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peaches1951's review against another edition
4.0
Ivan Doig's master storytelling creates a memorable character as seen through the eyes of his young son. Doig nails Montana scenery, the strengths and foibles of we humans, and the memorable character of the bartender. Loved this book.
ris_stitches's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book, although it was a bit long-winded and repetitive at times. Great story.
cpwang65's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
susanbrooks's review against another edition
4.0
Charming yarn of bartending father and son in small town Montana, 1960. Stuff happens, characters pop up.
I most enjoyed the wonderful characters and the audiobook narration is superb.
I most enjoyed the wonderful characters and the audiobook narration is superb.
connie_d's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
heartofoak1's review against another edition
4.0
the second half of this book (where it finally synced with what the blurb on the back said it was about) was what i really enjoyed, to me it seemed that the "set-up" getting to that point was overly long. the story centers around rusty harry, a 12 year old, who is reunited with (re-claimed by?)his bartender father who owns a bar in a Montana "dam town" and their new life together. plenty of plot twist, adventure and characters to keep my interest, the historical bits kind of bogged me down in places, however.
acheryl's review against another edition
5.0
Its been a while since I found a story worth five stars but this is it. I loved this book. So many stories within the story and unexpected twists and that kept the pages turning.
lordfinkelgravy's review against another edition
2.0
This book read a lot like To Kill a Mockingbird. The first person reflective point of view; the local color and the ensemble of colorful characters all brought to mind Harper Lee. That is where the comparison ends though, for while Lee's book wove the characters and setting into a unified theme around breaking down the walls which separate people, The Bartender's Tale seems content with painting a picture and leaving us to wonder what point the author was trying to make with it.
I read some reviews which called this book a coming of age novel and I disagree. Coming of age would imply that as the young narrator moves through the book he encounters conflicts and makes discoveries which in the end teach him (and the readers) and help him to grow and change. Nothing of the sort happens here. The book starts with a 12 year old boy and ends with the same 12 year old boy and then tacks on something of an epilogue to create a sense of nostalgia. All of it well written and rich in detail, but lacking an inspired theme to make they reader think once the story is over.
What does work for this book is way Rusty , the narrator, brings his father to life through his narration. These passages were equal parts hero worship and longing to keep the intimacy with his father they establish since his father took Rusty into his care starting from age six. Father-son relationships is powerful stuff in literature, but again, while Doig brings it to the fore, he then just let's it sit there with no real message or exploration.
In the end, this was a competent book, but I expected more.
I read some reviews which called this book a coming of age novel and I disagree. Coming of age would imply that as the young narrator moves through the book he encounters conflicts and makes discoveries which in the end teach him (and the readers) and help him to grow and change. Nothing of the sort happens here. The book starts with a 12 year old boy and ends with the same 12 year old boy and then tacks on something of an epilogue to create a sense of nostalgia. All of it well written and rich in detail, but lacking an inspired theme to make they reader think once the story is over.
What does work for this book is way Rusty , the narrator, brings his father to life through his narration. These passages were equal parts hero worship and longing to keep the intimacy with his father they establish since his father took Rusty into his care starting from age six. Father-son relationships is powerful stuff in literature, but again, while Doig brings it to the fore, he then just let's it sit there with no real message or exploration.
In the end, this was a competent book, but I expected more.
jenleah's review against another edition
Nothing is happening and I'm on page 138. The writing is easy to read and the characters seem like nice people, but it's so boring!