Nathan Coulter: A Novel (Port William) (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"An assured depiction of the coming of age of a young man in rural America... By any standards an unusual and rewarding writer, Berry is especially recommended to readers struggling with the moral and ethical questions confronting contemporary Americans." -- Newsday

"Spare, elegant and eloquent... Nathan Coulter... is an absolute jewel." -- San Francisco Chronicle

"The Coulter family, like the rest of the people who dwell in this tiny farming community... are caught on the wheel of nature, which is at once blindingly beautiful and unwittingly cruel... The narrative is stunning, the natural scene is beautifully evoked." -- Los Angeles Times --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description

This, the first title in the Port William series, introduces the rural section of Kentucky with which novelist Wendell Berry has had a lifelong fascination. When young Nathan loses his grandfather, Berry guides readers through the process of Nathan's grief, endearing the reader to the simple humanity through which Nathan views the world. Echoing Berry's own strongly held beliefs, Nathan tells us that his grandfather's life "couldn't be divided from the days he'd spent at work in his fields." Berry has long been compared to Faulkner for his ability to erect entire communities in his fiction, and his heart and soul have always lived in Port William, Kentucky. In this eloquent novel about duty, community, and a sweeping love of the land, Berry gives readers a classic book that takes them to that storied place.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Counterpoint; First Edition edition (May 28, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582434093
• ISBN-13: 978-1582434094
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #252,479 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The beginning of the Port William cycle, May 26, 2000

By	Randall Ivey "Randall" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nathan Coulter: A Novel (Paperback)

This, Berry's first novel and the first to introduce his fictional Kentucky community Port William, displays the skill Berry shows as a poet. Not a word is wasted here; every one of them counts toward the whole. As with good poetry,as much is implied as stated outright here.

This is a story of initiation, of a young boy's coming to grips with his family and community and his own place in them. The book's final image, of the boy Nathan carrying his dying grandfather home, serves to sum up this theme perfectly.

This is a gentle novel and an auspicious beginning to an important saga of place and people.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Engaging work about people and community, October 1, 1996

By A Customer

This review is from: Nathan Coulter: A Novel (Paperback)

Nathan Coulter is the second best book by Wendell Berry. The best is "A Place on Earth" but you have to read this one as an introduction. This series of fictional works revolves around the Port William community. Wendell Berry is also known for his essays on the decline of community and the resulting cost. I find his fictional works communicate his ideas on community better than his essays. The sense of place is wonderfully communicated and the even the most noble character is kept plausible with imperfections none of us can wholly escape.