The Violent Bear It Away

By: Flannery O’ Connor

Narrated by: Mark Bramhall

Length: 6 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

First published in 1960, The Violent Bear It Away is now a landmark in American literature. It is a dark and absorbing example of the gothic sensibility and bracing satirical voice that are united in Flannery O'Conner's work. In it, the orphaned Francis Marion Tarwater and his cousin, Rayber, defy the prophecy of their dead uncle - that Tarwater will become a prophet and will baptize Rayber's young son, Bishop. A series of struggles ensue, as Tarwater fights an internal battle against his innate faith and the voices calling him to be a prophet, while Rayber tries to draw Tarwater into a more “reasonable” modern world. Both wrestle with the legacy of their dead relatives and lay claim to Bishop's soul.

O'Connor observes all this with an astonishing combination of irony and compassion, humor and pathos. The result is a novel whose range and depth reveal a brilliant and innovative writer acutely alert to where the sacred lives and where it does not.

©1960 Flannery O'Connor (P)2010 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“There is very little contemporary fiction which touches the level of Flannery O’Connor at her best.” ( New York Herald Tribune)

“I am sure her books will live on and on in American literature.” (Elizabeth Bishop, American poet laureate and Pulitzer Prize winner)

Biblical, American and Absolutely Brutal

O'Connor was ruthless in her vision. The struggle of Tarwater and his uncle Rayber against their joint destinies and the pull of fundamentalism and secularism is fully realized in this short novel. The Violent Bear it Away is biblical, American and absolutely brutal in both its imagery of destruction and language of redemption. I can only think of a handful of writers who seem to grab both my brain, my spine and my gut at the same time. O'Connor can't be over-appreciated; she was an absolute genius of passion and power. So brilliant and terrible was this novel, that I still exceedingly fear and quake.

Expertly read edition

This book is easily one of the best I have ever listened to. It is Flanery O'Connor, so one must be prepared to read this text like someone who understands literature. Remember that O'Connor is deeply rooted in Catholicism, and scholasticism. Remember that she is first and foremost a committed Christian. Her characters will be grotesque, and there will be tremendous violence and disturbing images, but the book will stick with you forever. It will point to deeper transcendent truths that are timeless and eternal.

Reading Flannery O'Connor will enrich your life, but please understand that you are not listening to surface level romance novels / John Grisham stuff here. This takes hard work and patience, but it is work that will be deeply enriching should you undertake it.

The narration is perfect. The southern accent throughout is very important, and the individual voices of each character are pitch perfect. Simply outstanding.

Not for the faint of heart

Such a beautiful writer. So wonderfully narrated. Such a profound and unsentimental exploration of grace. Also shocking, sickening, heartbreaking. Worth a read.

Selfish Hearts

Great narrator. Gripping, dark portrayal of the selfishness of the human heart. O Connor's descriptive power is mesmerizing.

Excellent performance

Very well read. Mr. Bramhall made the story come alive with his accents and drawl. The story was an interesting look at our capture from the evil one and how we may respond.

Everyone should experience this writing.

Not an easy story but the the intense masterful writing makes it an essential read. The reader does it justice. My first O’Connor, will not be my last.

Violence to Youth of Good Ol' Fundamentalism

If you were raised in the rural South or spent the summertime there with someone in your WASP family, you may still suffer the occasional nightmare, as I do, from the trauma left by hellfire and brimstone sermons or a fundamentalist Sunday "school" or two, having been left at an impressionable age (8 to 14) with the constant fear that you and all who have not yet been saved will be eternally damned if you do not save them from this blasphemous world, and spooked by the bountiful ignorance that surrounded you.

Flannery O'Connor, a devout Catholic, was super-critical of fundamentalist Protestants. Her short stories and two novels either explored dark religious themes or were tinged with often morbid religious undertones.

THE VIOLENT BEAR IT AWAY's title is taken from a verse in the Douay-Rhiens Catholic Bible at Matthew 11:12: "From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent bear it away."

I'll forego delving into possible meanings of the title, and any discussion of the novel gives away what happens at and near the end of the book. I'll just say that it's a BRUTAL book, dealing with a 14-year-old boy, fanatical, Southern fundamentalists and the related themes of destruction and redemption.

If you are looking for an enjoyable summer read, perhaps you should look elsewhere. If you'd like to get a sampling of the deeply dark, morbid and haunting world of Southern fundamentalist ol' time religion, purchase now.

The Title Says It All

A bleak book with sustained religious imagery, that's what you're in for. O'Connor is such a powerful writer, though, that you occasionally get lost in the poetic beauty of her phrasing and forget how depressing the story is. But the story always jerks you back to reality.

Disturbing yet oddly mesmerizing & highly original

The vernacular of the star rating system is woefully inadequate in this case: 'I love it' (as five stars is meant to convey) seems the wrong sentiment for a story as dark and disturbing as this one, which showcases a place and time that is unpleasant to imagine existing, but unforgettable once introduced. Yet I can't imagine giving it anything other than five stars. I found it to be very beautifully written and perhaps uncomfortably evocative in its depiction of the inner motivations and thoughts of characters brutally shaped by their experiences and helpless in their power to overcome them. I almost didn't want to know about these people, but once started on the narrative I couldn't help wanting to continue the journey. I listened to it primarily as I tried to fall asleep, which I'm sure added to the haunting quality of the story, as the despair and darkness infused my dreams and always lingered when I awoke. This was my first Flannery O'Connor, and my reaction was similar to reading William Faulkner and Carson McCullers: the story is darkly alluring, the writing style leaves a singular impression (O'Connor being my favorite of the three), and the characters stir powerful and often disquieting emotions. The story crawls into your bones, and once there, it lingers until it's almost hard to know if you're glad you allowed it in or not. The effect is made all the more dramatic by the narrator, who was so masterful it's hard to imagine that anyone else could have brought this to life so vividly as to make the events almost painful to bear witness to. I encourage you to press 'play,' in the end I'm glad I did.

Timeless and Amazing

I write and I listen to learn how the masters wrote. Flannery’s writing is precise and deliberate. Perfect and timeless.