Ecriture très dense sans pratiquement de dialogues, ce livre est étonnant par son histoire "inventée" mais que l'on suppose tirée de faits réels, du moins pour la partie terrains rachetés par le géant Disney. J'avoue avoir hâté quelque peu la lecture des dernières pages en lisant en "diagonale" ce qu'écrivait le personnage principal et unique qui s'en registrait sur un magnétophone pour raconter sa vie, ses vérités et sans doute se faire pardonner enfin par la dernière personne vivante de sa famille. Dernier roman de Russel Banks, ce n'est pas celui que je préfère, mais il n'en demeure pas moins pour moi un grand écrivain. ( )

The word that comes to mind is "plodding". ( )

Banks claims the story is an account of audio tapes that Harley Mann recorded. However, the story is a fictional account in which Banks describes life on a parcel of land in Osceola County purchased by Shakers from the Disston Land Company in 1896. The New Bethany Shaker colony, the novel's primary setting, is near Narcoossee on the Cloud River. The magic kingdom of Banks' book is this Shaker colony in south Florida where the main character, Harley Mann, moved with his mother and brothers in 1902. Banks has done his homework and writes a believable tale of a young man coming of age among the Shakers.

In the beginning, Harley Mann believes that the Shaker elders will nurture his family and provide the love and structure they need to survive his father's death. It is gratifying to have food and a reasonable place to sleep after becoming nearly enslaved on a plantation in Georgia before being recruited by the Shakers. Harley is learning to be a beekeeper and completes many tasks in the self-sufficient community, leading him and the readers to believe he will eventually become a leader.

The predominant focus and message of The Magic Kingdom is the description of the precepts of the Shakers, the Society of Believers. The Shakers engage in communal living, and they share all property. Additionally, they remain celibate, do not procreate, and must adopt and recruit new members to survive. Harley lived the Shaker life in good faith until his natural urges led to wanting a relationship with a woman. Banks describes Harley's inner turmoil and many other emotions as the novel progresses. The plot includes unresolvable conflicts that lead to anger, regrets, betrayals, and hypocrisy.

Some parts of the book were slow-moving, but I was immersed in the story and gained new insights into the Shakers, Koresh followers, and Ruskinites, groups that settled and played a role in the development of our country. Of course, the rustic nature of Florida's land was essential to the story's setting.

https://quipsandquotes.net/ ( )

I liked this, I liked the writing style and the pace, but I do wish I could find out definitively whether or not this is fiction, or fiction based on fact, or something in between. It is supposed to be drawn from a memoir committed to recording tape by a former member of the Shaker community in Florida in the early 1970's, and it reads that way, but are the tapes a fabrication? The time covered is early twentieth century and seems real enough but any number of things don't check out, so it's frustrating. Maybe I am not looking in the right places. In any event, it is a good story well told, it would be even more interesting to know for sure. I remember the end of American Graffiti years ago supposedly told you what happened to the people depicted in the film but that turned out to be totally made up - rather disappointing. I don't want to find out that this is also BS. ( )

Before reading this book, all I knew about Shakers was that they made beautiful furniture and practiced celibacy (which is why there are no more Shakers). A compelling and compassionate read that also provides a portrait of Florida before developers drained all of the swamps. ( )