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58 of 62 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Duncan Sets the Hook, September 7, 2000
First, it's not a book about fishing. Duncan uses fishing as one kind of bait, along with wonderful humor, beautiful writing and memorable characterization, to make a much larger, much more important set of points. Second, the plot isn't about fishing, or living in harmony with nature; it's about a young man's discovering what life really is. The Perfect Schedule - young Gus's plan for getting in the absolute maximum number of hours a day fishing - turns out to be a horrible failure. It takes a long time for Gus to realize something is wrong, including a harrowing adventure with a drowned man and some pretty serous sickness. Now it may be - ahem - that fisherpersons are more stubborn or more stupid, but Duncan has Gus discover that there are things more important than fishing, and that those things can lead to still greater things. And that all of that can make the fishing better. Third, while Duncan and Gus poke immense amounts of fun at it, this really is a re-casting of Izaak Walton's _The Compleat Fisherman_, although Walton is nearly unreadable and Duncan writes extraordinarily well. This book is also about more or less the same thing as those "witlesses" that Ma brings to grief, although both Gus and the Witlesses would likely deny it. One of Duncan's subtle messages is there, too. Fourth and last, like a fish taking a fly, when you read this book you will be so dazzled by the gorgeous fly of Duncan's humor, writing and characterization that you will miss the hook and line of his real message until, like Gus, the line of light has you and you feel that gentle tug in your heart. Beautiful and subtle, hilarious and passionate, charming and amazing, this book is simply an astonishing piece of writing. It's one of my ten or so favorite books, and likely will be one of yours, too.
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29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Why not?, July 18, 2003
This review is from: The River Why, Twentieth-Anniversary Edition (Paperback)
I chose to read The River Why because I loved The Brothers K and hoped his first novel had been as well written and memorable. I was not disappointed. The River Why follows Gus Orviston, the recently graduated son of a famous fly-fisherman, who is a fishing prodigy and wants nothing more than to fish every waking hour of his day. In order to persue his passion he moves to an isolated riverside cabin in Oregon with his fishing pole Rodney and the hopes of fishing 14 hours a day, making flies and other fishing related activities 6 hours, and sleeping the remaining six. He assumes that following this plan will lead to "optimum happiness," but quickly realizes it isn't fulfilling. He wants to interact with other people, enjoy his surrounds apart for more than its fishing potential, and falls in love. It is an excellent coming of age/finding a personal religion story. Besides the main story line, however, the book is excellent for several other reasons. The first is that it has a great supporting cast. Bill Bob, Gus's younger brother, in particular is one of the best child character in any novel I've read, and the rest of his family and neighbors are also developed well. They have great personalities, quirks, and are both insightful and humorous. Duncan also does a tremendous job bringing the environment to life. His descriptions bring the rivers and hills to life and allow the reader to imagine the beauty of the area. It is also a very funny book, so it flies by and is very enjoyable to read. The River Why isn't a perfect book. Duncan's politics seeped in a little too much in a few instances, which would have been fine except Gus lives in an isolated world with problems to worry about other than the government and it just seems out of place when the Vietnam draft and war come up. The conclusion of the book is also disappointing after Gus marries--there are just too many unnecessary changes in his life. Thateing said, however, these small complaints don't hurt the book's overall impact and I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in fishing, the environment, the Northwest, philosophy, or simply great writing. It can be enjoyed by people of all ages and all readers will come away with something new.
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29 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Unexpectedly Brilliant Tale, March 24, 2003
I bought this book for my husband because he likes to fish. I grew up along the banks of the Red River in Louisiana and enjoy fishing, too...so I was a bit curious about this little tome myself. Hubby and I decided to read this book aloud to each other every night before bed, taking turns with chapters. I have to tell you that I have never, ever laughed so hard in my entire life. Reading this book was a blast...a total blast! The story of how his parents met was worth the price of the book, not to mention the story of how his mother shot the dr's dog. Truth IS stranger than fiction. Mr. Duncan's family is one-of-a-kind and about as eccentric as they get in a very readable way. This book is in my 'I'd take with me if I were stranded on a desert island' collection. I highly recommend it.
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