William Kotzwinkle, the esteemed author of The Fan Man and E.T.: The Extraterrestrial, is in top comic form in this outrageous and uproario...
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Sep 14, 2010
Dan
rated it: 
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.
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Dec 11, 2009
Susan
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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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Jan 06, 2010
Blair
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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
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Jun 18, 2010
Sterlingcindysu
rated it: 
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
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Apr 16, 2011
Stitchywoman
rated it:
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
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Feb 05, 2011
K.T.
rated it: 
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 distinc More...
Kotzwinkle's distinc More...
Oct 09, 2011
Cindy
rated it: 
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.
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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.
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Mar 12, 2008
Cheryl
rated it:
Absolutely despised this book. A "fable" that simply doesn't add up to anything.
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Oct 08, 2011
Azzurra
rated it:
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 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 More...
Aug 14, 2008
Ewurama
rated it:
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 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 More...
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Jul 15, 2008
Nick
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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 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 More...
Mar 22, 2008
Nekouken
rated it:
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 ver 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 ver More...
Jun 02, 2009
Juleah
rated it:
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
May 19, 2010
John
rated it:
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" More...
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" More...
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Dec 04, 2011
Ensiform
rated it:
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.
Mar 24, 2010
Gerry
rated it:
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!
Nov 21, 2007
Tracey
rated it:
"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 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 More...
Mar 27, 2011
Andrew
rated it:
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.
Dec 27, 2009
Ginger
rated it:
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
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.
Feb 24, 2011
Derek
rated it:
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?
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Nov 26, 2008
Jacob
rated it:
A charming and amusing little novel--and a wicked little satire about a bear pretending to be a person, and other humans pretending to be people too. You can't help but feel sorry (if only a little) for Arthur Bramhall, but you can't blame Hal Jam; after all, he's only a bear.
Jan 08, 2008
Daniel
rated it:
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 l 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 l More...
Apr 27, 2009
Rick
rated it:
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
May 23, 2011
Deb
rated it:
In this completely ridiculous novel, a bear finds a manuscript in a briefcase and goes to New York to get it published. No one he deals with - agents, editors, hoteliers, lovers - sees that he is a bear. Instead, they see him as an eccentric genius, and because he is a "man" of few words, they dub him the new Hemingway.
I'll rate this book A for enjoyment, because it is laugh-out-loud hilarious throughout. Heavy it is not. It hardly seems a novel at all, more like an extend More...
I'll rate this book A for enjoyment, because it is laugh-out-loud hilarious throughout. Heavy it is not. It hardly seems a novel at all, more like an extend More...
Feb 21, 2010
Comic. Satirical. Cutting. Who Knew? A book about a bear whosteals a novel from a struggling author and somehow (suspend disbelief) convinces his public he is a new age literary force. Think “Charlottes Web” written by a satirical humanistic genius.
Jan 09, 2009
Esther
rated it:
Not my normal read but after several recommendations I finally picked it up. I found "laugh out loud" passages as well as delightful satire of the publishing business that applies to many other business enterprises.
Sep 21, 2011
Martena
rated it:
I loved this book. It was so unexpected and fun to read, clever and funny to read and must have taken some effort to write, to seem so effortless. I read it in just over a day and was sorry it ended.
Jan 08, 2009
lisa
rated it:
I really couldn't get over how unrealistic it all is. I mean, obviously that's the point...but my mind couldn't get past logical reality, and I think that ruined the book for me. Fun read though.
Oct 22, 2010
Jane
rated it:
This was a riot. A satire about perople's perceptions, the publishing and movie making business, and the way we live today. I laughed out loud through most of this. The characters/caricatures were wonderful - and what IF a bear in the woods found a manuscript and took it to New York to be published?
