I would rate this set of novellas higher if the first two were as good as the last one. The last novella in this collection, 'Sarverville Remains,' is both the longest and the best out of the three. Each story is linked in subtle ways beyond the setting of the hill country in the Virginia/West Virginia area. In the first story, a cattle rancher is left devastated and lost when his father commits suicide. While I enjoyed this one, it was a bit on the dull side for me. As for the second story, which concerns an elderly man obsessed with restoring a tractor, nothing about the plot or characters really stood out at all for me. In fact, I was hesitant to read the third novella after being so thoroughly unimpressed by this middle story. I gave the last novella a chance, however, and was almost immediately glad that I did. Right away, I found the story quite unique. The narrator, Geoffrey Sarver, is slightly off, as you can see for yourself in his style of writing. Most of the people in his community think he's just the local retard working at the gas station, but I found him much smarter than those around him ever give him credit for. Anyway, Geoff winds up falling for a married woman only to wind up involved in a scheme that's fairly heartbreaking. I won't say much else for fear of giving too much away, but this last story really shines. If you pick up this book and only read one of the novellas, make sure it's the last one! It's by far the best. It could easily be fleshed out more and stand as a novel on its own. Excellent set of 3 novellas. Loosely tied together by time and place. I thought each was my favorite as I read them. They do all have a similar feel--lonely men who don't fit in and don't understand those around them. Curiou to read more of this author's work--have no idea if that theme is his thing.I sure wouldn't want to live in the Swain Valley, though perhaps the author feels everyone feels that way? Meaning lonely and confused. Would be a great book club book.
What do You think about Das Neue Tal (2011)?
A collection of three novellas, all of them fascinating both in terms of character and structure.
—bony
The first two stories were good, but I couldn't get through the last one.
—shiney
