This Bright River: A Novel [Hardcover]

Patrick Somerville (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 26, 2012

Lauren Sheehan's career in medicine came to a halt after a sequence of violent events abroad. Now she's back in the safest place she knows--St. Helens, Wisconsin--cut off from career, friendship, and romance.

Ben Hanson's aimless life bottomed out when he went to prison. But after his release, a surprising offer from his father draws him home. In Wisconsin, he finds his family fractured, still unable to face the truth behind his troubled cousin's death a decade earlier.

As Lauren cautiously expands her world and Ben tries to unravel the mysteries of his family and himself, their paths intersect. Could each be exactly what the other needs?

A compelling family drama and a surprising love story, This Bright River confirms Patrick Somerville's status as one of the most exciting young writers at work today.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Somerville has a gift for spurring dialogue, and the meandering narrative tributaries he explores stoke our curiosity and build suspense as he crosses the wilderness of madness and bloodshed, lies and loyalty, courage and love in this by turns rolling and raging river of a novel."-Booklist (Starred)

"Richly funny, engrossing, and humane...this is a literary novel for readers who want to be simultaneously caught up in a story and impressed by the author's copious craft and skill."
-Library Journal

"A provoking book: The reader will not escape untouched."
-Kirkus

"A remarkable achievment -- a stellar, bruising book about how place forms character and our capacity to transform ourselves."
-The Chicago Tribune

"The chapters don't roll forward so much as fit together like puzzle pieces. But Mr. Somerville--who has something of the roadside-diner raconteur about him--makes the approach work on the strength of his writing voice. It possesses a sneaky ease and charm that masks the story's building menace."
-The Wall Street Journal

PRAISE FOR THIS BRIGHT RIVER:

"Serpentine and hypnotic, This Bright River depicts two vivid characters knocked hard by life, on a perilous journey that reveals the weight and pull of family history. The result is a novel that is both intimate and mysterious, harrowing and brave." (author of The End of Everything and Dare Me Megan Abbott )

"This Bright River is a flood of virtuoso prose and characterization. Mystery, memory, pain, and a courageous strand of love are interwoven in a riveting narrative of voices, all singing, all merging into the singular vision of one of American literature's young masters." (Nic Pizzolatto, author of Galveston )

"This Bright River is nothing short of extraordinary. Somerville has a gift for writing gorgeous prose, complete with sharp humor and a perfect sense of place. But that's only half the story. There's also a great romance here and a shocking set of mysteries that get untangled along the way. Addictive, amazing, unforgettable." (J. Courtney Sullivan, bestselling author of Maine )

Each paragraph has at least one striking or hilarious line. Every few pages manage to bear the full weight of a short story. Dialogue snaps with a bizarre aptness reminiscent of Denis Johnson, and the novel in total presents a coiled, deeply sensitive intelligence....Go buy this book. (The Daily Beast )

If there's a middle ground between the pot-boiling, page-turning mystery and the novel of Big Ideas, Patrick Somerville has found it. "This Bright River," his second novel, is a serious literary tragedy of errors that also tells a gripping story.... The extent of Somerville's control over his narrative becomes apparent when the novel's back stories and present goings-on finally converge at that cabin in the wilderness. The slow revelation of a host of family secrets is handled so deftly you won't even mind getting sand in your Kindle. (The New York Times Book Review Andrew Ervin )

About the Author

Patrick Somerville grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin, attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and later earned his MFA from Cornell University. He is the author of the story collections Trouble and The Universe in Miniature in Miniature, and the novel The Cradle. He lives with his wife and son in Chicago, where he teaches creative writing at Northwestern University.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 464 pages
• Publisher: Reagan Arthur Books (June 26, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316129313
• ISBN-13: 978-0316129312
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 1.4 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #723,006 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Patrick Somerville is the author of two novels - This Bright River and The Cradle - and two books of short stories - Trouble and The Universe in Miniature in Miniature. He lives with his wife and son in Chicago, and he teaches creative writing in the MFA programs at Warren Wilson and Northwestern University.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Both thrilling and boring, but overall a good read June 29, 2012

By JudithAnn

Format:Hardcover

This is about thirty-something Ben, who returns to his childhood town to do up his deceased uncle's house with the intention to sell it. He meets a former class mate, Lauren, and they hook up together. Both of them have skeletons in their cupboards and in Lauren's case, her past comes back to her with a vengeance. There are a few thrilling moments when both their lives are in danger.

I had a mixed reading experience with this book. Sometimes I found the story compelling and I wanted to read on, while at other times I was bored. I enjoyed reading about Ben arriving in his childhood town, getting to know the place (again) and the people. But there were memories that I didn't care about intermixed with this story. Later on in the book, it becomes a thriller for a while, which was all rather exciting.

As the book is told by both Ben and Lauren, the perspective shifts every so often (and sometimes quite often), which makes the story more interesting.

It was clear from the moment Lauren joined the narrative, that she would be involved with Ben in some way or another. At first, their lives were very much separate and when they did meet, Lauren showed no interest in Ben whatsoever. So the foreshadowing made me curious to see how they would end up in the same story line.

Most loose ends are tight up at the end of the story and overall, I enjoyed it. Both Ben and Lauren have a past that comes to haunt them, and when that happens, the book certainly gains pace and becomes quite compelling.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Cautiously recommend July 1, 2012

By CJHolmes

Format:Hardcover

I think I liked the book. The author confusingly introduced numerous plots that the reader had to weave together; many of which were not resolved satisfactorily even though the main character's (Ben) spent a lot of time in introspection. The introspection became a bit tedious about halfway through the book, which might explain Ben's inabiltiy to do much..."paralysis by analysis". That being said I will read this author again, if nothing else to see if he can edit better next time.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A Fascinating Novel September 7, 2012

By Ethan

Format:Hardcover

Ben Hanson is no stranger to mistakes. Recently released from prison, he understands that he made errors in both his personal and professional life. Now, free from confinement and with new sobriety, Ben wanders though life, searching for some kind of meaning. When his uncle Denny passes away, Ben's father, Jack, invites him to move back to his hometown to help settle his late uncle's estate.

Upon his arrival, Ben is flooded with memories of his past. He recalls the tragic death of his older cousin, Wayne, a tragedy that still haunts his family. As he begins to delve into his uncle's estate, fragments of the past come to light, all adding to the mystery of Wayne's demise.

In the same town, Lauren Sheehan is also trying to rebuild her life. Escaping from a violent ex-husband and abandoning her medical career, Lauren has returned to her hometown in search of a fresh start. In the small town, it is now surprise that the paths of Ben and Lauren intersect. Having no true past relationship, the two slowly become interested in each other. As time passes, their troubled lives become intertwined, creating a connection that they could have never imagined. Together, they kindle a romance and attempt to move on with their lives before their negative past catches up with them.

Going into this novel, I was unsure of what to expect. Normally, I try to steer clear of any "romance" novels, but this story offered much more. By slowly presents fragments of the two characters lives, mostly through flashback from each character's recollections, Somerville provides just enough information to keep the reader wanting more. Intricately imagined, the characters seem like genuine people who have had a rough go at life. Drawn with a sense of reality and empathy, it is easy to get behind Ben and Lauren and to truly care about them. While the writing is really great, I will admit that there were times when the change in time and narrator got a bit confusing. In certain moments Somerville slowed the pace of the plot, focussing more on character development that advancing the narrative. Fortunately, this attention to character made it impossible to stop reading. At times, this novel can be hard to digest. The themes of family drama, second chances, and suspenseful drama permeate this fascinating novel making it a completely engaging read.