What do readers think of The Barrowfields by Phillip Lewis? Write your own review.

It is my understanding that this book is Phillip Lewis' first, and if that is true then I cannot wait for the second. I absolutely loved this book! The writing is superb , the character development spot on, and the writing is beautiful.

This is the story of Henry Aster, Sr and is told by his son Henry, Jr. Henry, Sr was born in a desolate, dreary little town deep in North Carolina called Old Buckram. The people of Old Buckram were poor and uneducated. Henry, Sr stood out like a sore thumb, because from a very early age he was smart and he was never seen without a book in his hand. Old Buckram was a place where …more most of the people could not read, and didn't even own a book. And, if they did own a book, it was the Bible. Henry, Sr. eventually went to college and became a lawyer, as well as a college professor. To give you a better perspective of the importance of books and education to Henry, Sr- he met his wife in the library. And the fact that she was first seen by him was in a library added to his excitement.

Henry, Sr and Eleonore moved to Old Buckram when Henry's mother became ill. Henry won a big case and earned enough money to buy an old abandoned house that sat on the side of a tall mountain. The house was surrounded by mystery. The man who had the old mansion built had a wife and three daughters, and when they moved in, people saw less and less of them. Eventually, someone went to the old house and discovered the man and his wife had been shot to death and were still in the house. At first no one knew what became of the girls, but they were found shot dead and buried in shallow graves on the property. No one ever knew what had went on in that house or if the Dad had killed everyone and then himself, or if someone else murdered them all.

It was in this house that Henry, Sr and Eleonore started their family. Shortly after they moved in, Henry, Sr's mother died and this event would have a profound affect on Henry, Sr's life. They had three children, Henry, Jr was the oldest, Threnody was next, and later came Maddy. Maddy was unexpected, because they had not planned to have any more children after Threnody.. Maddy was also a very sick and frail child.

I fear giving too much away, so I will stop retelling the story and tell you how I feel about the story. The story is very intense and the reader feels what the characters are feeling. Phillip Lewis's writing is very powerful, but at the same time it is very beautiful. It is both beautiful and haunting simultaneously. It is the story of how time, love,stuggles and disappointments can be passed from one generation to the next. Here is one excerpt that I particularly liked: "Ignoring my concern, he put his nose into his glass and drew back his lips to show his vampire canines. Then he said, " If you ever think I have enough time to do that-I'll just pass the time today and make my art tomorrow," then you have already lost. Time has fooled you into thinking it exists."

I can't wait to see what Philip Lewis does with his next book! (less)

I thoroughly enjoyed this beautifully written and engaging story and I was drawn into the world Phillip Lewis creates. A stunning debut novel that explores a families' bonds and a man's devotion to literature. I had a hard time putting it down and wanted more when it ended.

I enjoyed reading this book as the plot was good and the writing was wonderful. It was an enjoyable read- a book I looked forward to picking up and sitting with to unwind, relax and enjoy. Great writing and insights into everyday life made precious. Best one sentence description is indeed "Majestic and rich with the textures of life" as stated by Paul Yoon. I found that sentence to perfectly describe my reading experience of this novel.

This book captivated me from the first page to the very last! I was enthralled with Lewis' writing style (poetic, visionary, promising), giving me such a plethora of sights and sounds, accents and idioms, colorful words and sights, that my imagination was overloaded to the point of exhaustion. Lewis' use of "other than" words sent me repeatedly to the dictionary and Google, surprising me time after time that common words ("frowning brow") could be replaced by a magical phrase ("synclinal eyebrows") and still mean the same. I ended up with a page-long list of "I have an advanced degree in the English language" …more replacing my own very trite excuse for communication. The story takes the reader through a family and its discordant history, the physical and psychological aberrations, triumphs and failures. The protagonist is easy to side with and walk with in his journey.

I find it hard to believe that this is a debut novel. I read it once for review purposes; now I am going to read it again for the pure enjoyment of it. Thank you, Phillip Lewis! (less)

This was really quite an incredible book! I am having a hard time writing a review for it because I don't know where to start. The characters, place, relationships, voice - all were so important to the plot, and they were all handled so well.
I didn't always like what happened, or the characters, but that makes the book more realistic IMO, and when I didn't like the character or characters I could empathize with them. The main character Henry had a candor about him that drew me into his story completely, as did his honesty about his relationships with Threnody and Story.

I highly recommend this to people who like …more emotionally intense stories that have a lot of depth. I think that the maturity of this debut novel speaks well of Phillip Lewis and I am looking forward to more books by him. (less)

Henry is named for his father, resembles his father, and takes after his father, a book lover from childhood, an eccentric, gentle man of melancholic temperament, lively imagination, and occasional sly wit. Both love storytelling, the piano, the solitude of nature.

Like his father, Henry grows up in Old Buckram, an isolated, rundown settlement of 400 in the far northwestern hills of North Carolina, where he is equally a social misfit. Like his father, Henry escapes after high school to make his awkward way into the broader world: college, law school, and love at first sight. And like his father, he will return, …more not entirely of his own accord.

But there is a profound difference between Henry and his father, one Henry is forced to confront, and not just for his own sake.

As he narrates his story, the reader slips into a stream of prose seemingly as transparent as a mountain brook, with ripples of humor, varied landscapes and a gentle, insistent forward movement. Phillip Lewis subtly positions the stumbling stones that gradually alert us to Henry's deeper struggle and its urgency.

"Barrow," used in so many place names, designates a mountain, a burial mound or a pile of rocky debris. In Henry's world, the Barrowfields that lie beyond his family's peculiar glass and iron mansion are a wasteland with stumps of an old forest. But this novel isn't a ghost story. It's a nocturne on the theme of loss, living, and the human spirit. (less)

About 1/4 of the way into this heart-loving book I knew I LOVED this story. This family-centric novel and the very real characters ARE people in real life. Messy, paths not taken, missed love, wonderful love and family solidarity. I related to this protagonist, Henry, and LOVED his dog, Buller. I wish his girlfriend were less mysterious, but weren't we all trying to "be something" when we were in college, and trying to grow into something bigger than our parents.... The writing is lyrical, though not distracting. I thoroughly relished this book and cannot wait until the author's next novel. BTW, I have a bulky …more vocabulary and this author stumped me on a few words. Who out there knows what "rutilant eyes" mean, or how "hemistich" relates with German prose? I even enjoyed learning new words! This book has it all. Absolute. Triumph. (less)

As soon as I started reading I was intrigued and pulled into the story. The house, this gorgeous, spooky sounding house, a house with a tragic past, now home to a young Henry, his sister Threnody, mom and dad, Henry the elder. A man in love with literature, music, wanting desperately to write an outstanding novel, put meaningful words on paper. The gorgeous sounding library, with a huge amount of books, a house with nooks and crannies to get lost in, sitting on top of a mountain in a small Appalachian town. House envy, house lust. A house that will soon hold an inordinate amount of sadness, tragedy. Gothic tones, …more characteristics abound. The Barrowfields, a place where nothing grows, nothing thrives.

Then the tone changes, the pace changes, and Henry escaping sorrow, things he doesn't understand, goes off to college, leaving his younger sister behind. The sister he read to, sang to, was basically a father stand in. A sister to which he made many promises. Less gothic, typical college experiences, drinking, parties, a girl he falls for and he becomes embroiled in someone else's life, problems, father issues. Not sure how I felt about this part, the change of story. Going away was necessary for Henry in that he grew as a person, made him able to return home and deal with the tragedy of the past. But, think to much was brought into this part, was like a detour that I felt parts of didn't fit.

Eventually he returns home, with girl in tow, moves back into "my" house, don't I wish. His family no longer lives there but he reconnects, comes to harsh realizations, and we find out the full extent of the story. Sad, tragic but I loved this book, the writing wonderful, the story of Henry and the complicated roles of fathers. Loved all the literary talk and the different composers and music mentioned. This is in my opinion a brilliant debut of a novelist with some major talent. (less)