Title: long book, but worth every word
Product review: Russell Banks has given us in "Cloudsplitter" a grand novel on a grand scale, giving his readers a detailed and moving account of what it meant to be a radical abolitionist, a deeply religious person, the center of the family universe. John Brown comes across as a complex, multidimensional person, as does his son Owen, who defies any sort of stereotyping. What makes this book readable, despite its length, is the detail Banks gives to his characters and their philosophies and motivations. My only complaint is that the ending was very abrupt, as if Owen had stopped his narration in mid-thought. Perhaps that was an intentional device on Banks' part, given Owen's state of mind as he completes his voluminous letter to Miss Mayo. Still, it was a little jarring, and left me wanting maybe just another page or two to wrap up the seeming unfinished thought.
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