He is the author of three awardwinning works of fiction, the pulitzer prize nominated the moments lost, bucking the tiger and the pulitzer prize finalist, raising holy hell. Once logged in, you can add biography in the database. An intricate mosaic of alternating narrative voices, bruce old s raising holy hell is an explosive, multitextured evocation of the prophetic madness of the man who saw an america damned by the sin of slavery. Aug 03, 2002 raising holy hell avoids judgment and relishes ambivalence. At a time when talk of private militias and deadly fanatics clutters our public discourse, it is instructive to read a novel based on the life of john brown and be reminded that such groups and. An intricate mosaic of alternating narrative voices, bruce olds raising holy hell. Story of a gunslinging dentist touches a raw nerve sfgate. Bruce olds books list of books by author bruce olds. An intricate mosaic of alternating narrative voices, raising holy hell is an explosive, multitextured evocation of the prophetic madness of the man who saw an america damned by the sin of slavery. Raising holy hell is intense, visceral, and shocking,a roasting in hellfire. In some places, olds style is reminiscent of tim obriensalong the lines of the things they carried in their saddlebags. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading raising holy hell.
Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read raising holy hell. This ambitious novel raises questions about how a life can be represented in writing, and argues for fictions place alongside conventional biography. We comfort ourselves with the belief that, despite our differences, weare a humane and sensitive society that makes the need. Bucking the tiger, an american library association notable book adapted from the stage as the confessions of doc holliday, and raising holy hell, a pulitzer prize finalist and an impac dublin literary award nominee that was also named novel of the year by the notable books council of the ala and winner of the qpb new voices award for. For the best reading experience, we encourage you to order either a paperback or ebook copy from. Firstnovelist olds offers a fascinating study of slavery in the u. See all books authored by bruce olds, including raising holy hell. Every textbook comes with a 21day any reason guarantee. We have you covered with 247 instant online tutoring. This acclaimed book by bruce olds is available at in several formats for your ereader.
Ondaatjes billy the kid and olds raising holy hell are likable books, in part, because of their humility. Books john browns story expanded in fiction sfgate. We comfort ourselves with the belief that, despite our differences, weare a humane and sensitive society that makes the need for violent actions unnecessary or even insane. Vollmann and others, the author using short, sharp images, crafts a story at once factfilled and powerpacked. With fabricated and fictionalized quotes, journal excerpts, newspaper. John browns body all but rises from the grave in this energetic, multifaceted treatment by firstnovelist olds. Olds presents history not as a narrative, but as the combination and conflict of fragmentary, individual perceptions. Reared in the upper midwest, bruce olds has lived at various periods in new york city, philadelphia, baltimore, miami and chicago. Apr 21, 2008 in his debut novel, raising holy hell 1995, olds presented a brilliant portrait of fabled abolitionist john brown, uncovering a psychotic demagogue motivated by fiery religious zealotry.
Olds writes in short bursts of prose and from different perspectives. The infamous scourge of prestatehood kansas and invader of harpers ferry is first seen in the act of. Published in 1995, bruce olds raising holy hell is a revisionist take on the life of radical abolitionist, john brown. On october 16, 1859, john brown led a raid on the federal arsenal at harpers ferry, leaving fifteen people dead. At a time when talk of private militias and deadly fanatics clutters our public discourse, it is instructive to read a novel. A historical and biblical approach to debunking eternal torment and what the good news is really about. Olds gives a snap shot of just how horrible slavery was and why brown went to such. It was published in 1983 by addisonwesley publishing company and contains reprints of investigative journalism articles from the time period, with analysis and background on how the journalists investigated the issues and prepared for the. Raising holy hell a novel 1st edition rent 9780312420932. Jul 11, 2018 as he did in his novels about john brown, raising holy hell, and doc holliday, bucking the tiger, olds uses a myriad of literary devices first and third person, interior monologues, fictitious.
Those who enjoyed olds first novel, raising holy hell 1995, will find him employing the same probing collage technique that brought him such critical acclaim. Published in 1995, bruce olds raising holy hell is a revisionist take on the life of. Raising holy hell is an explosive, multitextured evocation of the prophetic madness of the man who saw an america damned by the sin of slavery. How the center for investigative reporting gets the story is a nonfiction work by david weir and dan noyes, with a foreword by mike wallace. The books achievement is that it forces us to confront john brown not only as a. If you cannot afford a copy, live in a country where the book is not available, or simply want to begin reading right away, then we invite you download either the full length version or the newly published abridged version. An intricate mosaic of alternating narrative voices, bruce olds raising holy hell is an explosive, multitextured evocation of the prophetic madness of the man who saw an america damned by the sin of slavery.
Raising holy hell by bruce olds paperback softback. Raising holy hell is a fascinating novel about that most enigmatic of subjects, john brown. The nation portrays vividly episodes in browns life that have little do with his place in american folklore. Search for library items search for lists search for. Bucking the tiger, an ala notable book adapted for the stage a the confessions of doc holliday. An intricate mosaic of alternating narrative voices, raising holy hell is an explosive, multitextured evocation of the.
The story of john brown is disturbing in a democracy. Something old, something new, much to like in elmore. In raising holy hell, bruce olds gives us a john brown who is something of all three. This ambitious novel raises questions about how a life can be represented in. Olds combines the lean, clipped phrases of the thriller writer with the moral intensity of a jeremiah. Bruce olds tells john browns story from every direction. At a time when talk of private militias and deadly fanatics clutters our public discourse, it is instructive to read a novel based on the life of john brown and be reminded that such groups and people have always been part of american life. As he did in his novels about john brown, raising holy hell, and doc holliday, bucking the tiger, olds uses a myriad of literary devices first and third person, interior monologues, fictitious.
His is a scintillating, gripping, inyourface prose. Olds, whose previous novel, raising holy hell, takes off from the life of the abolitionist john brown, is a writer of a kind of clamorous, impulsive talent, poelike in his taste for words. Bruce olds born november 10, 1951, american writer. Pw called this historical novel based on the life of john brown a remarkably complex portrait. Something old, something new, much to like in elmore leonard. Raising holy hell avoids judgment and relishes ambivalence. Quotations, mythology, folk tales, court transcripts, lists, poetry, diary entries, letters, interviews, bible quotes, historical data, advice, agreements, and the perspectives of stepmother, father, first wife, second wife, eldest son, younger sons, daughters, neighbors, friends, frederick douglass, past. The subject of bruce olds provocative first novel, raising holy hell, brown was one of the most enigmatic of american terroristsheroes. Bruce olds depicts the life of the violent and curious abolitionist, john brown, and how he possibly triggered the civil war in this fictional novel. Bruce olds a fictionalized biography of john brown, the scourge of slavery, presented in docudrama fashion with eyewitness accounts, excerpts from diaries, letters, newspaper clips, songs and poems.
The washington post book world madman, terrorist, or saint. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. At a time when talk of private militias and deadly fanatics clutters. Aug 22, 2001 olds, whose previous novel, raising holy hell, takes off from the life of the abolitionist john brown, is a writer of a kind of clamorous, impulsive talent, poelike in his taste for words. Bruce olds born november 10, 1951, american writer world. Published in 1995, bruce old s raising holy hell is a revisionist take on the life of radical abolitionist, john brown. Bruce olds is also the author of bucking the tiger, an american library association notable book. In one widely held contemporary view, he was a murderous. One hundred and forty years after his death by hanging for the raid on harpers ferry, brown still haunts us with a host of troubling questions. He is the author of three awardwinning works of fiction, the pulitzer prize nominated the moments lost, bucking the.