Styron is truly one of my all-time favorite authors.

The fact that he was born in the very same town as I was and shared the same age as my father creates a special connection for me.

I am intimately familiar with numerous places and towns that he vividly mentions in his writings.

What I deeply love about his works is his remarkable openness and frankness.

Even though the majority of his writings are not overly cheerful, they possess a certain charm.

I thoroughly enjoyed the stories in this particular book.

Especially the last one, which gives the book its name.

It may not be quite as excellent as "Lie Down In Darkness," but Styron has an incredible ability to capture a bygone era so beautifully and in such minute detail.

I highly recommend this book to his fans or anyone who desires an honest and accurate depiction of the South during the 1940s and 1950s.

Undoubtedly, he is one of the greatest authors of his generation.

This will be the fifth or sixth work from Styron that I will read. The stories in "A Tidewater Morning: Three Tales from Youth" were published in 1993. "Love Day" was originally in "Esquire" in 1985, "Shadrach" in the same mag in '78, and "A Tidewater Morning" in '87.

It's dedicated to Carlos Fuentes. There's a quote on a white page: "The long habit of living indisposeth us for dying. --Sir Thomas Browne, Urn Burial".

There's an author's note about stories of experience at ages 20, 10, and 13, linked by memories of a single place, Virginia Tidewater in the 30s, preparing for war and encroaching on a pastoral way of life.

"Love Day" begins with the second marine division making a fake assault on Okinawa on April Fool's Day 1945 (also Easter Sunday). The narrator, a marine, is scheduled to land but his unit is a diversion and will be sent back to Saipan. They all lament not killing Japs but secretly the narrator is happy.

"Shadrach" is a good one. An old black man, Shadrach, comes upon the 10-year-old narrator and his buddies playing marbles. Shadrach, 99 in 1935, walked from Alabama to die on the land where he was born. There's a hilarious scene where the boy is impressed by Mr. Dabney's rage and practices his words. The old man dies and the sheriff tells Dabney he can't bury him on the property.

"A Tidewater Morning" is the last story. It's from the perspective of a 13-year-old in 1938. There's a sense of autobiography, with the boy throwing his papers into the ocean and an old man cursing God. The italicized sections are nice and the ending is like a balloon-man, far and wee.

Finished on 18 Jul 12, Wednesday evening, 10:08 p.m. E.S.T., almost full-dark.

This was a taste of Styron for me.

It consisted of three related stories about his youth and his mother's illness, which together formed a novel.

The content was so engaging that it was enough to make me eager to read more.

Thomas Wolfe's language was more lyrical, yet this work by Styron reminded me of some of Wolfe's writing.

It was like an adult looking back on memories of transformative experiences, with recollections that were deeply rooted in the place of childhood.

The way Styron presented these stories made me feel as if I was right there with him, experiencing his emotions and the events that shaped his life.

It was a powerful and moving read that left a lasting impression on me.

I can't wait to explore more of Styron's works and see what other literary treasures he has to offer.

I am telling you:

This little 142-page book holds some truly remarkable writing that seems to have an otherworldly effect on the time-space continuum. As I turned the last page of these 3 stories, I could only gaze up from my reading chair on the back porch and watch the world pass by. "A Tidewater Morning" is simply out-of-this-world brilliant. It contains some of the finest prose I have ever had the pleasure of reading. It is top-notch, amazing, and completely absorbing. It is an absolute must-read for all those who love to read and all those who aspire to write. My reading experience was, in fact, in line with the Hornseth Dictum, which, to paraphrase an old friend, states that "when the record stopped playing, I could not move and then gradually became aware that there was nothing else worth listening to." This work is like a shining beacon, an enlightenment, a real chime dinger. I am now determined to read perhaps all of Styron's works. Here are a few quotes that only begin to hint at the beauty and depth of this story:

Styron wrote:

"A minor crisis that other people would greet with a show of humor or equanimity made my mother and father, and eventually me, become frazzled and exhausted because of the way it represented in microcosm the oncoming disaster none of us could face or bear." / 29

"They were poking about in a bramble-filled plot of land which was the old Dabney family burial ground. It was a sunny, peaceful place, where grasshoppers skittered in the tall grass. Choked with briars and nettles and weeds and littered with tumbledown stone markers, unfenced and untended for countless decades, it had been abandoned to the encroachment of summer after summer like this one, when even granite and marble had to give way against the stranglehold of spreading roots and voracious green growing things." / 65

"[The millpond] lay in the woods several hundred yards to the east of the house - an ageless murky damned up pool bordered on one side by a glade of moss and fern, spectacularly green, and surrounded on all its other sides by towering oaks and the elms. Fed by springs and by the same swiftly rushing stream in which other children had gone fishing, its water mirrored the overhanging trees and the changing sky and was a pleasurable ordeal to swim in, possessing the icy cold that shocks the body to its bones." / 71 - 72

"The river appeared, gray-blue, sparkling, an immense estuary so wide that its far shore was a thin horizontal ribbon, a hairline of dim greenery trembling like a mirage in the humid distance." / 126

"I ran down a sycamore-shaded street, listening to the pop-pop of my sneakers against the sidewalk, running in the windless heat until the heat itself, thick as fur, slowed me down to a listless walk. The village was coming awake. Those sentinel radios had begun to blare from the open windows. I heard hallelujahs as some evangelist got down to work. The air was starting to bloom with the Sabbath's twitter and cacophony - Sunday school choruses, pipe organs, Baptist hymns, the croon of preachers." / 137

All three stories are truly worth reading. However, by a wide margin, the second one, titled Shadrach, is the most essential.

The story chronicles the experiences of the narrator, who is a version of young William, and the Dabney family. They can be described as hillbillies or rednecks. To give you a better idea, think of the Ewell family in To Kill a Mockingbird or the hillbilly family in the Simpsons (you know, the one with 44 children).

The narrative focuses on a very, very old black man who arrives in town. I refrain from revealing more details as it would diminish the story's impact. To the extent that it is true, it astonishes me. This is partly because it shortens history, bringing the past closer to the present, but also because of the man himself.

The third story is also a captivating portrayal of a house where death is approaching. The first story is set during WWII, but it didn't hold my interest much. (For a superior book on that topic, I recommend 'With the Old Breed' by E. Sledge.)

I often find myself forgetting just how remarkable a writer Styron truly is. This extraordinary and deeply poignant book is composed of three distinct parts that vividly depict a life and a specific era along Virginia's tidewater coast. Each part has the potential to stand alone as a captivating short story. However, when combined, they form a complete novel, despite its relatively short length. The themes of war, death, family, and slavery are masterfully interwoven to reflect the experiences of a young boy's life.

This work delves into the intricate nature of living, exploring both the simple complexity and the complex simplicity that defines our existence. Styron's writing is a testament to his genius, as he crafts a narrative that is both beautiful and stunning. His ability to bring the characters and the setting to life is truly remarkable, making this book a must-read for any lover of literature.

I read The Confessions of Nat Turner in the late 1960's and truly enjoyed the book.

Returning after all these years to the writing of William Styron, I am astounded by just how great a writer he was.

Somehow, I failed to read any of his other work.

This particular work is a shorter one, consisting of 3 short stories that are linked, yet it is still a remarkable book to read.

Each of the stories delves into the theme of coping with death.

All three stories are told from the perspective of Paul at different ages: 20, 10, and 13.

In the first story, Paul narrowly misses going into battle in Japan during World War II.

In the second, he witnesses the death of a former slave who returns to Virginia to die.

In the third, Paul experiences the loss of his mother.

You should definitely read these stories to truly experience the brilliance, power, and poetry of Styron's prose.

He was indeed a very gifted writer.

Charming.

She has an air of charm that is simply captivating. Her presence seems to light up any room she enters, and people are naturally drawn to her.

Always.

She is always consistent in her actions and words. Whether it's in her personal life or at work, she can be relied upon to do what she says she will do.

Impeccable word choice.

Her vocabulary is extensive and her word choice is always impeccable. She has a way with words that allows her to express herself clearly and effectively, whether she is writing or speaking. Her language is refined and sophisticated, yet still accessible to those around her. It is no wonder that she is so well-respected in her field and among her peers.

I haven't read Styron for a long time. I used to read "Sophie's Choice", "Nat Turner", and "Lie Down in Darkness". So, I was really excited when I found this little book at John Merrill's. In fact, it's a first edition.

It contains three stories, all connected by the narrator Paul Whitehurst and set in the Tidewater area of Virginia. These stories form a small fictional account of coming-of-age. Paul is a young Marine ready to invade Japan during World War II. Then, he is a young bystander at the return and death of Shadrach, an ancient former slave who finds the "white trash" Dabneys (whose ancestors once owned him). Finally, as a young man, he watches his mother die and his father mourn and call out to God like Job.

I first read Styron in college and then again later. And now, I'm reading him once more. I'm really glad to come back to his works. He is such a fine writer. His words have the power to touch our hearts and make us think deeply about life, history, and human nature. I'm looking forward to exploring more of his works in the future.

Painfully good as it brings to surface similar memories of a boy's loss and the despair of his father.

It is truly a bittersweet experience. The story seems to touch a nerve deep within, awakening emotions that were long buried. The boy's loss is palpable, and one can almost feel his pain and confusion.

Meanwhile, the father's despair is heart-wrenching. His attempts to cope with the situation, to find meaning and purpose in the face of such tragedy, are both heroic and heartbreaking.

It makes one wonder about the nature of loss and grief, and how we as humans are able to endure and move forward.

This article serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of empathy and understanding, and the need to reach out and support those who are suffering.

It is a story that will stay with you long after you have finished reading it, leaving you with a sense of both sadness and hope.

A More Moving Remembrance

Here are three short stories from a remarkable writer whom I haven't come across in decades. The third story gives the book its title and offers this profound bit of wisdom: "We each devise our means of escape from the intolerable." In this particular instance, it is the mother's death that serves as the catalyst.

The stories are filled with emotions that tug at the heartstrings. They explore the human condition in a way that is both poignant and thought-provoking. Each story takes the reader on a journey through the lives of the characters, revealing their hopes, dreams, and fears.

The writer's ability to create vivid and believable characters is truly remarkable. You can almost feel their pain and joy as you read along. The stories are also beautifully written, with a language that is both simple and elegant.

Overall, these three short stories are a must-read for anyone who loves good literature. They offer a unique perspective on life and death, and will leave you with a sense of wonder and awe.

This was a "re-read," and I am truly overjoyed that I made the decision to do so. Styron, without a doubt, stands as one of the most extraordinarily gifted writers of the 20th century. The three stories encapsulated within this book are masterfully woven together, centering around profound themes such as loss, war, race, and the indomitable power of memory, which have the ability to reduce us to tears.

Set against the backdrop of the Depression and World War II, the memories of Paul Whitehurst transport us to the Pacific Theater. We can vividly feel the overwhelming anticipation and the haunting memories of a Marine on the verge of battle. The reader is then whisked away to rural King and Queen County during the Depression, where we bear witness to the passing of an ex-slave through the innocent eyes of a young boy. Finally, in the titular story, "Tidewater Morning," we are right beside Paul as he witnesses the final days of his mother, who has endured the ravages of bone cancer for most of his life.

Styron writes with the elegance and grace of a poet. His words seem to float effortlessly from the page, carrying the reader along with him on a journey through his captivating stories. We are able to deeply empathize with what his protagonist is feeling; every emotion becomes ours as well.

I initially borrowed this book from the library, but I have now added it to my wish list. It is most certainly a book that I will read again and again, and it is undoubtedly one of those precious gems that deserve to be treasured and revisited numerous times.