I get asked all the time to recommend someone’s next read, probably because I’m so opinionated about books (no, really?) and because anyone who sets foot in the house can see that I’m quite fond of them. (In the old house I’d run out of shelf space and had resorted to stacking books on the stairs. I thought that this was a pretty trashy thing to do, but really, I had no choice. I feel somewhat better about myself now that I’ve discovered this site. I mean, look at this.)
But since you’ve asked, I’ll tell you. I like Ellen Gilchrist a lot. She has this interesting shtick in that her cast of characters—some are related, some live in the same neighborhood, some are friends, or cousins, some are employees of the others—appears over and over again in her stories and novels, and are interconnected in subtle ways that you have to keep reading to completely discover. There may well be other authors who do this, but when I started reading Gilchrist in the early ’80s, I’d never seen anything quite like it (and still haven’t). Talk about character development: these are people Gilchrist has written about for thirty years. If you love characters, it’s a joy to be able to move on to the next book and catch up with them again. (I’m particularly fond of Rhoda.)
Gilchrist grew up on a plantation near Vicksburg, Mississippi. This is Old South, folks, and she has the genteel life rhythms, the voices, the sense of place down pat; if you are from the South or live here, you’ll recognize it immediately in her writing. She also lived in Northwest Arkansas (she taught creative writing at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville for some years), and writes movingly of that part of the country as well (I also lived there).
So where should I start? you ask. I am normally a fan of a big, fat novel—and Gilchrist’s are fine; I particularly loved Net of Jewels (readers who loved, as I did, Kathryn Stockett’s The Help will too), not least because it’s about Rhoda—but it’s the short stories in which Gilchrist really shines. In the Land of Dreamy Dreams (1981), Victory Over Japan (1984; won the National Book Award for Fiction), Drunk With Love (1986), Light Can Be Both Wave and Particle (1989), I Cannot Get You Close Enough (1990), The Age of Miracles (1996), The Courts of Love (1996)—these are positively luminous books. And because they utilize recurring characters, the end result is not unlike a novel. (Sadly, most are out of print. You can get them at the library or from the used-book websites.)
Gilchrist’s characters live large; they do things (they misbehave) in ways I never would have dreamed of doing myself. (Perhaps this is why I find them so appealing.) She remembers her childhood vividly, and has a keen eye for the dialogue and habits of children and teens. Beyond that, I just love the way she writes, with interesting asides and digressions and rants. Gilchrist also writes poetry and, as mentioned in a previous post, has published a collection of autobiographical essays in Falling Through Space: The Journals of Ellen Gilchrist. Let me know what you think.
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Jamie. What. Have. You. Done? That site, the one with thousands and thousands and THOUSANDS of books – bookshelves – book-rooms (otherwise known as libraries!)…
OhMyGosh.
That’s IT for the next hour/few hours/day/weekend. I will be totally glued to it, in my collecting of information and inspiration for the Library/Studio I am planning at this very moment.
You are a very Bad Girl for leading me down the Path of Temptation – and I absolutely, totally, and completely love you for it!!!
(I also love you for this brilliant blog, which is always different, surprising, and very interesting. Keep it up, Lady!)
LOL! When I first learned of the Bookshelf Porn site, I spent way too much time looking at photos. I love looking at OPH (Other People’s Houses), as you know, so this just fans the flame when it adds a focus on my favorite PART of the house! 🙂
Thank you, though, for your kind words. 🙂
Oooh, she sounds like my kind of writer! Did you see my mention of Sharyn McCrumb in one of our convos over the last couple of days? She does a similar thing, with those characters who pop up in another character’s story, unexpectedly. If you haven’t read her, you need to check out her Ballad series. And have you seen this article? http://www.oprah.com/oathome/Novelist-Ellen-Gilchrists-Two-Homes/3
I had to google Gilchrist, of course ;-). I love Ocean Springs, and she lives in an E. Fay Jones house in Arkansas! You know Mike’s fascination with Frank Lloyd Wright, which I’ve picked up over the years; Jones is such a craftsman in that style. I want to see Thorncrown Chapel someday (my sister-in-law used to live fairly near it, in Ft. Smith, and adores it), and I’d love to see one of his houses, too. Here’s a link to one that’s currently for sale: http://www.fayjones.com/
What a setting! This is what the little house I showed you on Park Circle should look like (in a very miniature way, of course); can you tell I’m still a little sick over that one? This one, though, is just perfect!
Nice post, and thanks for the tip — can’t wait to read some of her work. I can tell from the O article that I’m going to like her.
Can’t wait to check out those links! Re Gilchrist, I highly recommend you start with the short stories. Of course now, in her later years, they have collected the various stories into books about particular characters. So you could, for example, start with “Rhoda,” which collects all the Rhoda stories.
Maeve Binchy sometimes ties her characters together from novel to novel. I do love it! Makes you feel like you’re an insider and strikes a lovely chord of familiarity.
I’ll have to check that out, Sarah! Thanks!