Boy, I really didn't like Erskine Caldwell's "A House in the Uplands." It was all melodrama, and not even fun melodrama at that.

Simpering Lucyanne loves her husband, who is a cheating bastard that beats her up. She was such an annoying character that I'm not sure why he would ever have married her in the first place. A series of other one-dimensional characters make weird decisions and declarations to move the story along.

I don't know why this is on the 1,001 list frankly. ( )

Grady Dunbar vive junto a su madre, Elsie, y esposa, Lucyanne, en su propiedad de Maguffin, cerca de Savannah. La hacienda fue, en su momento, una de las más extensas de la región, pero desde hace un tiempo se encuentra en decadencia, debido a la adicción de Grady al juego y la poca atención que presta a la modernización y administración de los terrenos. Junto a la familia Dunbar, pero en sus cabañas, viven los descendientes de los esclavos que pertenecieron al abuelo y padre de Grady, quienes no lo hacen en mejores condiciones que sus antepasados, pues todavía cumplen largas jornadas de trabajo, no reciben honorarios en dinero y, ante cualquier querella judicial, poseen siempre desventajas frente a los blancos. ( )

Oh, where to start with this amazingly fun southern Gothic romp of a pulp novel? I knocked it over in barely a day (including making time to sleep and go to work), and had a great time reading it. Once the plot kicks in (and it kicks in fast) there's barely a chance to breath as Caldwell throws more drama (drama! DRAMA!) at the reader.

It's not a subtle novel in the least. And amusing to read with modern sensibilities. I had the plot pegged as a 21st century reader, but was taken completely by surprise by the actual reveal, which was very much a product of its times.

It's probably not for everyone, but this was my first taste of anything quite like this (is anything quite like this??) and I loved it. ( )