The Wettest County in the World, or Lawless: A Novel Based on a True Story

Having seen the movie Lawless, I was intrigued enough to go back and read the book that started it all. And I'm damned glad I did. While Prohibition for most people means Eliot Ness and Al Capone, Matt Bondurant's book is about so much more than the hot mountain liquor that was sold quietly over the counter all across Franklin County during that period.It is an absolutely thumping good outlaw tale with crooked cops and shoot-outs, and laced with just enough violence to give the whole story a tightly-wound atmosphere of tension. It is easy to see why John Hillcoat thought enough of it to make it into a movie. The writing crackles hot, sweeping the reader from one chapter to another at breakneck pace. Bondurant's characters are richly drawn, and the relationship between the brothers at the centre of the story bursts into life off the page.My only gripe is the way the chapters jump back and forth in time, bu other than that I can't recommend it highly enough.

Book and film are both excellent. The film kind of moves the characters around but gets the point across. I found it a delight to read and the characters I could vividly see in my mysterious mind and could feel the abject poverty that prevailed during this period. My Grandparents grew up and lived through the great depression and I remember first hand how everything had a use and you never threw anything away and were thankful for what you had. A lesson today's generation should learn.

This riveting account of the Bondurant brothers and their hill upbringing in the days before and after of prohibition days shows you the drive behind prohibited stills. Shotguns, murder and the backstory of the family and surrounding area and the men behind the most prized possession, illegAl liquor and their drive to obtain it will keep you reading till the end.

Call me clueless, but I had no idea that the movie "Lawless" was actually a book until the beginning of the movie 'based on a true story.' Yet, as soon as I saw the title of the book and the author on the end credits, I immediately purchased the Kindle edition.First, I could relate to the idea of three tough, stoic brothers supporting themselves the only way they knew how. It reminded me of my father and uncles [who where born between 1915-1925]. The author presented it in a way where I could relate to Jack Bondurant's fascination with his elder brother, Forrest. I was the same way with my father and uncles. I was a late birth to my parents, so they came from an entirely different generation. In fact, my father claimed to have bootlegged himself. So there were so many things in which I could relate.Second, the book was gritty, brutally honest, and didn't necessarily seduce readers into thinking the liquor business was glamorous. It presented the exact opposite. The corruption within the ATU and other officials was galling. However, it was totally believable. Small towns still operate within a corrupt system. I know this from experience. Mr. Bondurant made this very clear. I love the truth, rawness, and the brilliant premise. I have always wanted to dig into my father's past to find out what he did. Yet, at the same time, folks who love the mule would never open their mouths, just like Mr. Bondurant suggested at the end of the book.Third, there was some confusion. The book is written in an uneven manner. I understand that Mr. Bondurant explained how he collected information for his book. This is not necessarily the author's fault, as he was writing according to family stories and newspaper articles. Overall, the book was phenomenal. As an aside, Mr. Bondurant mentioned that the soda used to either cut the mule or chase it, Sun Drop, was only sold in Virginia. I live in Arkansas, and we have that brand of soda, so while drinking the legal mule in my fridge, I'll keep that in mind.

I had a hard time remembering from one date to the next where we were on the time line. The author bounced around back and forth between different years from about 1928-1935 with an epilogue at the end. I wanted to like this book, but there was no rhyme or reason why he bounced around the years, for the same characters. The switching did not enhance the story and I finished the book confused about what happened and when. I have read other books with shifting time lines that made more sense.

What a read! It always amazes me when you read stories based on true events. If you have watched the film, then read the book, brilliant! The only criticism is as previously mentioned, then order of the chapters can be confusing (they jump forward and backward between the years).So I have written them out in order, which is as follows2,3,4,5,7,8,9,10,14,16,17,18,19,20,21,23,24,25,27,28,29.1,6,11,15,30,31,32,22,26 & 33.Hope this helps.

When Lawless came out at the cinema, it immediately looked the sort of film you wanted to watch, knew you should watch ... Until you heard there was a book behind it, a book about real people, larger than life, mysterious and whose story would leave you viewing lawlessness forever differently.That's what happened with this retitling of Matt Bondurant's "The Wettest County in the World". Written in the style of Cormac McCarthy it almost has the mystical quality of a Greek tragedy. At the same time there is that gritty, almost hopeless edge to it which mimics Steinbeck. You can smell the corn as it's mashing, the shrivelled tobacco on which no hope is lavished because, at that time, it was almost guaranteed to fail, the sweat of the men eking out their existence on alcohol and adrenaline and the despair of their women who fear that nobody will survive the drought or the revenue. Or the competition. It was all a matter of which got you first. The battle between the moonshiners (a northern term) and the local police and revenue men demonstrates what we all secretly know: there is a very fine line between what is lawful and what is criminal.Yet out of this despair and weariness come three brothers who mind their business on the wrong side of the law while still determined to do what they can for those they love.Despite the passing of time, and the determination of the brothers not to brag of their exploits, Jack's grandson does an excellent job in bring their legend to life in a style at once imparting the violent edge on which the men lived, and the tenderness of their relationships with their loves. His style portrays scenes and interactions in a way that the film will take for granted and for that reason I'm glad I read it first. This is a book I will read again. Do I want to watch the film now? Perhaps I will, but I feel no real need to after this experience.

Even if I had not seen the film first I would still have been critical of the book. The film was much more gripping and shocking, which I guess is what films do best. As a result, I found the book ponderous, digressive, and irritating. For example, to my mind, once a location or setting has been established by a writer I don't understand why in nearly every chapter they should describe the country, or the habits of individuals, anew, such as what each dawn looks like, or the amount that a particular individual drinks or smokes, which overall I found tiresome.

I admit, I bought this book after seeing the movie and loving it. I understand that some other reviewers found difficulty with the timeline and narration of the book and I feel that having seen the film first, it was easier for me to fall into the story and the switching between the years. The characters are so well formed that you can picture them so clearly in your mind, as well as the rural town where they reside. Each of the colourful characters where likable or despisable, every one of them so expertly described that Bondurant really takes you back through time to a place that probably one still exsists in some small parts of America. If you choose to, you should read the book as it is, a story built on hearsay and legend that is colourful, heartfelt, violent and simply fascinating. I loved this book and I hope others will too, despite Bondurant's slighty odd storytelling it is unlike any other description of those involved in the bootleg liquor trade.

After watching the movie I thought i'd give the book a try. Saying that, it's not as easy to follow - it leaps back and forwards from the 1930's and 1920's in varying chapters so you have to remember what happened when. The characters are good and it realy does give an insight into the country bootleggers of the time period, but you need to follow the plot. If you want to do it the easy way just watch the film, but the book is good, and obviously Hollywood always miss out parts and Characters, and are "creative" with other bits - if you want the accurate account this is it.