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A review by krissyt256
Mink River by Brian Doyle
5.0
If I could write books I'd want to write exactly like Brian Doyle. I love his writing style. He uses these beautiful sentences full of insightful images that make me say, "Yeah...exactly...well put." And he creates these deep, interesting characters that make me say, "Oh, there is more to this person than we think." And he portrays this small coastal town in an intriguing and thoughtful way that make me want to go visit. And the story jumps around in a fun way to keep me interested. I was sad to see this book end. A very enjoyable read.
This book is not for everyone. You have to enjoy a story that is told from many different perspectives and unfolds in a clever but haphazard way. The story shifts perspective every one or two pages making it a bit hard to keep up. The jumping around may get frustrating to those who like a more linear story. And not a whole lot happens in this small Oregon town but life drifts along. And you have to be open to magical realism and embrace the talking raven, helpful bear, and the visions of two old men. At the beginning I kept flipping back to try to keep all the characters straight and toward the end I kept flipping ahead to see how each little piece unfolds. But, those who hang on to the end will be rewarded with a beautiful piece of writing and lovely memories of all the interesting people of Neawanaka, Oregon.
This book is not for everyone. You have to enjoy a story that is told from many different perspectives and unfolds in a clever but haphazard way. The story shifts perspective every one or two pages making it a bit hard to keep up. The jumping around may get frustrating to those who like a more linear story. And not a whole lot happens in this small Oregon town but life drifts along. And you have to be open to magical realism and embrace the talking raven, helpful bear, and the visions of two old men. At the beginning I kept flipping back to try to keep all the characters straight and toward the end I kept flipping ahead to see how each little piece unfolds. But, those who hang on to the end will be rewarded with a beautiful piece of writing and lovely memories of all the interesting people of Neawanaka, Oregon.