The Beans of Egypt, Maine: The Finished Version

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It's a hit!

Chute is awesome in her ability to stay in dialect and really conjure rural Maine (not that I know what that's like). She stays away from stereotyp... (show more)

Chute is awesome in her ability to stay in dialect and really conjure rural Maine (not that I know what that's like). She stays away from stereotype, I think, by making her characters distinctive and sympathetic in a way I don't think many writers can.
I really appreciated the afterword she wrote. It revealed her to be a very thoughtful, insightful, wise person. I loved where she said that the arts should be all-inclusive; I think she's a great example of WHY they should be all inclusive.
I loved the style, I loved the similies and her humor. I hope other artists find the encouragement in this book to be different and to honor their background and culture as she does. (show less)

 

 

by Facebook-användare

No, it's a flop!

This is one strange novel. Carolyn Chute's descriptions are unique & her characters are off-beat; the Bean family are "the tackiest people on earth... (show more)

This is one strange novel. Carolyn Chute's descriptions are unique & her characters are off-beat; the Bean family are "the tackiest people on earth" (cover blurb). The setting is backwoods Maine; it was origanally published in 1985, but I read the 1995 edition which is called the finished version. It has some rewrites which probably enhanced the book, but I was sorry that I read the author's postscript. TMI! (show less)

 

 

by Ann Flynn

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  Well, I read this book many years ago, so I can't comment on the unfinished version. But I feel that it led me to a better understanding of true poverty in (semi)modern America and how the cycle perpetuates, and how easy it is to fall victim to it. Also, I felt a lot less judgemental of "hicks", a little more compassionate for poor, undereducated, rural folk that must live within this cycle. I thought it was very unique to tell the story from the perspective of the young girl tha... (show more)

  Well, I read this book many years ago, so I can't comment on the unfinished version. But I feel that it led me to a better understanding of true poverty in (semi)modern America and how the cycle perpetuates, and how easy it is to fall victim to it. Also, I felt a lot less judgemental of "hicks", a little more compassionate for poor, undereducated, rural folk that must live within this cycle. I thought it was very unique to tell the story from the perspective of the young girl that has been raised to snub the hicks (Beans) as lesser people, only to find herself forever linked to that lifestyle by a few typical adolescent mistakes. Hmm...are we really "better" than anyone else and what are the seperating factors that decide that ? (show less)

   

  by Cindi Duggan on Feb 24, 2009 at 02:15PM

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  I loved it. Plan to re-read it. It made me want to explore backwoods Maine. Here is a story in the NY Times about the author living a life similar to those seen in her books: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/04/books/04chut.html

   

   

  by Emma Beelah on Nov 05, 2008 at 02:27AM

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