Remember the book with the snakes and the Christians?
April 13, 2012 10:05 PM Subscribe
I'm trying to remember a novel I read about 10 years ago with very little and possibly confused memories of it.
I remember something to do with little kids and them getting stuck somewhere with a lot of snakes... I think in someone's house. They were looking into something (as in 'investigating' it) and got locked inside, I think.
I think it was set in the American South and I think the people with the snakes might have been handling them/keeping them for religious reasons- -possibly affiliated with something like this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_God_with_Signs_Following. For some reason I keep thinking of The Poisonwood Bible but I'm pretty certain that wasn't it. I think it was on my university readings for literature. On the other hand, I might just have read it at that time. But I think it was, so it would be something with some critical kudos.
The text was possibly narrated from a child's perspective? This is all very fuzzy I know.... it has been irritating me for a while. You are my last hope!
I remember something to do with little kids and them getting stuck somewhere with a lot of snakes... I think in someone's house. They were looking into something (as in 'investigating' it) and got locked inside, I think.
I think it was set in the American South and I think the people with the snakes might have been handling them/keeping them for religious reasons- -possibly affiliated with something like this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_God_with_Signs_Following. For some reason I keep thinking of The Poisonwood Bible but I'm pretty certain that wasn't it. I think it was on my university readings for literature. On the other hand, I might just have read it at that time. But I think it was, so it would be something with some critical kudos.
The text was possibly narrated from a child's perspective? This is all very fuzzy I know.... it has been irritating me for a while. You are my last hope!
Response by poster: No definitely not. It was an adult and literary novel and I should have said that the snakes/children plot line was very peripheral to the main drama (which I can't remember). It was a memorable scene, but definitely not the focus of the text.
posted by jojobobo at 10:32 PM on April 13, 2012
posted by jojobobo at 10:32 PM on April 13, 2012
Best answer: I'll take a punt that it's Donna Tartt's The Little Friend, published 2002.
It hits all your criteria. See The Guardian review for snakes and some other scene descriptions that may jog your memory.
posted by pickingupsticks at 12:38 AM on April 14, 2012
It hits all your criteria. See The Guardian review for snakes and some other scene descriptions that may jog your memory.
posted by pickingupsticks at 12:38 AM on April 14, 2012
Response by poster: That is so satisfying. Thank you.
posted by jojobobo at 5:21 PM on April 14, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by jojobobo at 5:21 PM on April 14, 2012 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by salvia at 10:22 PM on April 13, 2012