The Last Great Snakeshow

Tim McLaurin's "Last Great Snake Show" has much to commend. Its central characters, all proud Southerners, have genuinely distinctive traits, and each finds a way to bring your sympathies to them. He beautifully evokes place as well; the South becomes real -- not a series of stereotypes. His anger at the second-class citizenship the South has in the national personality rings true throughout the book, though his prose tends to be a bit purple at times. His treatment of the themes of personal discovery, worth, and purpose is outstanding.Early in the book, one of the characters describes the "threat of selling one's dignity for money." Each of the characters confronts that threat, and though each does engage in activities which otherwise would degrate their characters, they emerge stronger and unscathed. It is their unwillingness to bend to the hypocritical and overly-materialistic mannerisms of the national culture which make them such fascinating characters.The book has several weaknesses, however. It is overly melodramatic, and the sections where the action is completely believable are offset by passages where the antagonists are so pathetically stereotyped that they beg belief. These flaws do not interfere with the novel, which is a pleasure to read. It comes with a strong recommendation.

I really enjoyed "The Last Great Snake Show". It grabbed me from the opening and just kept moving right along. The characters had emotional baggage to deal with as most of us do and in the end they all seemed to find light at the end of the tunnel. It was also good to see a fellow Fayetteville, NC resident show concern about the environment, especially when the most profficient operation that occurs here is the removal of trees. I would recommend this book highly for anyone who is not easily offended by too many things.