Customer Reviews

To the Bright and Shining Sun

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

One of Burke's earlier novels, is stark and unrelenting in it's honest depiction of the plight of a young Kentucky miner. I did not feel the story quite as fully realized as the later Dave Robicheaux detective novels, but it was haunting and evocative all the same.

The young miner, age 17, has been reared in the Cumberland Gap area of Kentucky. Raised in stark beauty and crushing poverty, he yearns for something more. I won't ruin the story by giving away too much, but there is alot of heartache then ultimate triumph.

Nothing candy-coated with Burke. We are made to feel the loss of loved ones, the terrible violence of the mines, the hard-scrabble existance and the brief, happy moments in an otherwise dark tale. Not light reading, this slim volume will make you pause and reflect.

Very good story, but definitely early James Lee Burke. The main character is strongly done, but some of the secondary characters could use more depth. It is interesting to see the development of the young James. Toward the end of the novel the humanity of the central characters is displayed amidst a brutal conflict, with vicious acts by both sides of the conflict. In the end it is vintage James Lee Burke with his clear view of a flawed, moral man attempting to walk his own path through the craters of his families and communities circumstances. Well worth the read.

To the Bright and Shining Sun is a gritty and unflinching look at the realities of life in a holler for a coal-mining family and the surrounding community. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys Southern fiction.

James Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux series and his Billy Bob Holland series have provided consistent entertainment through the years. I bought "To the Bright and Shining Sun" because I was interested in reading a novel from early in Burke's career.

"To the Bright and Shining Sun" is set in the Kentucky hills of the 1960s where a raging battle is going on between the union coal miners and the mine operators. The story focuses on the life of a teen-aged boy named Perry who wants to be a staunch union man like his relatives. He is both attracted to and repulsed by the violence associated with the mines.

Perry would rather leave the hills and move to the big city, but he must provide for his mother and younger siblings.

All the conventions of the Burke novels are present: the violence, the music of the region, the descriptions of the mountains, but for me this book just doesn't quite come together.

Though I felt sorry for Perry, I really didn't like him or connect with him or anyone else in the story.

I generally like coming of age stories, but this one is for diehard James Lee Burke fans only.

About as poor a novel as I've read in a long time. I chose to read the entire piece even though it was tedious beyond belief in the hope that at some point my selection of a kindle JLB novel would be shown to be more than stupid. I failed. The ending is so poor I can only conclude Mr. Burk took some piece of long ago unfinished trash where in he was attempting an exercise in description of squalor and ignorance and slapped on an ending. The hope being by trading upon his literary status to create enough income to make a down payment on a new kitchen. My conclusion ... some writing is better burned by it's author shortly after inception.

I'm always happy with Amazon, but I had one problem with this order system.
If you accidentally order/submit two of the same books, I had no way (within minutes) to cancel one of them, as it notified me that it was already being shipped. If you do have a way to cancel an order, its not an easy one to find or navigate. I live on a fixed income, so my budget for spending is real critical. Please make a easy way to correct an oversight/mistake like this, as it could be a very expensive one for me if I overdraw my checking account for a $2 book. Thanks, Lonnie

I normally enjoy books by James Lee Burke but I must admit that I did not find this very enjoyable. It dragged a bit and it just didn't feel very satisfying in the end. A bit too unrelenting for me . . . .