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6th out of 49 books
—
32 voters
The Bear Went Over the Mountain
by
William Kotzwinkle (Goodreads Author)
William Kotzwinkle, the esteemed author of The Fan Man and E.T.: The Extraterrestrial, is in top comic form in this outrageous and uproarious parable featring Hal Jam—a big black bear who finds a manuscript under a tree in the Maine woods, dons a suit and a tie, and heads off to the big city to seek his fame and fortune. What follows is a riotous magical romp with the buoy...more
Paperback, 320 pages
Published
November 15th 1997
by Holt Paperbacks
(first published September 1st 1996)
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Amusing. It's a little bit Being There, a little bit "Pierre Menard, Author of the Quixote" (Jorge Luis Borges), perhaps even a little "The Emperor's New Clothes." Although the novel is for the most part a satire on celebrity obsession, it includes some useful exploration of the theme of identity.
This book is so funny and quirky that you just have to read it. I heard about it on an NRP interview about books to cure the winter blahs -- and they were right on.
The premise is that the main character is a bear who finds a lost manuscript and takes over the authors life. Everyone thinks the bear is "fresh" and "wordly" and wants to ride the coat tails of this up and coming new "author."
The premise is that the main character is a bear who finds a lost manuscript and takes over the authors life. Everyone thinks the bear is "fresh" and "wordly" and wants to ride the coat tails of this up and coming new "author."
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I don't know which character I'm supposed to sympathize with; if any. I can see the similarities drawn between this book and "Forrest Gump". Hal Jam (the bear) floats along without saying much but is still handed the keys to the kingdom. In the end I felt sorry for Art Bramhall, who we are led to believe has found happiness with his character assassinated, his identity stolen and the loss of a chance of millions of dollars. No, he's happy in the forest having traded places with the bear. I didn'...more
http://www.cozylittlebookjournal.com/...
Hahaha! I love a good comic novel and this one was positively impossible to put down. I started out by glancing at it when I was still in the middle of reading another book and I had to put the other book on hold so I could read this one right away. It's absurdist and silly but somehow it works. I loved it! Plus, I think this is the author who went on to write the children's book, Walter the Farting Dog, so how could you go wrong? And it's a rare author wh...more
Hahaha! I love a good comic novel and this one was positively impossible to put down. I started out by glancing at it when I was still in the middle of reading another book and I had to put the other book on hold so I could read this one right away. It's absurdist and silly but somehow it works. I loved it! Plus, I think this is the author who went on to write the children's book, Walter the Farting Dog, so how could you go wrong? And it's a rare author wh...more
Cute and fluffy. (copied review) You might think that a writer best-known for novelizing the movie "E.T." would find a satire on the book publishing industry hitting a bit close to home, but William Kotzwinkle seems quite comfortable with the task in this comic fable. In Kotzwinkle's merry send-up, the author of the hit novel "Desire and Destiny" is a bear, a real bear, who after finding the manuscript under a spruce tree and attaching his nom de plume, Hal Jam, becomes rich and famous overnight...more
I really didn't care for this book. It started off amusing but really went downhill for me. If this is supposed to be a modern fairytale then the only conclusion I can make from it is that crime pays. The author does not appear to think much of the publishing/entertainment industry, politics, or women. Come to think of it, he doesn't seem to think much of humanity as a whole. The women in this book are two dimensional and self-serving and the men neurotic and stupid. He seems to feel that the on...more
This has been, for years, one of my all time favorite reads. I remember, on first read, being drawn in by the vast layers of humor sprinkled throughout it. A wonderful parody of the day's popular culture that constantly made me smile. On second read, I was struck by the underlying question that ran through the story: what is it, exactly, that separates man from animal? How far can one regress? How far can one progress? How long before the lines start blurring?
Kotzwinkle's distinctive writing sty...more
Kotzwinkle's distinctive writing sty...more
I didn't FINISH the book; I finished READING the book. There is a difference. It had been on my TBR list for so long, I forgot why I put it on there. Guess the back blurb..."complicated satire, hilarious fun, and barbs of steel amid fields of whimsy" called out to me some years ago. I shouldn't have answered.
Basic premise of the book: A bear finds a manuscript in a briefcase in the woods, and pretends he is the author. Jeepers. That should have stopped me right there.
I've found that anything des...more
Basic premise of the book: A bear finds a manuscript in a briefcase in the woods, and pretends he is the author. Jeepers. That should have stopped me right there.
I've found that anything des...more
This story is marketed as a fable for adults. It's also marketed as a darkly humorous story, poking fun at the world of novelists and publishing.
At heart, it's a story of Hal Jam, a bear, who stole a manuscript, and becomes, to all extents and purposes, the writer of an amazing, ground-breaking piece of fiction. He is compared to Hemingway, and is the darling of the media and the publishing world. It is a story of a bear, trying to cope with the human world (and never being realized as a bear,...more
At heart, it's a story of Hal Jam, a bear, who stole a manuscript, and becomes, to all extents and purposes, the writer of an amazing, ground-breaking piece of fiction. He is compared to Hemingway, and is the darling of the media and the publishing world. It is a story of a bear, trying to cope with the human world (and never being realized as a bear,...more
A co-worker recommended and I am glad I took him up on this. It is HI-larious, and Hal Jam (the bear) is a great -- and very unique -- protagonist. Some of the ethnic & gender stereotypes are a little disappointing, and some of the satire is a little dated, but you never know where the story is going to go next, and it's generally pretty gentle with its characters. There are a few loose ends that never quite get tied up, but I only thought about them afterwards. The conclusion is both funny...more
Sono felice di dire che il libro si è dimostrato all’altezza delle aspettative.
L’orso che venne dalla montagna è un libro veramente divertente, che non scade nel banale e anzi mantiene un tono irriverente e umano in ogni riga.
Non ho mai letto E.T. e tantomeno ho visto per intero il film, nonostante sia un classico osannato (non picchiatemi! ho ancora tempo per rimediare ;), posso dire però che Kotzwinkle con questo testo ha acquisito un nuovo affezzionato lettore.
Ogni passo che ha visto il no...more
L’orso che venne dalla montagna è un libro veramente divertente, che non scade nel banale e anzi mantiene un tono irriverente e umano in ogni riga.
Non ho mai letto E.T. e tantomeno ho visto per intero il film, nonostante sia un classico osannato (non picchiatemi! ho ancora tempo per rimediare ;), posso dire però che Kotzwinkle con questo testo ha acquisito un nuovo affezzionato lettore.
Ogni passo che ha visto il no...more
It’s got to be hard to write a funny book, so I always give authors props for even trying. In the case of The Bear Went Over the Mountain, the book had its moments, but it was pretty much the same joke over and over, writ large across the plot: people hear what they want to hear; they see what they want to see; and nobody wants to be left out.
The storyline is basically this: a bear finds the manuscript of a novel hidden at the base of a tree in the woods, claims it as his, puts on a business su...more
The storyline is basically this: a bear finds the manuscript of a novel hidden at the base of a tree in the woods, claims it as his, puts on a business su...more
This book is awesome, plain and simple.
I worked at a Barnes and Noble in Wichita, KS when I bought this book. Back then I used to buy a lot of books based solely on the neatness of their cover and the quality of the binding. I'm pleased to say that this book had top marks in both categories and therefore warranted a purchase. Never did I imagine that I would find such a hilarious, scathing satire on the world of publishing and, indeed, modern society.
I thought that the title was going to be a me...more
I worked at a Barnes and Noble in Wichita, KS when I bought this book. Back then I used to buy a lot of books based solely on the neatness of their cover and the quality of the binding. I'm pleased to say that this book had top marks in both categories and therefore warranted a purchase. Never did I imagine that I would find such a hilarious, scathing satire on the world of publishing and, indeed, modern society.
I thought that the title was going to be a me...more
I adored this book. I don't know what made me pick it up in the first place, but I'm very glad I did.
First, the concept makes for a fantastic satire of publishing. I'm not sure why, but works that satirize the fields that produced them always tend to make me smile. I loved this book, I loved Get Shorty, which rags on the movie industry, and generally creative people biting the hands that feed them are nothing but fun.
Second, the story is too much fun. The bear rides a very fine line between huma...more
First, the concept makes for a fantastic satire of publishing. I'm not sure why, but works that satirize the fields that produced them always tend to make me smile. I loved this book, I loved Get Shorty, which rags on the movie industry, and generally creative people biting the hands that feed them are nothing but fun.
Second, the story is too much fun. The bear rides a very fine line between huma...more
Jun 02, 2009
Juleah Brewer
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Everyone!
Recommended to Juleah by:
Campbell Black
A bad author moves to the Vermont woods and writes the novel of a lifetime, unfortunately it is stolen by a bear. The bear assumes the name Hal Jam, and "becomes" the author of the novel. He leaves the forest for NYC and becomes "the famous author, Mr. Hal Jam". His success leads to worldwide fame. The best part is no one knows he's a bear! This is a hilarious book that makes you laugh on every page, while also showing you all the greed and corruption in the world through the bear's eyes.
May 19, 2010
John
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to John by:
Dot Roberts
Shelves:
bookcrossing,
humour
A Bookcrossing book passed from Dot. A funny story of a bear that steal a manuscript that turns in to a best seller. Everyone around him is so wrapped up in his celebrity that they don't recognize that he is a bear. The book pokes fun at all sorts of modern life.
If you like this type of story try reading Happiness: A Novel the story of another best seller that spins out of control - very funny. It was originally titled "Generica"
If you like this type of story try reading Happiness: A Novel the story of another best seller that spins out of control - very funny. It was originally titled "Generica"
Kind of a weird read, and not totally enjoyable. The premise is a bear steals a manuscript from a struggling writer, goes to New York and proceeds to become a celebrity, all the while no one realizes that our hero, Hal Jam, is a bear. Full of off beat Maine humer, I didn't find myself laughing as much as I thought I would. I found some of the book strange, and other parts mildly amusing. Be warned, this is not a children's book, there are human/bear love scenes, although nothing too graphic.
Ove...more
Ove...more
This book is surprisingly hilarious. Written by the screenwriter of ET, the text's satire of Hollywood and the publishing industry is clever and amusing. One of my favorite parts were the comparisons between the bear and Hemingway. Plus, the comical depiction of literature professors will amuse any English major. Overall, it is a very enjoyable read that I would recommend to anyone involved in academia who wants a good laugh.
A light, funny story made utterly charming by its fast-paced, fairy-tale telling: bear finds manuscript and goes to the city, claiming it as his own. He becomes Hal Jam, beloved and hugely successful author, Hemingway's spiritual successor; meanwhile, the real author tries to track him down, but gets sidetracked by a hilarious cast of countrified folks. An adult fable for our times, brilliantly cutting and yet never pretentious.
Somehow, I ordered this from the library for my Wonderful Ones story time! Oops. So I read it for fun - it has a great cover and makes for a light read while being sick.
I'm sure there are all kinds of societal things I should learn from the book, but I pretty much just enjoyed it! Nice story, but not a favorite.
My joke with the other librarians though, was that we have to stop treating these babies like babies!
I'm sure there are all kinds of societal things I should learn from the book, but I pretty much just enjoyed it! Nice story, but not a favorite.
My joke with the other librarians though, was that we have to stop treating these babies like babies!
"There ain't nothing so deep as a bear."
A bear in Maine, snuffling around for food, stumbles across a novel manuscript, which he decides to take to New York & claim as his own. Arthur Bramhall, the actual author, attempts to find another story after the loss of this one.
Hal Jam (the nom de plume of the bear who steals the book) struggles to be become a person during his publicity tour, while Arthur Bramhall (the actual author of the book) faces challenges of his own. Hal's simple sentences...more
A bear in Maine, snuffling around for food, stumbles across a novel manuscript, which he decides to take to New York & claim as his own. Arthur Bramhall, the actual author, attempts to find another story after the loss of this one.
Hal Jam (the nom de plume of the bear who steals the book) struggles to be become a person during his publicity tour, while Arthur Bramhall (the actual author of the book) faces challenges of his own. Hal's simple sentences...more
I've never read a book that was so eloquently written, had great plot and character development, that also made me spit whatever I was drinking straight out my nose. One of the funniest books I've ever read. Now having been on the inside of publishing business a little, parts that made me laugh sometimes make me cry. A wonderful story about a bear who finds an abandoned manuscript and becomes a hit with it in NYC–all told from the perspective of the bear.
Technique: 5 out of 5 stars
Cleaver, smart...more
Technique: 5 out of 5 stars
Cleaver, smart...more
Need a laugh or a quick read? This is your book. The book jacket advertises a wicked satire of our current world, and while this may be that, its hilarity is in its simplicity. What would happen if a bear somehow passed for being a human, and in his ignorance, said all the wrong things to the right people? Apparently, we would be unable to stop laughing.
A delicious romp of a book, somewhat reminiscent of Being There by Jerzy Kosinsky, but not so serious. A bear sees a novelist hide a briefcase under a tree. he digs it out and discovers it contains a manuscript. So the bear steals the manuscriot, goes to town, steals some clothes, and proceeds to find an agent.Everything that follows is lol obvious.
Aug 06, 2011
Amy
added it
A very funny story, part fable and part satire. A bear discovers a manuscript under a tree and takes it to New York where he becomes a literary sensation. He spends most of his time trying to blend in, although no one seems to realize that he's a bear. The best parts are when he attempts (usually incorrectly) to mimic human behaviour.
I would have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed ninety-five percent of this read. A fantastic plot and it kept me giggling to myself almost all the way through. Hal Jam grabbed me from the moment he stole the briefcase and manuscript. Hardly fair, but the characterization of literary agents gave me a good laugh. Great read for any writer. The only criticism I have is that the ending seemed to be all a bit rushed. I wonder if an editor was making it fit into a word count?
2 likes · like · see review
A bear finds a manuscript, and decides to pose as the writer. Within days, he is considered the new literary sensation.
Somehow, Kotzwinkle manages to juggle the reality of a bear posing as a human with the inherent absurdity of the idea. He never sets up the story so that Hal Jam - as the bear names himself - appears to be human; he is always a bear. The joke is on everyone who surrounds him: these literary elite are so full of themselves and the business that the perpetuate, they lose sight of...more
Somehow, Kotzwinkle manages to juggle the reality of a bear posing as a human with the inherent absurdity of the idea. He never sets up the story so that Hal Jam - as the bear names himself - appears to be human; he is always a bear. The joke is on everyone who surrounds him: these literary elite are so full of themselves and the business that the perpetuate, they lose sight of...more
The more I add to this list the more I realize I read some strange stuff. This one is about a dried up writer trying to his next best novel and the bear who inadvertantly switches places with him. A wonderfull satirical look at us and celebrities. Highly recommend
Must-read for anyone in the publishing industry. A bear finds a manuscript and pretends to be the author. The critics love his work and no one notices that he's a bear. A farcical view of the book business that will have you in stitches! Highly recommended.
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William Kotzwinkle is a two-time recipient of the National Magazine Award for Fiction, a winner of the World Fantasy Award, the Prix Litteraire des Bouquinistes des Quais de Paris, the PETA Award for Children's Books, and a Book Critics Circle award nominee. His work has been translated into dozens of languages.
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“Their leader wore a Nazi helmet and had renamed himself Heimlich in honor of the man who ran the SS, not knowing he'd confused the Heimlich maneuver for rescuing choke victims and Heinrich Himmler.”
—
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Oct 11, 2011 03:56pm