A masterpiece without doubt

There is something about Peter Matthiessen's writing that captivates and compels me, while making me more attentive to nature. The narrator Anthony Heald gets it just right, so many voices to cover. These are southern badlands and the characters are well measured to fit. The story of the outlaw E J Watson and his family is so well told that I found it hard to put down, which is rare for me as I am often bored by fictional accounts of the past told via dialogue. Here the story is retold by different protagonists, adding layer upon layer of explanation to the mystery that unfolds, in the process telling us much about Florida and the Everglades, the worldview of the time, and the American propensity for violence that persists today. The writer's ability to get deep inside the minds of his troubled protagonists during a time of extreme racism is unsettling and I for one need to contextualise this work against Matthiessen's gentle humanity and spirituality evident in his non-fiction, for instance, The Snow Leopard and Nine-Headed Dragon River. A tour de force nonetheless.

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