Customer Reviews

Two Dog River

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This Technicolor rush of a book is surely the definitive novel on the modern whitewater experience. Part Kerouac, part Hunter Thompson, the narrative rockets along like a kayak on the tongue of monster wave.

The story chronicles a scruffy band of alpha-male characters whose names appear plucked from the golden age of California surfing (Moon Dog, Red Bone, Chaz, Hammer) and their epic assault on an uncharted, untamed river at the height of its flow.

Two Dog River is at its best when describing the details that make up the true whitewater adventure. Packing a raft for a long run, balancing its cargo, charting topography--the reader becomes a willing apprentice to the art of river-running.

As the journey continues, the lessons become more complicated, touching on male camaraderie, an earthy view of relations between the sexes (part Steinem, part Steinbeck), and the spiritual side of sport.

All in all, author Richard Day has brought us into a world most of us will never have the skill or the nerve to experience, and he has made it visceral-so much so that you may need to towel off after finishing the book's last heroic run.

Richard Day's epic tale of whitewater rafting down an uncharted river is one marked by adventure, excitement, sensuality, emotion and spirituality. Day flawlessly depicts the nature of an uncultivated river, and the powerful characters that take an unprecedented journey.
Readers with even a passing interest in the outdoor genre will find themselves drawn into this story.
This is truly a well-written book, with more than enough excitement to keep any apathetic reader intrigued, enthused, and captivated.
The exhilaration, emotional and spiritual attachment one attains from reading Two Dog River will engage readers of all types.
This is a "MUST READ" book !!!

I finished Two Dog River and immediately had to read it again. I love this story. As a guy, the beginning chapters strike a deep resonance. In fact, no other novel of which I am aware, speaks so uniquely to men. Two Dog River also seems to offer a glimpse into the very heart and soul of the whitewater rafting and kayaking world. The story chronicles a band of "crusty" whitewater rafters and kayakers as they prepare for and then "run" an uncharted wild river deep in nearly mythological wilderness. The author skillfully keeps the characters in genre by using only "river names": Redbone, Bugsy, Johnny Nevada, Chaz and Moon Dog. Likewise, as the story unfolds, the spectacular setting actually drives the plot as the river (herself) draws the characters in deeply, as if being sensuosly caressed by Gaia herself. Not to give away the story, the middle section throbs with both adrenaline and sensuality as boys (and youth) delve into the carnal pleasures of a surrounding life-force. All the while a deep and unspoken creative spirituality is present, only to rupture-forth as a formal initiation when youth emerges into a higher consciousness of elder hood. Two Dog River throbs with life's pulse. The book is "deep fun." It often keeps a light and even humorous tone, while at the same time being tender, sensual, youthful and profound. Richard Day has made a wonderful contribution to the outdoor genre. I highly recommend this work.

Epic, large, heroic, visceral, breathless, testosterone, touching, tender and tumultuous are a few words that inadequately describe this hang-on-for-dear-life thrill ride. Two Dog River is gritty, gripping and gentle. Day has managed to bring a wonderful cast of characters to life and send them on the ultimate trip. His word-craft is superb and the story is compelling. Anyone who has ever spent even a single night under the stars will appreciate this novel for its realism and descriptive narratives about life on the trail, or in this case, on the river. I literally could not put this book down. Read Two Dog River and "live large".

I am a great lover of the outdoors. I also love physical activities. The Dog satisfied both of these with a twist of delightful philosophical adventure. While I learned much about some of the technical aspects of white-water sports, it was clearly the exciting story that went with it that kept my interest. The author describes the landscape as well as his characters powerfully and vividly. I loved it, read it twice, and strongly recommend it.

I loved the dog, great descriptions and excellently written. Very pro men and I thank the author for defending us in the PC world we live in. If you love the outdoors and whitewater experience you will dig this book! A+ dude, killer.

This is a fun and spirited novel. I read this work and saviored its passionate journey into the essence of whitewater rafting and kayaking through wonderful and vivid descriptions of the river and landscape. So too, I felt like I entered Two Dog River and passed through the Golden Age of "boating." I am not aware of any other work of fiction as such. I especially enjoyed the full-bodied characters and rich depiction of boys becoming men. Also, buried deep within all the action is a hidden Spirit and higher calling. Once I got about a third of the way into "The Dog," I was gripped to the end (and up late at night finishing it!) Enjoy!!

This is one of the best pieces of fiction I have read in a long time and will get your juices flowing faster than a class V rapid. It's the male version of the Harlequin Romance Novel. It's a raw, primitive adrenaline and testosterone pumping journey down an uncharted fictional river and the antics and drama that unfold when the 'boys meet the girls' in their kayaks and rafts on the river..and how they are' transformed' along the way. There's no Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon on this river. The characters, plot and setting are richly developed and erotically intertwined.

Parts of the book had me on the edge of my seat, while others had me laughing out loud (which had fellow commuters on my train wondering what I was reading). Beyond it's rich detailing of some of the technical aspects of whitewater river running, this is a story about a quest of mind, body and spirit on the river of life.

Day has obviously paddled enough to write like he knows the subject matter, but in his zeal to amp up the excitement, he enters the realm of cartoon fantasy. Some of the character development sounds real enough, but his cast of stereotypes is thrown together with some nonsensical characters who are successful and responsible until they head off for the river. The women are objectified and serve as little more than recreational amenities for the hedonistic guys. Day tries to build reader sympathy for the characters as they pull through their ordeals together and try to "do the right thing," but it rings as false as a Valley girl trying to debate international diplomacy with an educated person.

Day's explanations of river running include some accurate elements, which are undercut by a travelogue with a vast lake that is alternately still or has a current. The flotilla has to paddle like mad part of the time; the rest of the time it drifts along in the lake's "current," where speed is measured by dropping objects into the water and watching how fast the boats drift by (never mind that the water would be going the same speed). At one point, a raging river enters a cave, but there is no way out for the group, or the water. Interesting - how is it that the cave doesn't simply fill up with water if there is no exit? Also, there is no place in the US where this undiscovered could exist with any similarity to its description in the story.

The publisher wasted no time editing this turkey; there are spelling and grammar errors throughout. The reviews on the cover jacket read like they were written at the author's house over a few beers with his river buddies. As phony as the story.

I love whitewater rafting and kayaking. That's why the book was given to me as a present. Between the liberties taken with gravity's effects on water, the puerile characters, and Day's indecision between a believable story and a cartoon book, I'm sorry I finished reading it and that my friend spent the money to buy it for me.