Why this book: Selected by my Literature book club at my recommendation. It was strongly recommended to me by Rich Marshall. I listened to rather than read it. It is short – only 3 1/2 hours to listen to – probably only a bit more than 100 pages to read.  I chose to listen to it because it is narrated by Ivan Doig – one of my favorite Western authors. 

Summary in 5 Senences:   This is a novel, written as a semi-autobiographical  retrospective look by the older Norman Maclean, looking back on incidents that took place growing up in Montana in the first decades of the 20th century. His story focuses on his childhood with his brother, then later after her returns from college, when as young adults they reconnected in their 20’s.  Norman who narrates, is the more thoughtful and prudent  of the two brothers;  his younger brother Paul  was the rambunctious gifted athlete and fly fisherman, but also rebellious, charismatic and a risk taker.  The two brothers were very different, but were close and clearly admired and loved each other. Norman sought to protect Paul from himself by trying to get him to moderate his drinking, gambling and other risky behavior. Fly fishing is a theme throughout – as an activity t that brought them  together and in direct  contact with the wilderness and nature, but which I saw as mostly a metaphor for so much more.

My Impressions:  Short, subtle and powerful.  The backdrop of the whole story is the wilderness and rivers of Montana and life growing up in the small rural town of Missoula, Montana, where fly fishing is a widely respected sport and art form.  The characters are finely drawn in the book, and fly fishing in that part of Montana is an important activity that mostly men did together – the narrator’s father brought his boys up studying the art and craft of fly fishing.  Their father taught them fly fishing as an almost religious activity – he related it to the bible – Christ was a fisherman as were many of the disciples and Norman’s minister father treated it is treated as much more than a mere avocation.

But while much of the activity is centered around fly-fishing, the story is really about the two brothers their relationship to each other and how they evolved and developed in different directions.  Norman was studious, reserved, and well behaved, whereas his brother Paul was rebellious and extraverted, self confident and charismatic – and drawn to activities that would further enhance his risk taking – like drinking and gambling and the wild night life.  Paul was courageous and a tough fighter, whereas Norman, while tough, and courageous, avoided conflict and confrontation. 

Norman truly admires Paul  – Paul is a truly gifted fly-fisherman and his artistry with the fly rod, the depth of his understanding of trout and their relationship to the environment is extraordinary.  Norman is a good fly fisherman, but Paul is at a different level. 

As the story progresses we meet Norman’s wife Jesse and her family – and a subplot ensues when Jesse’s brother Neal who had left Missoula for the West Coast returns home and behaves in a condescending way toward those he regarded as the yokels in Missoula. Jesse’s mother wants Norman and Paul to take Neal fishing even though they clearly don’t like Neal, and Neal doesn’t particularly want to go fishing.  But the pressure of the mother-in-law makes it happen and the results are not pretty.

The sub plot around Neal is how his presence causes friction between Norman and his wife Jesse and how that brings out several things not only in their relationship, but in Norman’s relationship to her mother and family. Also in how Paul supports Neal in dealing with this dilemma.

There are several lasting impressions I have of from book.  

• The simple joys of growing up in a less complex world, in small town, in the Rocky mountains a hundred years ago.
• Relationship between brothers can be a tension between love and common family ties, and competition.
• The magic of being alone and communing with nature by doing something active and in harmony with nature.
• Family dynamics within Norman’s family and within Jesse’s family – tensions between stubborn people.
• Aging and looking back on difficult personal times,  remembering and losing loved ones  as one gets older and processing what happened.
• How Norman handled the difficult issue with his wife Jesse – “I don’t like your brother but I love you. Please don’t make me choose.”  How he expressed his love to her.
• You can’t help someone who doesn’t want to be helped.  Sometimes the best you can so is let them learn for themselves, but let that person know that you are there if they need you.
• The subtly spiritual side of this book – Norman’s father was a minister, the quiet spiritual kindness and humanity that was a current throughout the book – even the tough parts. 
• Fly fishing is an art – which requires the fisherman not only to be an expert with the pole and line, but also in understanding trout and how they live and eat, streams, insects and more.
• The river and water are themes throughout, as sources of wisdom, tranquility and transcendence.   Every time the characters are near the water, things are good and earthly tensions are mitigated or disappear.  I have asked myself if this is a primal sense that drives people to want to live near and be on the water.
• The quiet and soft spoken tone of the book represented to me a quiet acceptance of life’s  big picture.   The mountains and the rivers have a spiritual quality that reminds us of the transitory nature of the drama of life lived day-to-day, month-to-month, year-to-year. 
• I saw fly fishing as a metaphor for the role that art and skill can play in life as we live it in the moment.  But art and skill, while impressive and are to be admired, alone are not enough to live well. 

After reading the book, I watched the movie, directed by Robert Redford and staring Brad Pitt. I thought the movie was well done and followed the themes of the book, though the movie included some scenes not in the book, changed the story a bit, and deleted some other stories.  But the movie did credit to the book and I’d recommend it – to augment the wonderful writing of Norman Maclean