Book Review: A Fine Dark Line

Reviewed By: Woodstock - RAM

A Fine Dark Line     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Joe R. Lansdale
Class/Genre:   Mystery
2003, Warner, 304 pages

Joe R Lansdale returns to East Texas for another coming of age story. But the setting differs from his prize winning "The Bottoms."

"A Fine Dark Line" takes place in the 1950's in a small middle class town, featuring Stanley Mitchel as the main character and narrator. Stanley is a charmingly naive 12 year old - still believing in Santa Claus, ignorant of the implication of a used condom discarded on the bedroom floor of his teen aged sister, and filled with an unquenchable curiosity fed by comic books and the adventure movies shown in his father's drive in movie theater.

Exploring the vacant land behind the theater grounds, Stanley discovers the ruins of a house, a packet of old love letters, and sets out to explore the mysteries of the house.

His chief support in his quest are two black employees of his parents. In an age when segregation was still the prevailing social norm, Stanley often doesn't understand the lessons they try to help him learn.

The placid surface of the little town hold real danger for Stanley, his sister, his friend, and his dog. At least one of the villians startled me nearly out of my chair when I realized where Lansdale was leading us.

A truly enjoyable read!

Woodstock - RAM

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