Sunny Jim Whitelaw, a descendent of pioneers and owner of a large bottling plant, may have died, but he has no intention of relinquishing control: ...
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reviews
Nov 28, 2011
Rollin
rated it: 
My first read of McGuane. Liked it a lot. Interesting cast of characters, good story, enjoyable writing style, with hard Montana ranch life as a backdrop.
Sounds like a lukewarm review. Why did I give it four stars? I loved the words, the humorously flawed but still (mostly) sympathetic characters, the crazy dysfunctional family and family business, and the incredibly detailed passages about horses and cows real close up. And a story with twists and turns that surprise sometimes. Oh, More...
Sounds like a lukewarm review. Why did I give it four stars? I loved the words, the humorously flawed but still (mostly) sympathetic characters, the crazy dysfunctional family and family business, and the incredibly detailed passages about horses and cows real close up. And a story with twists and turns that surprise sometimes. Oh, More...
Jan 29, 2012
Kai
rated it: 
Una scrittura rodata da anni di mestiere ma ancora affilata, un romanzo che trova nei particolari, nelle descrizioni e soprattutto nei personaggi una forza inaudita, una tridimensionalità più unica che rara. Thomas McGuane, classe ‘39, è un narratore di razza . Il canto dell’erba (Alet, pp. 224 - € 16) - tradotto armonicamente da Simona Sollai - con poche, rapide pennellate mette in scena le vicende della famiglia Whitelaw, una piccola dinastia di imprenditori del Montana su cui grava lo spirito
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Jan 29, 2012
J
rated it:
Una scrittura rodata da anni di mestiere ma ancora affilata, un romanzo che trova nei particolari, nelle descrizioni e soprattutto nei personaggi una forza inaudita, una tridimensionalità più unica che rara. Thomas McGuane, classe ‘39, è un narratore di razza . Il canto dell’erba (Alet, pp. 224 - € 16) - tradotto armonicamente da Simona Sollai - con poche, rapide pennellate mette in scena le vicende della famiglia Whitelaw, una piccola dinastia di imprenditori del Montana su cui grava lo spirito
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Aug 26, 2008
For anyone with a solid familiarity with Thomas McGuane's work, this is a fascinating novel.
Here you have a novel with a female protagonist, written by a man who has often been written off as a male chauvinist pig, whose female characters have always been a major bone of contention with critics. You have a novelist who has continually been accused of rewriting autobiography, writing a novel that clearly has little to do with his own life. And you have the recognizable "McGuane p More...
Here you have a novel with a female protagonist, written by a man who has often been written off as a male chauvinist pig, whose female characters have always been a major bone of contention with critics. You have a novelist who has continually been accused of rewriting autobiography, writing a novel that clearly has little to do with his own life. And you have the recognizable "McGuane p More...
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Aug 21, 2011
Amanda
rated it:
He was known in life as the man who never smiled and in death he manages to control his family with his dubious legacy. He leaves his widow a comfortable income but insists that his ex-convict son-in-law, Paul, manage the bottling plant. As if this isn’t bad enough, Paul and Sunny’s daughter, Evelyn, must reconcile.
This novel twists and turns through the hills of Montana as it meanders through the dysfunctional Whitelaw family. The story follows the lives of Jim’s wife, daughters, their husbands More...
This novel twists and turns through the hills of Montana as it meanders through the dysfunctional Whitelaw family. The story follows the lives of Jim’s wife, daughters, their husbands More...
Jan 15, 2009
Sarah
rated it:
Thanks to my uncle's recommendation, I've now found another envy-inspiring writer with Thomas McGuane. This is no easy read, though--the family is more despicable than The Corrections' Lamberts, the humor is as black as tar, and much of the violence comes as a sudden shock. But man can McGuane write--he's a master of economy, wit, and detail, and I'm in awe of how he can create a fully realized cast of characters in just a page or two.
Jul 07, 2011
Sally
rated it: 
I was really bored with the character development. I skipped the middle, went straight to the end and didn't miss much. I was excited to read this book; his contemporaries, Jim Harrison and Wallace Stegner are more thoughtful and deep in their novels. Maybe McGuane's earlier work would have been a better choice for me.
Aug 18, 2009
C.
rated it:
I read a short story of his awhile back, "Dogs", that I really liked and I've picked up a few of his longer pieces. This was mixed as well. Really fucking funny in some parts and a bit ragged in others, but overall it was decent. The guy has a mean sense of humor.
Jul 16, 2009
Quite possibly a yawner. I'm on p.22 and I'm not quite sure yet what to think of it. My plan this summer is to stop reading any book I'm not enjoying, so stay we'll see.
Update: I returned it today. That felt good. I'm moving on :)
Update: I returned it today. That felt good. I'm moving on :)
Mar 14, 2011
Devo
rated it: 
A McGuane book in the tradition of McGuane books, the man has lost nothing. Stark and filled with pain. he is able to create characters so unlikeable and characters so likeable in the same novel.
Aug 25, 2009
Tom
rated it:
This was a good book about families and life. I didn't like it as much as some of my favorite non-genre writers, but that's just a matter of taste.
Dec 16, 2009
Andrew
rated it:
Hmm, quite a good read, but bits of it I just skipped over. The ending is quite weird, almost mystical. I felt the author could have made more of the characters. The story jumps around for no apparent reason, making the narrative feel uncomfortably jerky. Apparently, it isn't his best book. I bought it ages ago after reading a review. Interestingly, a couple of other books I read on the recommendation of the same magazine were not that great either. I think I have learnt my lesson now.
Jan 09, 2011
Autumn
rated it:
The 4 stars is for the last 30 pages of the book; the words just about leap off the page, and the last 5 pages are electrifying, cathartic, inevitable, mystic, and horrible. I liked the language of the book a lot; the plot and most of the characters seemed secondary. Almost a horror novel in parts. I haven't read much else McGuane, but I will.
Sep 24, 2008
Blaire
rated it:
I didn't care for this one. I'd have to describe the writing style as angular. It's more a man's book, I think, than a woman's. The sentence structure is often awkward as are the changes in scene. The writing shines occasionally when describing the weather and landscape, for which the author clearly has great affection. I found the characters to be shallowly drawn. The dialog didn't ring true to my ear, and was at times incomprehensible. Great title, though.
Aug 05, 2008
Tracy
rated it:
Sorta reminds me of Walker Percy. Interesting book. Will definitely read some of his other books.
Oct 23, 2008
Molly
rated it:
Now, that's writing. Bleak and vaguely horrible, story-wise, but damn fine writing.
Feb 06, 2012
Jan 28, 2012
Jan 21, 2012
