The End of the Legend of Jared Snead

The End of the Legend of Jared Snead by Theron Montgomery is a novel about protagonist Army Ranger Beck Senecal and the disillusionment he feels after returning from Vietnam, along with the subsequent identity crisis he faces upon moving back to his old hometown of Fermata Bend, Alabama. The author does a good job of evoking a dreary, morose atmosphere throughout the novel that reflects the experience of many soldiers returning home. Beck feels the weight of the futility of it all, as his best friend Foster is now dead, the hometown legend Jared Snead has passed, and his fiancée is now engaged to someone else. Beck attempts to regulate his restlessness and violent tendencies, but he cannot undo or unsee what he has experienced, leading him into a disorienting state he calls “The Disconnect”. The novel incorporates some themes of transgressive fiction, as the protagonist faces extensive feelings of alienation and psychological intensity that he seeks relief from, but doesn't feel fulfillment from conventionally. It is ripe with symbolism and another effective period piece by Montgomery. The novel is an intriguing, thought-provoking read sure to engage readers and inspire discussion on the effects of returning from war.