Really cool "link-to" map

I like most of those "enter a _____ and we'll show you other _____ you might like" websites, but the literature map may be the coolest one ever. It's pretty self-explanatory; you enter the name of an author and it shows you "similar" authors you might like. I don't know the algorithm the site uses to link writers, but it seems to work pretty well. It does, though, appear to be user-driver which leads to some glitches. For instance, I checked to see who the site would rate as similar to Raymond Chandler. As expected, Dashiell Hammett was a close match. As I looked around, though, I saw 2 other spellings of his name. Hence, authors with "unusual" names may not be rated accurately as the site seems to treat each variation as a separate author. Still, it's pretty neat.

Speaking of books, I just finished a fabulous read -- Provinces of Night, by William Gay. Lit Map rates him as very similar to Tom Franklin. I think that's a fair comparison, but this book is MUCH better than Franklin's highly acclaimed Hell at the Breech. To me a more accurate comparison might be early Cormac McCarthy. I will say, though, Gay has one attribute McCarthy does not -- he's MUCH more readable.

While I would label Provinces of the night a literary novel, I never felt bogged down in those heavy, 3 page descriptions of a briar thicket. Still, this is classic Southern lit, with all the crazy family members, skeletons in the closet, and beautiful language and imagery. Probably because Gay is from Hohenwald, TN, he used many local colloquialisms not usually found in more "generic" Southern novels. For instance, Gay repeatedly used "They Lord" as an exclamation of surprise or resignation. I have no idea of the origin of the phrase, but it is used in southern middle TN and Gay captured it perfectly. Finally, I probably liked the book because of the familiar geography. Though the town of Ackerman's Field is fictional, it's obvious the true setting is the Hohenwald area. Much of the book takes place in Clifton and there's even a trip to Waynesboro -- an area with lots of Caffeine kin.

Even without the personal connections, this is a good book. Seriously, if you like Southern lit, check it out. I haven't read his other stuff, but I aim to correct that soon.

P.S. One minor complaint: The book needed a better (any?) proofreader and "continuity" checker. Still, I was able to overlook that -- a testament in itself to how much I liked the book. I'm usually not so forgiving.