The Cockroaches of Stay More

I read this book during a rainy weekend in 1989 when I was still in High School and I really enjoyed the book. I re-read it this year and still thought it was a great tale that mixes social satire quite well. I have recommended it to a few people over the years.

I love Donald Harington. But all that important Americana Stay More stuff aside, this book is hilarious. And a little gross. But mostly, hilarious.

Anyone who has read "Tess of the d'Urbevilles" will instantly recognize the plotline of this fable about a roosterroach (never "cockroach") maiden who is ... well, read it for yourself. I was enthralled by the title, then enthralled by the book. Author Donald Harington lost his hearing at age twelve, but his agile, retentive mind has accurately retained the inflections and pronunciations of his native Arkansas mountains. The book is witty, scary, insightful, and great fun as well as being a deeply philosophical book on relationships; both Man and Roosterroach. It is, as another reviewer stated, impossible to adequately review this book as it fits into many categories, or into a category of its own. Buy it.

This is just an increadible good book, as well as an incredibly wierd book.It really can't be done justice to in a review, so I won't bother to try, but go an read it if you can find it, and don't let the title put you off.

As a refugee from roach-infested Houston, I never thought I'd have a reason to admire the little buggers. Donald Harington has almost given me a reason to like 'em--and, better, a reason to look up more books written by Donald Harington. His view of an Arkansas town infested with Bible-busting bugs managed to be both biting and touching (and nastily familiar to those of us assaulted by similar humans). And, I now know there's more to cockroach physiology than that ugly crunching sound under your shoe.