September, September

this southernistic view of greed and crime is a truly well written thriller!!foote has once again showed his talent as a novelist and and a true artist of the english language!

Another reader of this book has written: "Foote's primary weakness as a novelist is that he seems to be unable to find his own voice." This is a remarkable comment, since one of the intriguing aspects of the novel is precisely author Foote's use of voice! In the "Voices" chapters, he alternates points of view from each of the characters. He also uses time shifts with great effectiveness, as at the end of the novel, when we shift forward with a preview of what will befall two members of the kidnapping threesome. The kidnapping itself is suspenseful, yet perhaps more exciting is the character development, for the kidnapped boy's father undergoes a profound revelation. It isn't nearly so much the content of this novel as it is its style which makes it a good read, and a worthwhile one. It illuminates a difficult time in American history, yet it is intimate and finely drawn.

Although Shelby Foote is thought of as a historian, he has always considered himself, first and foremost, a novelist. "September, September" is the story of some rednecks up from Mississippi who have come to Memphis, Tenn. to kidnap the son of a prominent black family. As a background for this story, Foote has chosen the month of September, 1957 when the South was in turmoil over the forced integration of Little Rock Central High School. Foote has meticulously researched his novel with a historian's eye for detail: the weather in Memphis on specific days, who won the Miss America pageant in 1957 (Miss Colorado, Marylin Van Derbur), and the release of the Edsel by Ford Motor Company.Foote's primary weakness as a novelist is that he seems to be unable to find his own voice. Although the book is skillfully structured and well written, the plot is somewhat tired and predictable. There are very few surprises. Foote has somewhat adopted the structure used skillfully by his mentor William Faulkner of telling a little bit of the story at a time from the point of view of different characters. Foote's steamy descriptions of sex and lovemaking and rivalry among two men for the affections of the same woman are reminscent of Erskine Caldwell.For all it's failings, "September, September" is an excellent novel. Shelby Foote, the excellent American historian, is also an outstanding American novelist.