A review by walkerharrison
The Bartender's Tale by Ivan Doig

4.0

This wasn’t the Ivan Doig book I was recommended, but since the library had this one available, I decided to have a initial go at his writings. Doig is well-regarded as an important communicator of the American West, and he spins a nice tale of one summer - 1960 - in small town Montana. Many of the characters are fascinating; unfortunately that didn’t go for the narrator in my opinion. Told from the perspective of the titular bartender’s 12 year old son, I often just got too upset with living inside a 12 year old brain to focus on the surroundings. But past that, it’s an interesting study on father-son relationships and the importance of history writers. Not afraid to throw some twists and turns in, Doig proves himself an interesting writer and someone I plan to turn to again.