A review by flatmtns
Mink River by Brian Doyle

dark emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

2.5

I liked what Doyle was going for with this book, but overall it felt like a much bigger, more unfocused project than was really made room for. Stylistically, I found it very lyrical, with an underlying rhythm that was occasionally propulsive but mostly felt annoying and theatrical. The critical moments of reflection felt a little saccharine, and surprisingly low stakes. Mostly I'd call this a much less mature attempt at what I see in Louise Erdrich's work.