Bastard Out of Carolina: A Novel

This is not an easy read, although it is written with superb skill and is gripping such that it is difficult to put down. This is raw because you know you are reading a horrible reality in a work of fiction. Written many years ago, banned by multiple schools long ago; and so, the American tale goes on... An excellent presentation of dreadful realities which does its best to explain or make sense of or educate or commiserate with the reader wise enough to select this book. I will now, of course, read more of Dorothy Allison's books, carefully interspersed between a couple of books of a less impactful nature. I believe this work should be labeled a classic.

I was introduced to this book during my summer Southern Fiction class. I fell in love with this book after reading the first chapter. As far as southern fiction goes, this ranks as one of the greatest. Like Faulkner, Allison controls her story, not through just its main character's narrative, but as well by ensuring truth within the book's descriptive language. Bastard Out of Carolina feels like you exist in Bone's backgrounds, not in her mind, but close enough to make sense of the character's experience. Allison gets Bone, although you live in the story--you almost live in Bone's mind, through her eyes, etc.But in truth the real genius of Allison's Bastard Out of Carolina is how she handles the reader's participation. You may exist in this world, but you're only allowed so close. As with many a southern white trash family, strangers are always untrusted--spouses even maybe family, but not quite family enough. You never gain Bone's trust, but because you're there with her everywhere, you know and get her experiences.Allison plays this tight rope quite well; between dialogue and the narrative of Bone, there is an abundance more of Bone and her family we see. We're not relegated solely to Bone alone for the story, but we're provided a place to compensate and understand the complexity of these people's lives.We may not approve of the stepfather's action, and we're pleased with Bone's blood family's reaction to it. But as with Bone's mother's decision we may also sympathize, forgive, and still feel un-rejected because we're living in the background of it. Not because just Bone tells us, but her aunts, uncles, and grandmother's idiosyncrasies, comments and actions provide a broadness to Bone's narrative. When you read Dorothy Allison's Bastard Out of Carolina, don't be alarmed because its authenticity to its subject matter, the southern poor white trash family, doesn't exactly invite you inside to this experience, unlike the hillbilly mentality of come on sit a spell, the story begins with an matter of fact re-telling. And not just a mater or fact personal upfront narrative, but a collection of recollections constructed. This is not exactly an invitation inside Bone, but just what it is...what happened on the day day Bone was born. The only truths we know about Bone are how she got her nickname and that she was labeled a bastard by the state of South Carolina. We're given more depth on her family to also frame an opinion.So just accept your place in this world, worry less about the who is telling you all this, and focus on the interaction between characters, the relationship of family, society's perception of class, as well as how it's the specter of bastard that defines each action. Bone's life begins pre-defined by a stamp on a birth certificate; it's the reason that effects her entire life. She's an outcast from an outcast class of people whose feelings of right and wrong are tainted by it. Family's all Bone's got, yet even it taints them. Bone is fatherless, her mother as well tarnished. It's why Bone's narrative feels as if its told outside itself because its the stigma of bastard which first and always defines her place in any situation. So with the first chapter we understand our place is wherever Bone takes us. Her motivation is always skewed by bastard.Personally, I read this book three times in a row for my class. Of all assignments, this by far was my favorite. It is everything I wanted from southern fiction in the 90's. Its moral complexity, its rugged truthfulness, and its insights into the driving forces for its characters lives are what thrills me most about reading this book. Its easy to label people and use your own standards to judge their actions; however, Dorothy Allison delivers a message about understanding people's actions in relation to the social motivations that often are unavoidable or acceptable given certain circumstances. For Bone she must live with being a bastard and all that goes with it; though it my hurt, it's a fact that she must live under.But most importantly of all, Allison's Bastard Out of Carolina summarily ends with an act of unrelenting pure love.

Not since Harper Lee’s Scout has a young southern girl been given such a powerful narrative voice of determination and spirit. Allison's characters come alive on the page in this semi-autobiographical novel of poverty, dysfunctional family relationships, incest, and determined women caught in cultural stereotypes...and survival. Allison deals with dark and brutal subject matter with compelling and hope-filled passion.

Ruth Ann, aka Bone, is a child who was born out of wedlock to a teenage southern girl whose family is quite large, but are of poor working class and undereducated people. The fact the story takes place in the south seems to make the story believable, but these things happen everywhere and to all classes of people. Her mother, Annie, depends a lot on her family to help her thru the woes of early motherhood. Because of this close relationship in very early life, Bone grows close to the whole array of aunts and uncles and her granny. It's her saving grace. Annie soon meets a fine man and marries him and has another baby. Her new sister, Reese, is a joy, but shortly after she was born, her daddy was killed in a car wreck, leaving Annie a young widow with two small daughters. A young man named Glen begins to woo Annie at the restaurant she works at and soon they become involved. Annie, once again, becomes pregnant, and a marriage becomes the solution. Sadly, the baby dies at birth and now all the real trouble begins. Glen starts to show his evil and despicable side right was the baby was dying. Bone takes the brunt of his hate and ineptitude out on Bone every chance he gets. Somehow he blames her for all that is not right in his life and Annie's. It starts with a small sexual dalliance, then turns to beatings and violence over the years, and eventually the worst a young girl can imagine.A well written story about a subject that exists and needs to be known about. Bone kept most of the situations to herself and blamed herself for all that daddy Glen did to her. But eventually it can no longer be concealed.The adaptation to a movie was fabulously acted by Jenna Malone as Bone. I want to rewatch the film but can't seem to find it on any streaming channels. The book lulled in the middle a little, but maybe I felt that because I had seen the film a while back, and for dramatic effect, much of the story was left out. Young teens should read this as should parents. Annie comes in all shapes and sizes ... It doesn't hurt to know the signs.

This novel, even though difficult to read at times, is beautifully written and gives a great insight to the reality of child abuse and rape. The characters feel very real and the story is very well told. However, I wish there had been another ending, where Mama killed Glen for what he did to Bone. Or at least that Bone or someone in her family told the Sheriff what had happened and justice could be made. But I guess that as in real life, not all novels have to have a good ending.I specially liked the author's afterthoughts, where she explains her motivation in writing this novel and her experience as this book was banned from a couple of high schools' reading lists.

Excellent service, book exactly as promised.

Bought this on my friend's Wish List, she loves it.

Wonderful writing

I wanted to meet all of the boatrights, I felt that I was beside the main character Bone all the way through, it made me laugh, cry & want to cover my eyes! People who want to read a very touching story with a great heroine will love it!

I have never been so angry by the actions of fictional characters in a book. I found this utterly heartbreaking throughout. It should be read by all.