“The Risen is an important novel — and an intriguing one — from one of our master storytellers. In its pages, the past rises up, haunting and chiding, demanding answers of us all.” —The News & Observer New York Times bestselling author Ron Rash demonstrates his superb narrative skills in this suspenseful and evocative tale of two brothers whose lives are altered irrevocably by the events of … of two brothers whose lives are altered irrevocably by the events of one long-ago summer, one bewitching young woman—and the secrets that could destroy their lives.
While swimming in a secluded creek on a hot Sunday in 1969, sixteen-year-old Eugene and his older brother, Bill, meet the entrancing Ligeia. A sexy, free-spirited redhead from Daytona Beach banished to their small North Carolina town, Ligeia entrances the brothers, especially Eugene, who is drawn to her raw sensuality and rebellious attitude. Eugene begins to move farther and farther away from his brother, the cautious and dutiful Bill, and when Ligeia vanishes as suddenly as she appeared, the growing rift between the two brothers becomes immutable.
Decades later, the once close brothers now lead completely different lives. Bill is a gifted and successful surgeon, and a paragon of the community, while Eugene, the town reprobate, is a failed writer and determined alcoholic. When a shocking reminder of the past unexpectedly surfaces, Eugene is plunged back into that fateful summer, and the girl he cannot forget.
The deeper Eugene delves into his memories, the closer he comes to finding the truth. But can Eugene’s recollections be trusted? And will the truth set him free and offer salvation . . . or destroy his damaged life and everyone he loves?
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This was the first book I read of Ron Rash’s collection but it wasn’t the last. Where has this author been all my life? The story begins with a murdered girl’s body “Rising” from the river after being planted there many years before. What comes after that is truly remarkable writing, with a story of a man who has become a chronic alcoholic because he knows-even if he thinks he does not-how that body got there. While he questions his own memory of the event, he cannot deny knowing how is family, a harsh father and perfect brother know more than he does. Set in the North Carolina and written in a beautiful, artistic, haunting fashion, it becomes an instant classic. A must read!
This is, yet again, another gripping Ron Rash novel. Upon reflection, what stays with me most is that the premise of The Risen is tight and simple. Two brothers, in a small North Carolina town, are swimming in a creek in the summer of 1969 and meet a seventeen year old girl, an outsider who impacts their lives. But Ron Rash gives us a thorough psychological treatise, through the character of younger brother Eugene, on the desperation behind falling in love for the first time and the complexities of younger brother syndrome during one’s coming of age. Place is a character in this story, described in Rash’s keen vernacular, and it is the unsolved past that pulls us through this story. The reader lives in two time frames as the story unfolds, which gives us the experience of cause and effect. On the one hand, The Risen floats on the wings of the fruits of summer, on the other its tension builds through the guilt of a broken man. The Risen is a page-turning mystery with a twist, written in such a way that you can feel the guilt that haunts the two main characters’ involvement. It speaks of the repercussions of one false move that shadows lifetimes, and though the mystery may have been solved at the end, it suggests that nobody gets away with anything for long.
Intriguing storyline…a tale about a domineering grandfather, a preferred grandson son whose star shone brighter in his grandfather’s eyes, and the grandson who was more or less overlooked–and the young woman whose presence eventually lead to the unraveling of the whole family. Interesting.
This is my favorite book by Ron Rash. The characters are complex and realistic-he understands the human condition. His writing is superb, the dialogue sparse but true. I was hooked from page 1 and couldn’t put it down until the unpredictable ending.
Rash evokes both time and place in this coming-of-age tale that weaves family dynamics and a mysterious disappearance to produce a compelling read. Worth your time.
Ron Rash is such a great short story writer. I am always disappointed in his novels. They seem a bit too contrived. I don’t think he was up to capturing the 1960’s atmosphere in The Risen. I grew up in a small town in the MIdwest, so I was hoping for something that hit home more.
This book had lots of twists and turns. I enjoyed reading it. It was a bit too long. The ending really surprised me. But, I guess it shouldn’t have. I would recommend it, if you don’t mind a long read.