Finally: "Round Mountain" by Castle Freeman, Jr.

Finally: Round Mountain by Castle Freeman, Jr., 2012, 0984707824.

I brought no library books on our South Dakota trip and after I finished this novel I barely read much else. I ended up going to sleep or watching movies and TV shows on my tablet.

Scott Phillips once published a book, Rut in 2010, with Concord Free Press. I was lucky enough to get a copy. Concord does paperback runs, gives the books away, and asks that readers pass the book along to more readers. I vaguely remember making a request and receiving this or Rut in the mail.

Short stories set in rural New Hampshire (Vermont?) around Round Mountain. Round Mountain is a land feature not a town. Each story features Homer, small town cop-drinker-father-cuckold, over several decades of the man's life. Most stories are told from Homer's point of view.

Homer at times seems heroic. He works a somewhat thankless job as a small town cop and volunteer firefighter and seeks to do goodworks for people. But, he also sounds like a not so great father and husband. His wife turns out the be a mess of promiscuous trouble and a mentally challenged son seems to get uneven care from the parents.

Each story is a snapshot and shows us Homer from a child to an older man. Homer is fairly solid and steady. He left his hometown for a short while to live in NYC but came back when his father fell ill.

I've not much else to say. I enjoyed the book.

Comments:
1. If you want the book, ask me and I will mail it. Same for Rut, but I'll have to look around for the copy of Rut.