Customer Reviews

A Confederate General from Big Sur

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If there's one thing the world lacks, it's a good supply of well-written, funny-as-heck books. Luckily, aside from A Confederacy Of Dunces, we have this little gem. The characters are drunks, druggies, skanks, prostitutes & nutzoids. The pace is brisk and the imagry vivid. Most of it seemed to be part of my own life, but just where do you find weed that's so potent that 4 people smoking 5 joints stay high for well over 2 hours?! If you want to spend a day or night having a good laugh over a great book, pick this one up. You'll laugh out loud. And as Martha Stewart says...."It's a good thing".

If you read nothing else by Richard Brautigan, read "A Confederate General From Big Sur." Mere words are inadequate to properly describe this book, and the majesty contained within. Brautigan, master of the simile, is at his finest as he spins an off-beat tale containing (though not restricted to): frogs, dynamite, prostitutes, booze, and a man named Lee Mellon. Forsaking all possessions and the amenities of "civilized" life (a notion nearly inconceivable these days), Lee Mellon and the narrator, Jesse, embark upon an adventure in a place called Big Sur. An adventure not only in the physial sense, but in the metaphysical as well. Reading Brautigan in the context of our times, it is hard to imagine how the audience of the 1960's embraced his work. While his works may, to us, appear strange at times, we have grown accustomed to such eccentricities. But in the 60's it was fresh and new. One can only speculate if we have somehow missed out on some aspect of Brautigan by having read his books 30 years after they were written. But the mere fact that his work stands the test of time is a testament not only to his books, but to the man himself. But, alas, i stray from the topic of this missive. You want my review? It's a damn good book. Now go and read it.

Brautigan's excellent novel is definately worth the quick read, and then worth a second read to catch all his language play. Having grown up near Big Sur, this book was particularly funny as I believe Lee Mellon is still in residence there.

Brautigan's description of drugs, drinks, frogs and the commas of Ecclesiastes are all done in a straight forward style that made me laugh out loud.

One of my favorite paragraphs: "He broke the seal on the bottle, unscrewed the cap and poured a big slug of whiskey into his mouth. He swallowed it down with a hairy gulp. Strange, for as I said before: he was bald." A great read.

Not only a must-have for Brautigan fans, but I believe, a novel that should be present on the bedside bookshelves of all. Great characters, and Brautigan is at his best when he goes off on little tangents or flashbacks. This book has one of my personal favorite such allusions, that being one refering to a comic book hero called 'the mound' (this is not the correct name, for it has been some time since I read the book, but you get the idea), which was this hero who never did anything particularly heroic, just kind of slothed around in a 'mound-ish way.

If I was comparing this book to other books I would have given it a nine, but I'm comparing it to "Trout Fishing in America" so I give it a seven. This is one of his novels with a distinct story lines. Also, the characters are great. They're even better than his usual band of wackos. You really feel for them. I gave it a seven because I just didn't understand the point. Perhaps I just read to many brautigan books in a row. That can be disorienting. If your a fan, i recomend that you try it. If you've never read anything by brautigan I recomend his most popular , and possibly best, book, "Trout Fishing in America.".

With "Trout Fishing in America" just a bit too bizarre for the publishers of the mid-sixties, this became the first book of Brautigan's to see publication. Certainly, it holds up well under scrutiny; it is far easier to understand than most of his "imaginative ramblings," but still contains that child-like sense which makes his books so refreshing. It is basically a portrait of a lost weekend with a friend in the woods. But not just ANY lost weekend. Sure, there are plenty odd events which occur, but I guarantee you that what will stay in your mind is the personal description of the central character, who's great-grandfather was (supposedly) the only confederate general from California. The only criticism, really, are a few slow spaces and a rather contrived ending. But the book is a perfect introduction to Brautigan, and feels still as close as a long lost friend

I first read this novel forty years ago while working as a poll watcher in New Jersey. I forget what party I was supposedly "watching" for, but my dad and I were the only ones in town. During the long, boring day I read "Confederate General" and laughed so hard at different times that I cried, and snot dripped down my face. I am sure the other party's watchers are still convinced that Democrats are mental.

As someone who now lives near Big Sur, the author beautifully captures the spirit of the place. The humor is timeless....after 40 years, little has changed. Well, mega-mansions, LA tourists....but the heart and soul are the same.

An easy read, as is most of Richard Brautigan's work. If you haven't read Brautigan before, this one is a good place to start. His writing reminds me of Twain or of Steinbeck's "Cannery Row" and "Tortilla Flat." Travel to Big Sur with Brautigan in the late fifties, early sixties...I think you'll enjoy the trip.

A must for persons of a certain age who can remember when James Dean died.

Where to begin? Despite the foreshadowing of brautigan's abandoning of modern American society (He's out in the mountains of Idaho as we speak, putting his mack on some female hikers or else shivering alone in a bear's cave), this book also is funny. I like it. There's some aligators in there and that made me laugh because i think that aligators are funny.