Raising Holy Hell

by Bruce Olds

Book Overview

A fictional account of the life of John Brown portrays his experiences as the son of Ohio abolitionists, the doting father of twenty children, and a chronic failure as a businessman.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0805038566
• ISBN13: 9780805038569
• Release Date: January 1995
• Publisher: Henry Holt & Company
• Length: 333 Pages
• Weight: 1.58 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.3" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Nothing less than terrific

An astonishing retelling of the life of John Brown. I selected this book for my book group after having listened to Banks' "Cloudsplitter" on BOT. I had read a few reviews of that book post hoc only to find that many critics cited this text as superior. I would say that the experience of listening, rather than reading, to Banks' book likely boosts my appraisal as I thought it was brilliant in its expanse, detail and imagination. As for Olds' work, it reads as though one is living through the time in a dream-like state. The wickedness and cruelty that is frequently attributed to "historical context" is brought to bear so that it is difficult to fathom how we look back at our American history as somehow noble and founded on justice. As for the man, John Brown, it was a serendipitous reading choice given the current state of world affairs. When resistance is linked to terrorism, the results are necessarily unpredicatable and frightening, regardless of the outcome.

Crying Shame # 376

I am sorry to see that this excellent novel is out of print. It is both technically innovative and a whirlwind read -- and how many novels are both? Olds's representation of Brown and his world is psychologically and morally complex, historically insightful (yes, even given its postmodern gamesmanship), and more worthy of our nation's most tragic passage than any other six Civil-War-era historical fictions I can think of. Yet this one is indefinitely out of stock while Mr. Banks's clayfooted trudge through the same material is not only in print, but available on audiotape. What a world!

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richlvau2 from Grand Haven, MI misses the point when he writes that "the style [of RHH] is very interesting and it is an easy read, but the historical accuracy leaves a lot to be desired. Unfortunately, many will believe it to be "gospel" -(pun intended)" Olds, by way of a form of literary deconstruction very rarely seen in contemporary fiction, painstakingly blurs the line between accuracy and innacuracy in historical writing. And he is not writing this way because it's the "in thing" to do.It is also *deceptively* easy to read, with Olds hiding many of his devices from the suspecting eye and the text itself offering a number of simultaneous interpretations.There is no "gospel" and Olds makes every effort possible to reconstruct the many narratives surrounding John Brown and to prevent any one voice from gaining authority -- especially his own.I more than highly recommend this book: not only will you view this particular event differently, but you just might call into question the "truth" of other historical figures and events.(Olds is overdue for a new one, let's hope the luke warm review in the NYTimes didn't blow it!)

Exceptional.

I read Raising Holy Hell in one sitting. Olds' vision is so strong and sure that the only question is whether he can deliver the goods - and he does. A compelling work that transcends both historical fiction and biography.

Fascinating and creative portrayal of Brown

Outstanding! Olds creates a unique form of historical fiction in his creative portrayal of abolitionist John Brown. His use of fictitious newspaper accounts, diary entries, dreams, gossip and prose pulls the reader into the cauldron of antebellum America. I felt the Harper's Ferry saga was as fresh and live as though it were a hot story on CNN.