Charles Frazier's "Nightwoods"

     As eager as I was to read Nightwoods by Charles Frazier, I was also a little nervous. The only other book I've read by Charles Frazier is his first novel, Cold Mountain. And for anyone whose read my first few awkward blog posts, you know that Cold Mountain is one of my absolute favorite books. Ever. Right up there with Jane Eyre.

     So for about two seconds I was kind of nervous that I wouldn't like Nightwoods because it wouldn't be half as good as Cold Mountain because hardly any book is as good as Cold Mountain.

     Those two seconds were a very short, very foolish two seconds.

     Charles Frazier is amazing. A brilliant wordsmith. Seriously. Frazier could write directions on how to open a soup can and it would sound like poetry.

     Like Cold Mountain, Nightwoods is a historical novel. Taking place in the 1960s, the novel tells the story of Luce, a young woman content to live alone in an abandoned lodge just outside her small hometown. But Luce's life of peaceful solitude is interrupted when her murdered sister's troubled children are dropped at her doorstep.

     Nightwoods is a relatively short book--only 259 pages. It's short but it's searing. The plot moves fast (but not too fast, it's swift and unpredictable like a river flowing through the mountains, slowing at all the right points and sweeping you away at all the right points). By the time I was halfway through, the book was all but glued to my hands. Plot twists keep the reader on her toes, break the reader's heart and leave the reader re-reading certain sentences over and over. But unlike some suspense/thriller/mystery type books, the plot twists are believable. They surprise the reader, but don't leave you wading through a confusing, contorted plot.

     The novel takes place in small town North Carolina at the foot of the Appalachian Mountains (Frazier really likes his mountains) and, like Cold Mountain, setting plays a pivotal role in the novel, described and emphasized and developed as if the woods and mountains were a living, breathing character. To Luce, nature certainly is a character. Before the children come, she spends her days studying the environment, watching the seasons change and learning about the animals and plants that inhabit her environment. She finds companionship in the natural world.

     Frazier's love and attention to setting is one of the many things that (I think) sets him apart from other authors. And it's not just the sweeping vistas and sunsets that he describes so poetically that you can practically see the mountains rising up out of the paper, but it's also Frazier's attention to detail. It's the little things. Like how Nightwoods is divided into three parts, and these three parts correspond with the changing seasons. Leaves are turning red and gold at the end of part one and are falling off the trees at the end of part two. For Frazier, it seems that setting isn't just a sloppily painted 2-D background that hangs behind the main action of the plot. No, the setting, the seasons, they are the building blocks of the plot. Yes, the novel is character driven, and the North Carolina topography and weather are as big a player as Luce when it comes to driving the plot.

     Nature seems to be a recurring theme--a motif, if you will--throughout all of his books. (Okay, I've only read two of his three books, but two out of three is pretty decent odds, right?) Frazier's love of nature is one of the principal reasons I was so enchanted by Cold Mountain. But Frazier does not limit his lovely imagery to the natural world in Nightwoods. He puts the same love thoughtfulness into his descriptions of Luce's hometown. An especially beautiful image that kept coming up was the effect lights have on a windshield streaked with water. Frazier also seems drawn to neon lights, a nice artificial juxtaposition to the natural world he loves so much. Lights in general are a poignant motif in his descriptions of the town. (Perhaps symbolic of something controlled and constant, unlike the ever-changing seasons, artificial light is something that humans can control...but I digress)

     Just to clarify, this book isn't just wonderful imagery and descriptions of nature. Trust me, there's a plot. A wonderful plot with lovable and fascinating characters. And like Cold Mountain, a beautiful yet understated love story. Another clarification: as much as I keep comparing Nightwoods to Cold Mountain, the two novels are very different. They share the same lyrical, literary voice (obviously, they share the same author), and many of the themes are the same (themes of natural cycles, love, survival, redemption) but they are not at all the same novel.

     Nightwoods is very much a story about family. About parenting and domestic abuse and familial duties. What does it mean to be a mother, sister, aunt, daughter? What does it mean to love your family? To not love them?

     But enough about plot. I don't want to spoil anything for you. Like all good stories, it's better the less you know before you even open the book.

     In short--read Nightwoods. It's gritty yet lyrical, searing yet sweet (Frazier is a master of incongruous juxtapositions). Whether or not it's better than Cold Mountain, well, that one's up in the air.

Cold Mountain: One of my Favorite Books. Ever.

     I can think of no other way of beginning this post than by saying that I absolutely love Charles Frazier’s Cold Mountain. It’s the sort of book that feels so real that you sort of fall into it, and when you put it down and return to reality, it’s takes a while to adjust to the world outside of the book’s cover. I could go on for hours about why I found Cold Mountain so captivating, but I will try to limit myself, as I do not want to bore you or ruin the novel for you.

Here’s a quick rundown of the book’s premise:

     It’s the tail end of the Civil War and Inman, a wounded Confederate soldier, is disillusioned and homesick. Within the first chapter or so, Inman deserts the army and embarks on a perilous journey back to his home in Cold Mountain and to the love of his life, Ada Monroe. The novel is told in third person point of view, and the narrator switches off between Inman and Ada each chapter.

     Doesn’t sound like anything spectacular? Here are three good reasons why I think everyone should read this book:

1.       Characters

              While the premise may sound like a 19^th century Nicholas Sparks novel, the striking realism of the characters saves the novel. Inman and Ada’s romance is anything but oversentimental. It is understated, genuine, and at times, awkward. More importantly, they do not dwell on their lovesickness; it is something that is always with them, but never something that never overshadows their struggle to survive. Frazier allows the reader to delve into both Inman and Ada’s psyches, and by the time the book comes to a close, the reader feels as if he or she has personally known each and every character.

2.       Historical Accuracy

While reading Cold Mountain, I often had to check the copyright date. Though published in 1997, I could have easily been convinced that it was published in 1870. Granted, I’m no historian, but everything just feels right. Antiquated words are used. The food the characters eat, the way the food is made, the weapons they use, all are described in such detail that it seems that the book had to have been written by one of the characters themselves. It is evident that even if the historical accuracy isn’t quite as perfect as I think it is, Charles Frazier put a great deal of time and effort into recreating this world. He managed to give a convincing account of a time period alien to us without overloading the book with historical facts and trivial trivia. Everything just seems so natural.

3.         Setting

Perhaps the most striking aspect of Cold Mountain is the sweeping landscapes. I think it is truly brilliant the way Frazier juxtaposes the gritty, harsh, and at times gruesome, realities of a nation torn by war with a picturesque, almost postcard-like landscape. Nature and nature cycles play a key role, both symbolically and literally, in the plight of both Inman and Ada. Nature keeps not only the characters grounded, but the reader as well.

     Okay, so I kind of lied. There are four reasons. The fourth reason is, very simply, writing ability. Cold Mountain is just a really well-written book. Frazier put a lot of thought into this book, and in my opinion, it paid off. I have included a link to an interesting article I found on the similarities between Cold Mountain and Homer’s The Odyssey. Here it is.

I give Charles Frazier's Cold Mountaing a dark blue rating with gold accents. Dark blue for it's depth and sweeping majesty. Gold for its rich literary value and emotional impact.