Reviews

The Bartender's Tale by Ivan Doig

liloud0626's review against another edition

5.0

A bit slow getting started but I loved this tale of a boy discovering who his father is.

luaucow's review

4.0

Wonderful, eccentric, characters as seen through the eyes of 12 year old boy, w/a small-towny atmosphere. I loved the father, who insisted on raising his son by himself, even though men generally didn't do that sort of thing in that point of history + the oral history recorder from the Library of Congress.

bearforester's review

5.0

4.5 stars. Very enjoyable novel about a boy growing up in a small town in Montana in 1960. Reminded me a bit of some of Richard Russo’s works.

lgcullens's review

4.0

Having read other books by Ivan Doig in the Two Medicine Country Series I picked this for a diversionary pleasurable read. As always, the author came through.

I'm a bit jaded with the gadgetry dependent, excesses thrills, and improbable fantasizing that clog the floodgate of so much writing nowadays, having been raised in a simpler, down-to-earth, remote region many years ago. Thus, stories like these, especially in the northern Rockies region, and not tainted with 'Hollywood' propaganda, appeal to me. Real life stories without all the modern distractions and excesses.

If you're interested in such stories, you will find this book a page-turning experience that will leave you in a good mood.

As to what this particular story is about, enough has already been said in the many other reviews to whet your appetite.

chrissimpson's review

4.0

A great story ... I found myself slowing down as I came close to finishing it ... simply because I wanted to hang around the characters some more. Classic Doig - does a marvelous job of developing his characters and spins a great story. I immediately picked up another Ivan Doig book and will start it soon.

vkemp's review

3.0

Rusty was "an accident between the sheets" who lives with his aunt until he is six and his father swoops down from Montana to take him off to live over his saloon in Gros Ventre called "The Medicine Lodge." In 1960, Rusty's life changes dramatically. Proxy, a taxi dancer, Rusty's dad knew long ago, and her daughter Francine arrive at the Medicine Lodge. Rusty struggles to decipher the adults around him and comes to terms with the oddities of adult behavior. The pace of the book is slow and deliberate and the reader watches as Rusty's world becomes bigger and more complex than he ever thought it could be.

lesley's review

4.0

This was my first I've Doig and I'll definitely read more. The story of Rusty and his life in small town Montana with his humble bartending legend father was a simple beautiful tale that sucks you in to their 1960s lives with wonderful characters and subtle family drama. Wonderfully read on audio.

stamat's review

5.0

Another excellent homespun tale from Ivan Doig, evoking the near-mid 20th century culture and times of the Montana working class. What the small-town culture lacks in "big city" sophistication is more than made up in its colorful, scrappy character.

perri's review

3.0

I read this book for a book club I've yet to attend, and will be curious to see what in the world we'll be discussing. This is a gentle coming- of- age story well written with very little plot. It's mostly character and setting driven. I enjoyed it.

tippycanoegal's review

2.0

Wanted to like this more than I did. The narrative seemed awfully clunky to me. Could almost feel the gears wheezing as they pushed the story along.