Serena (novel)
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| Author | Ron Rash |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Jessica Shatan Heslin, Studio Shatan, Inc. |
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Fiction |
| Published | 2008 HarperCollins |
| Media type | Print Hardback |
| Pages | 384 |
| ISBN | ISBN 0061470856 |
| OCLC | 190621358 |
| 813'.54 dc22 | |
| LC Class | PS3568.A698 S47 2008 |
Serena is a 2008 novel by Ron Rash. Set in 1930s North Carolina, the novel tells the story of newlywed couple Serena and George Pemberton and their timber business. It was listed as #34 on the New York Times Bestseller list for Hardcover Fiction in the November 2, 2008 issue of The New York Times Book Review.[1] It has been adapted into a film by the same name starring Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence. The film was released in October 2014.
Plot
The year is 1929, and newlyweds George and Serena Pemberton travel from Boston to the North Carolina mountains where they plan to create a timber empire. George has already lived in the camp long enough to father an illegitimate child by young Rachel Harmon but Serena is new to the mountains. Upon stepping off the train in Waynesville, George is confronted by Rachel's father, Abe Harmon, who is angry at his daughter's abandonment and is hoping Pemberton will assist them financially. When Serena responds that George will not be assisting them, Abe attacks George with bowie knife. Ultimately George wins the battle and kills Abe. George also meets his business partners Wilkie and Buchanan at the train station and introduces them to his new wife, Serena.
Serena will soon show herself to be the equal of any man, overseeing crews, hunting rattlesnakes, even saving her husband's life in the wilderness. Together, the Pembertons ruthlessly kill or vanquish all who fall out of favor. Meanwhile Rachel Harmon struggles to take care of her son, Jacob. When Serena learns that she will never bear a child, she sets out to murder the son George fathered without her. Mother and child begin a struggle for their lives, and when Serena suspects George is protecting his illegitimate family, the Pembertons' intense, passionate marriage starts to unravel. In the end, Serena tricks her husband and leaves George to die in the woods. Years later, Serena is interviewed for Life magazine because of her great success in the timber industry. She says she regrets nothing.[2] Shortly after, she is murdered by Jacob Harmon. [3]
Major Characters
- Serena Pemberton - Protagonist and Pemberton’s wife. Cunning, manipulative and greedy.
- George Pemberton - Serena's husband and business partner.
- Rachel Harmon - The sixteen-year-old mother of George's illegitimate child, Jacob.
- Galloway - Serena's henchman.
- Mrs. Galloway - Galloway's blind mother who can tell the future of people around her.
- Mr. Harris - A newest partner of Serena and Pemberton who buys land to harvest the mineral instead of logging.
- Mr. Buchanan - One of the Pemberton's business partners.
- Mr. Wilkie - One of the Pemberton's business partners.
- Jacob Harmon - Son of Rachel Harmon and George Pemberton.
- Sheriff McDowell - Sheriff of Waynesville.
- Snipes - A crew foreman.
- Ezra Campbell - Pemberton's bookkeeper.
- Doctor Cheney - The camp's doctor.
- Joel Vaughn - Rachel's friend.
- Preacher McIntyre - preacher that works for Boston Lumber.
- Adeline Jenkins - Rachel's neighbor, who helps take care of Jacob.
Major themes
Greed, Corruption, Gender roles in society
Publication history
- 2008, USA, HarperCollins ISBN 0061470856, Pub date 2008, Hardback
Awards and nominations
- Finalist, 2009: Fiction for the PEN/Faulkner Award[4]
- Listed as #34 on The New York Times Bestseller list for Hardcover Fiction in the November 2, 2008 issue of The New York Times Book Review.[1]
Film adaptation
A film adaptation, Serena, starring Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence as George and Serena Pemberton, was released in October 2014 to mixed reviews.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Best Sellers". nytimes.com. Retrieved 26 February 2015.
- ↑ (adapted from flap jacket)
- ↑ Rash, Ron (October 2008). Serena (Hardcover) (1st ed.). New York: Ecco Press. pp. 371 pp. ISBN 978-0-06-147085-1.
- ↑ http://www.penfaulkner.org/award-for-fiction/past-award-winners-finalists/
External links
- New York Times article on Serena, published October 8, 2008
- Washington Post article on Serena, published October 12, 2008
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