The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge [Hardcover]

Michael Punke (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 10, 2002

A startling novel, all the more compelling because its tale of unimaginable human endurance is true, The Revenant unfolds the toll of envy and betrayal as well as the powers of obsession and vengeance in the battle of fur trapper Hugh Glass, first for his life and then for justice. It is 1823, two decades after the famous expedition of Lewis and Clark into the American wilderness, when thirty-six-year-old Hugh Glass joins the Rocky Mountain Fur Company in a speculative venture that takes him and ten other men up the Missouri River into perilous, unexplored territory. Not least among the dangers that await the trapping party is a natural killer, the grizzly bear, as Glass disastrously discovers. Attacked and savagely mauled—his scalp nearly torn off, his back deeply lacerated, his throat clawed open—Glass is lying unconscious when his fellow trappers find him. Against all odds, he is still drawing breath three days later. Anxious to proceed unencumbered by the portage of Glass's mortally wounded body, the captain of the expedition pays two volunteers—John Fitzgerald, a mercenary, and young Jim Bridger (the future legendary mountain man)—to stay behind and bury Glass when his time comes. Fitzgerald soon loses patience and leaves, taking Glass's rifle. Horrified by Fitzgerald's thievery but more terrified of being left behind with a dying man, Bridger also leaves, with Glass's knife. Deserted and defenseless, the profoundly angry Glass vows his own survival. Miraculously trekking his way through two thousand miles of uncharted wilderness, Glass indeed becomes a revenant—a man who has returned vengefully from death to balance the scales of justice. His quest will leave readers breathless. This amazing true story of frontiersman Hugh Glass is a powerful debut novel -- and soon-to-be Warner Bros. film -- of survival and vengeance in America's West.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Based on a true incident of heroism in the history of the American West, this debut by a Washington, D.C., international trade attorney and former bureaucrat in the Clinton administration is an almost painfully gripping drama. A Philadelphia-born adventurer, frontiersman Hugh Glass goes to sea at age 16 and enjoys a charmed life, including several years under the flag of the pirate Jean Lafitte and almost a year as a prisoner of the Loup Pawnee Indians on the plains between the Platte and the Arkansas rivers. In 1822, at age 36, Glass escapes, finds his way to St. Louis and enters the employ of Capt. Andrew Henry, trapping along tributaries of the Missouri River. After surviving months of hardship and Indian attack, he falls victim to a grizzly bear. His throat nearly ripped out, scalp hanging loose and deep slashing wounds to his back, shoulder and thigh, Glass appears to be mortally wounded. Initially, Captain Henry refuses to abandon him and has him carried along the Grand River. Unfortunately, the terrain soon makes transporting Glass impossible. Even though his death seems certain, Henry details two men, a fugitive mercenary, John Fitzgerald, and young Jim Bridger (who lived to become a frontier hero) to stand watch and bury him. After several days, Fitzgerald sights hostile Indians. Taking Glass's rifle and tossing Bridger his knife, Fitzgerald flees with Bridget, leaving Glass. Enraged at being left alone and defenseless, Glass survives against all odds and embarks on a 3,000-mile-long vengeful pursuit of his ignominious betrayers. Told in simple expository language, this is a spellbinding tale of heroism and obsessive retribution.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

A good adventure yarn, with plenty of historical atmosphere and local color. -- Kirkus Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Carroll & Graf; 1st Carroll & Graf Ed edition (June 10, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786710276
• ISBN-13: 978-0786710270
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,216,505 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Punke delivers!!, June 25, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge (Hardcover)

Rarely do I finish a book and immediately want to read it again. This, however, was the case with The Revenant. It is a novel of revenge yet includes so much more. The usual predictablity of this genre was lost on Punke as he relives life in the early mountain west. The story is vivid and captivating; written in such a way that you feel personally involoved. Furhtermore, the ending will leave you pondering your own resolve...
Truly a great read and a debut that suggests great things for Punke's future as a writer.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Can't Put This Book Down, June 14, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge (Hardcover)

From the opening chapter, setting the tone for the entire work, to the end at which you find yourself pondering your own sense of justice, The Revanant flows like a sparkling river. It is a great read, and is filled with dramatic and well-described moments that will stay with you for a long time.

As unbelievable as it sounds, the basic tale of this mountainman's maiming by a grizzly bear and his abandonment by his comrades, and his survival, is true. The author's imagination adds details and color that are truly remarkable and compelling. For example, the scene where the Indians who find Glass are cleaning his infected and infested wounds is full of realistic details, and helps to illustrate what Glass has gone through. The other scene that I won't forget is the snowy camp where Glass arrives to take revenge on one of the comrades who regretfully left him to die after the attack. Punke also has a great style which weaves the past with the present to keep the story flowing while giving important background information that helps explain the impetus behind all the characters' actions.

These are rich characters, too -- characters who epitomize the developing West. There are lawless men, leaders, and followers. There are men of justice and those who are seeking justice beyond the courts of Men. It is a story that could only come from a author from the West, as Punke is (born and raised on the Platte River in Wyoming according to the book cover). You can feel his love for the land, for the danger, for the adventure, and his appreciation for the men who journeyed through this area of the country 175 years ago, blazing the way for others, and discovering truths about themselves and about America.

The chapters are short, making the book hard to put down. You will find yourself wanting to read it aloud, too, because of the richness of the language and the detail that Punke includes. If you are like me, you will also be thinking about how this would look on the big screen. As I understand Punke has already sold the movie rights, it's only a matter of time before this story finds its way to theaters. It is perfect for a movie -- big moments, big characters, big scenery, and big themes.

I look forward to Punke's future works. If this is his first book, you have to expect big things from him.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fast Moving Adventure, June 27, 2002

By 

Maureen E. Driscoll "maureenla" (Toluca Lake, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge (Hardcover)

"The Revenant's" fast pace and expert storytelling make it as much action/adventure as western epic. Punke's vivid detail of the early west combines with his sharp characterizations to create a compelling story, one that had me both squirming and turning the pages in anticipation. The book's focus on revenge, justice and humanity, make it especially relevant today.

I look forward to Punke's next novel.