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    Rivers: A Novel
    Rivers: A Novel
    Rivers: A Novel
    Audiobook11 hours

    Rivers: A Novel

    Written by Michael Farris Smith

    Narrated by Michael Farris Smith

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    About this audiobook

    For fans of Cormac McCarthy and Annie Proulx, “a wonderfully cinematic story” (The Washington Post) set in the post-Katrina South after violent storms have decimated the region.

    It had been raining for weeks. Maybe months. He had forgotten the last day that it hadn’t rained, when the storms gave way to the pale blue of the Gulf sky, when the birds flew and the clouds were white and sunshine glistened across the drenched land.

    The Gulf Coast has been brought to its knees. Years of catastrophic hurricanes have so punished and depleted the region that the government has drawn a new boundary ninety miles north of the coastline. Life below the Line offers no services, no electricity, and no resources, and those who stay behind live by their own rules—including Cohen, whose wife and unborn child were killed during an evacuation attempt. He buried them on family land and never left.

    But after he is ambushed and his home is ransacked, Cohen is forced to flee. On the road north, he is captured by Aggie, a fanatical, snake-handling preacher who has a colony of captives and dangerous visions of repopulating the barren region. Now Cohen is faced with a decision: continue to the Line alone, or try to shepherd the madman’s prisoners across the unforgiving land with the biggest hurricane yet bearing down—and Cohen harboring a secret that poses the greatest threat of all.

    Eerily prophetic in its depiction of a Southern landscape ravaged by extreme weather, Rivers is a masterful tale of survival and redemption in a world where the next devastating storm is never far behind.“This is the kind of book that lifts you up with its mesmerizing language then pulls you under like a riptide” (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution).
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimon & Schuster Audio
    Release dateSep 10, 2013
    ISBN9781442366503
    Author

    Michael Farris Smith

    Michael Farris Smith has been awarded the Transatlantic Review Award, Brick Streets Press Short Story Award, Mississippi Arts Commission Literary Arts Fellowship, and the Alabama Arts Council Fellowship Award for Literature. He is a graduate of Mississippi State and the Center for Writers at Southern Miss. He lives in Columbus, Mississippi, with his wife and two daughters. Rivers is his first novel.

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    Reviews for Rivers

    4/5

    98 ratings19 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Great book. Hard to stop listening. One of the best books I have read in a long time.
    • 5/5
      A captivating story, imaginatively written with memorable characters. Unforgettable story.
    • 3/5
      Very entertaining. I didn't really like the characters but the world was so compelling I could barely put this down. I want to know more about what's happening in the world the author has created.
    • 3/5
      I had previously read Michael Farris Smith’s Desperation Road and loved it, so thought I’d check out one of his earlier works. Unfortunately, Rivers did not work as well for me. I liked certain elements, but the overall impression falls in the middle of bell curve.

      The positives:
      - The premise for this climate-related apocalyptic novel is unusual and creative. The US government abandons a region below “The Line,” which runs 90 miles north of the Gulf Coast due to the never-ending hurricane-force storms that are pounding the area. After offering to buy the land and relocate the people, those who decide to stay are on their own, leading of course to desperation, mayhem, and violence.
      - The main character, Cohen, is one of the people who decide to stay below the Line in Mississippi. He is wracked by grief due to the loss of his wife and unborn child. He cannot let go of the past. His character is well-developed and complex.

      The negatives:
      - The rest of the characters are shallow and underdeveloped.
      - Plot points that make little sense or are too obviously used as devices.
      - The creepy relationship between the older man and the young girl (it would have helped if she were at least in her twenties).
      - The pacing is highly erratic: long portions where not much happens, followed by super high-energy thriller-style action.

      If you enjoy thrillers, you will probably like this more than I did.
    • 3/5
      Originally published in 2013.A pretty good read but not exactly riveting. I like the storyline. Would definitely like to see this picked up as a movie. I feel like we darn near experienced this in 2017 with all the rains that came with Hurricane Harvey and so many homes flooded out, first in Houston. Then when it made landfall a second time, hundreds and hundreds of homes in Jefferson and Orange County, Texas, flooded out. Bayous and creeks were pushed past their holding point and caused catastrophic damage. Dams were nearly flowing and to their busting points. They were slowly opened to release more water, which caused even more flooding to homes that had never flooded before. The only difference from this novel is the fact that we were able to come back home and rebuild because, well, the waters eventually did subside.
    • 1/5
      Smith must set some kind of record for the use of the word "and". He uses and when a comma would have sufficed and he uses and when it would have been better to just start a new sentence and as a result the writing has a monotonous and tedious quality and I didn't enjoy it and I was forced to conclude after a few pages I could not read 300 pages of this even though the concept is intriguing and the book has received plenty of praise.
    • 4/5
      Rivers by Michael Farris Smith is a science fiction story about the changing climate. When a series of ever more intense storms causes widespread devastation along the gulf Coast, the U.S. Government concedes ninety miles to nature and sets a line. Above the line there is safety and the laws of the United States of America. Below the line there is a lawless land lashed by storms, where supplies are short, life is cheap and the strong rule the weak.The main character, Cohen, has stayed below the line as he mourns the loss of his wife and unborn child, but one day on his way home from getting supplies he is attacked and left for dead. When he finally reaches his home, it has been ransacked. He sets out to reclaim all that is his and instead discovers a commune of women who are being held against their will. By rescuing them perhaps he can reconnect with his own humanity once again. The author has written a book that tackles some issues that the world is currently facing. In Rivers he writes about the effects of global warming while still delivering a tense, well written story. Part meditative and part thriller, this is a story that is timely and engaging although I would warn that the story can become quite brutal and violent.
    • 5/5
      Insurance companies refer to storm damage as an act of God, yet I doubt that anyone would see any touch of the divine in the climatic cataclysm that has befallen the Gulf Coast in Michael Farris Smith’s debut novel. In a world where Hurricane Katrina was just the beginning, It has been 613 days since the declaration of the Line, a geographical boundary line drawn ninety miles north of the coastline from the Texas-Louisiana border across the Mississippi coast to Alabama. A geographical boundary that said, we give up. The storms can have it. No more rebuilding and no more reconstruction. The declaration came after several years of catastrophic hurricanes and a climate shift suggested that there was an infinite trail of storms to come…”Beyond the Pale the only law is might makes right. The only residents are scavengers, raiders, treasure hunters and those clinging to a live that has long since blown away. Among the latter is Cohen, a husband grieving the death of his wife and unborn child, who is unwilling to abandon their grave in the sodden soil behind his house. When he is attacked and robbed by raiders he sets out to track down and recover his property. Thus begins a story of an arduous journey that many have compared to Cormac McCarthy’s The Road in an environment as harsh and forbidding as any found in Mad Max, only much, much, much wetter. For a debut novelist, Farris Smith has the chops of a seasoned professional. I expected, and on several occasions thought I found, minor bloopers or loose ends in the story but this talented author consistently made a mockery of my expectations and all the way to the last page took the story in an entirely different direction from what I thought he would. I highly recommend this book and am excitedly looking forward to his next two releases; Desperation Road, coming out next year, and The Fighter, coming in 2018. FYI: On a 5-point scale I assign stars based on my assessment of what the book needs in the way of improvements:*5 Stars – Nothing at all. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.*4 Stars – It could stand for a few tweaks here and there but it’s pretty good as it is.*3 Stars – A solid C grade. Some serious rewriting would be needed in order for this book to be considered great or memorable.*2 Stars – This book needs a lot of work. A good start would be to change the plot, the character development, the writing style and the ending. *1 Star - The only thing that would improve this book is a good bonfire.
    • 5/5
      Another recommendation from my favorite indie bookstore Murder By The Book in Houston, TX. I was told it was a can't put down read. I took it along with several other books on a mini vacation.

      First, I concur that this is a mesmerizing read at times the details can be harsh. You are pulled into a story about the gulf coast from the Florida panhandle to the Western Louisiana border that has been brought to destruction by years of catastrophic hurricanes. The US government has decided to redraw the boundaries ninety miles from the coast would no longer get services, electricity and no resources and anyone who chooses to stay behind lives by their own rules. Cohen who is tied to his home after the death of his wife refuses to live above the line. But things take a brutal turn after he stumbles upon a colony of survivors.

      The novel is a first for the author who has written some short stories but this is his first novel. Very well written and you are pulled in to the story immediately and it is hard to put down. I read the first hundred pages on the flight back home. Finished a few days later and wow what a ride.

      I would highly recommend giving Michael Farris Smith's Rivers a chance.
    • 3/5
      I know 3 stars. I wish there was a 3.5 option. I am really not sure where to start. The weather? It struck me like it was constant hurricane season. I am sure it was supposed to read as constant hurricane season. Maybe if it hadn't rained here every day for the past month (record setting rainfall) I might have responded better to constant hurricane season. But I think I was already mind drenched and couldn't take any more. That was hard. But its also integral to the story. (The sun is out today, I have a different perspective). Despite being mind drenched I became attached to the characters. I am especially fond of Evan. The story veered into several directions that I did not see coming and kept me on my toes.(Treading water is really more like it). They say if you write to write what you know. Well, the author has a good handle on family and hurricanes. Good job.
    • 5/5
      First the disclaimer: Michael Farris Smith is my colleague in creative writing at Mississippi University for Women. Of course, I'm going to like his book! However, even I was surprised by it. Not that I would expect anything less than a good read, but Rivers is much more than a good read. Michael's prose is a delight. His characters are fresh and at times haunting. He weaves back and forth in time to show us a dystopian future that is all too real juxtaposed with a much more normal and at times idyllic past. The combined effect is to heighten the drama in the present time of the narrative, since the normal world is never too far away from a world turned topsy turvy by endless hurricanes and tropical storms. Ultimately, the core of the book rests on the emotional choices the characters must make. It is a story of grief and loss, as well as a story of attempted new beginnings, of moving forward and looking back. It is a story that will pick you up with the first page and never let you drop until the last. Clear some time before you crack the cover. This is one book you won't want to stop reading.
    • 5/5
      In the near future, climate change and perpetual storms have forced the US government to abandon the Gulf Coast, and those who remain live without laws or services.This was a beautifully written book. Michael Farris Smith's style reminds me of Cormac McCarthy, yet even though this is definitely apocalyptic fiction, it doesn't seem as bleak or as cynical as McCarthy's work. Cohen stayed on the wrong side of the Line, as it's called, after losing his wife and unborn daughter. Now he lives in isolation except for a dog and a horse in the unrelenting rain on the Mississippi coast. But everything changes when he is carjacked by a couple of teenagers, who then rob his house. This plot does not go the way you might expect. It's really a story about reconnecting and discovering the importance of connections even when everything seems lost. There also some twists and turns, a couple of surprises, an exciting climax and a quietly moving ending. I loved this book and was so glad I discovered it quite by chance.Read in 2014.
    • 5/5
      RiversBy: Michael Farris Smith Publisher Simon & Schuster Pages. 337Copy Courtesy of: The Reading Room Members GiveawayReviewed By: tkA mind-blowing, riveting, and jaw-dropping read.An incredible tale of survival. Natural disasters will end all life as we know it, and how the survivors continue on. NOT the typical story of the end of the world, dystopian survivors, or a post-apocalypse. A striking realistic view of the struggles, and shattered dreams of Cohen, a man living on the wrong side of the Line. He is trying to battle his past and living out what is left of his future…alone and somewhat broken. A random day during a supply run, his jeep is literally stolen out from under him by a young girl and boy on the road. His destiny is altered. He is no longer alone, but is it worth leaving his old life behind?This story had me after the first chapter. I couldn’t let it go. I had to finish, and now, I feel a bit breathless. The characters get inside you, you become part of the their unforgettable journey and their bravery to survive no matter the odds. Emotions ran high. From cheering, rage, and heartache…you will feel it all. A MUST have in your library. Experience the captivating story brought to you by an author that can be praised for a read that will hold you spell-bound long after you finish. Highly recommended, 5/5.
    • 5/5
      Rivers is a southern gothic tour de force. It begins with rain, and more rain, and then some more. The southern United States are given back to nature when hurricanes like Katrina and worse just keep coming day after day, year after year. Most people evacuate, but for the ones that stay, violence and havoc run high above anything else.The novel focuses on one man, Cohen, who has stayed behind to keep his memories alive. The book covers everything from hidden casino money, to birthing children.Cohen is one of the most memorable characters that I have rooted for all the way through.Rivers is THE best southern novel I've read in a while, Mr. Smith did an amazing job and I will be looking forward to his next work.
    • 3/5
      I loved the premise of this book, and could actually see it happening. However, some parts of the narrative were so vague that it left me frustrated. Also, the ending was so grim and hopeless that I ended the novel with a sense of despondency, something I absolutely abhor. This novel had promise and while I do not regret reading it, it will not get a re-read.
    • 4/5
      We have finally damaged the earth so much that the coastal regions are being struck by unending storms and hurricanes, even the Mississippi valley has become a permanent flood zone. A line is drawn, the line delineating where services and protection will be offered, all other area and people who choose to stay in them are on there on. Of course man kind being what it is, these areas become a violent no man's land. The tone is similar in nature to The Road but this is much more expansive than that book was and had many more characters that have banded together due to various circumstances. Parts of it also reminded me of The Stand, the personal and physical journey undertaken by these characters. The comparisons are only fleeting, this book offers much more, some poignant moments, reflections back to a better time, and the message that as long as there is humanity, there is still hope. I really liked how this author balanced moments of desolation and violence, with moments of love and sacrifice.
    • 5/5
      James Lee Burke, Frank Bill, Daniel Woodrell, Peter Farris, and Donald Ray Pollack. If you like any of these authors you will love Michael Farris Smith's new novel Rivers. The atmospheric writing of James Lee Burke, the rawness of Frank Bill, and Donald Ray Pollack, and the story telling of Daniel Woodrell, and Peter Farris. Easily one of the best written and most enjoyable books of 2013, or any year. Read this book.
    • 4/5
      I love the premise of this book – that part of the southeastern United States is experiencing such unrelenting hurricanes, constant rain, and disasters that an imaginary line is drawn, and below it is a no-man's land, that everyone should have left while they could, while the government was paying people to sell and leave.And, of course, just like in real disasters, some did not leave. Anarchy became the norm.As dystopian novels go, this one is very good. It could have been even better. I liked the story, wanted to know who survived and who did not, and found the writing style to be direct, clear, and engaging. Of course, it is also very dark.But I wanted to know more about the decision that led to abandon a part of the country, I wanted to know more of the history that caused the decision, and I wanted to know how the rest of the country was affected by the decision. Without a little more of that, the story seemed almost one-dimensional. Violence, survival, death, rinse and repeat.The book brings to mind the very real ethical question of whether this abandonment could ever happen, whether an area that cannot be sustained by modern technology should be rebuilt again and again, and at what cost. And what is the cost if it is not rebuilt. Food for thought.I received an advance reader's copy of the book for review.
    • 4/5
      "Rivers" is a bit of a spooky novel, lots of dark things happening. After ravaging hurricanes hit the southern coastline the damage is catastrophic and the government decides to remove them from the US. Residents can sell their property and move north or remain and make it any way they can. There are those that choose to stay for various reasons. Cohen has remained mostly due to memories of his deceased wife and daughter. Due to the fact there is no law in the land things go drastically downhill, people are robbed of their supplies, human trafficking runs rampant. The rest you'll have to read for yourself. There's lots going on in the book and you will want to know what happens to everyone. The extreme weather patterns will also make you stop and think what if this really happened?