Family Linen [Paperback]

Lee Smith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 27, 1996

"Brilliant, haunting, dark, joyous, remarkably compelling...immensely difficult to put down...a master storyteller."

THE VILLAGE VOICE

A childhood memory re-experienced, a funeral that brings about a family reunion, and the excavation of a swimming pool on the site of an old well, uncover family secrets and air the dirty linen in this behind-the-scenes look at life and family, memory and forgetfulness, anger and forgiveness in a small Southern town.

"Falls in line with the best of classical Southern fiction...but Ms. Smith's vision is her own and places her among the best of contemporary Southern writers."

THE ATLANTA CONSTITUTION


From the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

"Brilliant, haunting, dark, joyous, remarkably compelling...immensely difficult to put down...a master storyteller."

THE VILLAGE VOICE

A childhood memory re-experienced, a funeral that brings about a family reunion, and the excavation of a swimming pool on the site of an old well, uncover family secrets and air the dirty linen in this behind-the-scenes look at life and family, memory and forgetfulness, anger and forgiveness in a small Southern town.

"Falls in line with the best of classical Southern fiction...but Ms. Smith's vision is her own and places her among the best of contemporary Southern writers."

THE ATLANTA CONSTITUTION


From the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (August 27, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345410602
• ISBN-13: 978-0345410603
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.6 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #395,029 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A very fun book - great characters - surprising, October 31, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Family Linen (Paperback)

I enjoyed Family Linen. Though I love southern literature, I generally don't read books about southern "belles" but this one was a hoot! Frankly, I wanted more from the original, straight-laced sister who went to a hypnotist beause she was having headaches. I mean, that whole scenario, with her condo, single life, the "secret" lurking in her prim head - that was the most compelling aspect of the book. Still, it was very dear and amusing. I recommend it to friends.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Southern Gothic, May 21, 2001

By 

"southerndrawler" (Greensboro, NC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Family Linen (Paperback)

I've read this book several times. Each time I get something new out of it. This testifies to the greatness of Lee Smith's skills as a writer.

During the course of the mystery explored in this book (Who killed Daddy?), we are introduced to numerous family members all of whom have distinctive personalities. As well as there being individual personalities drawn out, Lee Smith creates generational differences between characters whose personality makeups never fall into the trap of cliche. This alone would make Family Linen a book well worth reading. But, Ms. Smith gives us a story whose plot increases as each character is presented and gives his or her piece of the puzzle.

Soon, you will be so caught up in the different characters' lives, you will not be so intent on finding out if Daddy was killed and by whom. Instead, you will feel like you are embracing new friends in your life as provided by Lee Smith's extraordinary writing.

The book is funny, touching, at times gothic in nature, and one of the best written novels I've ever read. Lee Smith is a genious of a writer! Read this book. You won't regret it!!

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous Book!!!, February 4, 2001

By 

Barbara "Queen of her castle AND her home lib... (beautiful Charleston, SC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Family Linen (Paperback)

I truely enjoyed this book and I don't know why some of the reviewsers were offended. This is the second review I wrote, I don't know what happened to the first one. There are family secrets that come out because of hypnotism and the family being brought together by illness and a funeral. Really this story is about some very serious matters but Lee Smith wrote from a lighthearted angle which makes th reader laugh at a lot of the situations. I wouldn't call this book "dark" at all even though it could've very easily been written that way. I liked this book a lot and to think I almost didn't read it because of some of descriptions in some of the negative reviews. Read this book, it's very good. It's about real life and sometimes real life isn't very pretty. There are many people that are raised by their parents and then find out in their adult life that these wonderful people that raised them aren't actually their parents. Their "sister" or "Aunt So-and-so" is their real mother. This is really a good book and it's written from the perfect perspective, with a touch of humor.