Plainsong

Plainsong

A inside look at small town life is exactly what you get from Plainsong, a novel by Kent Haruf. Holt, Colorado is a typical small town with its fair share of drama and problems. This story of unlikely friends brought together by their family problems is heartwarming and will leave you wanting more.
At first glance Holt might seem like the perfect small town, but at a closer look you will see that it has a set of problems. A pregnant teen that gets kicked out of her house and Tom Guthrie's wife leaving him to raise two young boys on his own a just a couple of difficulties the town experiences. Luckily there are people with big hearts to help them out.
Maggie Jones offers Victoria a place to stay, but after her father and Victoria have a conflict it is clear it isn't going to work. So Raymond and Harold McPherons offer for her to go stay with them. It is a weird considering that the McPherons brothers are old farmers that had never lived with a girl except their mother who died when they were young. The relationship they form is what makes this story heartwarming and inspirational.
Another odd relationship that is formed is between the Guthrie boys and an old lady that lives in an apartment. After their mother leaves them she is one of the few women that they have in their lives. She enjoys the boys company because she doesn't have any other visitors. They form a great relationship that helps the boys through the tough time in their lives. In the little town when things seem like they are falling apart it seems like there is always someone there to catch it, but can it stay that way forever?
Overall, Plainsong is an excellent book that people that like to learn about small town life would love. The story is heartwarming, inspirational and can provide hope to people that are at a tough point in their life.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Yuck- That's all I can say

My library is one that does not have alot of good books. Most of them are stupid, secular books that have no theme and no character devolopment. When I read the info on what this book was about, I literally thought to myself, 'Ok, this is going to be one of the rare books that is pretty good and well-written.' Well, about four chapters into the book, I realized that this book was the same, if not worse, than the others. I guess maybe I'm being paranoid, but it had every bad word in the English language multiple times. Almost all of the book dealt with adult content that young adults should not be reading, and there was absolutely nothing to learn. The characters had no development, there was no real plot, and even though I read it in one day, I can say that this is one that I will talk to my library about removing to save all the other teens from reading a book that is not worth reading.

1 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Just Okay

This book was pick for reading in our book club. I felt it was okay. I held my attention however, it did not seem to develope the characters in the book to a great degree. I would not have chosen this book to read if it had not been in our book club. I also thought for the content of the book it was a bit expensive.

I have loved this book for years.

I have loved this book for years.

VERY moving; couldn't put it down

This was my first read from Kent Haruf. The hardships and happiness in this novel are believable and well built (there's got to be a better word... it's just GREAT!). Being from a small midwest town myself, I was amazed by the details that were placed perfectly. This book is a great read and you will not want to put it down.

Very Northern Midwestern

Very much a northern, small town, midwestern story. It is a story in "black and white." Not colorful. But.....it is the way people live, think, problem solve up there. A sweet story with realistic events.

Plainsong

It's a good read !! I would like to be neighbors with the townpeople and farmers/ranchers, good hearted, lovable

A Story of Fragmented Lives Intertwined

Holt is a small town in eastern Colorado where young boys on bicycles deliver papers in the early morning hours and collect each month from their patrons. It's a place where everyone knows everyone and where their problems and their successes become the main topic of conversation among the citizens. The "good" guys are: Tom Guthrie a conscientious high school teacher; his two young boys who long for their mother, lost in a deep depression; Victoria a shy, pregnant seventeen-year-old girl, whose mother has kicked her out of her home; two old farmer brothers, Raymond and Harold, openhearted and generous, who have lived together all of their lives; Maggie Jones, also openhearted and generous, also a high school teacher who cares for her aged father stricken with a form of dementia; and the old lady who lives and dies in her apartment above the barbershop. The "bad" guys in this story are: the father of the baby, Victoria carries; the local barber who has a tight, mean heart; the spoiled-rotten high school boy and his parents who enable their son to be a failure; the pregnant girl's mother; and the boys' aunt, sister to their mother, so insensitive as to be cruel.
In this story of fragmented lives intertwined, we see how even non-related people can become family. Plainsong, also now a movie, is an excellent story. Eunice Boeve, Author of Ride a Shadowed Trail

Amazing Powerful story

This book is amazing, you feel the way the characters feel, the book is brought to life. The story is one that many girls face when becoming pregnant at an early age this book can give them hope that even in the worst situations you survive and endure way more than expected.

Loved It

So good, I read about a third of the book in one sitting and had to tear myself away to make it last longer. The characters to begin with, play at the readers heartstrings and only grow into more deeply lovable characters, flaws and all. This book deals with real issues but manages not to focus solely on the tragedy and mistakes made but that some good can come out of their troubles. I didn't want it to end.

Kent Haruf - fantastic author

I just recently discovered Kent Haruf's books. His writing is amazing..would compare him with Elizabeth Berg and Pat Conroy. I certainly hope he is at work on another book. Would recommend this author to anyone who totally enjoys reading.

A reviewer

Outstanding book. Written beautifully, yet a storyline one cannot put down - a rare combination. As a total 'city kid' I thought I couldn't relate to these mid-western characters they are people and characters so deep yet easy to understand, that you won't be able to put it down and will suddenly wish you actually knew your neighbors.

Simply Wonderful

One of my favorite reads for a long time. The author's writing style seems deceptively simple, yet he conveys so very much reality, in its beauty and in its pain. I fell in love with the McPherons, and found myself wishing they were my 'grandfathers!' I'm not sure how this book could have been longer, but I wish it had been.

so what that the characters are developed

Lets hope after 300 long pages we get some character development. Not a page turner, but not bad on the other hand. One of those books when your friends see left on your coffee table, they think you are smart. Too many situations that made me feel uneasy. Glad I finished/got it over with.

wonderful all time favorite

I absolutely loved this book. Even months after reading it, it is like a movie running throught my head. The characters were so well developed. growing up in a ranching comunity I have to admit that their manerism described so many people I know. I could not put the book down. It touched me so much that I still get the chills thinking about it. Yes, there were some graphic parts, but for some reason I think they were necessary for the book to be what it was. Real... Lets face it real life is graphic. The way that the story lines of all the characters wove together and how they all afected the others lives left me in awe. beautiful, wonderful, powerful.

A Book Club book

I loved this book and couldn't put it down. The 'agape' love woven throughout the book was beautiful. The characters were very well developed and multi-faceted. A wonderful read, complete with difficult passages and truths.

Interesting read!

I thought that Plainsong was a good book, although i did think that it was a little graphic and had to many swear words. This novel has a great story ling about a girl getting pregnatnt at the are of 17. She got kicked out of her mothers house and than was taken in my two elderly men you stepped out of their normal dayly routine to take care of her and love her.

Simple Bonds

Plainsong, accurately named, is one of the most wonderful novels I have read. It tells of a complex tale, where the characters are constantly weaving in and out of each other, and yet there is a simplicity to the straightforward country tale. It is graphically written with simple language and structure. The novel remains easy to understand, telling things as they are. My favorite characters are the brothers: both pairs. I love the relationship between Bobby and Ike honest, childlike and real. They have a bond that Haruf portrays without many words spoken between the two of them. The McPheron brothers have a more developed relationship, more or less an older version of the younger boys. They continually make me laugh they are so simplistic, honest and kind it creates heartache for the ¿good ol¿ days¿. Their initial kindness and growing tenderness toward Victoria are nothing short of endearing their uncomplicated, contented lifestyle subtly reinforces what should be most important in life. There are many more elements, characters and themes that lace this novel and yet this is just a mere review. I greatly enjoyed this novel and highly recommend it be read.

kept me reading

This novel is a good book that has a very interesting story line. It kept me reading and interested through the entire book. i would recomend that you read this book if you like those kind of stories that everything goes wrong and in the end eveything gets better. I would sugest that if swearing and graphic delails bother you, this book is not for you. All in all, its a good read and worth your time.

GREAT READ

I bought this book as a second book for the beach but got so caught up in the characters that I couldn¿t put it down. Kent Haruf did a wonderful job in introducing each and every one. I loved that each chapter switched between each mini story. As I read the book I always kept wondering how he was going to intertwine all the characters. I was afraid I would be disappointed when this occurred. But Kent Haruf did a beautiful job bringing it all together. I highly recommended ¿Plainsong¿ if you are looking for a good read with interesting characters.