Joe

By: Larry Brown

Narrated by: Tom Stechschulte

An ALA Notable Book, Joe has earned critical acclaim nationwide, and Larry Brown has been compared to great Southern writers such as William Faulkner and Eudora Welty. Like them, Larry Brown has an unerring feel for the truest details of regional life.

The Mississippi countryside is Joe Ransom's world. There, whiskey, fast trucks, and a hard right fist are the badges of manhood. But middle age is approaching, and Joe tries to not think too much about the future. At 15, Gary Jones' life is painful and unpredictable. His days are spent avoiding his brutish father and caring for a damaged mother and sister. When Joe's and Gary's paths cross, the resulting friendship is a bizarre rite of passage for both of them.

Throughout the story, Brown deftly maintains a balance between action and destruction, compassion and compulsion. His characters are riveting; the conclusion is shocking. This novel will leave you astonished and grateful for Larry Brown, a major talent.

©1991 Larry Brown (P)1996 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"Powerful...Brown comes into his own." (Publishers Weekly)
"Brown delivers....This raw and gritty novel ranks with the best hard-knocks, down-and-out work of Jim Thompson and Harry Crews. It's lean, mean, and original." (Kirkus Reviews)

This book blew my mind

It has everything. It's tragic, hilarious, suspenseful and poetic. The end will shake you.

Great Story

A very worthwhile read! Well written story-so good!- with excellent narration by a fine narrator. I highly recommend!! ☺️

Amazing

What a pity the author died so soon. Stechschulte has the perfect voice for this story.

Great story…

I didn’t know what to expect from Joe. It was a suggestion from my brother. Wonderful characters (even the low life’s). Story moved quickly and I was sad when it ended.

Sloooooooooow narration, & gross verbiage.

Mind numbing slow narrator. Listen at 2x speed to push through the plethora of domestics and verbal abuse in this story. I’m stopping at chpt 3.