Ironweed is More Than a Winner

I like the novelist William Kennedy’s style in Ironweed. (He earned a Pulitzer for the book.) The dialogue flows. The backstory creeps forward without warning. Kennedy pulls together Francis and Rudy and Helen and lets them chat and spar, so there are multiple voices exchanging comical shots in dire moments, from the crafty Francis to the demented or dulled Rudy, to the almost disillusioned Helen – a neat trio for reflecting the facets of bums’ survival in the Great Depression. I’d avoid using the word plot to describe what goes on in the first 70 pages because I can’t see where we are going. I’ll let you know more later.