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5.0étoiles sur 5
Deep and wide!, Mars 28 2004
Par Un client
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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5.0étoiles sur 5
Soul Fuel, Fév 26 2004
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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5.0étoiles sur 5
Bill Bob, Avril 29 2003
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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