Trailerpark

I picked this book up at a used book store in Greece more than 10 years ago, and it has stuck with me as one of the most memorable books I've ever read. But, you should know I am a fan of dark fiction and tales of addiction and insanity. Anyway, I think you'll enjoy it -- much better than Banks' later work, in my opinion.

Certainly one of Banks`most interesting books. Reminiscent of Altman's Short Cuts movie, it centers around life in a New Hampshire trailer-park. A great cast of characters and a true feeling for the land make this a memorable read. Written with deep sympathy for the underdogs of American society and some sparkling dialogues. Highly recommended!!

I bought this book expecting it to be a hilarious, quirky look at life in a New Hampshire trailer park (Noni Hubner's conversations with Jesus, Flora's Guinea pigs) and was I ever wrong. I got to the end of "The Guinea Pig Lady" almost in tears, and was sobbing by the time I got to the last one, "The Fisherman." Although it wasn't what I expected, it was one the most amzing books ever! The stories are beautifully human, nothing short of marvelous and was full of scenes so unmercifully gritty, it's real. I stongly recommend this book to anyone willing to read such sorrow, but it's totally worth it!

Not sure if there's a certain "order" one should read Banks' books in, but I started with "Rule of the Bone" which I enjoyed so much I immediately bought "Trailerpark" and then "Book of Jamaica" (which I have not yet read). In this collection of short stories, we see a cast of characters that, at first glance, could be from Anytown USA. As the stories develop, at first humourous then getting progressively more bleak, we begin to realize that what makes the characters unique, as in "Rule of the Bone," is their life in the rural northeast. I love the way the lives of the tenants of the Granite State Trailerpark are intertwined; it's just a fabulous read.

This collection of short stories can be read as a novel. Most of the action takes place in the late 1970s in a trailer park in the Northeastern part of the USA. There is good character development of the individuals who live in the park, a little sex and very little violence.