Brook Trout and the Writing Life [Hardcover]

Craig Nova (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1999

A brief and brilliant autobiography in which the worlds of the fisherman and the novelist commingle.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

It's no surprise, really, that a novelist of Craig Nova's range should find himself as drawn to trout as he is to words. Both are uncertain and private pursuits with lots of time for contemplation, punctuated by plenty of setbacks and the occasional victory. Remarkably, each has a way of sustaining the other.

Nova's memoir is, sadly, short, but the experiences he relates are anything but thin; anglers know there is just as much splendor in a game little fish as there is in one that's trophy-size. On streams from Maine to the Catskills, he skillfully and revealingly connects his fly lines to his life lines: his courtship, his marriage, his daughters, his writing. In one remarkable set piece, he recalls in splendid detail a bizarre episode, complete with the absurd intrigue of overt threats and secret mail drops, in which he becomes the target of an interstate extortion plot; Nova finds solace through the anxiety as he befriends--and fishes with--the FBI agent assigned to his case.

Why, in the end, does angling hook him so? One memorably lovely passage explains the essence of the union: "During important events in my life, I have gone fishing for brook trout. What I got out of this was not just the absence of what was confining or upsetting, but the presence of another quality altogether: These fish are forever associated in my mind with the depths of thankfulness for good fortune, just as they always reminded me of beauty and a sense of what may be possible after all." It is in that hopeful landscape of the possible that anglers--and writers--go to thrive. --Jeff Silverman

From Library Journal

Though Nova is the author of nine hard-edged novels, including The Universal Donor and The Book of Dreams, in this slim, likeable memoir he reveals himself to be a caring and sensitive spouse, parent, and outdoorsman. FishingAmostly for brook trout with a fly rodAhas been a constant throughout his adult life, and he credits it with enhancing whatever writing skills or virtues he might possess. He argues that flyfishing's reflective nature lends intrinsic hopefulness and clear thinking to almost any proximate activity. The chapters cover meaningful events and relationships such as the impact angling had on his perseverance as a young, struggling writer and how fly tying helped him to evade his 12-year-old daughter's questions about what it's like to be in love. There's also a harrowing tale about an extortionist that ends anticlimactically. Recommended for public libraries.AWill Hepfer, SUNY at Buffalo Libs.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: The Lyons Press; 1st edition (September 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558219749
• ISBN-13: 978-1558219748
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,672,229 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written and wise., November 15, 1999

By 

Roland A. Merullo Jr. "Alexandra Merullo" (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Brook Trout and the Writing Life (Hardcover)

Brook Trout and the Writing Life is a very finely-written book that is full of wisdom. I read it in one sitting--and I have never even held a flyrod in my hand. It's about fishing and writing, sure, but it's really about living. Nova has lived deeply and well, and it really shows here. This is a wonderful read.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another fine addition to any library, October 10, 2001

By 

Former Rater (Nowhere) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Brook Trout and the Writing Life (Hardcover)

Craig Nova has a fine, craftsman's approach to writing and his writing about fly fishing is excellent, too. This book stands on its own as literature.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brevity is the soul of wit., September 24, 2001

By 

S. Cain (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Brook Trout and the Writing Life (Hardcover)

While this is a story on the role fly-fishing plays in the life of a man, you don't need to be a trout fisherman to enjoy it. The language is simplistic and I was amazed by the images he was able to create with such a style. Do not confuse this with "simple" writing because it is definitely not. It has layers of subtlety. Because it is so brief, I can see myself reading it again and again.