Customer Reviews

IN THE ELECTRIC MIST WITH CONFEDERATE DEAD.

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Well, there's no need to deliver one more plot synopsis or refine further on the character of Dave Robicheaux. This was only my second reading of a James Lee Burke book ('Jole Blon's Bounce' was the first I read) and all I can think of to say about the wonderful writing, the perfect pacing, the depth and complexity of the characterizations, the tiny bubbles of hilarity that occasionally escape from the dark depths of the story, is to give you a list of adjectives: Lush, evocative, lyrical, breathtaking, gritty, grotesque, poignant, irritating, polemic, dynamic, intimate, sad, painful, peaceful, disturbing, and ultimately seductive. Some of those adjectives may seem contradictory. But so is human nature, and Burke captures that, as well as the landscape of south Louisiana, to a level of perfection that ordinarily escapes homo sapiens. This book made me laugh, made my eyes tear up, made me flinch, made me cheer, made me homesick for a place I haven't seen in 27 years. This book is art. Great art.

James Lee Burke's creation, Dave Robicheaux, is a perfect Everyman. He struggles with demons - his own, and those of others. He is an excellently flawed man, a man of great strengths, towering weaknesses, and deep melancholy: his humanity bleeds from evgery page.

In the Electric Mist With Confederate Dead gives us a better, and deeper, insight into Burke's Everyman. The story purports to be a mystery / thriller, and is designated as such by Amazon. It is, of course, much more, and much less, than that. The mystery is satisfying, of course. Mr. Burke doesn't know how to write a bad mystery. But it's a side-bar to what the book really is: a series of character studies. There's Robicheaux, of course. The story is told in the first person, so the reader is swept into his psyche from the first page. There's Bootsie and Alafair, the people closest to Robicheaux - and the people he often feels are the furthest from him. There's Clete Purcell, his psychotic, sweaty, shambling drunken hulk of a partner. There are the figures from his past, who return to haunt him. And there is, of course, the ghost of the Confederate General with whome Robicheaux confers, and exposes not only himself, but the entire landscape of characters.

Speaking of which - the Louisiana landscape is as much a character as any of the others. The dust, the heat, the colours, the odours, the taste of the land play as large a part as any human in the book.

Mr Burke has been writing the best prose in popular American fiction for the past ten years, if not longer. He has always been a superb writer, making every word perform well above its potential. And in this book, In the Electric Mist With Confederate Dead, he has written one of his finest works.

If you are unfamiliar with this author, this book would be an interesting introduction to the Dave Robicheaux novels by Burke. Burke writes with all five senses in mind. The descriptions of the Southern Louisiana will make you thirst for a sweet tea. The plot revolves around a possible serial murderer of young girls. It also involves the mafia infiltrating his locale through a Hollywood movie making event. The two may be connected. When Dave Robicheaux begins to see Confederate soldiers, and has conversations with them, you wonder, was it Dave Robicheaux' car accident, was it alcohol, or has Mr. Burke opted for a science fantasy turn of events. (No, it is not the latter!) This was an extremely well done novel, not his best of the Dave Robicheaux novels, but still very good. If you haven't read other of James Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux novels, anytime is a good time to start. If you enjoy Southern Detective/Police mysteries, these will not dissapoint you.

Of the 35 or so reviews for this book, not one reviewer is from or even familiar with much of Louisiana, much less the New Iberia area. I am. In fact I was "born on the bayou" in Dautrieve Hospital which sat on the banks of Bayou Tech. My grandmother worked in the courthouse for years cooking for workers and inmates alike. My roots go deep and spread out from Avery Island to Arnaudville. So, when I say that Mr Burke's setting and characters are familiar to me, they are. In fact, just reading short excepts enables me to smell the air before a thunderstorm.... the aroma of crawfish boil. I can hear the melodic mix of English and Cajun French that we all speak. I know the streets, the hang-outs, where to fish and where to eat. I can recognize the "bait shop" and the lake and bayou, the courthouse, famous and infamous.

Having said all that... MR BURKE GETS IT. And has the genious to tranlate everything into the most evocative words. Its pure magic. Robicheaux's haunting, troubled past is completely believable. The characterizations of people hit the mark (sometimes I think I recognize friends and family in those characters).


I have read EVERY Dave Robicheaux book and always anxiously wait for the next. I am OVER THE MOON over the filming of this book (starring Tommy Lee Jones).


Anyone who wants to write about a character and setting that is so ingrained into its resident's soul should read James Burke. HE IS THE MASTER!!

In the Electric Mist with the Confederate Dead James Lee Burke Hyperion Publishers Copyright 1993

Of all Burke's novel featuring Dave Robicheaux, this is my favorite - a perfect balance of dialogue, action and luscious description. Written in the first person of the flawed hero, Burke limits the perspective and forces us into a raw intimacy with the main character at times uncomfortable but always compelling. The dialogue is written in dialect when necessary - and Burke gets away with it. He has the gift that reflects the sensuous character of the southern Louisiana setting and never seems trite or overdone-just natural.

I developed a sinere affection for Robicheaux as he fought his own demons and remained true to his values in the face of powerful exterior and interior forces. His voice aches with with the sadness of resignation, yet his melancholic descriptions and thoughts never totally surrender to those demons. Each time I thought I had had just about enough of his wallowing, he picked himself up by his boostraps and smashed his fist into somebody's sleazy jaw- always well deserved.

From the bayou to the city, the complex plot lines weaves a sultry thread throughout the book looping around the many characters of both locales, then pulling the knot ever so slowly.

An intriguing concept that glimmers within the plot are communications with a dead Confederate soldier that blur the line between myth and reality. Questions asked but unanswered. Are they buried memories or messages from beyond the pale?

Burke intertwines so many elements in this novel -a poetic eye, profound insights, raw violence, gripping action and of course, the ability of his 20th century Lancelot to eke out a victory in spite of his human frailities.

A great read.

There are two strong aspects of James Lee Burke's series about Louisiana detective Dave Robicheaux that make them unique and memorable: the lush description that absolutely puts the reader in the locale and the recurrance of 'mystic' elements - images in dreams etc - that give the plots a mythic, larger than life, stature. In this book, I think, both elements are overplayed just a bit too much. One longs for more story and less atmosphere, and the materialization of Confederate 'ghosts' that impinge on the outcome of the plot strains credulity severly.

I enjoy this series, even when it is over the top as is sometimes the case. There is nothing else quite like it in contemporary crime fiction. But every now and then I wish that Burke would reign himself in. He seems to get seduced by his own words and carried away to a place that the reader cannot always follow. Of course, when he is on the mark, no one can touch him for description and atmosphere. In the case of this book, I just wanted more story - and more flesh and blood.

this writer has once again brought to life the blend of southern,european,spiritual lives of Dave Robicheaux and the inhabitants of his world..My husband is a Vietnam vet,27yrs clean and sober;Catholic;former member of Sheriff's Dept..We have travelled often to New Iberia and Missoulla to experience Dave's search for sanity and reason in an unreasonable world..My husband spent 20yrs in the army and you can't lie to him about combat,or sobriety..the research which goes into Burke's books is not copied from library books..although Dave and company are my favorites,I also enjoy his Texas characters. I was born in E.Texas and lived the first 40yrs in Texas..I would like very much to have an autobiography..also,I would like Alec Baldwin to film some more of the movies based on Dave..God knows it would beat anything being turned out in tinsel town now...

If you know already know the writings of J.L.B., then I need say no more.
If you don't, but have a decent vocabulary and think you might enjoy some action packed stories with a sense of melancholy, a violent (yet literary and well meaning) narrator, and tales of vicious crimes, punishment(and usually, revenge of some sort), set amidst the the jails and mean steets of New Orleans, and the bayous,rivers and small towns of South Lousiana, buy "The Neon Rain", and start at the beginning.The narrators best friend (in most of the books) is one of the most unforgettable and enjoyable "alter-egos" in history.
Tragedy, love, friendship, murder, mayhem, as well as unforgettable dialogue and characters, make James Lee Burke one of my favorite fiction authors of all time.

I was amused at the reader above who ripped Burke for "waxing on" about a natural setting. Uh, that's a consistent theme of good writers - the ability to describe their surroundings in an original, compelling manner. In my opinion Burke is one of the great writers of our time. Too many folks nowadays are content to read uninspiring books bereft of moving language. Mystifies me.

Bottom line: If you want to read a series of books that feature fantastic writing, engaging characters, sparkling dialogue and a likeable but very human protagonist, read Burke's Robicheaux series - you'll find yourself reading a number of excerpts again and again, marvelling at his masterful style. If you want to prattle on at the water cooler about a yawn-inducing "best-seller" that doesn't contain a single memorable piece of writing, go waste your money on the "best-selling", formulaic tripe spewed by the likes of Sparks, Crichton, Grisham, Clancy, etc...or just watch some MTV for an equal measure of empty, immediate gratification.

Once again our intrepid bayou detective is placed in a situation where his emotions are way ahead of his intellect. Dave is trying to track down a serial murderer at the same time he is helping an FBI agent (Farts, Barfs and Itches) Rosa (Rosie) Gomez keep an eye on an old friend who is now a mafia boss and back in their home town of New Iberia. Dave and "Baby Feet" Balboni were on the same baseball team in High School, though Balboni's father was the local 'don' and handled all the illegal booze, drug, gambling and prostitution in the area.

Thirty five years before, Dave (at 19) saw two white man murder a black man tied in chains. No one believed him or cared back then. Now the body has resurfaced and Dave wants to find the killers. The further he gets into looking for the serial killer the more he's convinced that the 35 year old murder is also connected.

While at a party, some one slips Dave something in his drink. Everyone thinks he's been drinking again but when he's tested there is no alcohol in his blood. Dave things some one put LSD in his drink when he begins to see visions of Confederate Soldiers and General John Bell Hood. Worse than that, he's beginning to have conversations with the General that help him with the case.

Like all of James Lee Burke's books, there are many colorful characters and beautifully described scenery and a great description of the effects of a hurricane as it happens. We all know that Dave will settle everything in the end, but he will have to go through more changes to get there. As long as he lets his life be in the hands of his 'higher power', he'll be OK.