Rating: 
Summary: Better than the movie (which was also good)
Review: This is a beautiful, haunting book that will live within you well after you finish the last page. Sure, the movie was lovely but could not compare to the lyrical grace of Norman Maclean's words. I only hate that he started his craft so late in life (or at least was published so late in life) and that we didn't get to enjoy more of his work before his death. I read A LOT of books, and this is one of my alltime favorites, among the top 5 and definitely a classic. I give it as a gift to my reading friends. While it's about fly fishing, it's not about fly fishing; it's about so much more -- life, family relationships, living in the moment. I would never have touched this book except for the recommendation of Pete Dexter, a fine author himself, who profiled Maclean in an Esquire article some years ago. If you can get your hands on it, it will give you some wonderful insight into the person Maclean was.
Rating:
Summary: From someone who has never seen the movie
Review: This review comes strictly from a reading of Norman Maclean's written work without any influence from the film version of A River Runs Through It, for I have never seen it. Simply as a piece of written work, Maclean writes an absolutely inspirational novella. As his introduction indicates, part of the motivation for writing his stories came from wanting to preserve a decent sense of parental identity for his children. This intention comes through in Maclean's A River Runs Through It as he uses first-person narration, which evokes a story-telling quality about the work. The reader is made to feel as though the story is truly a personal recounting of significant life events that reveal something about the main character's past concerns, how he came to some sort of resolution about those concerns, and of course, explain a few things about his identity to his listener.The way in which Maclean connects fly-fishing to family values and also to spirituality is beautiful. Norm, the main character of the book, has such an attentiveness to beauty and feels such reverence for his brother's angling ability, the reader is unable to separate the idea of fishing from an appreciable means to well-being. Time spent fly-fishing is quality time for the male members of the family, and it is especially revered by the two brothers, Paul and Norm, as they go out to the river as adults, no longer with their father. It is while fishing with their father that they learn spiritual truths, and these ideas are carried with them, in perhaps slightly different interpretations, into every expedition. A conflict arises when the respectful attitude the brothers expect at the river is difficult to arouse in others. What's interesting is that the brothers do not converse much during these outings. They are not there to lounge and chat. They are truly there to practice their skill, and they do so in separate sections of the water. The conversations that they do have are slight and perhaps a bit obscure, but meaningful. Maclean does a wonderful job presenting the methods by which male communication is relayed and interpreted. His ability to present men as dually sensitive and proud is commendable. Another thing that Maclean does well is maintain his readers' participation in the story. His explanation of fly-fishing mechanics, which does not at all distract from the story, prevents the reader from feeling detached from a possibly unfamiliar experience. In fact, a moderately involved reader will find himself or herself agreeing with the opinion that fly-fishing is the only respectable form of fishing, and will scoff together with Norm at the use of worms and "poles" rather than flies and "rods". As the story develops, it becomes apparent that one of Norm's main concerns is his ability to be helpful, and that his attempts are frustrated repeatedly. Discover what Norm learns about his concerns and responsibilities, and find out about some other provocative characters within this tale. It's a short, enjoyable read with an inspirational effect.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful, brave and funny
Review: To say that someone is living in the past is usually an insult, but Norman Maclean's early life was so momentous that you could hardly blame him. As the helpful introduction to this work explains, he was living at the end of an era, when the great days of the Wild West and the frontier spirit were coming to an end.
Perhaps above all A River Runs Through It is a hymn to the restorative power of nature. You get the idea that Maclean was not overly impressed with modern life and throughout these stories his voice rings out beautifully, bravely and more than a little sardonically. This a wonderful glimpse of life in the early years of twentieth century rural America.
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