The River Why: Amazon.ca: David James Duncan: Books

Product Description

From Amazon

David James Duncan's first novel has gained an increasingly wide audience over the years--some might even call it a following. This coming-of-age tale of Gus Orviston's search for the Pacific Northwest's elusive steelhead, a metaphor for Gus's internal quest for self-knowledge, appeals to all who cherish a good yarn and memorable characters. Uncle Zeke's colorful rendition of Gus's conception on the banks of the Deschutes River is itself worth the price of purchase. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"A veritable epic . . . moving, rhapsodic in its intensity." -- Publishers Weekly

"Entertaining . . . humorous . . . well worth reading." -- Chicago Tribune

"Irreverent, offbeat, and thoroughly likable." -- Los Angeles Times

"Wonderfully funny . . . imbued with a wisdom and a rather joyous ecology-minded spirit." -- Esquire

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Customer Reviews

70 Reviews

5 star:		(65)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
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Average Customer Review

4.9 out of 5 stars (70 customer reviews)

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5.0 out of 5 stars Deep and wide!, Mar 28 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The River Why (Hardcover)

A great journey of laughter - from the comical to the surreal.
A spiritual quest, a coming of age story, a good yarn. Dark moments, silly moments, poignant moments. For a weekend or every couple of days for six weeks or so, a great read! And I'm not a fan of fishing!

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5.0 out of 5 stars Soul Fuel, Feb 26 2004

By

Gregg Perez "Goyo" (Tecumseh, MI United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: The River Why (Hardcover)

This was the best fiction I've read in a long time. Basically, this is a story about a young man named Gus Orviston who strikes out on his own to pursue his love of fly fishing on a river somewhere along the Oregon coast. He believed at first that the amount of time he spent fishing was directly proportional to his state of happiness. Ironically, after he moved away from home and into a small riverside cabin to dedicate his life to fishing, he became depressed. After some soul searching he realized that there is more to life and happiness than the simple pleasure of fishing. There on the river he contemplates religion, philosophy, purpose, and love. Despite the serious nature of the subject, Duncan kept the tone light with an abundant mix of humor. I cracked up through the beginning of the book with the introduction of Gus's eccentric family. I loved the quirky neighbors, and the encounter with "the fishing Dutchman". In many ways the humor reminded me of my grandfather who always had a funny story to tell. I suspect the reason for my grandfather's humor was because in my youth, I was a lot like "Glum Gus". And, I suspect Duncan uses humor just as my grandfather did to remind us that no matter how serious life may seem, love can lift us up. I've always felt that this is done through humor which is the light of happiness which is the product of love.

These days you can read a lot of books on the subject of fishing. Many of them deal with an "obsession". But, I agree with Duncan's comments that his life is not based on an "obsession". It's based on a "love" of fly fishing that took years to develop. Duncan's love of the sport is just as evident in this book as Norman Maclean's famous story, "A River Runs Through It". The only difference being that Norman Maclean's story revolved solely around Christianity. This book takes a more universal approach. Zen, Native American spirituality, Christianity and a handful of other religions and philosophies are explored to help young Gus Orviston find happiness and love in his life. Despite the difference I found them to be near equals in combining spirituality and fly fishing.

Finally, I just want to say thanks to Sierra Club Books and David James Duncan. There's nothing better than reading a warm book about life, love and fly fishing to get me through the long cold winter.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Bill Bob, April 29 2003

By

C. Myers "leanleaper" (Simi Valley, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: The River Why (Paperback)

There are so many fine reviews here that offer wonderful commentary and glosses on the novel, yet I am struck by the paucity of mention of Bill Bob, among the most wonderful child characters in modern and contemporary literature. Certainly Bill Bob is the character most responsible for initiating in Gus, faith, by providing him an acceptable theory of an "afterlife" on which to build a broader spirituality.

The characterizations that solely drive this novel in the beginning are rich and wonderful preparation for the quest that follows.

If there is any weakness in this novel for me, it is that Duncan wrote about 3 pages too many. The concluding exegesis on Vietnam was superfluous. While it may have been in character for Gus to respond the way he did, this section was clearly "tacked on" and disrupted the wonderfulness of "the line of light" I felt in reading the novel. But, I quibble.

This will be a reading selection for my high school students from this time on.

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A Unexpectedly Brilliant Tale
I bought this book for my husband because he likes to fish. I grew up along the banks of the Red River in Louisiana and enjoy fishing, too... Read more

Published on Mar 24 2003 by Marion

5.0 out of 5 stars Suprised by the River Why
This book seemed to me like sort of a C.S. Lewis's "Suprised by Joy" meets Norman Maclean's "A River Runs Through It. Read more