Harry Crews (1935–2012)
Author of A Feast of Snakes
About the Author
Harry Crews was born in Alma, Georgia on June 7, 1935. He served three years in the Marines then entered the University of Florida on the G.I. Bill. He received a bachelor's degree in literature in 1960, followed by a master's in education. He taught at Broward Community College and wrote copy for show more Nelson Boswell's radio show Challenge the Response. His first novel, The Gospel Singer, was published in 1968. His other works include Karate Is a Thing of the Spirit, Car, The Hawk Is Dying, The Gypsy's Curse, A Feast of Snakes, The Knockout Artist, Scar Lover, and Celebration. He also wrote a memoir entitled A Childhood: The Biography of a Place. He died from complications of neuropathy on March 28, 2012 at the age of 76. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Works by Harry Crews
Associated Works
Growing Up in the South: An Anthology of Modern Southern Literature (1991) — Contributor — 143 copies
Georgia Stories: Major Georgia Short Fiction of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries (1992) — Contributor — 11 copies
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 1935-06-07
- Date of death
- 2012-03-28
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Alma, Georgia, USA
- Place of death
- Gainsville, Florida
Members
Reviews
Body: A Novel by Harry Crews
#702 in our old book database. Not rated.
The Gospel Singer is the brillant debut by Harry Crews, originally published in 1968, reprinted in 2023 by Penguin Classics. Imagine a gritter, more depraved & amorale Flannery O'Connor story. This is what you're getting yourself into when you read Harry Crews. His work is unflenching, humorous, and disturbing, much like the work of O'Connor. The only difference is Crews wasn't a devout Catholic.
The Gospel Singer is a book steeped in old time religion and deep southern poverty-stricken pathos. It looks at how the south is haunted by Christ and how easily human nature can be corrupted. In this way, you could compare it to O'Connor's Wise Blood. Just don't expect any redemption.
The un-named gospel singer is a morally repugnant celebrity, who treated as holy by the hordes who see his beauty and godliness in his voice (sort of like a demented Elvis Presley). People are saved on the spot and he merely takes advantage of his pickings, burying himself in lust. And everyone wants a piece of him, even the killer of his lustful nemesis, MaryBell. In the novel, The Gospel Singer returns to his home town to sign at a revival, the singer must confront the corruption he has caused head on and it all leads towards a chilling violent ending.
With a bizarre cast of characters, twisted story, humorous dialogue, uncomforatable racial dynamics, and shocking ending The Gospel Singer certainly probably was a revelation when it was published. It still is shocking today.
I've been told that this isn't even the best Crews novel. And that's wild because it is a great debut novel. If The Gospel Singer is any indication, Crews' other novels are well worth reading.
Pairs well wih bourdon and some Johnny Cash or Elvis Presley records.… (more)
The Gospel Singer is a book steeped in old time religion and deep southern poverty-stricken pathos. It looks at how the south is haunted by Christ and how easily human nature can be corrupted. In this way, you could compare it to O'Connor's Wise Blood. Just don't expect any redemption.
The un-named gospel singer is a morally repugnant celebrity, who treated as holy by the hordes who see his beauty and godliness in his voice (sort of like a demented Elvis Presley). People are saved on the spot and he merely takes advantage of his pickings, burying himself in lust. And everyone wants a piece of him, even the killer of his lustful nemesis, MaryBell. In the novel, The Gospel Singer returns to his home town to sign at a revival, the singer must confront the corruption he has caused head on and it all leads towards a chilling violent ending.
With a bizarre cast of characters, twisted story, humorous dialogue, uncomforatable racial dynamics, and shocking ending The Gospel Singer certainly probably was a revelation when it was published. It still is shocking today.
I've been told that this isn't even the best Crews novel. And that's wild because it is a great debut novel. If The Gospel Singer is any indication, Crews' other novels are well worth reading.
Pairs well wih bourdon and some Johnny Cash or Elvis Presley records.… (more)
Love and hatred roll together in a marriage when there are few scraps of comfort to be shared. Dogs assume human characteristics and even mules rule. This is a depiction of a precarious, hard scrabble life with a “gothic southern” intensity. The author’s friendship with his black neighbour and the sharecropper’s son stands to breakup up my Northerner stereotyping of racist redneck farmers. Crews was lucky to survive his childhood, that’s clear.
My first venture into the strange world of Harry Crews. Never read anything like it. It was like getting snake bit, and surviving. I read this around 20 years ago, yet I still carry some of its images around with me. Thanks to my buddy, Woods, for giving me this book, and introducing me to one of my favorite authors.
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Statistics
- Works
- 30
- Also by
- 9
- Members
- 3,138
- Popularity
- #8,136
- Rating
- 3.9
- Reviews
- 82
- ISBNs
- 106
- Languages
- 7
- Favorited
- 17
