Review: A murky, powerful, evocative piece
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 7, 2013
Full disclosure: I received a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The opinions below are entirely my own."The Ribbon Tier" is not an easy book to review, in part because it's not so simple to read. It opens with a very mysterious set-up, from the perspective of the trees (yes, that's right) around a slave plantation, describing a strange, vague set of circumstances. The perspective moves around from third-person omniscient to first-person, for several characters, as a coherent story starts to fall into place. But to save some readers' time, I'll tell you that if you're searching for a thick, cohesive plot, head away now, because that's not what awaits you.This isn't a traditional story, but nor is it really a character piece, as fascinating as the characters are. It's an examination of a cruel and terrible system, as those within it try to reconcile it with what they know, imagine, and feel. The cast is rich and complex, and their interactions are fascinating enough to be worthy of academic examination. Take Jeb, one of the main characters: He is a slaveholder, a master of the plantation - he does terrible things, and yet, is humanized. All of McFadden's characters feel truly human, even those that are less admirable.The author also employs metatextual devices, in that not only does voice change with perspective, but the writing style does as well. One of the slaves (known only as "glowing green eyes") has whole pages of solid text blocks, for while she is literate (and eloquent) she does not know how to use punctuation. While this creates an interesting tone, these blocks of text are visually intimidating and easy to get lost in or accidentally skip over. Though McFadden's writing style is generally solid, this is one aspect that falls flat.Carefully-administered language and tender care towards characters create a piece of fiction not to be missed, but also not to be underestimated. This book demands repeated readings, and an intellectual approach. This is not light reading before bed, this is a book that makes demands of its reader - but the rewards are immense.With questions or comments, please leave a comment in the box below, or contact me at SeanOnAmazon@gmail.com