The Book of the River [Paperback]

Ian Watson (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: DAW (January 7, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0886771056
• ISBN-13: 978-0886771058
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,184,480 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars FROM BACK COVER, April 12, 2008

By 

Avid Reader "Jim" (Columbus, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Book of the River (Paperback)

RIVERWOMAN...

Ever since she was a child, that had been Yaleen's goal in life, to join the powerful River Guild, and ply the waters, learning about all the towns of the eastern bank. Now she was a riverwoman at last, one with the water, one with the mysterious, sentient black current which granted women the rule of the river, yet called men forth to madness or death.

But when her only brother joined the male organization, the Observers, and lured her to aid him with knowledge of the seemingly unattainable western shore, Yaleen found herself caught by a destiny beyond her control - a destiny that would put her beyond the laws of her guild and lead her on to challenge the black current itself.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good book to revisit, November 14, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Book of the River (Hardcover)

The possibility that something else exists, that a male can write from a female point of view, that things are different,that the world is divided, never occurded to me before this book. I have read and reread it since I bought it 13 years ago. I love it. Take the time to alter reality for a while.

To think that on an alien world, an alien would write a story about a big worm in a river, in correct english from our point of view (and what would she call herslf anyway - a hero?) is nonsense.

2 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Give this tale a miss., February 12, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Book of the River (Hardcover)

Reverse stereotypes are still stereotypes. This is a male author attempting to write a woman protagonist, and not doing it convincingly. For instance, what society lead by women would have "heroines" - a diminutive form? Society's leaders don't use diminutives. The author also expresses negative stereotyping of gays. This is a person of limited vision expressing his limits.

Let this story depart into a well deserved obscurity.