Barbarian Parade, The (Paperback)

by Kirby Gann (Author) "The day the freight train hit my father, I was eight years old and in grave contemplation of our maple tree's crown, shielding my eyes..." (more)
Key Phrases: barbarian parade, Uncle Crush, Mama Sarah, Viktor Savic (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
...a brave and buoyant bildungsroman...fiery, hell-bent prose...a picaresque novel of and for our time. -- Robin Lippincott, author of Mr. Dalloway

...by turns sensuous, carnal, tender, and often brutal...a striking debut for a novelist of daring creativity and passion. -- Edmund White

...fearless first novel...a compelling and memorable read -- Sena Jeter Naslund, author of Ahab's Wife

...simultaneously hilarious and heart-breaking, evocative but never nostalgic, touching but never sentimental...not only poetic, but a great page-turner. -- Silas House, author of Clay's Quilt and The Cool of the Day

[T]he debut of an important and vigorous new voice in fiction...it's real, and moving, and true. -- Bret Lott, author of Jewel

Product Description
This is the story of Gabriel Toure barreling headfirst into life as he is introduced to sex, soccer, and the changing dynamics of family relations. Gaby is a good boy with a wild streak in dogged pursuit of the elusive meanings of freedom and love. As a boy growing up in Montreux, Kentucky, he idolized his father, "Smilin'" Ray, a hardworking Southern man who was fond of the horse track and drinking with the boys. When Ray is sent to prison on false drug charges, Gaby, lustful for experience, breaks from what was once a close family to fulfill his restlessness, choosing to place his faith in his body and in the sport of soccer.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Hill Street Press (July 28, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1588180654
• ISBN-13: 978-1588180650
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #884,969 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars transfixed in horror and wonder, April 2, 2004

By A Customer

The comment from the novelist Lee Durkee nails this book best: Gann "turns us into children watching mayhem, transfixed, horrified, and yet filled with wonder." The author has a great gift for characterization and precise -- yet lyrical -- language. This must not have been an easy story to write, either, detailing with such apparent honesty the difficulties of a family in Kentucky during the 1970s and 80s. Still, Gabriel Toure, the narrator, is a compelling character that the reader can't help but root for, even when he is acting in the most hideous of ways. I thought this novel really exemplified how difficult our society makes it on families, and how strange the way we teach our boys to grow into men.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I usually don't do this --, May 30, 2004

By A Customer

I'm not the type of person who writes reviews, but after reading this book, I felt I had to. From the opening sentence ("The day the freight train hit my father . . ."), The Barbrian Parade had me drawn into the story of Gabriel Toure. Gann provides us with a man as brave as he is flawed, as vivacious as he is introspective. Here is a book that is honest, unflinching and utterly enjoyable. I hope to read more from this writer in the future.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars beautiful language, strong story, April 19, 2004

By A Customer

I don't typically write reviews of the books I read, but this is one of those books that you want to tell everyone about. Gann is one of those gifted authors who can excite and illuminate anything he seems to touch; he has a musical sense of language and a power of description that you don't often see. Especially when I realize this is the author's first novel! I've marked up my copy with all kinds of post-it notes and pen marks on passages I want to recite to friends. This author isn't afraid to look at some of the ugly things we all do to get what we want; nor is he afraid to show how we fess up to our mistakes later -- if to no one but ourselves. He embraces life without putting a gloss over it. I recommend this book to anybody who cares about contemporary writing.