Customer Reviews

In the Heart of the Canyon

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Elizabeth Hyde is a mystery writer, though not in the conventional sense. Even when writing what is in plot a murder mystery - her book from two years ago, The Abortionist's Daughter -- her mysteries are what a Victorian would call mysteries of the heart, attempts to understand what lies at the core of one or more of her characters. In the Heart of the Canyon is no exception. This time she has produced an adventure story about a float trip through the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River by 12 travelers of various ages and stations and their 3 guides. Here there are two mysteries. One is that of discovering which character will prove to be central to the story. Over the 13 day trip of 225 miles this mystery slowly becomes manageable, as a few characters are set aside and relationships among many of the others are disclosed. In then end, when there are only two possibilities left, the story quite abruptly comes together as the central character and that character's mystery becomes the topic of attention for all of the adults in the group.

Ms. Hyde's work throughout is deft. The prose is clean and direct, a pleasure to read, always in the sweet spot between corpulent and sinewy. At the same time the prose is anything but uniform. Lazing down the River, it is slow; in the rapids that define the River, it is muscular; at stops along the shore, it takes the occasionally chattery directness of people thrown together in unexpected circumstances. All the characters are nicely fleshed out even when not particularly important for the plot, with the result that, as the story moves forward, even those being set aside are not neglected. And the whole is propelled, not by the River, but by a stray dog named Blender, a MacGuffin that would make Hitchcock smile.

A careful reader of Ms. Hyde's fiction would note that, starting with a still earlier book, Crazy as Chocolate, her ability to handle multiple characters has grown, while she has maintained the very high quality and clarity of her prose. This is no small achievement. Such a reader might also note a continuity of theme. However, to discuss such would be to give away the mystery In the Heart of the River. It would be far better for the reader to take the journey and enjoy the time getting there.

Having taken four two week raft trips down the Grand Canyon over the years this book rings absolutely true. While the Canyon is about the rocks, the starry skies, the geology, and of course the river in all its guises, a raft trip away from phones, email, etc. leaves you with a cast of characters with whom you have to live for two weeks.

The characters in this book are a metaphor for all the folks we run into in real life. Elisabeth Hyde captures the variety of passengers with such exactitude that I could believe she had been on each and every one of my trips.

One of the most fun things on the trip is listening to the guides tell all kinds of stories about past nightmare passengers and events. But I can guarantee that the ending to this story will hopefully not be in the story list of any guide. It is a total surprise as are the character's response to this unexpected event.

I found it a-no-put-down book.

There's something initially unappealing about being together with a group of total strangers for two weeks, adventures notwithstanding. But Elisabeth Hyde has managed to connect the dots of a disparate group of people attempting the ride of their collective lives while simultaneously working out their peccadillos on a daily basis. The pretense is fun, the characters believable and the author's own experiences weigh in nicely.

The most normal people that appear in "In the Heart of the Canyon" seem to be the tour guides. They have to, I suppose, to give an air of credulity...after all, they're in charge of the show and the others are tagging along for the fun of it. The dozen guests are quirky enough to keep the book flowing, although the narrative sometimes gets a little cheesy. Most of the story is told off the river, of course, so the collective psyches have a chance to settle in and be explored. There are a few nice plot twists and while "In the Heart of the Canyon" never gets much past the conversational level, it's still a good read and I recommend it.

Better than average beach read due to the author's obvious passion for river rafting. Instead of presenting a mystery, Hyde chooses wisely to make the plot contingent upon her well defined characters and the effect the experience has on their lives. The characters, including the trip leader, are all in transition and their reasons for taking this trip are as varied as they are. Although there are many characters present, only a few are given interior lives which tightens the action and makes the Grand Canyon the real star. Several set pieces are very well described, and I must admit I was curious and found that by Googling the various rapids, I was able to experience these rides vicariously.

I enjoyed this book, more than I expected to. I was not impressed with The Abortionist's Daughter (unbelievable characters acting in unbelievable ways, and way too scripted), and I have no interest in rafting, but I read a strongly positive review of this book and decided to give it a try. I feared it might be too much adventure, or too "literary" (boring, not easy to get into, characters I couldn't identify with, self-conscious etc), but I was hooked from the start. Several points of view, more about the people on the raft trip than the actual adventure, although there was enough of that to give me a real sense of the river (and confirm my sense that it's not a sport for me). The ending was a bit Hallmark (smaltzy, upbeat) but I truly enjoyed the ride (no pun intended) and found myself drawn back to the book every time I had to put it down. Enjoyed it enough to recommend to friends.

I wasn't sure what to expect with this book, especially after seeing the range of stars it's received here on amazon. From the review I read in Entertainment Weekly, I was actually expecting a thriller, but was I disappointed? No, I'm so glad I read it! Excellent use of foreshadowing, well-drawn characters, and a real sense of menace that comes from the uncertainty of not knowing what will happen next. We, the readers, learn things the same time as the characters, which makes for some real suspense, but not in the same way as if it were a thriller. The psychology of the whole group mentality is spot-on and the character development feels natural and unforced. The chapters are short which make it ideal for reading in short gaps and the brief character guide at the beginning was very helpful, considering the large number of characters. Very enjoyable and I was sad when it ended.

I read this book in one sitting and it carried me away for a lovely ride down the Grand Canyon. Interesting, believable characters and a nifty plot twist late in the game had me completely absorbed, and a few sobs escaped me at the end... totally fun and immersing.

Someday I'll do this raft trip through the canyon, taking two glorious weeks to float it like the group in this novel. For now, reading this book will have to do. Hyde captures the dynamics of the group and the canyon playing off each other very well, and the dialogue and lingo of guides and passengers ring absolutely true.

Just one tiny detail bothered me: JT, the guide, in the middle of am early July night, sees Cassiopea and the Pleiades? I think the Pleiades are only visible Fall-Winter-Spring.

I'm trying to figure out how to make a trip down the Colorado River thru "The Ditch" happen. So I'm reading everything/anything I can find on the subject. Hyde's book provided a good read on possible day-to-day interactions on an oar trip. I did think she went a little overboard with her character development. Case in point was the one divorced guy says that he's eaten a lot of watermelon leading up to his trip to make his semen taste sweeter. Didn't think it was called for AND it served little, or no, purpose.

Like one of the twelve disparate people who signed up for this river trip through the canyon, I could tell before Hyde had even taken me over the first rapid that I was in the hands of a master storyteller. Heart of the Canyon is an apt title, resonating evocatively with the real aim of this novel, to sink us deep into the hearts of the rafters and their guides. I was amazed by Hyde's ability to interweave the concerns and secret insecurities, dreams, and fears of so many different characters without confusing me, losing me, or miring me in the shallows. Rather, she plunged me into deep water almost from page one. Each character emerges as a complete human being on whom the river slowly works its life-changing magic. These changes are not overstated, but subterranean shifts in attitude induced by an immersion in nature's raw beauty, at the mercy of her raw power.