Woe to Live On

A Novel

By: Daniel Woodrell, Ron Rash - foreword

Narrated by: Bernard Setaro Clark

Length: 6 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

Set in the border states of Kansas and Missouri, Woe to Live On explores the nature of lawlessness and violence, friendship and loyalty, through the eyes of young recruit Jake Roedel. Where he and his fellow First Kansas Irregulars go, no one is safe, no one can be neutral. Roedel grows up fast, experiencing a brutal parody of war without standards or mercy. But as friends fall and families flee, he questions his loyalties and becomes an outsider even to those who have become outlaws.

©2012 Daniel Woodrell (P)2012 Hachette Audio

As good as the movie.

As a Civil War reenactor stories like this remind me of the hardships men on both sides faced on a daily basis, especially in the border States.

Very well written and read!

A great book made even more enjoyable to listen to by having the right narrator!

As good as the movie

The narration made the book .... of you like 1800 stories that aren’t Poe like this is better than most.

WONDERFUL BOOK

I was enraptured with the film version of this book. I very much enjoyed the audiobook. A true learning experience. I hope you can enjoy it as much as I did.

Haunting Masterpiece

The timeliness and timelessness of this book are striking. No doubt this story could today be written with a Ukraine venue. Some of the invaders will forever lose their humanity. They will take scalps. Others,like our protagonist, will be haunted by what they have seen and done. Hope lies in humanity’s resilience and capacity for selflessness. But what is the essence of man? Unimaginable cruelty? Love borne of family, whether based on blood or circumstance? Even Holt and Jake can be family. Woodrell has created a unique prism through which to view those questions.

With a rebel yell…

If you’re not from the South, raised in the South, you’ll never understand. Two thumbs up!

Totally original and true voice of Southern MO

If you could sum up Woe to Live On in three words, what would they be?

Realistic, Gritty, Outstanding!

What other book might you compare Woe to Live On to and why?

Books by Edward Abbey, Jim Harrison and Cormac McCarthy. The characters and the language. Not so much the scenery or landscape discriptions.

Any additional comments?

Daniel Woodrell is the only writer I have ever read who accurately uses the language of southern Missouri. Having grown up and presently living in a very small town in southeast MO myself (Eminence, MO about 50 miles from where the author resides) I am thrilled to read books written in the language of my home. I highly recommend all of Daniel Woodrell's books to anyone who is interested in peering thru a window into the modernday or historic Ozark hillbilly world.

Woe To Live On

This is one of the best combinations of superb writing and excellent narration ever! It is a book to savor.

A Different View Of The Civil War

If you could sum up Woe to Live On in three words, what would they be?

Interesting, Suspenseful, Unique

What other book might you compare Woe to Live On to and why?

Maybe Cold Mountain...

Which character – as performed by Bernard Setaro Clark – was your favorite?

All of them. He was great.

Any additional comments?

This is not only a well-written tale, it's also action packed historical fiction. I loved it. I'd love to see a movie come out of it.

Excellent regionalism and local color

This book is a brilliant work of fiction about the Civil War in the West between bushwhackers and jayhawkers; secesh and unionists. The author wrote it in the dialects of the region and time. Utterly fascinating. I saw the movie that is based on this book first: “Ride with the Devil.” It’s fascinating to compare the two. They are very close with minor changes. I’ve you’ve never seen the movie, watch it too. It’s one of the best civil war films.