Plainsong
Info
Author
Kent Haruf
Published
July 18, 2009
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This is a novel about ordinary people in central
Colorado. The time is the present. The people are a pregnant high
school girl, a lonely teacher, a pair of boys abandoned by their
mother, and a couple of crusty bachelor farmers. Kent Haruf weaves
their tales together in a most beautiful way. It is truly an unadorned
melody on air. One of the things that struck me right from the start
was the way he doesn't use quotation marks for any of the dialogue.
This technique has the effect of melding the speech of the characters
with the author's descriptions of the enviroment in which they live. It
somehow lends a feeling of peace in spite of the story, which is
equally sad and hopeful. This is a masterful piece of writing. I think
you'll enjoy it as much as I did.
