Norwood

Charles Portis, born in 1933 in the state of Arkansas, one-time Marine sergeant, is an American author best known for his classic Western novel True Grit. Such a darn good writer who created eccentric characters and comic plots. Part of the American Vintage Contemporaries series published back in th......more

I agonized over whether to give Norwood three or four stars—which tells me three things: (1) I’m prone to exaggeration; (2) I really need to get a life; and (3) Goodreads should add half-star ratings instead of worrying about retarded mascot contests and adding mostly pointless Facebookish features......more

As I turned to the last page of this novel I emitted a groan. That was it?! Noooo…. Mr Portis, where’s the next 100 pages? It’s so short….I was having so much fun, what happened? Did you get kidnapped half way through? So this is a terrific deadpan tale of how Norwood Pratt, a man who knows all abou......more

What can I say about Norwood? I simply adored it. Portis writes the most uncluttered prose imaginable and employs a deceptively simple style, yet he has the eye of a poet. The writing flows with such ease it can sometimes deceive the reader into thinking that the author doesn’t seem to be working ve......more

Phenomenal. I don't really know what to say. I've been struggling to find a novel lately that completely captured my attention and pulled me fully into its world. This one did the trick. Norwood hooked me from the first page and never let go. The characters are quirky without being stupidly over the......more