Customer Reviews

Serpent Box: A Novel (P.S.)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Vincent Carrella's first novel is lucid. Anyone who cares about the nature of faith, the redemptive powers of love, and the mysterious call toward God that some experience will find this book compelling. It is not a novel "about" religion. It is a mystical (and nearly mythical) tale of family, love, tolerance, beauty--with characters who feel genuinely called to God. Indeed, not only do the characters think they are called to God, they ARE called--the main character especially. Jacob Flint is described as a true "holiness" child--and Carrella brings this ten year old boy to vivid life. With wonderful descriptions of the natural world mingling with a sharp ear for dialogue, the book is at once a part of our world and also somehow not of this world--full of people who rise up out of love to handle snakes and drink poison to prove the power of the divine. In my opinion, many contemporary novels start off with a "bang" and then slowly sputter toward the end--perhaps because of the market pressures of the bottom line publishing world--but Carrella's book avoids this trap. Indeed, one of the things that struck me most about this book is its structure. The author obviously cared as much about the rising action and tension as he did character, detail, and the vividness of his "dream." The last hundred and fifty pages are tense, heartbreaking, and redemptive. I laid awake for a long time after I finished reading, the last few sentences ringing in my head. I highly recommend the book.

Bored by the mass-produced, witness protection, insert-sex-scene-here
thrilllers, and just when I was losing faith that a unique novel existed
that would keep me enthralled (and not read like an author's self-indulgent exercise to impress himelf and the "literati"), I read "Serpent Box". Interestingly enough, a "thriller" about faith. Author Carella's vocabulary,tone and descriptions are carefully sewn together, not unlike a richly detailed Appalachian quilt. The writing style and vivid descriptions of the landscape, so completely genuine to the era and the region, combined with the bizarre and riveting subject matter, absolutely engrossed me. I never would have believed that the lifestyle and tribulations of a family of snake handlers in Tennessee would keep me utterly fascinated but, in this instance, they certainly did. I hope Carella keeps writing, his "Serpent Box" hero Jacob Flint isn't the only one with a gift.

Reviews are funny things. (Right or wrong) I am someone who relies on them to make my reading decisions, but before reading this book based on a friend's recommendation, I didn't read any. Having finished "Serpent Box" last night, I just read the Publishers Weekly editorial review Amazon has posted here and I couldn't disagree more that "the narrative begins to lose steam midway through the book." Indeed, I found that it is about midway through the book that the author really finds his voice and I could barely put the book down. I delayed finishing it only because I didn't want it to end and when I woke up this morning I was still thinking about it. I probably would never have read this book, based on the PW review, and it would have been my loss. I never would have believed I would care about snake-handling, lye-drinking preachers in Depression-era, backwoods Tennesse, but the author made me a believer. Probably because it's been so long since I've read a book that made me think, it took a while to get in to the rhythms of the detailed descriptions but, once I did, I knew I could never turn back. Funnily enough, in a somewhat surprising after-effect, that this caliber of novel was written here, and is about here, also has made me rather proud of my country.

This is a book about belief and faith and the roads that they can take you down. It does not preach, it tells a story. The characters are fully developed and realistic, you can identify with pieces of them all. It is set in the woods of the Appalachian mountains. You can feel the air and smell the earth. There are serpents of course but it is not about snakes, it is kind to snakes and actually gives you a different perspective of them, they become animals, creatures of the forest rather than creepy reptiles. The book has both light and dark but neither overpowers the other. The story takes a winding path that comes together with a bang in the end, it all becomes clear and you are sorry that it is over.

In the end, this book got 5/5 instead of 4/5 for a number of reasons. It had a strong sense of authority that I just couldn't shake, it impressed me with its unique history, and I believe every word of it. It is an emotional story, one that deals with family and religion and faith and the harsh realities of the real world. It's a mix of Ron Rash and Cormac McCarthy and I enjoyed it immensely. VLC I hope you keep writing, as you have a lot to share with the world, and a very powerful, visceral voice that has left a mark on me.

If you're thinking of picking up VLC's Serpent Box DO NOT read the Publisher's Weekly comments on the Amazon page. Although their comment about it being a "scattered debut" may be true, the scatteredness of the story (is that a word?) is absolutely necessary.

This is a gorgeous read. Not your run-of-the-mill novel. Narrative conventions are thrown out the window, and that's a good thing! Definitely not for fans of Dan Brown or authors of that ilk. This book will not spoon feed you the story. You will think, you will feel. Even if you're not religious, you will be while turning the pages.

A novel not soon forgetten. Definitely a worthwhile purchase.

This is a treasure of a first novel that should not be allowed to slip through the cracks. From early on, Carrella paints such a vivid picture of these characters and the world they inhabit, it's entirely engrossing and manages to build the momentum of a thriller while dealing with wholly other concerns. His writing about the natural world is particularly strong and even cinematic, but he also provides knowing windows into his characters' hearts, minds and souls. I anxiously await his next book.

I will admit this upfront. I am an acquaintance of Vinny's from early in my multimedia industry years. When I had heard he had written a novel, I thought, is it about creating submersive interactive games? When I heard it was about growing up poor in the Appalachians of the 1930s and then as a family of preachers who use odd methods and poisons as a way to influence and convert, I thought, this I must read to believe.

Well, I seriously could not put the book down. It reads smoothly and beautifully. The highly descriptive writing had me envisioning living in that time and traveling with the families. I was completely engrossed. It was a charming coincidence that I finished the book while returning from a vacation in the Appalachians, a place I had never vacationed at before. When walking through many old wooden shacks preserved in the Great Smoky Mtns National Park, I thought of Serpent Box.

I am still amazed at the writing quality, technique and story-telling ability that Vinny has shown. I also enjoyed learning more about Vinny's past and what brought him to put his story down on paper.

I hope Vincent has another novel in him. I will be reading it.

Reading Vincent Carrella's book is like taking your soul on a mystical backwoods appalachian retreat. The "Holiness" people have a religious schema that includes drinking poison and handling deadly snakes. It is hard to imagine a life where religion permeates all aspects of life. Carrella paints a picture of rural life where magic can be found in everyday things and faith is part of everything. The characters are vivid and enlivened with a lyrical voice that leaves you thinking about them throughout the day. In the end I didn't know whether to feel sorry for them or envy their pure faith.

The story and the writing are filled with grace, power, and beauty.

Serpent Box: A Novel (P.S.)

This is an artfully written tale with glimpses of Brothers Grimm and Wm Faulkner and Stephen King hidden amidst the carefully crafted words. Several times, I found myself lost in the Applachian Mountains, peering through the midst...or trembling in a cave deep in those mountains. At other times, I found myself caught up in the chaotic excitement of a revival. This is a travelogue through a seldom traveled part of American, of an historic period seldom visited and an encounter with fascinating characters whom I will long remember. Those who helped the author to find his voice have done an admirable job!