Reviews

The River Why by David James Duncan

auntblh's review against another edition

2.0

I'm still not quite sure what to think about this book. I didn't really start liking it at all until I was about halfway through (starting with "book 3"). It seemed to get better the farther along I got in the book. I think this book needs to be read slowly so you have time to pause and think about everything. It is too deep to read quickly but unfortunately, I didn't have the time to give it. I probably would have given up on it if it wasn't a book group book and I hadn't wanted to discuss it with a friend.

oceanlistener's review against another edition

5.0

I hate both fishing and most talk about religion, but I still loved this book. Gentle, funny, and lyrical- every time I've read it it's just sucked me in.

marisatn's review against another edition

4.0

Been meaning to read this for years. I didn’t love it as much as The Brothers K, but it was definitely well worth the read.

hotbike's review against another edition

5.0

"Many a night I'd sit up late looking at the cabin full of swappings and pictures and gifts and candlelight, unable to get sleepy for the fullness in my heart--and the aching in it too, because most people couldn't live the way we lived...and also because I had so much to share, but nobody to share it with" -Gus

"he had a last-apple-before-the-frost quality, as if he had an old dog that just died and his smile was to keep from crying."

loriforan's review against another edition

4.0

This book was about philosophy, existentialism, passion, expertise, persistence, and love. It had humor, tragedy, opportunities for contemplation on spirituality, solitude, and sprinkles of whimsy through the well-spun fish tales. What else would you expect from a book with a boy named Hemingway, a man called H2O, and a dog named Des Cartes? And, here, I though it was just a book about fishing.

j4sythe_1's review against another edition

adventurous funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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

5.0

walruz's review against another edition

3.0

It would seem I'm one of the few ambivalent reviewers of this book. It is uneven: at times tedious, and at other times fantastic (in many senses of the word). The opening 100 pages herald the coming of "The Brothers K," which I read before this and which is no doubt a much more coherent piece of fiction. The spiritual quest is muddied, but compelling. The ending, however, is just plain silly.

binxthinx's review against another edition

3.0

3.5 stars

Funny and interesting and lots of beautiful writing. Too long though and doesn’t deliver what it promises. Gets close to being satisfying, but never seems to go as deep as it ought.

aprilbosworth's review against another edition

4.0

This was a great book to get the "feel" of (rural) Oregon (without a lot of the hippie/drug mumbo jumbo from some of the more famous authors). I really enjoyed it.

dafunnypimp's review

emotional funny reflective slow-paced

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

4.5