“Country noir” exudes from Daniel Woodrell’s grim Winter’s Bone. Set in the Ozarks, Ree Dolly, a teenager whose father has disappeared, is forced to try to find him. Jessup Dolly, known for his skill at brewing methamphetamine, has signed his property over to the bail bondsmen. If Ree doesn’t find Jessup, the shack that she, her two brothers, and their mentally disturbed mother share will be lost if Jessup doesn’t show up for his hearing. Doggedly, Ree searches for her missing father, but the suspicious and closed clannish culture gives her little assistance. Some have compared Ree Dolly to Mattie Ross in True Grit. I don’t agree. Ree resembles a character from a bleak Raymond Carver story. I’m eager to see the movie version of this stark novel. GRADE: B
“Bleak” is indeed an accurate word for the Woodrell I’ve read. And depressing is another.
WINTER’S BONE was the first Woodrell book I’ve read, Jeff. WINTER’S BONE isn’t as bleak as THE ROAD, but it’s right up there.
I just read a review of the movie based on this book. The movie got an “A” and the actress who plays Ree was singled out for special praise. I didn’t even realize there was a book (I don’t think it was mentioned in the review). Now I look forward to reading it.
I think WINTER’S BONE was initially marketed as a Young Adult novel, Deb. It’s been reprinted in paperback, but your local Library should have it.
My favorite book in the last five years. I guess bleak is what I expect from Woodrell. It’s the way I see life so finding it in a novel confirms my world view rather than depressing me. He is the supreme stylist. All his novels are bleak and brilliant. Megan said the movie was very very good but since the beautiful prose was lost, not quite the same as reading it.
WINTER’S BONE is at the top of our list of MOVIES TO SEE RIGHT AWAY, Patti. As Deb pointed out, the actress who plays Ree, Jennifer Lawrence, is getting high praise for her performance.
Bleak, depressing, grim. That’s NOT a set of adjectives I’d seek out when hunting for a book or film to enjoy. No, I don’t have to have 60’s Disney all the time (or even some of the time), but depressing isn’t on my agenda either. Thanks for the review, George, if only to alert me not to try this, even if it is well written with skilled characterization and clever plot (or whatever positives there might be). Is there any kind of puzzle here, or is it a straight ugly-world-gets-uglier while we watch thing?
WINTER’S BONE displays the bleakness and brutality of rural life, Rick. It’s very dark, but compelling. I’m eager to see the movie version which is supposed to open here next week.
It did get pretty good reviews here, but I’m in no hurry to see it. I did like the movie they made of Woodrell’s Ride With the Devil, which was directed by Ang Lee.
I have RIDE WITH THE DEVIL on my VIEW REAL SOON list, Jeff. Jennifer Lawrence’s performance is supposed to be incredible in WINTER’S BONE.
I would like to think that rural life doesn’t have to be bleak!
It’s not just the bleakness in WINTER’S BONE, Rick. It’s the brutality. I’m curious to see how much of that brutality makes it into the movie.
I have spent a lot of time in the Missouri Ozarks and it is amazing how well the film captures the essence of life in that area. The Ozarks have some wonderful tourist attractions and it is a beautiful area. Once you get off the main highways and back into the hills it is a totally different place….there are many areas that you really don’t want to be in…..drug use and drug manufacturing is rampant. Family ties are strong in the Ozarks and kinship is everything (I am really glad that I am kin!). Almost nobody in the Ozarks makes a good living….hunting is not a sport for many residents of the Ozarks….it is dinner.
The Ozarks are a beautiful place to visit – but there are many places that I would hate to be stranded and alone with a broken down car.
The movie version of WINTER’S BONE opens here this week, Keith. It’s at the top of my list of MUST-SEE MOVIES. Philip Atlee’s out-of-print Joe Gall spy series had some connections to the Ozarks.