The River Why
The classic novel of fly fishing and spirituality republished with a new Afterword by the author.

Since its publication in 1983, The River Why has become a classic. David James Duncan's sweeping novel is a coming-of-age comedy about love, nature, and the quest for self-discovery, written in a voice as distinct and powerful as any in American letters.

Gus Orviston is a young fly fisherman who leaves behind his comically schizoid family to find his own path. Taking refuge in a remote cabin, he sets out in pursuit of the Pacific Northwest's elusive steelhead. But what begins as a physical quarry becomes a spiritual one as his quest for self-knowledge batters him with unforeseeable experiences.

Profoundly reflective about our connection to nature and to one another, The River Why is also a comedic rollercoaster. Like Gus, the reader emerges utterly changed, stripped bare by the journey Duncan so expertly navigates.
1101325910
The River Why
The classic novel of fly fishing and spirituality republished with a new Afterword by the author.

Since its publication in 1983, The River Why has become a classic. David James Duncan's sweeping novel is a coming-of-age comedy about love, nature, and the quest for self-discovery, written in a voice as distinct and powerful as any in American letters.

Gus Orviston is a young fly fisherman who leaves behind his comically schizoid family to find his own path. Taking refuge in a remote cabin, he sets out in pursuit of the Pacific Northwest's elusive steelhead. But what begins as a physical quarry becomes a spiritual one as his quest for self-knowledge batters him with unforeseeable experiences.

Profoundly reflective about our connection to nature and to one another, The River Why is also a comedic rollercoaster. Like Gus, the reader emerges utterly changed, stripped bare by the journey Duncan so expertly navigates.
11.99 In Stock
The River Why

The River Why

by David James Duncan
The River Why

The River Why

by David James Duncan

eBook

$11.99 

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Overview

The classic novel of fly fishing and spirituality republished with a new Afterword by the author.

Since its publication in 1983, The River Why has become a classic. David James Duncan's sweeping novel is a coming-of-age comedy about love, nature, and the quest for self-discovery, written in a voice as distinct and powerful as any in American letters.

Gus Orviston is a young fly fisherman who leaves behind his comically schizoid family to find his own path. Taking refuge in a remote cabin, he sets out in pursuit of the Pacific Northwest's elusive steelhead. But what begins as a physical quarry becomes a spiritual one as his quest for self-knowledge batters him with unforeseeable experiences.

Profoundly reflective about our connection to nature and to one another, The River Why is also a comedic rollercoaster. Like Gus, the reader emerges utterly changed, stripped bare by the journey Duncan so expertly navigates.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780316261210
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Publication date: 09/08/2015
Sold by: Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format: eBook
Sales rank: 194,145
File size: 1 MB

About the Author

David James Duncan is the author of the novels The River Why and The Brothers K, the story collection River Teeth, and two nonfiction collections. His work has appeared in numerous national anthologies, including Best American Essays (twice), Best American Sportswriting, and Best American Spiritual Writing (five times). Duncan is widely renowned as an activist and expert fly fisher. He lives with his family in western Montana.

Table of Contents

Book 1The Compleat Angler
1"Gus the Fish"3
2The Rogue River Fishing War10
3aConcerning Statistics14
3bSome Biographical Statistics17
4Statistical Improbabilities20
5aThe Great Izaak Walton Controversy: the Parental Version29
5bThe Great Izaak Walton Controversy: My Own Rendition36
6Excerpts from the God-notebook40
7Being "Educated" and "Gittin' Brung Up"45
8The "Ideal Schedule"56
9Voiding My Rheum59
Book 2The Undoing of a Scientific Angler
1Where I Lived and What I Lived For70
2Water on the Brain83
3Anvil Abe and the Phantom Fisherman90
4Fainting Before the Duel98
5I Reckon106
6Anamnesis113
Book 3Characters in Nature
1The River Writes130
2Neighbors143
3The Warble of the Water Owl149
4Eddy157
5Jesus Keeps Fishing163
6Descartes170
7Philosophizing176
8Little, But Strong184
9Closing the Door191
Book 4The Line of Light
1Hemingway200
2Dutch208
3Nick the Convert220
4The Trek233
5The Raven and the [characters not reproducible]244
6Googler and Mangler252
7Trick or Treat260
8The Line of Light268
Book 5At the End of the Line
Last Chapter280
Acknowledgments and Dedications292
Heart Work: An afterword, twenty years later294
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