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Carol's Reviews > Where You Once Belonged
Where You Once Belonged
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The Hook - An irresistible review by fellow GoodReads friend and author Betsy Robinson convinced me to read Where You Once Belonged.
Kent Haruf set his novels in the fictional small town of Holt, Colorado. I had only read Plainsong and Our Souls At Night, both lifetime favorites before picking up this one. Kent Haruf died in November 2014. In his final interview Haruf said
“Right now, I don’t feel like death is right around the corner,” he said in a final interview on November 24. “But if it is, it’s a bigger corner than I thought it was.”
A unique, reflective voice has gone silent.
The Line - There are so many worthy sentences that I chose to skip the line this time and to quote the opening of the book in this review in hopes of luring you in.
The Sinker – A book that tugs at my being and leaves me in wonder at the power of good writing is often the hardest for me to review. Kent Haruf’s Where You Once Belonged is described as many things, one being terse. The definition of this adjective, “sparing in the use of words, abrupt”, might find readers in agreement or debate. At 176 pages, it is short. I read it in one day, but it s certain to stay with me for some time. Since I finished this two days ago, I have come back frequently to contemplate this gem.
”In the end Jack Burdette, came back to Holt after all. None of us expected it anymore. He had been gone for eight years and no one in Holt had heard anything about him in that time. The police themselves had stopped looking for him. They had traced his movements to California, but after he had entered Los Angeles they had lost him and finally they had given up. Thus in the fall of 1985, so far as anyone in Holt knew, Burdette was still there. He was sill in California and we had almost forgotten him.
The late on a Saturday afternoon at the beginning of November he appeared in Holt once more.
He was driving a red Cadillac now”
As the idiom states
”A bad penny always turns up.”
and a concise, atmospheric, universal, story unfolds.
Kent Haruf set his novels in the fictional small town of Holt, Colorado. I had only read Plainsong and Our Souls At Night, both lifetime favorites before picking up this one. Kent Haruf died in November 2014. In his final interview Haruf said
“Right now, I don’t feel like death is right around the corner,” he said in a final interview on November 24. “But if it is, it’s a bigger corner than I thought it was.”
A unique, reflective voice has gone silent.
The Line - There are so many worthy sentences that I chose to skip the line this time and to quote the opening of the book in this review in hopes of luring you in.
The Sinker – A book that tugs at my being and leaves me in wonder at the power of good writing is often the hardest for me to review. Kent Haruf’s Where You Once Belonged is described as many things, one being terse. The definition of this adjective, “sparing in the use of words, abrupt”, might find readers in agreement or debate. At 176 pages, it is short. I read it in one day, but it s certain to stay with me for some time. Since I finished this two days ago, I have come back frequently to contemplate this gem.
”In the end Jack Burdette, came back to Holt after all. None of us expected it anymore. He had been gone for eight years and no one in Holt had heard anything about him in that time. The police themselves had stopped looking for him. They had traced his movements to California, but after he had entered Los Angeles they had lost him and finally they had given up. Thus in the fall of 1985, so far as anyone in Holt knew, Burdette was still there. He was sill in California and we had almost forgotten him.
The late on a Saturday afternoon at the beginning of November he appeared in Holt once more.
He was driving a red Cadillac now”
As the idiom states
”A bad penny always turns up.”
and a concise, atmospheric, universal, story unfolds.
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Reading Progress
December 28, 2016
– Shelved
December 28, 2016
– Shelved as:
to-read
Started Reading
February 15, 2017
–
Finished Reading
February 16, 2017
– Shelved as:
tbr-betsy
February 17, 2017
– Shelved as:
lifetime-favorites
Comments Showing 1-39 of 39 (39 new)
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message 1:
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Katie
(new)
Feb 17, 2017 07:50AM
Great review, Carol. I've got Our Souls at Night waiting in line.
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Katie wrote: "Great review, Carol. I've got Our Souls at Night waiting in line."Thanks so much Katie. Will be waiting to read your review of Our Souls At Night.
Katie wrote: "Great review, Carol. I've got Our Souls at Night waiting in line."Thanks so much Katie. Will be waiting to read your review of Our Souls At Night.
Wonderful review, as always, Carol. I've only read Our Souls at Night, but I loved it and can't wait to get my hands on more Kent Haruf. I'm glad to hear he is so consistently great!
Great review Carol! :-)
Jennifer wrote: "Wonderful review, as always, Carol. I've only read Our Souls at Night, but I loved it and can't wait to get my hands on more Kent Haruf. I'm glad to hear he is so consistently great!"Thank you Jennifer. I do think Haruf was a special writer.
Carol wrote: "Great review Carol! :-)"Smiles and thank you Carol.
Carol wrote: "Great review Carol! :-)"Smiles and thank you Carol.
Good review, Carol. I LOVE Haruf but have not read his earliest stuff. I need to remedy that.
Mark wrote: "Good review, Carol. I LOVE Haruf but have not read his earliest stuff. I need to remedy that."Thanks Mark...I have a few more to go also.
Love your review as usual Carol. I also love Mr. Haruf and can’t wait to read this. I have 2 of his books now that I haven't read. I will be sad when I've read them all!
Thanks for the plug, Carol. I'm so glad you enjoyed this book. I think the reason it's harder to review greatness is that greatness is great because it delivers the ineffable.
Good review, Carol. I have read Our Souls at Night and I picked up a used Haruf at the Northshire. I have to look through the piles for it sooner, rather than later.
I became a Kent Haruf fan when I read Our Souls at Night - I love his writing. I am definitely adding this one. Thanks for the great review, Carol :)
Melanie wrote: "Love your review as usual Carol. I also love Mr. Haruf and can’t wait to read this. I have 2 of his books now that I haven't read. I will be sad when I've read them all!"Thank you Melanie...I wish he were still here to write more.
Betsy wrote: "Thanks for the plug, Carol. I'm so glad you enjoyed this book. I think the reason it's harder to review greatness is that greatness is great because it delivers the ineffable."You always explain everything so beautifully, even greatness. Once again, thank you for your recommendation.
Kate wrote: "Good review, Carol. I have read Our Souls at Night and I picked up a used Haruf at the Northshire. I have to look through the piles for it sooner, rather than later."Thanks Kate...will be interested to hear your viewpoint. Many Booktopians are fans.
Marilyn wrote: "I became a Kent Haruf fan when I read Our Souls at Night - I love his writing. I am definitely adding this one. Thanks for the great review, Carol :)"I should have realized I would enjoy this after reading his other books. Thank you. Can't wait for your review.
Carol , very nice review . I love Haruf and have this marked as to be read , but I think I've actually already read it !
Carol, I just added this to my 50th birthday celebration reading list for 1990. I also have Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver listed for 1990; maybe I'll read them both. Thank you.
Angela M wrote: "Carol , very nice review . I love Haruf and have this marked as to be read , but I think I've actually already read it !"Thank you Angela. I think once you start reading it you'll quickly remember the story if you've read it.
Lisa wrote: "Carol, I just added this to my 50th birthday celebration reading list for 1990. I also have Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver listed for 1990; maybe I'll read them both. Thank you."You are doing quite well with your birthday reading goal. I'm enjoying seeing the books you've chosen. Hope both of these are winners.
" A book that tugs at my being and leaves me in wonder at the power of good writing is often the hardest for me to review.".... I adore your sentence, a truth I share with you. Your review is haunting... I haven't read Ken Haruf. Guess it is time? Where should I begin, dear librarian?
I have yet to read a Ken Haruf book book. Hopefully this year :) Great review!!
DeB wrote: "" A book that tugs at my being and leaves me in wonder at the power of good writing is often the hardest for me to review.".... I adore your sentence, a truth I share with you. Your review is hau..."
Thank you Deb...if you like to see how an author grows, I'd start from the beginning with The Tie That Binds (I haven't read this one). I think the most known of his works is Plainsong, the first of three which are known as The Plainsong Books. I honestly don't think you could go wrong with any of them.
Carol, Don't miss Eventide. It's the sequel to Plainsong — many of the same characters (the brothers, the girl they take in).
Paula wrote: "Lovely review, Carol."Thank you Paula.
Antonia wrote: "Carol, Don't miss Eventide. It's the sequel to Plainsong — many of the same characters (the brothers, the girl they take in)."It might not be a bad idea to read all 3 in The Plainsong stories.
It's odd, but the third one dorsn't follow the same characters. Still a good book, though.
Antonia wrote: "It's odd, but the third one dorsn't follow the same characters. Still a good book, though."Well, that is interesting. So if I re-read Plainsong and Eventide that might be just fine.
Yes. Though I wpuld read them all. :)
Antonia wrote: "Yes. Though I wpuld read them all. :)"Smiles. Good plan but will I?
Elyse wrote: "Carol --this sounds sooooo good! I've been wanting to read more books by Haruf, too!Thank you!!! xo"
You will do them justice when you talk about them I'm certain.
I'm reading Plainsong right now, my first by Haruf.
Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "I'm reading Plainsong right now, my first by Haruf."Look forward to your thoughts.
I just finished this Haruf novel a few days ago...my last one. I loved your review and description of his writing style, Carol. I'm sad that I have no more to read.
Carol wrote: "I just finished this Haruf novel a few days ago...my last one. I loved your review and description of his writing style, Carol. I'm sad that I have no more to read."It is awful to lose a beloved author. This was a gem. As you can see I'm really far behind in answering comments. Thank you Carol
