13-year-old Stanley Mitchel Jr. spends most of his time helping his family run the town's drive-in movie theater, reading ten-cent comics, and playing with his dog Nub. Life in East Texas circa 1958 is not very exciting until Stanley discovers a stash of old, crumbling love letters in a pile of burnt rubble behind the drive-in. As Stanley reads through the letters, he finds himself in the middle of an old mystery and discovering the secrets of his sleepy town. Stanley, with the help of the old projectionist and his older ...
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13-year-old Stanley Mitchel Jr. spends most of his time helping his family run the town's drive-in movie theater, reading ten-cent comics, and playing with his dog Nub. Life in East Texas circa 1958 is not very exciting until Stanley discovers a stash of old, crumbling love letters in a pile of burnt rubble behind the drive-in. As Stanley reads through the letters, he finds himself in the middle of an old mystery and discovering the secrets of his sleepy town. Stanley, with the help of the old projectionist and his older sister, uncovers the identities of the people who penned the letters and sheds light on a shocking 20 year-old murder plot. As Stanley unearths more and more truths, he realizes the injustices of life in East Texas in the 1950's including class, race, gender, and the cruelty of unrequited love. Stanley feels betrayed by his family and his town as he takes a closer look at the dark truth and refuses to allow himself to succumb to the darkness.
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Add this copy of A Fine Dark Line to cart. $2.97, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Atlanta rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Austell, GA, UNITED STATES, published 2015 by Pandi Press.
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Add this copy of A Fine Dark Line to cart. $65.22, new condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2015 by Pandi Press.
I found this to be one of the more insightful stories I've read. The period that this story was placed is a time of great changes in the U S . I felt as if I was there; almost could feel the warm Texas air. I've loaned this book to several people and always got a "wow".
pamela1717
May 24, 2009
4.25 stars! A nice surprise!
4.25 stars! A nice suprise! I really enjoyed this novel of Lansdale's (much more than The Bottoms). I found it to be a very entertaining and nostalgic coming of age/mystery story told in the folksy style of a 13 year old in the 1950s. The 1950s seem to be a great time of which to write due to it's innocence and it's conflicting darkness (in this case, racism, child abuse, spouse abuse) and this one has it all...it sounds dark, but it made me laugh on several occassions. I was sold on this story early for two reasons: first Lansdale's dedication, "In memory of Cooter. Brave, True, and Nobel Protector. Friend. Family dog." (as those who know me are aware, I'm a big believer of dogs being part of the family); and second, after reading this passage, "Like Huckleberry Finn, Richard wasn't the sort that would make a great adult, but he was one hell of a kid. He could ride a bike faster than the wind, could toss a pocketknife between his toes and not stick himself, knew the woods, could climb a tree like a gibbon, and juggle four rubber balls at a time." This is just one example of the Lansdale's simple prose you will find in this story--and the tale "ain't" bad either!
