Nightwoods: A Novel

I absolutely love Fraizer's style of writing and Patton's narration. I found myself rewinding to hear passages over again because I was totally charmed. Listening to this book, I recall long gone relatives, who had a winking way of saying things that bespoke an intelligence that might not have been immediately apparent to outsiders, until they let go with a quip that summed up a person or situation perfectly. Fraizer deftly captures that dry humor and eloquence in the characters that populate this story, and Patton's delivery is flawless. Yes, It's a little dark but never gratuitously gruesome or especially difficult. In fact, I like the way that certain unpleasant things were implied and not dished out in detail. Also, part of why I love this book (and Fraizer's other books), is that the NC mountains are dear to me, and I can't get enough of his descriptions of the the mystery and beauty of the place, and the ways of the people, that have all but vanished.

A quiet, unassuming story beautifully told in typical Frazier style. Details are so clear one can almost feel the moss crunch underfoot. I found the characters to be real and true for the time period and location.

The setting is the quiet Appalachian landscape in the 1950s. The author offers his readers a most captivating, often poignant portrayal of Luce, the young woman who unexpectedly inherits her sister's troublesome, emotionally scarred twins. Hers is a battle of wits with her sister's husband whom she suspects is her sister’s killer - as she seeks to protect the children from him. Her only friends are the unassuming Stubblefield who becomes protector to her and the children and Mattie the mountain woman of indeterminate age.

I loved this as much as I loved Cold Mountain. Charles Frazier is a wonderful storyteller, and Will Patton's performance fits nicely with the style of Frazier's writing. Got lost in the story many times with this one. On the hunt for more Frazier and Patton now. Highly recommend both.

I love the narration of Will Patton, and I enjoyed this story. The cast was an interesting/mixed lot, yet I wished for more insight into the kid's minds....of course, this was what Luce wanted, too, so I get it. This was a good audio listen, and I could see the "film" in my head. Imperfect characters, a rambling old lodge in the woods and canned good dinners - this is a perfect slice of Southern Fried Goth.

Frazier’s use of language and ability to tell a story makes for the perfect audiobook in Nightwoods. His sense of place and time captures the listener’s attention and thoughts. As with his other books, you can see that he has researched the time period and the subject matter. His description of children suffering from post traumatic shock is both accurate and sympathetic. By the end of the book, the listener is actively engaged in the plot and understanding of the well-developed characters, those we love and hate. As a person from North Carolina, his use of words and the wonderful narration of Will Patton rings with authenticity. Perhaps if Randy Boyagoda who reviewed Nightwoods for the NY Times had listened to the book he would have better appreciated Frazier’s use of language. I highly recommend this book.

Great writing, great story, great narration. Maybe a bit 'simpler' than his other books, but more was not needed. Just perfect and a pleasure to listen to.

This book was just a bit too raw for me. The characters weren't relatable, the mood was very Southern and the energy very masculine. The connections with nature and wilderness, which were part of what made "Cold Mountain" so beautiful to listen to, only served in this novel to underscore the angry, hostile and generally negative aspects of human emotion.

There wasn't anything particularly interesting about the historical period - this story could have staged at any time, and actually I felt while reading this book that I was way back "when" - at some other time before the events were said to take place. Perhaps that has more to do with the way things were in the South in the 60's, than with anything about Frazier's narrative style or the characters themselves.

I found the narrator's tones to be very coarse and rough-sounding - nothing like the elegant Southern rhythm and harmonies in Frazier's reading of "Cold Mountain".

But I'll end this review on a positive note - Frazier's writing is flawless, with a very sensitive ear for phrasing, and his mastery of detail is unequalled amongst most current writers. It's always a treat to listen to anything written by Charles Frazier; this story line however, just happened to fall a little to far on the dark side.

Maybe I just love Will Patton, but I could listen to him tell me a story forever. I really liked this audiobook. Good story.

Great characters, plot and setting. Wouldn't be surprised if this novel makes it to the "silver screen" very soon.

The author describes the natural beauty of the world the characters inhabit with uncanny accuracy.