differences, they are all very similar and that made it hard to differentiate who was who and to keep their stories separated in my mind.

It was also kind of hard for me to read because I wasn’t able to connect with any of the characters. It’s common to have very different situations from the characters you read about, and that was certainly the case for this book, but usually I find myself being able to somehow connect with the characters regardless of what they endure. However, I felt like none of the characters really progressed or changed throughout the story and that made it hard for me to feel sympathetic towards them.

Regardless, there is a certain rawness to the writing style of this book and I found the way that things were described to be very fitting for the characters because there was this bluntness to it.

Overall I wasn't totally in love with this book, but it was definitely an interesting read.

[Briar · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is hot garbage.

1. It feels pretty fucking racist towards native american's throughout.
2. The plot is so rambling, it's hard to get any sense of what's going on.
3. the bear?????????
4. I felt like the alcoholism while in some ways was portrayed well (aside from the aforementioned racism) but also glorified alcoholism as well.
5. None of these characters should be or should have raised children.
6. It made the entire area of Colville/Eastern Washington sound awful - which it's not.
7. It had nothing of value to offer any conversation.

Do not recommend. My lowest rated book of the year. The only reason I finished it was because it was so short.

[Kimberley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC of Whiskey via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Andre and Smoker are brothers. After Smoker finds out his daughter has been transferred into the custody of a traveling preacher, by his estranged wife, he enlists the help of upstanding Andre to find her and bring her home.

If I could stop there, I would, but the actual story is so much more than just a kidnap caper. It's a case study of a family whose participants took one too many wrong turns on the road to becoming adults, and how those wrong turns culminated in the brokenness of two brothers who both love and hate each other.

Smoker and Andre's parents--Pork and Peg--met under violent circumstances. Neither wanted the other, so much as they were drawn together by a universal need to test their emotional and physical boundaries. Their union isn't healthy, and tragedy eventually sours it altogether, but not before their unflattering example taints the waters of their observant sons.

Andre tries hard to be something more than expected, but can't seem to get out of the shadow of his younger brother (Smoker). Andre eventually finds peace with a woman named Claire, but never feels secure enough in the knowledge that he's enough for her, even though she tries her best to make it clear.

Smoker has a tumultuous, but passionate, relationship with DeeDee. However, the presence of their daughter leads to jealousy as they each vie for Raven's (called Bird)love and affection. Determining them both unfit, DeeDee ultimately decides to give the girl to a preacher named Harold--unbeknownst to Smoker--because DeeDee feels the girl would be better off with someone who can take up time and teach her something, rather than a couple of alcoholic headcases.

Once Smoker finds out what has happened, he asks Andre to help him find his daughter, and bring her home. Fighting his own demons, Andre not only feels obligated to help his brother, he feels he may be able to redeem himself along the way.

It's a slow-moving tale, bolstered by great dialogue, but it can be confusing at times to keep up with the various tangents it takes.

By the end you have an understanding of everyone's angle, but that doesn't mean you're necessarily happy with how it ends.

It's a human story, with a lot of dysfunction, but it is also about forgiveness and finding peace.

[Rachel Roth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some parts kept me invested, mainly the flashbacks that centered around the mother, as I found her to be the only interesting character. However, outside of that, this was just so difficult to finish. Just the way it was written, it felt like a choppy-edited film, where it would jump around and then ramble in odd directions. I saw one review on here that said the book feels like drinking a bottle of whiskey because you'll feel hollow when you're done, but that's not true for me because before the hollow sensation is made, I'd at least have fun drinking the whiskey. Which, ironically, I assume was the feeling the author wanted you to have with this book -a chaotic family history built on lonliness, disconnect, made by each generation feeling unwanted in different ways that leaves the last few standing in a state of emptiness- unfortunatly it's hard to really get invested in the characters thanks solely from the writing style, and as a result, you just get tired trying to finish the book and don't care whats going on with them.

[Matthew Morasch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whiskey gives a glimpse into a family as predetermined for failure as they are motivated to assure it. A concurrent theme is the relationship between Andre and Smoker; brothers possessing loyalty, love, and hatred for one another as only siblings can.
The timeline is segmented into three different time periods - allegorically named after books in the bible - and flows in no discernible pattern. This book has an appreciatively unique metre that requires some effort (particularly if reading Whiskey over an extended period of time), but pays off.
Holbert's voice is his own, with an accent that Cormac McCarthy fans will recognize and oblige. The clever, dark, and humorous dialogue between Andre and Smoker is a highlight. Overall, Whisky goes down like a mid-shelf bourbon - it burns a little before rewarding you with its smoky oak finish. I'll take another glass.

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this entire book yet when I finished it, I couldn't tell you what the plot was. 🤷🏼‍♀️Whiskey is the story of brothers Andre and Smoker, broken and flawed and the product of their parents dysfunctional relationship. Also happening in this book: a cult leader disappears with Smokers daughter and the brothers set out to find her and bring her home. Whiskey covers three generations, plus the daughters disappearance, and unfortunately it just didn't work for me. It felt disjointed and confusing, I oftentimes had to read back to figure out who/what was happening. I enjoyed some of the stories told but overall, this book was not for me. Thank you @fsgbooks for this advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

[Michelle Hogmire · Rating 3 out of 5]

An ambitious little mess of a book set in Washington state that feels like short stories cobbled together, but Holbert often nails the dialogue--conversations (or the lack thereof), where people talk around and through and past one another, especially while drunk out in the country. By labeling his sections biblically and rotating through the distant past, near past, and present history of brothers Andre and Smoker and their doomed family, Holbert attempts to establish a Faulknerian sense of narrative time, sans future. Unfortunately, the present section--a loosely plotted rescue of Smoker's daughter from a fanatic preacher--isn't strong or paced well enough for the cycle to hold.

[Adam Hike · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you read the synopsis, then started on roughly page 175, this would be a good book. It’s only three stars for the last 75 pages. Incredibly mediocre and unlikeable for the first part. I was pushing myself through just to finish it until I hit that point and it became very enjoyable. Characters were unlikeable until then and the story kind of floated in several different pointless directions. It all came together in the last 75 pages but that wasn’t enough to make up for the first portion of the book.

[Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A series of about 30 loosely connected shaggy dog stories. I agree with several other reviewers that the dialog was difficult to follow at times, whether it was because Smoker and Andre were ultimately so similar to one another, or because it just needed some more ___ said(s). The Epilogue brought me some measure of joy--I don't know that I was rooting for them to die, per se, but it felt like the ending that they deserved.

[Cher Staite · Rating 3 out of 5]

The prose was creative but the cadence extremely hard to get into following. All characters had the same brain, thoughts, speech patterns, lifestyle, attitude and motivation . There was no plot. I got through most of it then skipped to the last chapter where I wasn't surprised to find the climactic end was the epitome of gratuitous violence. I gave it 3 stars because it had creative merit. Going to try something else by this author just to see if he is really a one trick pony.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being suburban, catholic school raised, this book was way outside my comfort zone. Alcoholism, dysfunctional love, no ethics and just plain meanness are hard for me to understand in a family.
I had a hard time reading it. That said, I can see the redemption the two main characters were looking for as the book cover promised. It just wasn't my cup of tea.

[Jake · Rating 2 out of 5]

The pacing was good and I enjoyed the jumping points between time periods, that seems to be a storytelling style that just works really well for me. The dialogue seemed a little forced and at times felt unnecessary to forward the story. The characters also felt kind of hollow and one dimensional and filled with cliche. Not something that I would recommend to others.

[Melissa Hicks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a tough read. Many said it was confusing and they stopped early. It wasn’t light or easy. Not my cup of tea, but an interesting portrait of a pretty messed up bunch of humans...and a bear. A train wreck. Sad.

[Destiny · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't finish it. I gave it two stars instead of one because though the story went nowhere, it was well written. I Would have liked it if I didn't feel like I was waiting for the plot to start the whole time.

[Megan Mancino · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the strangest book I’ve ever read. It came in my Page Habit package a while back. What were they thinking?! This was absolutely awful. Terrible. Seriously...don’t waste your time. Bizarre plot and dry writing.

[Jessicah Lawrence · Rating 3 out of 5]

It gave off There, There by Tommy Orange vibes with the turmoil amp bc family members. However, the dialogue and how the characters talked to each other was confusing. Still not sure if I understood the point of the plot.

[Patrick Schultheis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it a lot, though not as much as I did his prior novels. The characters were outstanding. The story meandered a bit, with the characters’ histories interspersed with the plot.