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214th out of 269 books
—
206 voters
Bow Grip
Ivan E. Coyote is one of North America’s most beguiling storytellers and the author of three story collections, including Loose End, which was shortlisted for the Ferro-Grumley Award for Fiction in 2006. Bow Grip, Coyote’s first novel, is a breathtaking story about love and loneliness; in it, a good-hearted, small-town mechanic struggles to deal with a wife who has left hi...more
Paperback, 224 pages
Published
April 1st 2007
by Arsenal Pulp Press
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Joey Cooper is a 40-something mechanic from a small town in Alberta, Canada who must pick up the pieces of his shattered life after his wife, Allyson, moved to the big city with another woman. Joey’s journey to self-discovery and fulfillment begins with some time away from work to return his ex-wife’s possessions, solve the mysterious disappearance of the stranger who bought a used car from Joey’s shop, and learn to play the exquisite hand-made cello he received from the stranger in exchange for...more
Bow Grip by Ivan E. Coyote
This is the first book I've read by this author, but I really enjoyed it, could hardly put it down. Joey is a man in his forties, a mechanic who runs his own small shop in Drumheller. A little more than a year ago, Joey's wife of a little more than five years left him for a woman. Joey's mom and friends are worried that he is keeping to himself too much and not moving on. His mom wants him to find a hobby or something. So when someone comes along and offers to buy the c...more
This is the first book I've read by this author, but I really enjoyed it, could hardly put it down. Joey is a man in his forties, a mechanic who runs his own small shop in Drumheller. A little more than a year ago, Joey's wife of a little more than five years left him for a woman. Joey's mom and friends are worried that he is keeping to himself too much and not moving on. His mom wants him to find a hobby or something. So when someone comes along and offers to buy the c...more
I didn’t want to read Bow Grip. It had a tough spine, and I hate books with a tough spine. But it was a Christmas gift from my brother, and I like to read books that are given to me so I can thank the person and mean it. So I read it. And I owe my brother. Owe him something awesome, because Ivan E. Coyote hooked me from page one and held me the whole way through, and has me still I think.
Bow River, Coyote’s first novel, introduces the reader to Joey a year after his wife has left him for another...more
Bow River, Coyote’s first novel, introduces the reader to Joey a year after his wife has left him for another...more
I came to become a fan of Ivan Coyote through seeing videos of her telling stories. My interest in reading her first novel, Bow Grip, comes from feeling connected to her as a person through her stories. You can have this same experience easily as she's got quite a few videos embedded on her site at: http://www.ivanecoyote.com/videos
But you don't need to know Coyote to read this book. Unlike her collections which contain autobiographical stories, this story is fictional. It centers around Joseph,...more
But you don't need to know Coyote to read this book. Unlike her collections which contain autobiographical stories, this story is fictional. It centers around Joseph,...more
Bow Grip takes place in present tense, in around Drumheller and Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Joseph is a 40-something divorced auto mechanic, trying to move on with his life. His wife Allyson left him for his hockey buddy's wife, Kathleen and moved from Drumheller to Calgary.
The story opens with Joseph trying to sell his car for cash but James Carson doesn't have any money. He does however have a cello and talks Joseph into a trade. Joseph figure that he can sell the cello but from the moment he op...more
The story opens with Joseph trying to sell his car for cash but James Carson doesn't have any money. He does however have a cello and talks Joseph into a trade. Joseph figure that he can sell the cello but from the moment he op...more
What shook me most about this novel was Ivan's portrayal of uniquely gentle, loving and anti-oppressive masculinity. Living in rural Alberta, working in a small town car garage, being surrounded by misogyny, and having you wife leave you for another woman is more than enough to leave the protagonist, Joey, acting like your typical racist, sexist dude bro. Ivan breaks down many stereotypes with such elegant simplicity, it left me practically breathless. Bow Grip is a spectacular read, showcasing...more
Coyote's first novel has pretty much everything I love about her stories: quiet, spare, earnest, unadorned prose. It's not epic and sweeping; it's not overwrought or over-clever. It's simple in its most exalted sense.
The only negative I can find in the novel is that it seems just a bit unfocused. Given that Coyote's stories tend to run for just a handful of pages, it's understandable that her first novel tends to stray a bit here and there. But nonetheless, I quite enjoyed the ride. As the bumpe...more
The only negative I can find in the novel is that it seems just a bit unfocused. Given that Coyote's stories tend to run for just a handful of pages, it's understandable that her first novel tends to stray a bit here and there. But nonetheless, I quite enjoyed the ride. As the bumpe...more
This was one of those random library books I picked up and glad I did. The title and story caught my interest - it's about a guy in his 40s who picks up the cello and as a guy in my 40s who recently picked up the viola, I thought it would be interesting to see if he's encountering the same challenges I am. Well, we have different challenges, but the main character is an interesting guy, almost too nice at times, and the story was a good tale of resurrection. I liked the story as well as the west...more
Christmas Booty - requested and received.
I read this book on Boxing Day. When you receive 14 Canadian books for Christmas, all of which you have asked for, it's really hard to decide which to read first. I chose this one, but I'm not sure exactly why. It might simply be because the photo of the old car on the cover reminded me of my father together with the fact that the author dedicated her book to all the men in her life. That charmed me a bit. Still does.
I read the whole book in one sitting....more
I read this book on Boxing Day. When you receive 14 Canadian books for Christmas, all of which you have asked for, it's really hard to decide which to read first. I chose this one, but I'm not sure exactly why. It might simply be because the photo of the old car on the cover reminded me of my father together with the fact that the author dedicated her book to all the men in her life. That charmed me a bit. Still does.
I read the whole book in one sitting....more
(Original review posted on my livejournal account: http://intoyourlungs.livejournal.com/...)
Why I Read It: One of my fourth year English Lit classes is "Gender and Sexuality" and this was the first novel we were assigned to read. Prior to that, I had never heard of this book or author before, despite her being a Canadian author.
I'm always kind of nervous reading books for school when I've never heard of them before. I don't mind reading heavy stuff, but sometimes some readings feel like too much...more
Why I Read It: One of my fourth year English Lit classes is "Gender and Sexuality" and this was the first novel we were assigned to read. Prior to that, I had never heard of this book or author before, despite her being a Canadian author.
I'm always kind of nervous reading books for school when I've never heard of them before. I don't mind reading heavy stuff, but sometimes some readings feel like too much...more
I loved watching Ivan E Coyote's open mics on youtube, and reading her novel was no exception. I enjoyed the plot and I liked how she wrote the characters. It made me super nostalgic about Alberta, and I think she did an excellent job of capturing the Alberta vibes. -le sigh- I also liked how she handled the main character's attitude of his ex leaving him for a woman, it was handled in a way that showed his pain but with no homophobic slurs. My one little nit-pick was that it felt like he got be...more
Ivan Coyote is a true and legitimate "storyteller." She has the unique ability to capture ordinary characters lives and make them compelling for their simple human truths. This is an honest, down to earth story, about the journey on the long road between love and loneliness.
When his wife unexpectedly leaves him for another woman, Joey Cooper, a lonely middle aged mechanic begins to question his life and existence. Following his desire for changes in his condition, he trades an old car for a fine...more
When his wife unexpectedly leaves him for another woman, Joey Cooper, a lonely middle aged mechanic begins to question his life and existence. Following his desire for changes in his condition, he trades an old car for a fine...more
I truly enjoyed Ivan E. Coyote's first novel. It reads so easily and is a visceral tale of a 40-ish divorcee whose wife left him for another woman.
It's his journey of self discovery while learning to play the cello that struck me as not only entertaining but also heart-warming.
A recommended read for everyone!
It's his journey of self discovery while learning to play the cello that struck me as not only entertaining but also heart-warming.
A recommended read for everyone!
I found this to be a highly enjoyable, highly readable book. None of the characters were too extreme, and the central character was quite likable. I enjoyed the writing style, though there were a few typos/spelling errors in the version I read.
I'd never heard of this book or author until it was chosen as this month's read by one of my book clubs. I found it highly readable, and really fell for the protagonist Joseph. I know the author has written several collections of short stories and I might try one of those but I'm not really big on them.
This is my latest favourite book - adult fiction, which I don't read a lot of. A book that will make you ache with loneliness while never letting you forget to hope. Loved this. Beautifully written and a great story.
This was short but enjoyable, with much more convincing characters than a lot of the fiction I've been reading lately and descriptions of small-town life that felt real instead of romanticized.
The book features different forms of sexuality and gender without beating the reader over the head with it. Very very nice.
I enjoyed this novel both in parts and as a whole, which is very rare. Very nice work.
I enjoyed this novel both in parts and as a whole, which is very rare. Very nice work.
Bow Grip was my favorite book in the giant stack I dragged home recently.
It was a story of that moment when your life turns, you suddenly start seeing things in a completely different way and everything changes. The main character, Joey, drifts along in a funk after his divorce and, at the urging of family, friends...he takes off to deliver the last of his ex-wife's possessions to her and her new lover. Along the way, he also acquires a group of friends, a cello (a favorite instrument of mine),...more
It was a story of that moment when your life turns, you suddenly start seeing things in a completely different way and everything changes. The main character, Joey, drifts along in a funk after his divorce and, at the urging of family, friends...he takes off to deliver the last of his ex-wife's possessions to her and her new lover. Along the way, he also acquires a group of friends, a cello (a favorite instrument of mine),...more
this book is really lovely, and sweet. a gentle read, mostly centered around a pretty gentle man; a story of transformation and change.
The main character is kinda adorable, if not quite believable. I love this authors short stories and the novel has the same sort of feel but in a longer format. I wouldn't recommend but I had to read it.
i do prefer her short stories, but this novel is quite compelling. very simple and honest portrayal of characters.
This is a remarkable first novel that I read when I was living in Vancouver in December 2006. Ivan E Coyote is a Canadian who challenges assumptions about gender and sexuality and who explores the fundamental compassion that underpins the relationships people have with each other, whether those relationships bring disappointment or happiness. The principal character is a man of unfulfilled expectations, a garage mechanic who exchanges an old car for a 'cello and discovers himself. I found the ac...more
What you see is what you get kind of book. No real surprises and a happy ending. Meh. Well-written.
Honor book--2008 ALA Stonewall Awards, fiction
The second book I read while at PLA, and I enjoyed this one ever-so-slightly more than the other. I enjoyed reading about the protagonist's interactions with his family and his fellow small-town inhabitants. Being from a small town, I remember what it's like for EVERYONE to know your business--sometimes even before YOU do! I was *slightly* disappointed with the marginalizing of the *gay* angle, as it was an ALA Stonewall nominee. Still, I took it for...more
The second book I read while at PLA, and I enjoyed this one ever-so-slightly more than the other. I enjoyed reading about the protagonist's interactions with his family and his fellow small-town inhabitants. Being from a small town, I remember what it's like for EVERYONE to know your business--sometimes even before YOU do! I was *slightly* disappointed with the marginalizing of the *gay* angle, as it was an ALA Stonewall nominee. Still, I took it for...more
I'd have to agree with the vast majority of people. This was a great book. Ivan certainly knows how to draw her audience in. I was captivated from the cover photo to the last page. No question about it, well worth the read, I didn't want it to end.
Dog Brindle
Dogbrindlebarks.blogspot.ca
Dog Brindle
Dogbrindlebarks.blogspot.ca
Tranquil prose. A quietly moving and engaging read.
First novel of hers!!! Hands down amazing!!!!!!!!!
Mar 15, 2009
Jules
marked it as to-read
I started reading this book in the waiting room on the morning that my mother went into the hospital for scheduled surgery. Just hours later, my daughter was brought into the ER downstairs and my entire life changed forever. I picked up the book again, a week and a half later, looking for a distraction, and wanting to be lulled into some temporary sense of peace by a somber and lyrical voice. It is Ivan's gift, that kind of voice, and while the novel will forever be connected to this moment in t...more
More in need of a change than anything else, Joey--a 40ish mechanic whose wife recently left him--accepts a cello in trade for a car. He's ready for change which is exactly what his trip to Calgary brings.
A story of love, loneliness, hope, and a cello. Clean prose with a realistic small town main character. You will be comfortable with Joey. Coyote storyteller talents are evident but as I read I wondered if I'd rather listen to her tell a story (this story, even) aloud.
3 1/2 - 4 stars
A story of love, loneliness, hope, and a cello. Clean prose with a realistic small town main character. You will be comfortable with Joey. Coyote storyteller talents are evident but as I read I wondered if I'd rather listen to her tell a story (this story, even) aloud.
3 1/2 - 4 stars
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Aug 01, 2012 11:23am
Aug 02, 2012 06:06am