Most Helpful Customer Reviews
29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Gritty, October 23, 1998
This review is from: Wolf And Iron (Mass Market Paperback)
I foundGordon Dickson's "Wolf and Iron" to be a gritty view of aworld thrown into chaos from world financial collapse. The story begins with Jeebee running for his life from a town that he has lived and worked in for five years. He leaves Indiana to seek his brother who lives in Montana, and what follows is basically a "coming of age" story. During his travels and his constant search for food and the daily fight for survival, his path crosses that of a lone wolf. Together they share a bond that is the heart of this story. A man alone, with only an enigmatic wolf for company, creates a fascinating premise that, because of its theme, is extremely sparse on dialogue. Although laborious at times, it is never dull. Dickson has a clear writing style that is not the least bit flowery or poetic, nor should it be for this type of theme. Dickson creates a rugged, bleak, violent-infested world where people don't have the luxury to trust, so it's a `shoot first and ask questions later' type of mentality. However, Dickson also has the tendency to `rehash' certain points over and over, which slows the pace of the novel. There is much to like and learn in "Wolf and Iron", not only about the behavior of the wolf, but also about basic survival. The theme of human societies dissolving down to its most basic level is certainly not new, but is dealt with admirably. Jeebee is no super hero. He is just a young man plunged into a world where everyone and every situation can be extremely dangerous. This reader felt the cold, the fear, the hunger, the lonliness and desperation. The relationship of Jeebee and Merry was interesting, yet, I believe Dickson missed a real opportunity here. Several scenes were done well, yet had potential for so much more. I wished Dickson spent a little more time showing the growth and tension in their relationship--maybe it was a lack of down-to-earth human passion at pivotal moments. These scenes could have sparkled and added greatly to the novel, but alas, they just sort of wavered, then fizzled. All in all, I really enjoyed "Wolf and Iron". Its only element of science fiction is the post apocalyptic setting. It is an adventure story, a coming of age story of survival and bonding. From 1 to 10, I give it a marginal 7. Dickson's "Time Storm", another post apocalyptic novel written 13 years earlier and similar in structure, sparkles in the areas that this novel came up short.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of my favorite books!, July 17, 2002
This review is from: Wolf And Iron (Mass Market Paperback)
I read this book for the first time about 10 years ago. I have read it twice more since. It is simply one of the most enjoyable reads I have ever had. I have been hoping that Gordon comes back to these warm, great characters of Jeebe & Wolf and gives us a second book. It is just a great book. If you share my view of this try to find a copy of Sterling E. Laniers "Hiero's Journey" another great tale of comraderie between a man and his best friend who isn't quite human... Gordon Dickson's a great writer.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another Keeper!, November 11, 2006
This review is from: Wolf And Iron (Mass Market Paperback)
This is a book that I enjoy reading again and again, about a man's journey across the country with the wolf who has adopted him as a packmate.
Don't get me wrong, there are some flaws. One of the best things about this book is the detail it goes into concerning survival in a post-apocalyptic world. But, it seems to have a lack of balance concerning these details. Sometimes it goes overboard, giving huge amounts of information about things that have nothing to do with the situation. The amount of knowledge that Jeebee happens to have is a bit extreme -- every time he needs to know something in order to survive, it's an amazing coincidence that he just so happened to learn about it, before.
Yet, at the same time, it completely ignores other details that I felt were vital to the story. For example, at one point Jeebee is attacked by a bear. He figures out how to use the nearby river's freezing water to help the massive bruising, he takes antibiotics, makes a crutch out of a tree branch, gets Wolf to bring him food, all these things to survive the ordeal, and yet there is no mention of the need to stitch the wounds closed! His scalp was hanging in front of his eyes, but after he pushes it back in place, there's no mention of it again, not even to describe the huge scar it must have left.
No timeframe is given, so that you don't really know when the story takes place. There's no mention of television, or computers, or music, or anything modern that the characters might be missing (aside from electricity and gas). And, it skims over things that I would have found interesting, such as the romance between Jeebee and Merry, and also how she survived, how she dealt with the lack of feminine products, birth control, etc.
Beyond that, it is an excellent story. It covers a lot of ground, goes into a lot of detail about survival. I wish there was a sequel, to tell the further adventures of Jeebee, Merry, and Wolf!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
|
