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48 Reviews

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(4)
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4.1 out of 5 stars (48 customer reviews)

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67 of 74 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)

This review is from: Richard Brautigan's Trout Fishing in America, the Pill versus the Springhill Mine Disaster, and In Watermelon Sugar (Paperback)

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!

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31 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

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

By A Customer

This review is from: Richard Brautigan's Trout Fishing in America, the Pill versus the Springhill Mine Disaster, and In Watermelon Sugar (Paperback)

"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.

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16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Brautigan to start with, September 13, 2004

By

J. Bosiljevac (san fran, ca) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

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This review is from: Richard Brautigan's Trout Fishing in America, the Pill versus the Springhill Mine Disaster, and In Watermelon Sugar (Paperback)

This is one of three collections of re-released Brautigan. It's the best of the three. TROUT FISHING is his classic. It's unlike anything I've ever read. I felt like someone showed me a new way to use words. A reviewer suggested calling his works "Brautigans," as they're an original artform.

IN WATERMELON SUGAR is my favorite of the eight or so Brautigan's I've read. At once funny, touching, nostalgic, smart, insightful...good stuff.

And THE PILL VS THE SPRING HILL MINE DISASTER is a collection of his poems. To have a collection of his poetry thrown in here with these two fantastic books is just icing on the cake.

Brautigan has been called the last of the Beats. Perhaps he killed the Beat movement by pushing it as far as it would go.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars BRAUTIGAN LIVES AGAIN!
I was thrilled to see that "American Humorist" Richard Brautigan had gone digital. I only wish DREAMING OF BABYLON had made the cut. THE PILL VERSUS... Read more

Published 5 months ago by NomDePlume

1.0 out of 5 stars Nobody Has Yet To Define Why This Book Is Brautigan's Magnum Opus
Everyone who likes this book praises it with as much ambiguity as the text itself. The reviews all say "Mind blowing,"real," "provocative," "revolutionary," and 'Satirical. Read more

Published 13 months ago by John

5.0 out of 5 stars beautiful
This is an extraordinary collection. The Pill is my favorite poetry collection and, well, I'm not exactly sure what In Watermelon Sugar is, but it's my favorite of whatever it is... Read more

Published 15 months ago by Stan

5.0 out of 5 stars Great purchase
It was in pretty great condition and was delivered well within the time period. I recommend buying it on here instead of at an expensive bookstore.

Published 17 months ago by Emily Huelsmann

5.0 out of 5 stars Great books, bad Kindle editon
So I finally decided to try out this Kindle thing and this was the first book I purchased because it's an old favorite. Read more

Published 19 months ago by another one

5.0 out of 5 stars Brautigan's "Trout fishing in America"
This used to be one of my favorite books. I'd forgotten about it until I heard or saw something on the "tube". Interesting views.

Published 23 months ago by Robert C. Froyd

4.0 out of 5 stars Trout Fishing, Indeed
I noted in a recent review of a film documentary about the literary exploits and influences of the "beat" generation of the 1950s on my generation, the "Generation of `68", that... Read more

Published 24 months ago by Alfred Johnson

5.0 out of 5 stars Great collection
In Watermelon Sugar is a novel with superb images. Trout Fishing seems like a collection of short bits. Read more

Published on January 23, 2010 by Bruce P. Barten

5.0 out of 5 stars I can't think of a title for this review
I'm struck by the strong polarization of reviews for Trout Fishing in America. That tells me right away that there is something worth investigating here. Read more

Published on October 14, 2009 by Ulf Axmacher

1.0 out of 5 stars Drivel
I got through about 55 pages or so and could not force myself to go on. I liked the music of the 60's but the quasi-intellectual nonsense and philosophy that came out of that... Read more

Published on July 27, 2009 by Roger D. McCook

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Inside This Book (learn more)
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First Sentence:
As a child when did I first hear about trout fishing In America? Read the first page

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
America Shorty, San Francisco, Old Chuck, Benjamin Franklin, Watermelon Works, Deanna Durbin, Doc Edwards, Statue of Mirrors, The Grand Old Trout, John Dillinger, New York, Salt Creek, Cleveland Wrecking Yard, Lake Josephus, Missouri River, Nelson Algren, Los Angeles, Salt Lake, Washington Square, Alonso Hagen, Cobra Lily, Grateful Dead, Hayman Creek, Little Redfish Lake, Margaret Again

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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!