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A review by columbiatch
The Big Rock Candy Mountain by Wallace Stegner
5.0
Based on the early life of the author, the story takes place during the 1st third of the 20th century. The Mason family (Bo, Elsa and their sons Chet and Bruce) live a nomadic life as they move from one state to another in order to pursue Bo’s get rich schemes. Stegner does a magnificent job in writing his flawed characters as they struggle through poverty and prosperity. He tackles many American themes including the dark side of the American dream, the destructive impact of reckless pursuit of wealth and individualist ambition, and how one generation shapes the next.
Stegner’s prose takes on several different styles to suit the narrative, especially when comparing sections told from the POV of each members of the Mason family. Elsa and especially Bruce’s sections are more introspective and often take on a lyrical style. Bo and Chet’s sections are more descriptive and read like genre fiction – the Bo’s bootlegging trips and Chet’s boyish adventures with his friends and his teenage romance. Whatever style he writes in, Stegner is wildly successful. The 1st chapter which is set in a train describes Elsa’s feeling of nausea and discomfort so well that reading it gave me anxiety. Given that the book is semi-autobiographical, with Bruce as the stand-in for the author, it is natural that Stegner uses him to ruminate his relationship with his family.
Stegner’s prose takes on several different styles to suit the narrative, especially when comparing sections told from the POV of each members of the Mason family. Elsa and especially Bruce’s sections are more introspective and often take on a lyrical style. Bo and Chet’s sections are more descriptive and read like genre fiction – the Bo’s bootlegging trips and Chet’s boyish adventures with his friends and his teenage romance. Whatever style he writes in, Stegner is wildly successful. The 1st chapter which is set in a train describes Elsa’s feeling of nausea and discomfort so well that reading it gave me anxiety. Given that the book is semi-autobiographical, with Bruce as the stand-in for the author, it is natural that Stegner uses him to ruminate his relationship with his family.