James Lee Burke just keeps getting better with age. The Jealous Kind paints such a perfect backdrop of the South in the 50's that you almost overlook the story of youth, tragedy, and suspense. Burke's flawed heroes never let you down and Aaron Holland Broussard does not disappoint.
I've read several of Burke's Dave Robicheaux novels as well as Wayfaring Stranger which is part of the Holland family saga. The Jealous Kind is also part of his Holland family books and is narrated by Aaron Holland Broussard who is a cousin of Weldon Holland, the narrator of Wayfaring Stranger. Both of these two narrators are grandsons of Hackberry Holland who was a legendary Texas Ranger. (The Holland family tree is a little confusing in that there are two Hackberrys, both of which show up in Burke's novels. There is a website that clarifies the family tree that I thought helpful.)
In any event, I really did enjoy The Jealous Kind. It is told from Aaron's perspective as an older man but details what happened to him as a junior in high school in 1952. The novel takes place in and around Houston but the 1950s of this novel is not anywhere close to the idyllic settings of TV shows in the 50s such as Ozzie and Harriet or Leave It to Beaver. Aaron meets the love of his life, Valerie Epstein, at a drive-in in Galveston where he interrupts a fight she is having with her boyfriend, Grady. Well this leads to some very unforeseen events. Grady's family has ties to the mob and he seeks revenge on Aaron. But Aaron and his friend, Saber, a very reckless prankster, do not let Grady get the best of them. All of this leads to some very unsettling and violent consequences that were rather surprising.
Overall, I would recommend this unusual coming of age story set in the violent and dangerous world of Houston in the 50s. Burke paints a very vivid portrait of the times including the various factions trying to survive there: the Mexican gangs, the mobsters, the poor, and the rich privileged upper class. I'll look forward to more in Burke's Holland series.
In any event, I really did enjoy The Jealous Kind. It is told from Aaron's perspective as an older man but details what happened to him as a junior in high school in 1952. The novel takes place in and around Houston but the 1950s of this novel is not anywhere close to the idyllic settings of TV shows in the 50s such as Ozzie and Harriet or Leave It to Beaver. Aaron meets the love of his life, Valerie Epstein, at a drive-in in Galveston where he interrupts a fight she is having with her boyfriend, Grady. Well this leads to some very unforeseen events. Grady's family has ties to the mob and he seeks revenge on Aaron. But Aaron and his friend, Saber, a very reckless prankster, do not let Grady get the best of them. All of this leads to some very unsettling and violent consequences that were rather surprising.
Overall, I would recommend this unusual coming of age story set in the violent and dangerous world of Houston in the 50s. Burke paints a very vivid portrait of the times including the various factions trying to survive there: the Mexican gangs, the mobsters, the poor, and the rich privileged upper class. I'll look forward to more in Burke's Holland series.
Andrew K. (kuligowskiandrewt) -
In James Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux series, the author writes about a recovering alcoholic who uses his police background to solve crimes in and around modern day Lafayette and New Orleans. He spends a little too much time with the people inhabiting the underbelly of Louisiana, occasionally taking an action which crosses the "good / bad" line and has unintended negative consequences. BUT he loves his family, and attempts to do the right thing. The antagonists in his novels are rarely 100% bad, and occasionally do the right thing (sometimes for the right reasons, sometimes for the wrong ones). Some of the supporting characters are not who they seem authority figures have a dark side, and shadowy characters own a heart of at least partial gold. AND there are plenty of descriptions of the surroundings, which allow the reader to picture themselves in the setting and occasionally try to provide an allusion to help the reader understand the action on the page and between the lines.
"The Jealous Kind", a standalone novel in Burke's "Holland Family Saga", is nothing like those Dave Robicheaux novels. The protagonist, Aaron Holland Broussard, is in high school, and the action occurs in Houston and Galveston. Oh wait, other than that, the spirit of the novel is essentially the same one that Mr. Burke infuses in the Robicheaux books.
Burke fans will love this book, and his detractors will find nothing that will convince them otherwise.
RATING: 4 stars.
NOTE: I was provided a free copy of this book in a random draw, with the hope (but not requirement) of an honest and hopefully prompt review.
"The Jealous Kind", a standalone novel in Burke's "Holland Family Saga", is nothing like those Dave Robicheaux novels. The protagonist, Aaron Holland Broussard, is in high school, and the action occurs in Houston and Galveston. Oh wait, other than that, the spirit of the novel is essentially the same one that Mr. Burke infuses in the Robicheaux books.
Burke fans will love this book, and his detractors will find nothing that will convince them otherwise.
RATING: 4 stars.
NOTE: I was provided a free copy of this book in a random draw, with the hope (but not requirement) of an honest and hopefully prompt review.
James Lee Burke has written a lot of NYT best sellers and this one is one of his best about a young boy living on the fringe of poverty in Houston, Texas in the early 50's. It's his memoir of his last years in high school with the trials and tribulations of those years as he faces teenage gangs,drugs,social barriers,and his first love. The atmosphere is one of desperation in finding one's self and loyalty to a friend and family. Deep emotion and inner conflict as he meets one obstacle after another.It's a journey many of us can affiliate to and others to see another side of life. Totally enjoyable with tension that brews to a boiling point. A must read for Burke fans. I give it 5 - stars. Gery
