Ebook Goodbye to a River A Narrative John Graves 9780375727788 Books
Ebook Goodbye to a River A Narrative John Graves 9780375727788 Books
Download As PDF : Goodbye to a River A Narrative John Graves 9780375727788 Books
In the 1950s, a series of dams was proposed along the Brazos River in north-central Texas. For John Graves, this project meant that if the stream’s regimen was thus changed, the beautiful and sometimes brutal surrounding countryside would also change, as would the lives of the people whose rugged ancestors had eked out an existence there. Graves therefore decided to visit that stretch of the river, which he had known intimately as a youth.
Goodbye to a River is his account of that farewell canoe voyage. As he braves rapids and fatigue and the fickle autumn weather, he muses upon old blood feuds of the region and violent skirmishes with native tribes, and retells wild stories of courage and cowardice and deceit that shaped both the river’s people and the land during frontier times and later. Nearly half a century after its initial publication, Goodbye to a River is a true American classic, a vivid narrative about an exciting journey and a powerful tribute to a vanishing way of life and its ever-changing natural environment.
Ebook Goodbye to a River A Narrative John Graves 9780375727788 Books
"What an incredibly good read. John Graves narrative is an astounding lesson in history, ecology and philosophy, with a command of the English language that borders on meditative poetry. Astoundingly scholarly yet it's easy, relaxing, serene, as well as entertaining and educational. You can see, feel and smell the river and environs as you "turn off your mind and float downstream" (apologies to the Beatles). You best be well read to catch all the off hand and subtlety casual literary references he makes at times, what a sheer delight and added spice to his prose. Shakespearean and Audubon like in nature at times Graves adds a strong dash of "cedar chopper/hunter/story teller" at others. There is an amazing array of characters past and present, chilling stories of Comanche's and settlers and modern day inhabitants, peaceful days and dangerous stormy weather that instill action and fire into an otherwise serene trip downstream. Graves multifaceted personality and writing style is uncommonly literary and readable at the same. This is an amazing book, to be savored a few pages at time, read slowly and enjoyed, just like Graves' lazy trip down the river in his canoe."
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Goodbye to a River A Narrative John Graves 9780375727788 Books Reviews :
Goodbye to a River A Narrative John Graves 9780375727788 Books Reviews
- I love this book. It's so lyrical and slow and meandering, like the river the author is traveling down. The first time I read it, I found the style a bit odd and jolty, but the second time, I get caught up in his language, his observations, and the way he intermixes his trip down the river with a trip down memory lane -- memories of the forefathers of those who settled in wild Texas in the mid-1800s amid the Comanches.
This is a no-holds-barred oral history of lives along the Brazos River northwest of Fort Worth in Texas. It's no apology for savagery of the clash between Anglo settlers and the Indians who reigned supreme until killed off or relegated to reservations in Oklahoma.
Chapter 9 is especially brutal, but if you skip that one, the book is a fabulous addition to any high schooler's Texas History study. It brought me to realize that most of what Texas History courses teach has failed to include the wildness and danger of northwest Texas, and that the state's "six flags" is missing a seventh which lasted longer than all the others that of the Comanche nation. - John Graves will eventually be remembered as a 20th century Mark Twain. A through and
through Texan, but with an unusual sensitivity to nuance and nature, capable of capturing in
words sentiments that move and inspire the reader.
I once complained to Texas Monthly magazine that they were not publishing enough of his work and
much to my surprise, an assistant editor contacted me and arranged for me to meet Mr. Graves
at a book signing event. I was not disappointed as a some what wizened, sun burned gent eyed me
over while offering his gnarled hand. I related to him
how as a youngster I too had traveled down a favorite "creek" that was soon to be lost under the
flood waters of a new dam. He listened carefully and muttered about progress destroying nature.
I left with his signature and warm wishes, and have read everything he has published. - Not the kind of book I usually read, but I'm soon going on the Brazos River and had heard about this book. The author writes in a conversational, sometimes cowboy sort of style, about his trip down the Brazos River and camping out of his canoe. He interjects a lot of stories from the days of the Comanches and pioneers. It's very interesting to hear about a particular skirmish that occurred near the spot that you're going to visit. Very colorful. Good reading.
- This is a memoir of a man's love of a stretch of the Brazos River in Texas that was destined to be lost to a series of dams. The author set out on a several week canoe trip to recall his enjoyment of the river. Ultimately, the dams were never built. In many portions of the book, this reader wondered why anyone would take this trip. In other portions, the author provides a history of the region, anecdotes about the people he encountered, and legends about people and events that may or may not have been true. On the whole, it was an enjoyable read, and it will likely cause envy among confirmed outdoorsmen.
- What an incredibly good read. John Graves narrative is an astounding lesson in history, ecology and philosophy, with a command of the English language that borders on meditative poetry. Astoundingly scholarly yet it's easy, relaxing, serene, as well as entertaining and educational. You can see, feel and smell the river and environs as you "turn off your mind and float downstream" (apologies to the Beatles). You best be well read to catch all the off hand and subtlety casual literary references he makes at times, what a sheer delight and added spice to his prose. Shakespearean and Audubon like in nature at times Graves adds a strong dash of "cedar chopper/hunter/story teller" at others. There is an amazing array of characters past and present, chilling stories of Comanche's and settlers and modern day inhabitants, peaceful days and dangerous stormy weather that instill action and fire into an otherwise serene trip downstream. Graves multifaceted personality and writing style is uncommonly literary and readable at the same. This is an amazing book, to be savored a few pages at time, read slowly and enjoyed, just like Graves' lazy trip down the river in his canoe.
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