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4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
Spanning three decades from about 1890 to 1920, Dancing at the Rascal Fair is the second book in the Montana trilogy by Ivan Doig. Though it is the second volume, many readers—including me—read it first, because it comes before the first book in the series chronologically. I have yet to determine if reading it in this order was a good idea, but there was nothing in this book that seems to spoil previous plot lines, and other readers recommend reading Dancing at the Rascal Fair first. The novel follows Angus McCaskill, a young Scottish man who comes to the U.S. around 1889 and become a homesteader in Montana territory. From there, it follows the lives of him, his family and close friends.
Readers of historical fiction in the Western genre will most likely appreciate this book. I do find it important to note that other readers have claimed that you will enjoy Ivan Doig’s work if you have enjoyed the works of Norman Maclean (A River Runs Through It) and Wallace Stegner (Angle of Repose). I thought the former novel was just OK, while the latter was mind-numbingly dull, yet I quite enjoy Doig’s writing, so I’m not sure where that comparison stems from.
I can understand the comparison to Maclean more—the Montana setting, the boy’s coming of age, the romantic and slow-paced writing. But Doig certainly inserts more plot into his novels than Maclean did.
It is the comparison to Stegner that I plainly don’t understand. Angle of Repose was one of the most boring, emotionless, vanilla stories I’ve ever read. Dancing at the Rascal Fair is not perfect, but it cannot be called boring or emotionless; in fact, one of its only flaws is how dramatic it is. So, call me confused.
Some parts of this novel require you to enjoy reading about farm life. “The simple life.” If that is boring to you, even in spaced-out chunks that don’t take over the novel, you probably won’t enjoy this (or much of Doig’s work). But, if you’re coming to this review after reading the book’s synopsis, you’re probably more concerned about the novel as a story, not as a Western.
This is not a happy story. It’s not a terribly sad story, either, or maybe I just have a high tolerance for misery. But it’s no Little House on the Prairie. It deals with grief and unfulfilled dreams and unrequited love and broken relationships. Yet, the author doesn’t delve into full-on tragedy, and the novel mostly contains a dream-like quality that really works in a historical fiction, rendering it highly immersive. As a result, it is also easy to remain at a distance from the sadness or pain of the characters, because they don’t seem fully real. That’s a good thing in this case; if you empathize with every single fictional character you read about, you will lose your mind.
However, my main complaint with this novel is the narrator, Angus. He is the family patriarch, and frankly, the prima donna/drama king. I hand it to Ivan Doig; I’ve never read a male character portrayed as so emotional before. There is something refreshing in that, but the refreshment quickly dissipates when you read on, because Angus becomes so irrational that his behaviour devolves into immaturity. And the worst part is that it doesn’t seem like Doig is doing this entirely intentionally; it seems like he’s trying to make the character “passionate.” But whatever Angus’ motives, his actions are, at a certain point, inexcusable in my opinion.
Maybe the author intended that to be a point of discussion—whether the reader agrees with Angus. But, as a reading experience, because Angus is the only point-of-view character, his irrational view of the world becomes stifling at times. Still, I didn’t take off too many stars for this, because I think his character is interesting to ponder, and more foolish people certainly have existed in real life.
Also, having now read two of Doig’s novels, I am starting to think he’s not so good at writing female characters, or he doesn’t try hard enough. His novels focus on men—boys, adults, everything in between—and that’s perfectly fine, but when he does have to write a female character, they aren’t nearly as fleshed out. There were a few examples in this novel, and because Angus’ narrative voice was so strong and “passionate,” his understanding of the motivations of other characters is limited. And so, the motivations of the women become murky at best, or non-existent or confused at worst. I think the author does an OK job covering up for this flaw in his writing, though; he doesn’t actively write any offensive or unbelievable women characters, he just doesn’t write about them a whole lot. But if you’re looking to read about the women of Montana in this era, look elsewhere.
Now that I think of it, this is indicative of wider problem, wherein Doig doesn’t do a great job of writing characters with emotional depth. This isn’t a deal-breaker for me, but I found that the characters sometimes did things or made choices that made me balk. I felt that certain characters didn’t get mad when they should have, while at other times, characters who were upset were melodramatic.
Readers of historical fiction in the Western genre will most likely appreciate this book. I do find it important to note that other readers have claimed that you will enjoy Ivan Doig’s work if you have enjoyed the works of Norman Maclean (A River Runs Through It) and Wallace Stegner (Angle of Repose). I thought the former novel was just OK, while the latter was mind-numbingly dull, yet I quite enjoy Doig’s writing, so I’m not sure where that comparison stems from.
I can understand the comparison to Maclean more—the Montana setting, the boy’s coming of age, the romantic and slow-paced writing. But Doig certainly inserts more plot into his novels than Maclean did.
It is the comparison to Stegner that I plainly don’t understand. Angle of Repose was one of the most boring, emotionless, vanilla stories I’ve ever read. Dancing at the Rascal Fair is not perfect, but it cannot be called boring or emotionless; in fact, one of its only flaws is how dramatic it is. So, call me confused.
Some parts of this novel require you to enjoy reading about farm life. “The simple life.” If that is boring to you, even in spaced-out chunks that don’t take over the novel, you probably won’t enjoy this (or much of Doig’s work). But, if you’re coming to this review after reading the book’s synopsis, you’re probably more concerned about the novel as a story, not as a Western.
This is not a happy story. It’s not a terribly sad story, either, or maybe I just have a high tolerance for misery. But it’s no Little House on the Prairie. It deals with grief and unfulfilled dreams and unrequited love and broken relationships. Yet, the author doesn’t delve into full-on tragedy, and the novel mostly contains a dream-like quality that really works in a historical fiction, rendering it highly immersive. As a result, it is also easy to remain at a distance from the sadness or pain of the characters, because they don’t seem fully real. That’s a good thing in this case; if you empathize with every single fictional character you read about, you will lose your mind.
However, my main complaint with this novel is the narrator, Angus. He is the family patriarch, and frankly, the prima donna/drama king. I hand it to Ivan Doig; I’ve never read a male character portrayed as so emotional before. There is something refreshing in that, but the refreshment quickly dissipates when you read on, because Angus becomes so irrational that his behaviour devolves into immaturity. And the worst part is that it doesn’t seem like Doig is doing this entirely intentionally; it seems like he’s trying to make the character “passionate.” But whatever Angus’ motives, his actions are, at a certain point, inexcusable in my opinion.
Maybe the author intended that to be a point of discussion—whether the reader agrees with Angus. But, as a reading experience, because Angus is the only point-of-view character, his irrational view of the world becomes stifling at times. Still, I didn’t take off too many stars for this, because I think his character is interesting to ponder, and more foolish people certainly have existed in real life.
Also, having now read two of Doig’s novels, I am starting to think he’s not so good at writing female characters, or he doesn’t try hard enough. His novels focus on men—boys, adults, everything in between—and that’s perfectly fine, but when he does have to write a female character, they aren’t nearly as fleshed out. There were a few examples in this novel, and because Angus’ narrative voice was so strong and “passionate,” his understanding of the motivations of other characters is limited. And so, the motivations of the women become murky at best, or non-existent or confused at worst. I think the author does an OK job covering up for this flaw in his writing, though; he doesn’t actively write any offensive or unbelievable women characters, he just doesn’t write about them a whole lot. But if you’re looking to read about the women of Montana in this era, look elsewhere.
Now that I think of it, this is indicative of wider problem, wherein Doig doesn’t do a great job of writing characters with emotional depth. This isn’t a deal-breaker for me, but I found that the characters sometimes did things or made choices that made me balk. I felt that certain characters didn’t get mad when they should have, while at other times, characters who were upset were melodramatic.
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Beautifully written story of the late 19th/early 20th century homesteading in Montana from the voice of the main character -- ia young Scotsman who settles in the American west. The story is gripping and the audiobook narration is excellent.
Story of 2 brothers settling Montana - Doig writes beautifully descriptive and brings written characters to life.
This was a wonderful book. Kind of like Angle of Repose only really different. Highly recommended.
I cherish novels that draw you in so deeply that you feel you are living the story, not just reading about it, and that cause your thoughts to linger on the prose and characters for days after you finish reading. This book had that impact on me.
It is the engaging story of Angus and Rob, two 19-year-old Scottish lads who journey together in the late 1800s to America. They survive the harrowing trans-Atlantic voyage, then make their way to northern Montana to connect with Rob’s uncle, Lucas, whose letters home have painted a picture of prosperity in this new frontier. These are the early days of homesteading, so we follow Angus’ and Rob’s different approaches as they establish their lives -- seeking out acreage and building their homes, then choosing their livelihoods and spouses. Their personalities are similar at age 19, but gradually diverge with years and experiences. A number of historical events are woven into the story -- immigration, the outbreak of WWI, the influenza pandemic, the establishment of the National Forest system -- all against the central backdrop of Montana’s harsh landscape and climate, both of which are rugged but also beautiful and bountiful.
Doig’s prose paints the relationship between Angus and Rob with color and complexity, weaving the characters’ different perspectives and choices into the themes of hard work and perseverance vs luck, optimism vs practicality, and joy vs heartache. A very, very memorable novel.
It is the engaging story of Angus and Rob, two 19-year-old Scottish lads who journey together in the late 1800s to America. They survive the harrowing trans-Atlantic voyage, then make their way to northern Montana to connect with Rob’s uncle, Lucas, whose letters home have painted a picture of prosperity in this new frontier. These are the early days of homesteading, so we follow Angus’ and Rob’s different approaches as they establish their lives -- seeking out acreage and building their homes, then choosing their livelihoods and spouses. Their personalities are similar at age 19, but gradually diverge with years and experiences. A number of historical events are woven into the story -- immigration, the outbreak of WWI, the influenza pandemic, the establishment of the National Forest system -- all against the central backdrop of Montana’s harsh landscape and climate, both of which are rugged but also beautiful and bountiful.
Doig’s prose paints the relationship between Angus and Rob with color and complexity, weaving the characters’ different perspectives and choices into the themes of hard work and perseverance vs luck, optimism vs practicality, and joy vs heartache. A very, very memorable novel.
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
If you haven't read Doig - read Doig. He is a quintessential chronicler of the American West.
Having not read the first book (which I heard was *really* slow), I had high hopes for the middle one because it takes place in the beautiful state of Montana. The writing, however, is nothing special (compared to say, Wallace Stegner or John Steinbeck), none of the characters are fully realized (in particular, I would like to know more about members of the Barclay family), and despite the dramatic events towards the end, none of the main plot lines come to a satisfying resolution.
Bookclub discussion made me realize that the first-person narrative style may be responsible for the shallow character development.
Dates: 24-30 May 2015
Bookclub discussion made me realize that the first-person narrative style may be responsible for the shallow character development.
Dates: 24-30 May 2015