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Joe  By  cover art

Joe

By: Larry Brown
Narrated by: Tom Stechschulte
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Publisher's summary

An ALA Notable Book, Joe has earned critical acclaim nationwide, and Larry Brown has been compared to great Southern writers such as William Faulkner and Eudora Welty. Like them, Larry Brown has an unerring feel for the truest details of regional life.

The Mississippi countryside is Joe Ransom's world. There, whiskey, fast trucks, and a hard right fist are the badges of manhood. But middle age is approaching, and Joe tries to not think too much about the future. At 15, Gary Jones' life is painful and unpredictable. His days are spent avoiding his brutish father and caring for a damaged mother and sister. When Joe's and Gary's paths cross, the resulting friendship is a bizarre rite of passage for both of them.

Throughout the story, Brown deftly maintains a balance between action and destruction, compassion and compulsion. His characters are riveting; the conclusion is shocking. This novel will leave you astonished and grateful for Larry Brown, a major talent.

©1991 Larry Brown (P)1996 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"Powerful...Brown comes into his own." (Publishers Weekly)
"Brown delivers....This raw and gritty novel ranks with the best hard-knocks, down-and-out work of Jim Thompson and Harry Crews. It's lean, mean, and original." (Kirkus Reviews)

What listeners say about Joe

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Larry Brown

I cannot be objective about anything Larry Brown ever wrote. His humanity grabs me every time...with such a powerful grip that I would follow him page after page wherever he chose to take me. I shall miss him terribly. We have lost a giant.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing

What a pity the author died so soon. Stechschulte has the perfect voice for this story.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Gritty Southern Alcoholism

What made the experience of listening to Joe the most enjoyable?

4.5 StarsLarry Brown always gave us gritty reality – a southern-baked, distilled variety of reality. And, “Joe” is another big dose. If you’re not up for riding around with Joe in his pickup while he guzzles vast amounts of whiskey and beer, you may want to put off reading “Joe” until you are. If you are not ready for heavy measures of the southern vernacular and watching degenerate alcoholics abuse all who love them and many others who do not, you may want to make a sunnier reading selection. On the other had if you are up for a taste of reality a la Larry Brown, get ready for another great bumpy ride through rural Mississippi. Oh, and you may want find your local Al-Anon meeting.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Larry Brown the best

Larry Brown may be the best writer of the American south ever. He uses a style all his own.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Joe

as usual, Larry Brown writes a beauty.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

I miss having him out there.

Ugly and beautiful. Larry Brown was a genius. I wish we had more words from him.

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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Depressing and boring

I thought the story was depressing and boring. Very disappointed with it overall.
Very similar to the last story I read by him.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Hidden Gem

My last couple of listens were Bukowski titles in the plus catalog. This book appeared in my recommendations. The characters are well developed and the story is captivating. Performance is great too, accents sound genuine to me even though I am not overly familiar with the area of the country being presented. Has a good mixture of funny, sad and frustrating moments where I am angry at the actions of characters and wish I could help out! Haven't quite finished, I have an hour left, but overall a great listen and I will be looking for other titles by the author and narrator.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Totally awesome

Another great story tale by Larry Brown . I wish he wrote 100 more books. A
Must read book.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

This book blew my mind

It has everything. It's tragic, hilarious, suspenseful and poetic. The end will shake you.

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