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A review by espbear
The River Why by David James Duncan
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-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
8.30.22
I began reading this book in remembrance of Liam Wood who passed away during the 1998 Olympic Pipeline explosion in Bellingham, Washington. In 2018, I was doing a research project on the explosion, and read multiple articles in which friends and family remembered him, and occasionally people made mention that this was his favorite book. I decided to read it as result of those articles, despite being a vegetarian, and not being particularly interested in fishing whatsoever. This book was so good I set it aside and chose not to finish because I didn't want to have read its ending for the first time. I wanted to linger in a place of continuing to read it, and not knowing quite how it would end. Today I finished reading the book for the first time. It made me laugh out loud, and at times it made me cry. I highly recommend it. It's unlike anything I've ever read before. It wraps up nicely. I appreciate the tone of Gus' inner monologue; in some respects it reminds me of the Catcher in the Rye, but I would say it's better for the ending. It's a book that made me wish I could meet the whole cast of characters, and befriend them all. I really enjoyed various themes throughout the book: the environment, love, coming to terms with who your family is, value of friendship, etc.
As a parting note, I docked the book a half star because at some point David James Duncan was writing as though it was Gus' perspective as though there were no Indigenous people in the area anymore. I think that accurately reflects the way a white author would have written at the time. There was also some weird appropriative Native American elements relating to myths, but I believe that part was done respectfully.
I began reading this book in remembrance of Liam Wood who passed away during the 1998 Olympic Pipeline explosion in Bellingham, Washington. In 2018, I was doing a research project on the explosion, and read multiple articles in which friends and family remembered him, and occasionally people made mention that this was his favorite book. I decided to read it as result of those articles, despite being a vegetarian, and not being particularly interested in fishing whatsoever. This book was so good I set it aside and chose not to finish because I didn't want to have read its ending for the first time. I wanted to linger in a place of continuing to read it, and not knowing quite how it would end. Today I finished reading the book for the first time. It made me laugh out loud, and at times it made me cry. I highly recommend it. It's unlike anything I've ever read before. It wraps up nicely. I appreciate the tone of Gus' inner monologue; in some respects it reminds me of the Catcher in the Rye, but I would say it's better for the ending. It's a book that made me wish I could meet the whole cast of characters, and befriend them all. I really enjoyed various themes throughout the book: the environment, love, coming to terms with who your family is, value of friendship, etc.
As a parting note, I docked the book a half star because at some point David James Duncan was writing as though it was Gus' perspective as though there were no Indigenous people in the area anymore. I think that accurately reflects the way a white author would have written at the time. There was also some weird appropriative Native American elements relating to myths, but I believe that part was done respectfully.