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| Plot Summary of Cypress Grove |
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"
Walker, June 2003, 24.00, 272 pp.
ISBN 0802733888
Turner has not had an easy life. Fresh off the plane from Vietnam, with images of atrocities churning in his head, he signs up to become a Memphis police officer. His was not a sterling career but he ended it spectacularly when he killed his partner and was sentenced to three years in jail. Two months before he was to get out, he killed a man in self-defense and was sentenced to another twenty-five years.
After spending more than a dozen years in prison, always looking over his shoulder for the next attack, he finally got out and set up practice as a psychotherapist. When he got tired of the rat race he moved to a small Tennessee town, fully intending to live a solitary life. His isolation doesn't last long before the local sheriff consults with him on a homicide case. Unable to refuse, Turner gets sucked into an investigation where small time politics and a movie fan's desire to meet his idol collides, killing a mentally impaired innocent who wouldn't hurt a grasshopper.
CYPRESS GROVE is really two stories that form a whole tale. In alternating chapters, readers get to see how a small town murder unfolds and why Turner ended up in the town where the homicide occurs. By only using the surname Turner and not revealing the location of the town, James Sallis dehumanizes the man and town so that readers are forced to use their imagination to fill in the blanks. The mystery is well constructed and believable but it is Turner's story that touches the heart of the reader.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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"In this beautifully-written book, two mysteries are gradually described: one in the present, as Turner investigates a ritualistic murder of a homeless man in a small town, the other the mystery of the detective himself and how he came to be where and who he is. The former we simply watch unfold in fascination, as we might a complex clockwork. The latter we are drawn inexorably into. We spiral down with Turner through the unavoidable tragedies of his life, only to emerge somewhat unexpectedly into the hopeful light of the ending. This is possibly Sallis's most openly optimistic book, but it loses none of his trademark style, seamlessly blending the hard-boiled with the sublime."
Quien Katan, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Cypress Grove |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Book
descript. of violence and chases - 10%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 45%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 15%
Tone of story
- suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
How difficult to spot villain?
- Very difficult--no foreshadowing/clues
- Difficult, but some clues given
Time/era of story:
- 1980's-1999
- present (2000-2010)
What % of story relates directly
to the mystery, not the subplot?
- 20%
- 60%
Kind of investigator
- hard boiled/private eye
- amateur citizen investigator
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot?
- feelings of fear/loss/inadequacy
- life in small town
Crime Thriller
Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- unemployed
- retiree
Age:
- 40's-50's
How much violence does he/she use?
- none
- just the right amount
Ethnicity/Race
- White/American
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
- Very much smarter than other characters
Physique
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- writer
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- almost none
Motive of antagonist
- insanity
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Deep South
Small town?
Yes
Misc setting
- prison
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
- moderately detailed references to deaths
How many deaths?
- 3-4
Unusual form of death?
Yes
Amount of dialog
- significantly more dialog than descript
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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