Helpful Score: 2
Definitely one of, if not the, best western novelse I have read. A true masterpiece about the life of a mountain man and his life with the Indians and with whites; fascinating! Great character development and
loads of historical information in an extremely well written novel. READ IT!
loads of historical information in an extremely well written novel. READ IT!
One of the best historical western novels ever written
From the back cover: "The Big Sky is the first of A.B. Guthrie's epic adventure novels of America's vast frontier. It is a story as great as the land that inspired it, sweeping westward from Kentucky, up the Missouri River into Indian Country. Towering above the novel is Guthrie's unforgettable hero. Boone Caudill, a true mountain man driven by a raging hunger for life and a longing for the blue sky and brown earth of the big, wild places. A legend before he turns 20, Boone becomes a powerful White Savage, an untamed life force that only one woman, the beautiful daughter of a Blackfoot chief, would dare to love. It is this magnificent spirit that Guthrie celebrates with his vivid storytelling - the glory of the bigness, the wildness, the freedom and the undying dream of the West."
367 pages.
This book was a hand-me-down from my brother, and it's not really my genre. Since I haven't read it, I'll offer only the impressions and facts I have gained from a brief examination. Reading the excerpt in the front, the author's language appears very descriptive and allows the reader to stand with the character and look out upon the vast wilderness with him. Wallace Stegner wrote the forward, and describes "The Big Sky" as the best of the three in this series. The book is divided into 5 parts, set from 1830 - 1843. There appears to be a lot of dialogue that reflects the accent/speaking style of the characters. For example, "It's all sp'iled, I reckon, Dick. The whole caboodle." (pg. 366) and "Beaver's sceerce." (pg. 364). There is cursing in the book, I found from just flipping through. I hope these descriptions have helped in your decision, and thank you for trading!
367 pages.
This book was a hand-me-down from my brother, and it's not really my genre. Since I haven't read it, I'll offer only the impressions and facts I have gained from a brief examination. Reading the excerpt in the front, the author's language appears very descriptive and allows the reader to stand with the character and look out upon the vast wilderness with him. Wallace Stegner wrote the forward, and describes "The Big Sky" as the best of the three in this series. The book is divided into 5 parts, set from 1830 - 1843. There appears to be a lot of dialogue that reflects the accent/speaking style of the characters. For example, "It's all sp'iled, I reckon, Dick. The whole caboodle." (pg. 366) and "Beaver's sceerce." (pg. 364). There is cursing in the book, I found from just flipping through. I hope these descriptions have helped in your decision, and thank you for trading!
If you've never read the A.B. Guthrie books from 1940-1950 era, you are really missing out. He wrote several outstanding westerns that just top anything I've ever read since in Westerns. He was a beautiful writer, with that 'well-written word' I so love. The forward in this book was by Wallace Stegner, and that's saying a lot because Stegner was a phenomenal writer in his own right. Read A.B. Guthrie's westerns slowly and absorb his incredible ability to describe the surroundings, the feel of everything, the beauty of that time. The plots are fun but honestly it's the writing I feel the most in love with. Yes, he's got great characters and it's fun to follow their paths, but oh don't miss the beauty of the writing and prose. Historical fiction big-time.
A classic tale about a mountain man in the mountains of Montana in the early 1800's.
Wonderful beginning to this trilogy.
A young man leaves home at the age of 17 in 1830 to be free of the constraints of society and become a mountain man like his Uncle Zeb. A story of adventure and survival in the wilderness, and friendships made and lost. Really no plot, but beautifully written. It read like a movie, I could picture everything. It ended rather abruptly, but I would give this one 3 1/2 to 4 stars.
