The Heavenly Table by Donald Ray Pollock – Reviewed by Guy Portman
Brothers Cane, Chimney and Cob are enduring a wretched existence as menial labourers on the Alabama-Georgia border. However, their situation changes when their domineering father suddenly dies. The liberated siblings embark on a new life, robbing banks and building a reputation as fearsome fugitives. ‘The Jewett Gang’ soon have a big reward on their heads, and with law enforcement closing in, they plan to make a dash for Canada.
The plot is interspersed with other storylines, entailing various characters. There is the simple farming couple, the Fiddlers, and their wayward son. Bovard is a homosexual officer in a military training camp, poised to go to Europe to join WWI. There is also Sugar; a degenerate, womanising African American, who is heading home from a stint in Detroit.
There is much to like about this loosely assembled Gothic crime novel, such as its scabrous descriptions, dark humour and intriguing subject matter. Criticisms include the overabundance of named characters, the excessive use of first-person points of view, and the frequent digression.
The Heavenly Table is a worthwhile read, but in this reader’s opinion it is considerably inferior to the author’s other two works.
