Richard Brautigan's Trout Fishing in America, The Pill versus The Springhill Mine Disaster, and In Watermelon Sugar (Paperback)

by Richard Brautigan (Author) "As a child when did I first hear about trout fishing In America?..." (more)
Key Phrases: America Shorty, San Francisco, Old Chuck (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
A Brautigan omnibus, reissued in paperback in celebration of its twentieth anniversary, this one-volume edition includes three contemporary classics that embody the spirit of the 1960s.

About the Author

Richard Brautigan's comic genius and countercultural vision of American life made him a literary idol of the 1960s and early 1970s. He wrote ten novels, nine volumes of poetry, and a collection of short stories entitled REVENGE OF THE LAWN. His books became required reading for the beat generation, and TROUT FISHING IN AMERICA sold more than two million copies throughout the world. Brautigan committed suicide in 1984 at the age of fourty-nine.

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Mariner Books; Later printing edition (March 1, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395500761
• ISBN-13: 978-0395500767
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #22,919 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

56 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Counterculture Classic!, December 28, 1999

By	Eric Petersen (USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The late, great Richard Brautigan was one of America's most talented and original writers. An icon of the 1960's counterculture, Brautigan was more than just another hippie writer, he was the Mark Twain of the 60's! A brilliant satirist with the soul of a poet, Brautigan's works were way ahead of their time, and this volume collects three of his best. "Trout Fishing In America", his most celebrated novel, chronicles the life and times of a fellow named, well, Trout Fishing In America, as he wanders across a bizarre landscape in search of enlightenment, a Zen fisherman, so to speak. "The Pill Versus The Springhill Mine Disaster" is a collection of poetry that mixes lyricism with smarmy humor. "In Watermelon Sugar" is a beautiful, lyrical novel about a group of people living in a commune, supporting themselves by making things out of watermelon sugar in a factory they call the Watermelon Works. That's just an abstract description of the plot - you have to read the book thoroughly to enjoy the unique structure of the narrative. Brautigan was indeed a writer far ahead of his time, combining brilliant Vonnegutesque satire with the homey charm of Mark Twain. Treat yourself to a great read and buy this book!

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite book--ever!, August 28, 1998

By A Customer

"In Watermelon Sugar" was the first Brautigan I read, and is still my favorite. In fact, it is my all-time favorite novel in any genre! The language is poetic and lulling, the characters are almost heartwrenchingly real, and the story is subtle and bizarre. I (forcibly) lend this book to everyone I know, and they invariably thank me after having read it.

And that's just one story...

Trout Fishing in America is abstract, disjointed, and witty. Excellent excellent stuff, although in a vastly different form than In Watermelon Sugar. And even if you don't like reading poetry, The Pill versus the Springhill Mine Disaster will make you a fan. It's such simple, elegant, writing and it grabs the reader so effectively that you can't not like it.

Any of these three books are easily worth the price of the collection. All of them together is a treasure.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reissue of an old favorite, January 24, 2004

By	Peggy Vincent "author and reader" (Oakland, CA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Brautigan's life ended, at his own hand, in 1984, but his memory lingers on. He has become known as the Mark Twain of the 60s, the New Thoreau, and the Zen Trickster. His voice, ebullient, sad, and comic, is pure American. Brautigan's writing straddles the line between prose and poetry as he follows a guy named (trust me here) Trout Fishing In America across his native land in search of Zen enlightenment. The `chapters' are anecdotes that read as fables and continue to delight after multiple re-readings. If you missed this book the first time around, perhaps because you were into other stuff during the 60s, now's your chance.