Review: Quirky Portrait of Florida in the Fifties
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 08 8, 2012
The fantasy element in Brant's Tales Volume 1:Karme  is so small a part of the content that many readers would call this book magical realist.  It does feel like other books I've read which have been given that label.Although the 1950's is my least favorite decade, the character of Karme  sounded like an intriguing mystery.  I think that she's a lightning rod for all the fear of difference during this period.  Other characters in the novel are surprisingly unconventional in their outlook or even their behavior, but Karme is  so obviously outside of  all society's norms.  It's easy to scapegoat her.  She considers herself non-human.  It seemed to me that she's a human being raised in isolation with paranormal abilities of unknown origin.The social dynamics and intolerance reminded me of another book I reviewed that also took place in a small Florida town.  The events ofFire Angels: A Southern Novelby Joseph Richardson happened forty years previous to Karme.  Comparing these two novels shows that the attitudes of the majority toward minorities hadn't really changed in the intervening years.The notes in which an older Brant gives us his perspective seem quirky, but appealing to me.  They helped to sustain my interest in the futures of Brant, Karme and others.  I am looking forward to the sequel.