The Cutbank Path: A Nathan Reed Novel [Paperback]

Joseph Hansen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 7, 2002

Jack of Hearts and Living Upstairs (Lambda Award, 1993) chronicled the times of young writer-to-be Nathan Reed in the early 1940s. In The Cutbank Path, it¿s 1952, and Nathan, bright, talented, funny, but not too smart about life, is living happily with sc

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Joseph Hansen's twelve groundbreaking Dave Brandstetter mysteries (1970-1991) are acclaimed the world over. Hansen was born in South Dakota in 1923. In 1936 his family fled the dustbowl for California. The New Yorker began printing his poems in the 1950s.

Product Details

• Paperback: 218 pages
• Publisher: Xlibris (January 7, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 140103473X
• ISBN-13: 978-1401034733
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,252,336 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful Gem, January 26, 2005

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Sang "veritas" (CA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Cutbank Path: A Nathan Reed Novel (Paperback)

The year is 1952 and it is a tumultuous year for young Nathan Reed, the aspring writer. He and his lover Steve are living in the poisionous atmosphere of the McCarthy Era, leading to unforseen changes in their lives and their relationship. Mr. Hansen is best known as a mystery genre writer, and he brings the essense of that genre into this novel: the only truth is that nothing is as it seems. There are suspenseful whodunnit plots, as well as quiet foreshadowing in this book that keep Nathan and the readers wondering until the end - and beyond! Through it all, like a trooper, Nathan does his best to stand up against the ominous web of deceipt and injustice that threatens his world. Mr. Hansen is superb at conveying the physical feel of living in the Hollywood Hills in a rundown house, and at drawing out the unpleasant truth from the cast of quaint neighbors and friends with their own tales to tell. The novel is most satisfying in this sense of exploring the trying and pivotal time in history through the people and circumstances surrounding Nathan. And as for Nathan himself, he grows and learns through each experience, but clearly has more forks in the road to travel down until he finds his own truth about life and love. For readers of the earlier Nathan Reed novels, this novel is a must read and a great page turner to boot! The one annoyance is that the proofreading was lax and too many typos found their way into the final print. Also, sadly, there will be no more books in this series, since Mr. Hansen has passed away. But thank you, Mr. Hansen for these wonderful insightful gems.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars long-awaited sequel big disappointment, April 12, 2006

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Tobe - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Cutbank Path: A Nathan Reed Novel (Paperback)

SInce reading "Jack of Hearts" and "Living Upstairs" I had eagerly been awaiting the next Nathan Reed saga. When it finally came out I was so excited, but as soon as I started reading it I was very disappointed. The characters fail to live up to the caliber of those in Hansen's other books (who can forget Rick Ames and Alma?). The characters in "Cutbank Path" are shallow and underdeveloped, and not at all memorable. Add to that the deplorable editing/proofreading job (I never saw so many typos in one book!). I will continue to re-read "Jack of Hearts" and "Living Upstairs," but I don't think I'll pick up this one again.

3.0 out of 5 stars OK, March 27, 2007

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C. Lins "reader" (Brazil) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Cutbank Path: A Nathan Reed Novel (Paperback)

The Nathan Reed series is one of the best works of Joseph Hansen.
The Cutbank Path, although interesting and very good as a reflection of the period when the plot takes place , is not at the same level of the two previous works.The story holds your attention ,and you want to proceed to see what happens.Unfortunately the end was quite disappointing for me,very implausible and unbelievable.
Maybe the author intended to continue the series, and the explanation smight be forthcoming.This is no longer possible however, and all of the fans of Nathan will have to construe in their minds the future of the nice hero.
I deemed also a bit farfetched the sudden "conversion " of Nathan and his affair with the neighbouring lady.Again , some explanation would be coming later, and again I felt frustrated.
In any event, a good read.