The Loop

Rating:
Summary: The Loop
Review: Do the words "The Horse Whisperer" remind you of Nicholas Evans? Ah yes, I see you nodding your head. Did you read the book or maybe see the movie? Both were excellent and his newest book "The Loop" is no exception. Once more Evans has masterfully portrayed the savageness and beauty of the human spirit at the same time making us treasure the magnificence of nature that surrounds us.

The small western town of Hope, Montana thrives on the cattle ranchers that inhabit the area. When wolf biologist, Helen Ross comes to town due to claims of wolves attacking children and cattle, she almost gets more than she bargained for. Buck Calder proves to be a worthwhile adversary as she struggles to prove the innocence of the wolves and keep the town from shooting them all. With a population of about 519 wolf haters, it's not an easy task convincing these people the motives behind the actions of these animals.

This is an excellent book and a seamless read. The slow beginning is a clever disguise for a fast-paced riveting novel that you won't be able to put down until you finish it. This is definitely a book that will make you laugh and cry alternately every moment until the very end.

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Summary: A quick read
Review: I almost quit this book after the first couple of chapter because it sounded like it was going to be a polemic about good wolves and bad ranchers. Since I grew up on a ranch and had some great-uncles who kept starvation from the door in the late 1800s by hunting wolves for bounty, I know there are at least two sides to the wolf story. However, once you get past the political correctness THE LOOP turns into a good adventure story. The villian is a rancher but Evans doesn't use him as a symbol of the archetypal rancher--he's just a character in a story. Evans has obviously spent some time in Montana doing research. This book doesn't pretend to be present an objective picture of the conflict between ranchers and wildlife biologists. It's just a fun adventure story. If you're interested in a good novel that offers a more complete and balanced picture of the issues between Montana ranchers and wildlife biologists, I suggest Richard Wheeler's THE BUFFALO COMMONS.

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Summary: His best book yet
Review: I read the Horse Whisperer and was greatly impressed. An aunt let my dad borrow this one, and I read it before he could. It's the classic battle of environmentalists versus cattle ranchers portrayed very well through all eyes. At the center of the battle is Luke, with blood ties to the ranching industry, but with his heart to the wolves. One of Evans' strongest points (in all his novels)is that he gives you this history of the characters so that you know what makes them tick. With Luke, you can feel the pressure he's under to be what he's supposed to be versus being what he wants to be. Evans does a remarkable job making all the characters human and portraying the reality behind the desire to reintroduce wolves and the ranchers' need to survive.

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Summary: Fantastic Novel
Review: The Loop is the first book I've read by Nicholas Evans and it won't be the last. His description of Hope (the characters and the setting itself) made the reader feel totally engrossed in the story. Each character was extremely well developed and had a necessary place in the story (which is something I often criticize other authors for not doing). The momentum of the storyline is a little slow through the middle but once the novel picks up memomentum, it doesn't disappoint! Very interesting subject matter (you can understand how both sides of the coin could feel very strongly about the wolves and their place in the community) but also light and entertaining (I loved Helen's relationship with her family and her own descriptions of herself. She very was humble from the first person narrative even though other narratives described her as very attractive and well respected by her colleagues). VERY SATISFYING READ!

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Summary: Entertaining Morality Tale
Review: Young woman, and an even younger man, strive to save a pack of wolves from angry ranchers while trying to overcome their own personal doubts and shortcomings. When they turn to each other for love, it threathens their mission. In "The Horse Whisperer," author Nicholas Evans showed how wounded people and animals can help each other. Now he's done it again in "The Loop." In both works, he proves to be a master in foreshadowing events, thereby creating masterful page-turners. But, while tension builds with each page in "The Loop," at its heart this work is a study of our humanity. Though the wolf can be a dangerous creature, when does man become the greater monster? As for the title, does it refer to the "circle" of life described by Black Elk in the front of the book? Or does it only represent the device of a cruel, haunted character named J.J.Lovelace, who kills entire families of wolves when the price is right? Part of the satisfaction is deciding for yourself. If you want forbidden love, betrayals, human conflicts, tragic loss, and a tale that makes you question your own level of humanity, then this is the book for you.

Rating:
Summary: A superb modern western and morality tale
Review: Young woman, and an even younger man, strive to save pack of wolves from angry ranchers while trying to overcome their own personal doubts and shortcomings. When they turn to each other for love, it threathens their mission. In "The Horse Whisperer," author Nicholas Evans showed how wounded people and animals can help each other. Now he's done it again in "The Loop." In both works, he proves to be a master in foreshadowing events, thereby creating masterful page-turners. But, while tension builds with each page in "The Loop," at its heart this work is a study of our humanity. Though the wolf can be a dangerous creature, when does man become the greater monster? As for the title, does it refer to the "circle" of life described by Black Elk in the front of the book? Or does it only represent the device of a cruel, haunted character named J.J.Lovelace, who kills entire families of wolves when the price is right? Part of the satisfaction is deciding for yourself. If you want forbidden love, betrayals, human conflicts, tragic loss, and a tale that makes you question your own level of humanity, then this is the book for you.