Itemize Out Of Books I Am One of You Forever

Title:I Am One of You Forever
Author:Fred Chappell
Book Format:Paperback
Book Edition:Deluxe Edition
Pages:Pages: 184 pages
Published:July 1st 1987 by Louisiana State University Press (first published 1985)
Categories:Fiction. American. Southern. Magical Realism. Historical. Historical Fiction
Books Download Free I Am One of You Forever Online
I Am One of You Forever Paperback | Pages: 184 pages
Rating: 4.1 | 1248 Users | 126 Reviews

Description Conducive To Books I Am One of You Forever

Wonderfully funny and also deeply touching, I Am One of You Forever is the story of a young boy's coming of age. Set in the hills and hollows of western North Carolina in the years around World War II, it tells of ten-year-old Jess and his family -- father, mother, grandmother, foster brother, and an odd assortment of other relatives -- who usher Jess into the adult world, with all its attendant joys and sorrows, knowledge and mystery.
Jess's father is feisty, restless, and fun-loving. His mother is straitlaced and serious but accepts with grace and good humor the antics of the men of the family, a trait she learned from her own mother. Johnson Gibbs is the orphaned teenager who comes to live with them on their mountain farm. Life on the laurel-covered mountain is isolated and at times difficult, but for Jess it is made rich and remarkable through his relationship with his father and, especially, Johnson Gibbs.
Visiting the farm from time to time is a gallery of eccentric relatives who are surely among the most memorable creations in recent fiction. Uncle Luden is a womanizer who left the mountains years ago for a job in California that "paid actual cash money." Uncle Gurton has a spooky way of appearing and disappearing without ever seeming to enter or exit, but it is his flowing beard, which he has apparently never trimmed and which he keeps tucked inside his overalls, that is of most fascination to Jess.
Uncle Zeno is a storyteller. With the words "That puts me in mind of..." everyone around knows that he is about to launch into another of his endless tales. Uncle Runkin, who always brings his handmade coffin to sleep in whenever he visits, spends his time carving intricate designs into the coffin and trying to find just the right epitaph for his tombstone. Aunt Samantha Barefoot stops by for a brief spell, too. A country singer and cousin to Jess's grandmother, she is a woman of uncensored speech (Jess learns a lot from her) and honest emotions. Chappell tells the story of all of these characters in a series of chapters that range from fantasy and near farce to pathos. As notable for its lyrical descriptions of the rural settings as for its finely honed vernacular dialogue, I Am One of You Forever shows us a world full of wit and wisdom and the sadness at the heart of things. As one would expect from a poet like Fred Chappell, every line offers its own pleasures and satisfactions.

Particularize Books In Pursuance Of I Am One of You Forever

Original Title: I Am One of You Forever: A Novel
ISBN: 0807114103 (ISBN13: 9780807114100)
Edition Language: English


Rating Out Of Books I Am One of You Forever
Ratings: 4.1 From 1248 Users | 126 Reviews

Assessment Out Of Books I Am One of You Forever


Heh. This is on my top ten of alllll time. Fred's one of my favorite writers. He's from NC, so he's most certainly a southern writer. More specifically, he's from the mountians of Applachia, and entirely distinct and interesting culture if you've never ventured to that part of the country. This book is told through the POV of Jess Kirkman, a young boy growin gup on a farm in the NC mountains and a thinly veiled depiction of the author's early life. The writing is rich, evocative and poetic. A

The story of Jess, a young boy growing up in North Carolina and all the bright, crazy, and unusual characters that make up his family! There's Uncle Luden, who glides into town and receives calls around the clock from "those loose women", and Uncle Gurton, who has never shaved his beard! He keeps it tucked into his bib overalls and Jess and his Dad tranquilize him so they can sneak up at night to see the actual length! Uncle Runkin brought his own self made coffin along with him to sleep in. A

Fred Chappell tells a tale of a young boy living in a mountain town of North Carolina around the time of World War II. Jess is no older than a third grader, and as most young boys do, he admires his farmer dad and the family hand, Johnson Gibbs, a young man who was pseudo-adopted by the family via employment as a helper on the farm. Johnson and dad are mischievous, and Jess yearns to partake in the mischief, though oftentimes, he is a mere bystander or the object of the tricks. In this novel,

A truly mystical and magical world through the eyes of one southern boy's experiences living in the South during the 1940s. Things aren't always as they seem, and Chappell paints a picture of Southern living that you can taste, smell, touch, and hear.

This has been in and out of my "to read" pile for close to 15 years. I am so glad it made it to the top of pile when I needed lots of laughs. Another title might be "Men (and the Boys Who Love Them) Behaving Badly in a Kinder, Gentler Time." Pick this one up when you need to be reminded of one universal truth--families, whether they have all the advantages or not, are only as strong as the love, patience, and acceptance they give each other.

This was a lovely, slice of life book by Fred Chappell. I'm not sure if it is a collection of short stories made into a novel or was originally intended as a novel, but the final product is filled with loveliness. I think what surprised me was the balance between realism and surrealism. The book begins very realistically. The language paints the landscape with such care. Then, the surrealism pops in, like in the story "The Beard." Our characters want to find out how long an uncle's beard is and