4 out of 4 stars
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Redneck is a novel by Clayton Williamson. It tells the story of Reggie Dunn and Ruby Naris, a married couple in their late twenties. A year ago, Reggie and Ruby decided to go on a twelve-week tour across America, playing in coffee shops, bars, and churches for very little or nothing at all. At one church in El Paso, they meet Keith Neck, an aspiring singer-songwriter. When they return to Nashville, they learn that they’ve been evicted and that their house is going to be torn down the very next day. As their lives spiral out of control, Keith comes to Nashville to pursue his dreams. Everything changes when they happen to encounter a country music executive at a honky tonk. The three of them venture into the music world in different ways while they deal with struggles in their personal lives.
At the very beginning of the book, the reader is informed that Reggie is a rock star. The story then backtracks to show how that came to be. He is telling his story in a voice recorder for his memoir. As the narrator, Reggie’s voice throughout the book is very personable and humorous. When commenting on a really boring choir performing at the church, he quips: “True joy offended God, apparently.” When speaking about a song that his wife wrote, he explains: “People usually thought the song was about meetin’ God in Heaven, but she wrote it butt naked not ten minutes after we did it on the bathroom floor one night.”
I really enjoyed how the book took its time to set things up, showing their journey step by step. It had a solid pace. I also enjoyed the inclusion of original song lyrics written by the characters (except for Keith’s, which were purposely bad). I felt that I could actually hear the songs playing in my head based on the lyrics and description of the music. Along with the gradual plot development was the great use of foreshadowing. The author throws in hints at future drama and allows these issues to develop in an unrushed and natural manner.
The entire book isn’t about their pursuits in the music industry. The book is also very much about Christianity and the nature of relationships. This is best explored through Reggie, who struggles with his faith and keeping his newly realized atheism a secret from his wife. There are several factors put into place that begin to drive a wedge through their marriage, which started off in a place of such hope and happiness. Reggie was, in many ways, a fully realized character. There was something to appreciate in the other characters as well, like his outspoken father Ludwell who really seems to hate liberals. He condemns them for the existence of seatbelts and condoms.
As the story progresses, there is betrayal and wavering trust. Jealousy runs rampant, suspicions grow, and animosity abounds. Despite how this description might sound, the drama isn't over the top. Instead, it all remains rooted in reality. I found nearly all of the characters to be relatable in some way or the other; they had down-to-earth worries as well as inspiring ambitions, even if their ways of achieving those goals were less than admirable at times.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I was in absolutely no hurry to get to the end, as it remained entertaining and engaging throughout. It was never dull, whether in a comedic or serious moment. The book got a lot of laughs out of me but also made me stop and think on many occasions. The story is very heartfelt and explored stereotypes of the redneck and Southern culture in enjoyable and thought-provoking ways. I’ll also add that I’ve never been a fan of country music, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book nonetheless.
There is a lot of talk about sex and also a lot of cursing. The book does have a crude tone to it overall. If that doesn’t appeal to you, then this isn’t the book for you. However, if you’re looking for a funny book that also has a lot of heart (despite all the sex and cursing), then you should give this one a try.
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Redneck
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