Customer Reviews

Raising Holy Hell: A Novel

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a terrific novel about the radical abolitionist John Brown. The style of the book is remarkable. Olds writes in short bursts of prose, not more than three or four pages at a time, and from different perspectives: first person, third person, quotes from actual historical documents, and what appears to be an interview with Brown from beyond the grave. The effect is like channel-surfing on cable TV. And it works beautifully--it's an exciting way to write about history for the '90's reader. Olds strips down his language--it reminds me a little of James Ellroy's recent work--but he uses archaic words and sentence structure combined with impressive poetic imagery to achieve a convincing historical density. This book has great resonance. This is a time of intense, moralistic political warfare and this depiction of intense pre-Civil War passions should be disturbingly familiar. Bruce Olds makes us recognize and respect complexity. His final take on John Brown seems to be that he was an unpleasant, possibly insane man who nevertheless knew what the most important moral issue of his time was. Great reading.

An astonishing retelling of the life of John Brown. I selected this book for my book group after having listened to Banks' "Cloudsplitter" on BOT. I had read a few reviews of that book post hoc only to find that many critics cited this text as superior. I would say that the experience of listening, rather than reading, to Banks' book likely boosts my appraisal as I thought it was brilliant in its expanse, detail and imagination. As for Olds' work, it reads as though one is living through the time in a dream-like state. The wickedness and cruelty that is frequently attributed to "historical context" is brought to bear so that it is difficult to fathom how we look back at our American history as somehow noble and founded on justice. As for the man, John Brown, it was a serendipitous reading choice given the current state of world affairs. When resistance is linked to terrorism, the results are necessarily unpredicatable and frightening, regardless of the outcome.

I am sorry to see that this excellent novel is out of print. It is both technically innovative and a whirlwind read -- and how many novels are both? Olds's representation of Brown and his world is psychologically and morally complex, historically insightful (yes, even given its postmodern gamesmanship), and more worthy of our nation's most tragic passage than any other six Civil-War-era historical fictions I can think of. Yet this one is indefinitely out of stock while Mr. Banks's clayfooted trudge through the same material is not only in print, but available on audiotape. What a world!

Outstanding! Olds creates a unique form of historical fiction in his creative portrayal of abolitionist John Brown. His use of fictitious newspaper accounts, diary entries, dreams, gossip and prose pulls the reader into the cauldron of antebellum America. I felt the Harper's Ferry saga was as fresh and live as though it were a hot story on CNN.

Russell Banks's "Cloudsplitter" may have garnered higher sales, but Bruce Olds's Pulitzer Prize nominated debut novel, while unjustly neglected by readers, received more positive reviews, and deservedly so. Where Banks's wholly conventional treatment of the life of John Brown remains turgidly earthbound, Olds's more innovative take soars with incandescent energy. Where Banks's book plods, Olds's pulses with brute lyricism. Where Banks drones excessively, Olds incants extravagantly. At last, "Cloudsplitter" implodes of its own portentousness and gravity; "Raising Holy Hell" explodes with the raw power of its poetry. It is the difference between being sucked down a black hole, and riding the wave of a supernova. Which reading experience would you rather have?

Taking on such a controversial subject as John Brown and portraying his tumultuous life, times, deeds and death in any form let alone in an engaging and objective manner would seem an impossible task, but Olds succeeds brlliantly in this novel. I won't bog down this review with the story line - it's been told and reviewed many times. I will make a note on the "format" of the book - it's somewhat unique to say the least. There are multiple first person narratives, quotes from historical figures and short vignettes, as well as an imaginary court scene with Mr. Brown. Don't be dismayed. This doesn't detract from the book. To the contrary, when one finishes this novel it all makes perfect sense. If you have an interest in John Brown, his place in history, abolition, the Civil War or just want to read a fine novel you won't be disappointed with this book.

I read Raising Holy Hell in one sitting. Olds' vision is so strong and sure that the only question is whether he can deliver the goods - and he does. A compelling work that transcends both historical fiction and biography.

This novel is written like no other book of historical fiction. Olds employs this original literary technique while painting a fair view of the least known and most misunderstood figure of American History. This is perfect for a high school U.S. History class.

In Raising Holy Hell, his novel about John Brown, Bruce Olds makes the reader ask: How should a person act if directly faced with the inhuman system of slavery that brutalised and killed millions? And, more uncomfortably, could extreme individual violence as exemplified by John Brown's actions be justified in seeking to hasten the end of slavery years before the advent of the American civil war? While vividly imagining through diary entries and historical documents the personality of John Brown and his impact on those who knew him, as a reader who just happened to stumble on this remarkable book I am most grateful to Mr. Olds for bringing into focus and making real the myriad repercussions that slavery had on our society and the individuals it affected. He does justice to real people whom he lets speak to us through his novel (apart, perhaps, from his portrait of Abraham Lincoln), including, among others, Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass. Perhaps most shocking are the inclusion of statements by judges and various "founding fathers" of the USA in support of slavery. Highly recommended for anyone interested in these human questions or this historical period. A remarkable book that also causes the reader to reevaluate their own response to present-day issues which are even now costing the lives of thousands.

richlvau2 from Grand Haven, MI misses the point when he writes that "the style [of RHH] is very interesting and it is an easy read, but the historical accuracy leaves a lot to be desired. Unfortunately, many will believe it to be "gospel" -(pun intended)"

Olds, by way of a form of literary deconstruction very rarely seen in contemporary fiction, painstakingly blurs the line between accuracy and innacuracy in historical writing. And he is not writing this way because it's the "in thing" to do.

It is also *deceptively* easy to read, with Olds hiding many of his devices from the suspecting eye and the text itself offering a number of simultaneous interpretations.

There is no "gospel" and Olds makes every effort possible to reconstruct the many narratives surrounding John Brown and to prevent any one voice from gaining authority -- especially his own.

I more than highly recommend this book: not only will you view this particular event differently, but you just might call into question the "truth" of other historical figures and events.

(Olds is overdue for a new one, let's hope the luke warm review in the NYTimes didn't blow it!)