Reviews

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

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juliawyatt2000's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

ambrose_7's review against another edition

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4.0

I had this book read to me a very long time ago and I wanted to re-read and see the change in how I perceive it. I think what most stood out to me was how different a time Rawls was writing in, you see this with all classics to a certain degree. I was just impacted heavily by this book, this was a book that people wanted to read back in the 60s when it was published. It was published around many ideas that were very prevalent at that point. Some of these include the religious aspects of the time (written during a very Christian America,) the belief in the American Dream (work hard and you'll be rewarded,) and this book has very clear gender roles. (Men have to be strong and protect women, women have to support the men.) It was fascinating to read about these times growing up in the 20th century in radically different ones.

Moving on to the actual book I enjoyed it a lot. It simplifies life to the joy of childhood and a beautiful childhood at that. Rawls writes Billy splendidly and you connect with him and his dogs immediately. If I had one critique it would be that this book is pretty fanciful. A lot of the things Billy's dogs do stretch the imagination a little too far, I understand the novel is written like this because it adds excitement and allows religion to be brought in to help when things seem impossible but as someone who personally doesn't believe in God it seems close to silly at times. The characters are wonderful, however, and by the end, I was emotional at the tragic conclusion of the book.

This book deserves its place as a classic.

mmz's review against another edition

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emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

elusorius's review against another edition

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4.0

This was a beautifully written, sad book. The determination of the little boy was inspiring and the bond between him and his dogs was one to be envied. Wilson Rawls is a master at describing the thrilling chase scenes and the pain of the sorrowful scenes. I would love to give this book a 5/5, but it hits just short of the mark for me. For one, sexism and lack of respect for nature are present all throughout the book, especially at the beginning. And while I understand that it was written in a different time, this made it hard to read. Moreover, religion had a strong influence on the story and the boy. Especially nearing the end, where the boy was suddenly healed from his pain because it was God's will. I find this unrealistic and it takes me out of the story. I disliked the ending because of this. In short: 4.5/5 for me.