Pace Burnett returns to his small Southern hometown named Smoke, dreaming that he might be the one to save it, and encounters a cast of eccentric characters. By the author of Love & Obits. and Tupelo Nights. 12,500 first printing.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Bradley's evocation of the South acquires new depth and charm in his fourth novel, after Love & Obits . Here, childhood friends rediscover the magic of their small-town roots. In the late '80s, aspiring young author Pace Burnette, the sale of his first novel under his belt, returns from up north to his home to the bayou town of Smoke, La., with the vague hope of putting Smoke's ailing economy back on its feet while he collects accolades and churns out bestsellers. Pace's rebellious best friend, Jay Carnihan, heir to the town's ailing general store and lunch counter, has found a scapegoat for Smoke's business woes in Winston Rayford Holly, a charismatic Arkansas billionaire who has opened one of his nationwide Monster Marts on the outskirts of town. Holly's high-volume stores symbolize for Jay the destruction of small-town America. When Jay gets the chance to confront Holly and to enact his fantasies of retribution, he and Pace undergo an adventure that changes them forever. Bradley fills narrator Burnette's eponymous town with colorful, likable characters--his rendering of the crusty Holly is the novel's triumph. Occasional cliches and moments of treacle do not spoil this otherwise delightful homespun narrative.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Hometown Family Goods, a combination lunchroom-general store in Smoke, Louisiana, has seen better days. Jay Carnihan, the fourth generation of his family to run the store, blames its decline, as well as that of the entire downtown business district, on the local Monster Mart, one of a chain of gigantic department stores. Carnihan wants to kidnap Monster Mart's founder, who is America's richest man, and make him apologize for what he's done. Meanwhile, his best buddy, Pace Burnette (come home to await the publication of his first novel), has his own problems: he's fallen in love with an old schoolmate who now works at the local brothel. Is this a Southern Gothic tale full of vengeance, decadence, and the decline of old families? No, it's a hilarious farce about friendship, loyalty, love, and the dependence of people on one another. Bradley ( Tupelo Nights, LJ 5/1/88 and Love & Obits, LJ 1/92) knows his small towns and their people and foibles, and he knows also how to chuckle at the human condition.
-Charles Michaud, Turner Free Lib., Randolph, Mass.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
-Charles Michaud, Turner Free Lib., Randolph, Mass.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
SMOKE DOESN'T FOG UP SMALL TOWN TALE,
By A Customer
This review is from: Smoke (Mass Market Paperback)
Smoke may be on its way down and out, but John Ed Bradley's entertaining writing style isn't in this book on a struggling small American town. Bradley controls the narrative well in this, his fourth novel. He deftly gives substance to the main character, Pace Burnette, by letting the readers know his innermost thoughts and desires, and in such a way that you root for the character to succeed. Anybody who has lived in a small town will enjoy this book. So will anybody who every wanted to become a writer. So will anybody who enjoys a comic tale of small town vs. big business. Bradley's strength is in his development of characters. In his best book, Tupelo Nights, he does the job very well. He does so here, too. Read Smoke. I promise you won't cough.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not what the movie Smoke (w/H. Keitel) is based on,
By LightRailReader (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Smoke (Mass Market Paperback)
I thought this was going to be the story from which the movie Smoke is based. If you have not seen the movie, I highly reccommend it.
Needless to say, since it was not what I thought it was going to be, I was dissapointed at first. However, this is a very easy and funny book to read. This book is not complicated, unpredictable or that deep, but if you are looking for a light, humorous book about small towns and misperceptions about the greedy capitalist, check it out.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fun read,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Smoke (Mass Market Paperback)
I ended up loving this book. Nothing is what it seems at first glance....and in the end it all pulls together although I'd have to admit there were times when I wondered 'where is this going?'. It's a fable that truly reflects a lot of life. It was a good read and I'm looking for another book by the same author.
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