The Night Train is a loosely plotted novel about two adolescent boys, one black and one white, in a small Southern town in 1963. Larry Lime wants to play the piano like Thelonius Monk. His white friend Dwayne wants to recreate James Brown’s album Live at the Apollo. Together they have a forbidden friendship, but that doesn’t stop them from putting together a band called the Ramblers and pulling such stunts as throwing a rooster from the theater balcony during the movie The Birds or hiding Larry in the trunk of a car so he can go to the whites only drive-in movie.The novel explores the racial injustices of the day not with an in-your-face approach but with Southern subtlety and everyday observation of the Jim Crow way of life. When Dwayne’s father tells him that it doesn’t look right for him to be playing basketball with Larry, Larry doesn’t think much about it; he just keeps on finding ways to spend time with his friend.Edgerton’s humor is evident in the way, for instance, that Larry’s family members are named by Aunt Marzie. Larry’s name is Larry Lime Beacon of Time Reckoning Breathe on Me Nolan. And releasing the rooster at the theater, mentioned above, was a disaster because the boys didn’t realize the rooster had died before it was released.The novel’s formatting is non-traditional in that dialogue is not set apart with quotes. Yet, the lack of quotation marks does not impair the narrative, in this reader’s experience.Music, especially jazz, is practically a character in the book, so if you're a jazz lover, you'll appreciate how this music genre is woven into the plot. I loved this book - gobbled it up and can't wait for more Clyde Edgerton. It's really more like 4.5 stars. With names like Uncle Snog, Aunt Dormalee and Larry Lime Beacon of Time Reckoning Breathe on Me Nolan - what's not to love. It describes the real and uncomplicated relationship between and white boy and a black boy in the early 1960's, a bond that was just barely tolerated by the elders of the community. This was a time in which it mattered what side of the tracks you lived. It's hilarious and sad all at the same time. The ending is marvelous and it left me cheering for those brave boys - The Amazing Rumblers.
What do You think about The Night Train (2011)?
I really enjoyed this story. I will check into more book by Clyde Edgerton. A really good read.
—epubfb2
