Customer Reviews

The Prince of Frogtown

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I first fell in love with Rick Bragg's writing, and his various family members, while reading "All Over But the Shoutin'"--one of my favorite all-time non-fiction books. That love affair continued, though with not quite the same intensity, during the reading of "Ava's Man." Bragg has proven himself to be a writer of Southern wit and pathos, not to mention a splendid chronicler of the human condition.

"The Prince of Frogtown" is Bragg's third foray into family history and Alabama roots, giving great peeks into mill town life and the currents of whiskey and class-distinction that played out in his past. In "Shoutin'" we got to meet his mother, in particular. "Ava's Man" represented his grandfather. Here, "The Prince" is Bragg's father, an off-and-on figure on the stage of Bragg's childhood. We also see how that limited parental role affects Bragg's own more recent and unlikely role as stepfather.

The book's poignancy finds its greatest power in this contrast between fatherly figures. At times, the historical aspects drag a bit, but they find their strength again when revealed through the more recent experiences of Bragg and "the boy," as he refers to the son of his wife.

It's a formula that works, and by any other standard would be topnotch. By Bragg's standards, however, it didn't tug as many laughs and tears from me as his previous books. The magic is still here, in flashes. He can spend two pages describing a fallen angel with perfect teeth, then, in one understated sentence, cause my heart to soften. "The Prince of Frogtown" is an ode to a bygone era, and an attempt to stay relevant in a changing America.

I have long been a serious fan of Rick Bragg. I happened upon him during a reading at a local bookstore 9 years ago and have been hooked since. I never pass up an opportunity to hear him speak and have been anticipating the release of this book for over a year.

His new book does not disappoint. One moment I was laughing out loud and making my husband listen to me read passages from the book...the next I was all but sobbing. Bragg tells the tragic story of his fathers life and contrasts this with tales of being a new stepfather. It makes for an incredibly moving read. He is able to use the English language and southern dialogue like few people can.

Bragg's two previous family related books were easier reads, but the stories included in this book are wonderful and well worth the read.

I completed The Prince of Frogtown in three sittings, as I did with Ava's Man and All Over But the Shoutin'. I also had the pleasure of knowing "The Woman" when we were grad students and adjunct instructors in Memphis, and I can tell you without any reservation that Bragg is not kidding when he defines The Woman as a strong woman and a loving mom who isn't inclined to tolerate a lot of bullhooey. The best side of this new tome is Bragg's ability - as always - to bring absolute color to his father's life and deeds (mostly misdeeds - to say the least) in a way that only a Southerner could have experienced it.

The contrast between the father's stories are neatly intertwined with brief chapters on The Boy (The Woman's son by a previous marriage - now Bragg's stepson). It is "The Boy" chapters that bring heart to the book. You see how two completely opposite world's smack Bragg wholehearted upon becoming a step-parent to a child who hasn't the slightest comprehension or experience in and around Bragg's world and youth. In the beginning, Bragg is baffled that The Boy doesn't know how to fight, sheds tears on occasion, and owns a wealth of electronic gadgets. Essesntially, a child who is a million miles from Bragg's youth.

The book is an incredible study of contrasts, colorfully told with a mixture of sorrow, hilarity and personal growth by both Bragg and The Boy. Though The Woman does not really play much in the book, her loving, reproachful and stable persona shine throughout without Bragg's invasion of her world.

I highly recommend this book for those who are fans of Bragg's, Conroy's, Styron's or other writers who tell of lives that were very hard, but manage to see the light through others and ultimately within themselves.

I wanted to love this book. I was ready to. All Over But The Shouting is one of my favorite books of all time. Ava's Man was good but not great and the same can be said for The Prince of Frogtown. Not nearly as good stories as the first book. And it's kind of difficult to follow the characters. Not the switching back and forth from present to past. That was dealt with well using the shading on the chapter's about the boy. But during the chapters about his dad all the people telling stories and who they were talking about was confusing. And there just didn't seem to be the magical prose of All Over But The Shouting. This book is definitely worth buying and it's good but just not Great like I hoped.

This is the best book Bragg has written. I live in Jacksonville and can remember some of the people he writes about. I finished the book in 2 sessions. It was a easy read about a mill village town. Living in the "country" I could relate to the "village kids". Keep up the good work Rick.

Having read Rick Bragg's other works, I can say that this book not only didn't disappoint me in any way - it is as beautifully written as All Over But The Shoutin' and Ava's Man - but it also fulfilled a curiousty created by All Over But The Shoutin, in particular. It dug in to just who Rick's father was and created a three dimensional man, giving those of us who have followed this family saga an understanding of what made that man tick. There is tremendous sadness in this understanding, but Rick manages to weave in humor that will simply touch your heart. Watching the relationship develop with The Boy through passages so descriptive it was as if I could see the two of them together...more than once I found myself with a lump in my throat...and more than once I beamed with joy (particularly at the church league basketball game)! These "characters" are so rich, you'll forget that these are real people and not some beautifully crafted works of fiction. Very well done!

When I read All Over But The Shoutin' I thought I had found a new southern writer star. I may have, but his next book, Ava's MAn was a major disappointment. This new book, The Prince of Frogtown, is a hell of a lot better than Ava's Man, which had a lot more "That's just the sort of man he was." than was comfortable for me (since having grown up as a poor white in the Arkansas delta and knew more than a few drunks like his grandfather and watchi9ng thier wives and children struggle, I despised the sort of man his grandfather was). Ava's Man was an attempt by Bragg to find a good male in his family. "Prince" is an attempt to find something good to say about his father after he had painted a true and totally black picture of him in his first book. He does find a few folks who remembered a few good things to say about his father as a child and very young man, and he seems to find a legitimate reason for his down fall after his service in the Korean War. Rick's father is a little older than I, he would be 75 now, and I am 73. I also served in the far east in the navy and went to college on the Korean GI Bill, though I joined in Jan 1955 after the fighting had ground to a very shaky truce. But most children and adolescents know people who will say good things about them. However, Bragg can find only two people who have much goot to say about his father after he married his mother, who was a saintly sore of woman, hard working, loving and supportive of her sons, only one of whom followed in his father's footsteps. This book could have done with some serious editing, however, Braggs gifts show up often enough to make me like this book almost as much as I did All Over But The Shoutin'. I can recommend it to those who liked Shoutin' and especially the ones who like Ava's Man. If you liked that one, you will love this one.

I have read All Over but the Shoutin' and Ava's Man and thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Bragg's talent, congratulations to him for becoming a professor (as we discover from the narrative).

Most disappointing was that I found the publisher's intro misleading, because it led me to believe that we would have greater insight on how a survivor of physical violence and alcohol abuse, becomes the adult and as he navigates fatherhood, he overcomes his past. While there is insight, it is revealed in quick snatches. I felt if more time had been devoted to the format, it would have been much more effective. However, I felt the book was not well written as its use of flashbacks was often confusing and as a result the book lacks cohesion. I wondered how he would grade this if it were turned in as an assignment?

While as an adult, Mr. Bragg has grown to appreciate the difficulties his father faced growing up in tremendous poverty; his use of parallel to demonstrate that his adopted son (is he married? he never refers to the child by name or even calls him stepson, nor the mother of this child, in not described as his wife so I am inferring such); had everything a child could want except unconditional love from Bragg, and so the dysfunction circle continues. I kept waiting for an epiphany of deep insight, and I waited some more, then I gave up. I will confess, I read a little over half the book and decided that I had more interesting books to pursue on my shelf.

I knew Rick a long time ago (26 years to be exact), when he was beginning his odyssey as a writer and clearly had greater ambitions than the small newspaper where we both worked. He was very good to me, took me into his home and fed me some of his tasty Southern cooking, and he treated me with class, respect and good humor. He also knew how to turn a phrase and could make a meaningless high school football game drip with flavor and portent. I admire his strong loyalty to his roots and sense of place -- he is someone who truly has created a lasting body of work from this identification, and created redemption from sometimes very brutal and unforgiving circumstances. Here's to him.

Pulitzer prize winner Rick Bragg has magnificently written a truly remarkable memoir...touching, engaging, funny and filled with emotion. Preceded by companion Bragg family memoirs, All Over But the Shoutin' and Ava's Man, this poignant book focuses on the author's father. Charles Bragg grew up in the working class Frogtown neighborhood of mill town Jacksonville, Alabama, and his life was marked by alcoholism, poverty and violence. Following his Korean War service, he deteriorated into an abusive, raging alcoholic who eventually left his family when his sons were young. When author, Rick Bragg, marries late in life, he finds himself helping to raise his youngest step-son, a 10 year-old he simply calls "the boy". Polar opposites in terms of personality and upbringing, he struggles to understand this gentle child. Trying to discern how to be a father, the author reexamines the man his father was through interviews with relatives and friends, and reflects on what he has learned. Chapters alternate between Charles Bragg's life and the author's heartwarming, developing relationship with the boy. Rick Bragg is an exceptionally gifted storyteller who tells his story with beautifully crafted sentences that utterly captivated me. He describes in vivid detail the story of the region...the harsh life of those living in the mill villages and the history of the unfortunate mill people in general. I found myself intrigued by the contrast of the father he had with the step-father he was becoming. This book taught me a lot about relationships...between family members, boyhood friends, neighbors and other relatives. I absolutely loved this hilarious, compelling and insightful memoir and I highly recommend it!