This is the story of a young man in the Deep South who has abandoned his Christianity. He moves to a new town, and meets an array of new people, while struggling with his faith.
This is the story of Hazel Motes who, after leaving the armed forces, moves to a new town in the Deep South. He has abandoned his Christianity, and wants to spread the word. He grew up watching his Grandfather preaching the word of Christ, and feels compelled to preach the word of his new church - The Church Without Christ. He runs into several characters, most of whom are the worst examples of Christianity - greedy evangelists, exploitative preachers, and pure hypocrites. He runs into a young man, Enoch, who is sure destiny has something store for him, but he isn't sure what that will be. He is desperately trying to find his fate, and tries to kick start it. Things get pretty weird.
This is a look at Christianity in the southern states, and faith in general. Flannery says Hazel Motes tries with some vigour to get rid of the ragged figure who moves from tree to tree in the back of his mind, but she was never able to. She also says "That belief in Christ is to some a matter of life ad death has been a stumbling block for some readers who would prefer to think it a matter of no great consequence". And that really is the story we are dealing with here. Hazel is struggling to come to terms with his abandonment of his religion, and it is lurking in the back of his mind. It is following him like a shadow and weighing on everything he does.
As someone fro the UK, to me the Deep South means music, but the literary output of that area is surely a close second, and Flannery is one of the best. Her writing here is a joy to read, and while there is a touch of dialect here and there, it isn't too heavy. She paints the small southern town well, and though I have never even been close to that part of the world, I felt I was in this small town and knew the attitudes of the people, the thought processes they went through, and what they would stand for; as well as what they wouldn't. Getting a feel for the characters is important when reading this one, as Flannery isn't going to explain their actions. It is up to the reader to get into their heads, and figure out their motivations and why they do the things they do, which get pretty extreme and out there in parts of this book.
For me, this is what I most enjoyed about the book. Hazel acts out at times, and surprised me. But Flannery didn't go into the whys and wherefores. It gives it room to be interpreted and it means after finishing the book I had lots to think about and work out. Added on to her beautiful prose and the surreal story, this made this a great novella.
As someone not raised around religion, outside of the USA, I think a lot of this book went over my head. The attitudes towards Christianity seem pretty different over there to what I'm used to, especially at the time this book was written (1950's). So I don't think I got the full impact of this one, and maybe I even misunderstood parts, but I still enjoyed it. Flannery is one of the American greats, and it is easy to see why.
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