This book is sometimes humorous but poignant. We learn of Remmy's childhood straight through to his death. All his life he wanted to build Camelot. He dreamed of having a great time with his merry men. Some chapters were a little dragged out. Family play a big part in this story. 5his is a series of stories told from Remmy's perspective. He learned to be a prankster from his grandad so he pranks people. He hates the mineral and soil companies as they messed up the land that he loved. This is a enjoyable read.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author Lancelot Schaubert for my ARC in exchange for an honest review

When I first opened this book, I thought, “Hooboy. What have I committed to?” The opening scene, of a 6 year old bathing, then running buck naked to catch the school “bus” did NOT seem like a book Ikd get hooked into. But hooked I got, and hooked I stayed, almost to the very end.

This book is a cleverly written “biography” of the protagonist and master prankster, Remmy. It is told from a third person P.O.V. as Remmy navigates the path of boy, teen, man in the southern Illinois town, Little Egypt. It is not an easy life, but there is a lot of good surrounding Remmy too.

I found this book to be very well written, although a bit repetitive...word for word in spots...as stories are told and then recounted. This was easy enough to get through, though, as the main character is quite the storyteller. Spoiler alert...there is a rape towards the end that was pretty hard to read, and while God is a key character throughout the book, the final chapter was pretty over the top on the preaching.

Thank you the the publisher and to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book to review.

Bell Hammers focuses on the life, loves and hijinks of Remmy, beginning with his childhood in Illinois through to his death.

Family and love play a huge part in this story but it also heartbreaking the conduct of big corporations and their responsibility to the communities they are a part of.

I loved the language and the ambience, it was especially heartwarming to read the acknowledgements. I look forward to another Remmy story!

What a fun book! Reading this felt much like listening to my elders tell stories when I was growing up. Told in a folksy and honest voice it made for an excellent escape from the everyday. I can’t wait to read more from this author.

"Bell Hammers" is an interesting novel that takes place in Illinois. It's a series of short stories that can be rather hit or miss for me. A lot of it just didn't interest me as much as I wish it would have. The overall writing style was nice though.

Bell Hammers is a wonderfully written book that follows Remmy through life in southern Illinois. It is told in a series of short stories linked together with each chapter covering a year of Remmy's life starting in elementary school. Remmy learns how to be a prankster from his grandfather and the book is peppered with jokes between him and friends, wife and children. When a faulty oil derrick falls in Remmy's yard and poisons the neighborhood well, he assembles his band of "Merry Men" to perform the world's greatest prank. Pranks and jokes have no consequences, right?

The writing is very good and reads a little like Mark Twain, especially the earlier sections. The author talks about his inspiration for this book coming from interviewing older grandparents and uncles about their lives. In some places, Bell Hammers reads like a series of anecdotes told at a family gathering--it was excellent.

2.5 stars. The life story and best pranks of Remmy Brograner, as recorded and re-told by his grandson. Written in a very colloquial way, which is/was particular to the Southern Illinois area of Little Egypt where this is set. I struggled a little with the writing because the exceedingly long run-on sentences made it a little hard to follow.

I loved this book, it took me way back to the days when I was growing up. It was humorous, during these times right now that we are going through right now, it is just the book that I needed to lighten the mood.

Thank you for the chance to read and review this book.

One of a kind book that tells serious issues in a funny way. While reading the first chapter, i knew how special the main character Remus is. Humorous and heartfelt throughout. The relationship between Remus and relatives is very relatable. It was bit dragged in some chapters, but I loved the use of local slang and scenarios by the author. Surprisingly i found the language mimicking some classic authors. Well thought and more pressing than I thought it would be!
Thank you NetGalley, Lancelot Schaubert for reader’s copy of the book. The review is my own and was not influenced in any way.

I had a hard time with this book. I just can’t settle into it. It feels like I’m just not it’s targeted audience. I wasn’t able to finish it.

Bell hammers is one of those books which is humorous yet poignant. This book makes you laugh yet gets you thinking about some serious issues.
Remmy lives in Little Egypt, southern Illinois in coal county. This books sketches his antics from childhood till old age and finally death. Remmy is quite a character, in fact all the characters in this story are characters ( if you know what I mean😜). All his life remmy dreams of building Camelot , having fun with his merry men and playing an ultimate prank coz “ pranks and jokes don’t have no consequences”.
His enemy is Texarco, the oil company.
Some of his antics , specially those with grandpa Patrick are hilarious. I also loved his conversations with The good lord.

The author has based this book on the actual experiences of some of his own relatives. Clearly, this was a story waiting to be told . The narrative style is reminiscent of some classic authors . I loved the use of some local language and slang ( for want of a better word ). The book does tend to stretch a bit towards the middle but overall it was a good one .

Bellhammers follows an ornery child on his path to become an ornery man. The story begins in a modest town in Illinois with Remmy getting a bath in a metal tub. When the "bus" (an old flatbed truck) pulls up the street he runs naked after the truck to catch the bus. Even from the first page the reader understands that this is no normal lead character, but one with life and stories...and pranks.

Throughout the book, Remmy and his best friends, a.k.a. the "merry men" battle the big bad oil company. Hijinks end with a spoiled drinking well and ending with a prank to end all pranks (and possibly end Remmy in jail).

The book takes readers through the whole of Remmy's life, and we get to experience life with Remmy from the 40's into the early 2000's. I enjoyed stories of Remmy's dad delivering milk, and Remmy later selling ice--reminiscent of a simpler time in American life.

The book isn't all hijinks, however. Bellhammers also focuses on serious issues such as the ethics of big corporations. Of love and family. Of race, and the prison system. And through it all Remmy has his faith and conversations with the Lord. Overall it was a charming read that you will be thinking about long after reading the last page.

I received a free electronic ARC of this historical novel from Netgalley, Lancelot Schaubert, and IBPA. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. In a style all of his own, Schaubert brings us the poignant history of a town, a family, that is crystal clear in minute vignettes of time and place through the eyes of youngster Wilson Remus Broganer.

Remmy is 6 years old when his story begins in Bell Hammers. Bell Hammer is a very small place, the oil fields of Texarco just about the only employer around and the employees are badly treated and often robbed of time or money or both. We have a chapter for each year, as seen through the eyes of this youngster who is sharp and funny and wise beyond his years.

As a Southwesterner, Illinois has always rested in my mind cleanly in the north and the east, but this story is true southern from the git-go. It is a wild ride between angst and laughter, and these protagonists are quickly included among your friends and family. You will want to read this book. This time, this place is picture-perfect and heartfelt. Schaubert is an author to follow.

pub date Oct 12, 2020

Thank you for the opportunity to read this. I will be posting a full review to Goodreads, Amazon, and Instagram.

This folksy telling of points of the life of Wilson Remus is attention grabbing and enjoyable though the writing style can be hard to deal with at times. The stories are outrageous at times and heartfelt at others. I do think the ending could have been cut and the book might have been slightly better. I think it detracted from the rest.

What I Liked

The writing. From the very first sentence, I knew I was going to love this book. And I was right! It begins with the scene where the protagonist rushes off to school buck naked. It is either that or miss the last ride. And being a kid and a prankster at heart, they do the only thing true to their nature! The author continues to win your heart with their words right to the end.

The research. You walk in Little Egypt, Illinois, with the characters. A few footnotes show that the author filled in the blanks with other reference material.

The truth. Even though, the protagonist or their family don’t come off smelling like roses after several incidents, the author chose to tell the story as it was. I liked the honesty because it made the character more interesting to read about.

The humor. And the quirkiness of the characters. Whether it is the protag or his wife, his grandpa, or their collective friends. They saw the worst of times and tried to make life easier to live by being ready to laugh at themselves and prank others.

What I Didn’t Like

The preaching. At the very end, when the protagonist dies and goes to heaven, they have a conversation with God. It’s on how some pranks start off well but can have unintended but disastrous consequences. I get the lesson that comes with it; I just don’t feel like it was needed.

What Made Me Pause

The rape. For all I know, it happened just as described in the book. And it didn’t even drag on for pages and pages. Nonetheless, it hurt.

To summarize, read this book if you like small town stories, those based on family life, and love to laugh.

I requested this book on Netgalley and I’m glad I did!

The book took a little while to get into reading. Once hooked, it was a well written joy to read. The author provided great character depth. I enjoyed Bellhammers.

Written with a distinctive voice in a very folksy way, this novel fits a certain unique niche that's not often seen. Through little snippets and recountings, we find a retelling that is at times humorous (and sometimes cringe-worthy) much like listening to an elderly uncle telling tales of when your (grand)dad was a kid. Unfortunately I didn't quite connect with this the way I would have liked, but I do believe that's more to do with my personal reading preferences than any flaw from the author.

Bell Hammers was a relevant, funny, and important read. It's a series of stories told from the point of view of Remmy, presenting stories possibly handed down through many generations, representing those held back capitalism, by progression, by those with money. It is authentic and presents many example of pranks and tricks which common folk played on one another to entertain themselves and break the monotony of everyday life. I loved this book and found myself putting on an accent in my head as I read along. I'd highly recommend this sentimental read.

I want to start off by saying thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book, it was a very good read easy to follow along with storyline and characters. This was a new author for me but I very much enjoyed it, thank you for the opportunity and I look forward to reading more by this author again. I highly recommend this book to everybody.