Join BookBrowse today and get access to free books, our twice monthly digital magazine, and more.

What do readers think of Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin? Write your own review.

Summary | Reviews | More Information | More Books

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter

A Novel

by Tom Franklin

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin X
Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin
  • Critics' Opinion:

    Readers' rating:

  • Published Oct 2010
    288 pages
    Genre: Literary Fiction

    Publication Information

  • Rate this book


Buy This Book

About this book

Reviews

Page 2 of 4
There are currently 27 reader reviews for Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter
Order Reviews by:

Write your own review!

Patricia M. (San Jose, CA) (10/13/10)

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter
I requested this book based on my enjoyment of Franklin's previous book "Hell at the Breech". I was not in the least disappointed. This is a fine mystery with well developed characters, and a sense of time and place that is perfect. Set in the Mississippi of the 70's, 80's, and the present, the two main characters, one white and one black, deal with their families and their social standing in ways that touch the heart. Part mystery and part family drama, this is a page turner and is highly recommended.
Theresa R. (SIERRA MADRE, CA) (10/11/10)

Good Book
I found this to be an easy read and quite enjoyable. The author writes in a way that gets you involved in the story right away and makes you want to know what's going to happen next. I think this would be a great book club choice as it would bring about some good discussions.
Laura A. (Jeremiah, KY) (10/11/10)

Interesting Novel
I enjoyed "Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter" by Tom Franklin. It was an interesting look at the relationship between a young white boy and a young black boy in Mississippi in a different time. It has some surprises that I didn't see coming. Definitely makes you think about how relationships with others affect our lives long term and what our responsibilities to others are.
Power Reviewer
Carol T. (Ankeny, Iowa) (10/07/10)

Exceedingly readable -- a page turner
Hard to put down, even on the weariest of evenings! I'll read this author's work again.
Juli S. (Portland, OR) (10/06/10)

The kind of writing I'll reread
This is not a fast paced book that I wanted to read as quickly as possible to get to the resolution of the crime story. It's a book that I wanted to read slowly and savor the words and images that Franklin paints with them. It's a thoughtful, slowly building story that shifts back and forth between the present day and flashbacks to Larry and Silas as teenagers and how their friendship developed and then broke apart. While it is partly a crime story it’s even more the story of both Larry and Silas.

The descriptions and imagery are the kind of writing that makes me stop on a regular basis and reread a paragraph just for the words. It's heavy with atmosphere and the tension that gradually builds makes it a quiet thriller. While by the time the investigation is resolved it’s not any surprise the other parts of the story remain enough to keep the interest level high and the story moving along.

The writing had the same magic for me as Franklin's first novel "Hell at the Breech" without being quite as brutal.
Jill S. (Eagle, ID) (10/04/10)

Crooked Letter, Crooked letter
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and will be recommending it to my friends and bookclub. It captivated me immediately, and it is a page turner!
The characters are believable, and although it was predictable, I couldn't put it down. I have not read Franklin's earlier works, but will be doing so in the near future.
Eileen L. (Danvers, MA) (10/04/10)

Never a dull moment
This is a page turner! Not the genre I typically go for I so was pleasantly and wonderfully surprised. From page one this story grabs you and does not let go. The characters are so carefully constructed and yet they, and the book, flow seamlessly. This book will appeal to so many readers - mystery lovers as well as anyone who loves a well developed, mature story. The theme of living with our pasts that are sometimes distorted and coming to terms with our history is poignant. The underlying mystery makes this book a true page turner.
Julie H. (Pine Grove, PA) (10/04/10)

Quick Read
Nicely drawn story about the relationship between two boys that grow into men in the deep south. The mystery was somewhat predictable in its ending, but it was a quick, enjoyable read.

More Information

Read-Alikes

Support BookBrowse

Join our inner reading circle, go ad-free and get way more!

Find out more


Top Picks

  • Book Jacket: Table for Two
    Table for Two
    by Amor Towles
    Amor Towles's short story collection Table for Two reads as something of a dream compilation for...
  • Book Jacket: Bitter Crop
    Bitter Crop
    by Paul Alexander
    In 1958, Billie Holiday began work on an ambitious album called Lady in Satin. Accompanied by a full...
  • Book Jacket: Under This Red Rock
    Under This Red Rock
    by Mindy McGinnis
    Since she was a child, Neely has suffered from auditory hallucinations, hearing voices that demand ...
  • Book Jacket: Clear
    Clear
    by Carys Davies
    John Ferguson is a principled man. But when, in 1843, those principles drive him to break from the ...

BookBrowse Book Club

Book Jacket
A Great Country
by Shilpi Somaya Gowda
A novel exploring the ties and fractures of a close-knit Indian-American family in the aftermath of a violent encounter with the police.

Members Recommend

  • Book Jacket

    The Flower Sisters
    by Michelle Collins Anderson

    From the new Fannie Flagg of the Ozarks, a richly-woven story of family, forgiveness, and reinvention.

  • Book Jacket

    The House on Biscayne Bay
    by Chanel Cleeton

    As death stalks a gothic mansion in Miami, the lives of two women intertwine as the past and present collide.

Win This Book
Win The Funeral Cryer

The Funeral Cryer by Wenyan Lu

Debut novelist Wenyan Lu brings us this witty yet profound story about one woman's midlife reawakening in contemporary rural China.

Enter

Wordplay

Solve this clue:

M as A H

and be entered to win..

Your guide toexceptional          books

BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.