A Feast of Snakes
| Industry | Publishing |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Books |
A Feast of Snakes is a novel authored by Harry Crews and released by Atheneum Books in 1976. Often considered Crews's finest achievement, it was his final novel for more than ten years.
Summary
The narrative unfolds in Mystic, Georgia, during 1975 and follows Joe Lon Mackey, a former high school football standout who has become an alcoholic and abusive spouse. The community is preparing for its yearly Rattlesnake Roundup, a festival where locals hunt, kill, and consume snakes. Berenice, Joe Lon’s former lover, returns to town for the event, reigniting their old relationship.
Buddy Matlow, the local sheriff, mistreats women in Mystic, including Lottie May, a young African American woman who ultimately defends herself by severing Buddy’s penis with a straight razor obtained from Beeder, Joe Lon’s mentally unstable sister. With Buddy out of commission, the town loses control over the rising violence during the Roundup.
As disorder escalates, Joe Lon’s mental stability declines. During the festivities, he arms himself and kills multiple participants—including Berenice—in an effort to regain authority. The townsfolk respond by casting him into a pit filled with snakes.
Reception
Kirkus Reviews lauded the book as an authentic Southern regional work, emphasizing its mixture of harshness, wit, sharp dialogue, and profound despair. Guy Owen (novelist) in The Georgia Review referred to it as a "surrealistic exploration of violence and rivalry in the South." Time praised its "brilliant portrayals and characters striving for redemption." The Virginia Quarterly Review described the paperback version as "a fierce and humorous depiction of life in Mystic." The Pequod awarded it an 8.5/10 score, noting memorable characters and incisive dialogue but critiquing fragmented scenes and excessive violence that resulted in strong individual moments rather than a unified narrative. The Quietus also recognized the novel’s vivid writing despite its brutal subject matter.
At one point, A Feast of Snakes faced censorship in South Africa.
Background
The Rattlesnake Roundup featured in the story is inspired by a real annual festival held in Claxton, Georgia.