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A review by liberrydude
Riverman: An American Odyssey by Ben McGrath
4.0
I started this with some misgivings. My initial reaction of condescension about this mentally ill hobo has moved into a respect and empathetic view of his life. Dick Conant left memories wherever he went.
Mostly good. He touched a lot of people. Only negative views of him were with the librarians in Bozeman. As a librarian I get that. If your behavior is enough to get you banned from the library then it’s with some anxiety and trepidation your arrival at the library is greeted with by the gatekeepers. I’ve dealt with lots of homeless patrons and some characters just like Dick. I think his size just intimidated some people. I think if Dick had come into my library he wouldn’t have had any problems at all.
The author, Ben McGrath, does a good job of telling Dick’s story. His narrative completely shifted my initial assessment of Dick. It’s a mystery adventure. It’s a travel saga. Dick loved to travel and did what lots of us wish we could do. There’s a romantic aspect as well as the harsh reality. Dick was a hoarder. He never threw anything away. We meet his family. We try to unravel his journey on the rivers as well as his life’s path. What was the trigger that caused the “barnacle” effect on him? What happened to him? Why couldn’t the authorities find his body?
Dick Conant was a modern day tall tale. He did what he did because he loved doing it. Life was good for Dick on the move. He only got into trouble when he was stationary or hibernating.
Mostly good. He touched a lot of people. Only negative views of him were with the librarians in Bozeman. As a librarian I get that. If your behavior is enough to get you banned from the library then it’s with some anxiety and trepidation your arrival at the library is greeted with by the gatekeepers. I’ve dealt with lots of homeless patrons and some characters just like Dick. I think his size just intimidated some people. I think if Dick had come into my library he wouldn’t have had any problems at all.
The author, Ben McGrath, does a good job of telling Dick’s story. His narrative completely shifted my initial assessment of Dick. It’s a mystery adventure. It’s a travel saga. Dick loved to travel and did what lots of us wish we could do. There’s a romantic aspect as well as the harsh reality. Dick was a hoarder. He never threw anything away. We meet his family. We try to unravel his journey on the rivers as well as his life’s path. What was the trigger that caused the “barnacle” effect on him? What happened to him? Why couldn’t the authorities find his body?
Dick Conant was a modern day tall tale. He did what he did because he loved doing it. Life was good for Dick on the move. He only got into trouble when he was stationary or hibernating.