Platte River (Paperback)

~ Rick Bass (Author) "In February, after the chinook blew through, thawing people's faces into smiles and making the women look happy again, and making the men look like..." (more)
Key Phrases: Mahatma Joe, Grass Valley, Glens Falls (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The characters in this impressive collection of three novellas are all outsized--in body, and in longing for the sanctuary and protection of love. Water is a unifying factor, a symbol of the free-flowing clarity and strength they aspire to achieve. The tales have an almost magical intensity, born of clear, supple prose animated by stark and startling imagery. In "Mahatma Joe," an obsessed, aging preacher who has tamed the passions of the residents of Grass Valley, Montana, brings a curious salvation to the young woman who tests her physical strength as she comes to share his vision. "Field Events" introduces Paul Bunyan-sized A.C., whose muscular power moves him to dance in a field with a cow on his back. His mute need for love leads him to join the Iron family, among whom he learns to throw the discus--and much more. The protagonist of the title story is Harley, an aging former linebacker, whose visit with a former college buddy gives him a glimpse of the limitations of his body and of the elusiveness of human connection. Bass ( The Ninemile Wolves ) is known primarily for his lucid and lyrical writing about nature, and this collection has plenty of that--all three stories take place within a stone's throw of the Canadian border in harsh environments briefly made idyllic by warmer seasons. But what makes this a compelling book are his finely detailed, complex characters, simple men and women crafted with sympathy and understanding. Author tour.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

If one combined a healthy serving of North American tall tales with a generous portion of Norman MacLean's A River Runs Through It , the tantalizing mixture would resemble these three delectable novellas. Within this rich blend of naturalism touched by mystery, the exhilarating landscapes of Montana, upstate New York, and northern Michigan inform the book as fully as the human principals. "Mahatma Joe" presents a failed evangelist acting out metaphors in pursuit of salvation: he literally skates on thin ice in the dark while attempting to sow a garden. In "Field Events," a gentle giant, who exercises by lifting cows, energizes a burnt-out school teacher. The title story sends a lovelorn, has-been athlete to face unexpected revelations in the course of a remarkable all-night fishing party. Known for his prize short stories and nature writing ( Oil Notes , Houghton, 1990; Ninemile Wolves , LJ 5/15/92), Bass demonstrates here his mastery of longer fiction. Recommended for all collections. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 10/1/93.
- Starr E. Smith, Fairfax Cty. P . L . , Va.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books; Third Printing edition (June 18, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345392493
• ISBN-13: 978-0345392497
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,082,896 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not the most uplifting book I've ever read, but....., April 29, 2001

By	Karen S Diehm "kdiehm" (Westport, Wa USA) - See all my reviews

You get an overall sense of gloom from the peoples lives in the book, but I believe the author wants you to look deeper than just that. One story is basically the more the change, the more the things remain the same. Another looks at peoples strengths vs. weakness's and surprisingly where you will find them. And, finally, another looks at looking inside yourself. Among this, is the most beautiful and desriptive narrative of mother nature in all her glory. You can easily picture Exactly where and what he is talking about. It never fails that a few words thrown together will bring back memories of your own that you had long forgotten.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another great book by Rick Bass., April 9, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Platte River (Hardcover)

These stories are about something that no one else I know of is writing about. I can't make out what it is exactly. I'll leave lists of superlatives to professional book reviewers and just give you what for me is the bottom line -- this book is important

2.0 out of 5 stars Lesser Stuff, January 19, 2009

By	Mark Town "realoldmusicman" (Pittsburgh USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Platte River (Paperback)

I keep wanting to like Rick Bass so I gave this book a try. The title story was the best, but for me at least it is still marred by being difficult to take seriously at times, which is an even larger problem with the other stories. Perhaps more troublesome is the fact that Bass always seems to be trying too hard to make his stories "life-affecting." He wants to leave the reader somehow changed, and his stories do not quite get me there. Although often I suppose that I appreciate his effort to do so, I am too aware of it to fall under his spell.