Customer Reviews

This Rock

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I must admit that Gap Creek was the first book by Robert Morgan that I have read. I became of a fan immediately. His story line is as multilayered as his characters. In This Rock, one brother, Muir, struggles to find himself. He seems to be heading for a life lived in the word and serving his God. The other brother, Moody, seems to do nothing more than a little bootlegging. Moody wants to lose himself. He suffers from some deep hurt we are never privy to. Robert Morgan takes these two characters and wraps a novel around them. Two brothers as different as hot and cold, living a basic life filled with the struggle to survive and yet their lives seem to be so much richer that ours.
Other characters, Hank and Julia from Gap Creek make an appearance. It was nice to see their progress. Ginny, Muir and Moody's mother is a strong woman left to get by on her own after her husband dies.
I won't give anymore away. The book is an interesting read. It appeals to the intellect and the heart. If you're looking for a techno thriller you better keep looking. This Rock isn't for you. If you're looking to be touched emotionally and spiritually, then you won't be disappointed.

I should confess right off that Robert Morgan is one of my favorite writers, with an authentic voice and the honesty to write unflinchingly about people living hard lives, struggling to survive. After reading Gap Creek, the story of a young southern woman struggling in a difficult marriage,I knew I'd buy anything else Morgan wrote. I'm happy to say this story of two brothers locked in a sibling rivalry, while far different from the plot of Gap Creek, doesn't disappoint. Muir and Moody Powell have been at odds nearly since birth. One is ambitious and hard-working and the other is drawn to trouble, gambling and drinking. Don't let my simple sketch of the bare outline of this book keep you from reading it. I assure you that Morgan's honest, unflinching writing and ability to make the lives of these southern men come alive will pull you into this book. A powerful book from a writer at the top of his form!

As you read this book you will be transported to the mountains. The vivid descriptions and colloquial dialogue caused me to care about the characters and their outcomes. I also love the way Morgan switches perspective. Some chapters are from the point of view of Muir. He is one of two brothers and the "Abel" character in a kind of Cain and Abel allegory. Moody is the "Cain" character, but the book doesn't exactly parallel the bible story. Other chapters are from the point of view of their mother, Ginny. I really felt for Muir and wanted him to succeed. One even begins to root for Moody toward the end. The last chapter concluded and tied together the many journeys the reader takes with the various characters in a poignant and satisfying way. The EPILOGUE, however, ends with a strange twist that was a downer for me. That's why I only gave 4 stars. I was hoping for a different ending, and a little confused by what Morgan wrote on the last few pages. Perhaps what makes it good fiction is that I'm still thinking about it. Our church is using this for a churchwide Book Club. There are many life lessons here concerning work ethic, confidence, being true to yourself and your family, and finding your true calling.

THIS ROCK was my first encounter with Robert Morgan. I had heard many great things about GAP CREEK so my book club decided THIS ROCK would be a great book for our next selection.

Unfortunately not many of us enjoyed it.

The main character is a farm boy named Muir. He has led a rough life with a bully for an older brother. His mother plays a significant role in his decision makings. He is beyond confused about what he wants to do with his life. Yet he makes many decision throughout the book to escape everyday life. Not all of his decisions are foolproof.

Moody, the older bully brother, is also a significant character. Muir appears to hate him on the outside. But from the inside I felt it was different. He looked up to Moody and cared for him greatly. Moody and Muir go through the book dealing with personal problems, and family problems.

The ending was not what I expected. I was not too happy with the abruptness of the finale. The book felt as if it was missing a true story line. There were many aspects of Muir's life discussed but not enough substance to really show the reader what you needed to see in order to feel for him. Something was missing. I just cannot put my finger on it.

I knowed this be a gud book (English teachers cringing, the bad American English and spelling is intentional). Robert Morgan, author of the bestseller "Gap Creek," transports us to a 1920s Appalachian Mountain town in "This Rock."

The story takes place over a three-year period and focuses on the polar-opposite Powell brothers, Muir and Moody. Muir is ambitious and quiet. Moody is an appropriately named, unstable character that runs moonshine and gambles.

Morgan uses the perspective of Muir and Ginny Powell, the brothers' widowed mother, to narrate the brothers' conflicts. Remarkable details are laid out for the reader to behold and enjoy like gems. Morgan paints the beautiful landscape of the mountains, a feast for the mind's eye. The drama echoes stronger due to Morgan's inclusion of mountain dialect. It's as if the author time-traveled to the locale and used the Edison gramophone to record the hillbilly speech.

The story builds nicely as Muir's decision to build a church atop the mountain has ripple effects throughout the community, most notably his brother Moody. "This Rock" is a page-turner illustrating the common and difficult aspects of 1920s Appalachia life. In fact, I bet after you've reached the last page, the cool morning dew will be lingering on your hands.

Bohdan Kot

I read _The Truest Pleasure_ knowing this was the sequel. It has usually been my experience that a sequel enhances the experience of most novels and feeling fondness for the characters of _The Truest Pleasure_, I wanted to know more about them.

Unfortunately, I just felt the book slid into a religious abyss, sinking deeper into religious overtones that dominated the theme of the novel instead of enhancing the experience of the characters. I began to dread reading that a church gathering was happening as I had to read pages and pages of religious sermonizing that I felt had little to add to the story.
The book could have been wonderful, as any child of Ginny and Tom would be worthy of carrying a major story line. Unfortunately, the fall out to monotonous sermonizing capitalized the novel and negatively impacted the tone of the book.

This fascinating story is my introduction to Robert Morgan, a New York Times Bestseller, writer of six earlier novels, lots and lots of poetry and even a textbook on poetry.

The first half follows the disparity between the two young brothers, so different and yet so much alike, and all the despair of growing up poor in the 1920's.

Mainly, though, it is the account of the younger, Muir who breaks out of the farmlife of rural North Carolina. "For once in my life, I was going to do what I wanted, what I had to do."

On his trek northward, he drives his model T through the Cumberland Gap from Tennessee to Kentucky and ponders on the Civil War battle there where his Confederate grandfather died. He uses poetry to describe his feelings of "driving through history to the future."

However, he's not sophisticated enough to endure the harshness of the weather and the Northerners. He is the son with the conscience, so he returns the car and takes the train on another adventure. A year after his experiences on the Tar River, he sets out to work on his major project, which turned into a memorial for his brother Moody. A mountaintop feels closer to Heaven, just as I felt the first time I went to Oneida, TN.

Morgan is poetical in his descriptions of the wonders along the way, but I wish he knew grammar a little better. He is a good storyteller and teaches life's lessons well. This volume is worth reading, even if you do cry at the ending.

I heard Robert Morgan read from "This Rock" at a book festival and it only enhanced the story in my mind. The voice of the characters came vividly to life. The story's background, complete with historical tidbits and Morgan's family folklore mixed in, make "This Rock" a tale of pathos and wisdom.

Is "This Rock" a sequel to "Gap Creek"? Yes and no. "Gap Creek" is one of those books that stuck with me. I cared about the characters of Hank and Julie and their plight. Yes, "This Rock" does interweave bits and pieces of Hank and Julie's lives with the story of new characters. What a pleasant surprise to run across these treasured fictional friends, to see where life has taken them. But, no, this book does not serve strictly as a sequel. For the most part, it's not as dramatically depressing either--though it does have a few painful moments.

"This Rock" stands solidly alone, an ode to the people who have built this great country--and some of those who have corrupted it, whether bootleggers or religious bigots. Using the dual viewpoints of young Muir and his mother Ginny, the story recounts the troubles of a family in the first half of the twentieth century. Ginny is a widow, raising three kids. Her view sheds light on the emotional struggle of a mother hoping for the best for her children. Muir's view is self-centered and driven, although it begins to taper as life humbles him.

Young Muir's dream is to be a preacher. His brother Moody has no real aspirations, save to sneak out and bootleg with the local ruffians. Both brothers make choices that will have negative consequences, but, in the author's soulful and honest manner, the book manages to bring the light of redemption through the darkness. "This Rock" moves slowly on the surface, while underneath the struggles of the human heart churn and race. I found myself pulled downstream, caught up in the story, hoping that Muir would achieve his dream and that Moody would find rest for his soul.

Robert Morgan caps off his story with events that are both predictable and surprising. As in "Gap Creek," he offers hope at the end of the day--a hope that is formed from the fires of hard work and deep pain. While other writers tend to throw out shallow promises, Morgan's writing and his characters deliver something richer and much more rewarding.

"This Rock" is worth holding onto.

After reading GAP CREEK and TRUEST PLEASURE, I was very excited to get this book. Unfortunately, only after one-third of the way into the novel, I became bored. The same theme appeared over and over, and the actions of the characters became so predictable. It was a real disappointment. And the last scene was totally ridiculous. I had the feeling this novel was written with great haste and lacked depth and heart.

I was on vacation in South and North Carolina and stopped to get a book on audiotape to listen to in the car. Someone at the store recommended this book and it was just wonderful. If you like stories that carry you into another time and another place you will love this book. It is mostly about the struggle between "Baptist Discipline" and the loving grace of God, a struggle I have been fighting all of my life. I highly recommend it.