One of Time magazine’s top-five novels of the year and a New York Times bestseller, Leif Enger’s first novel, Peace Li...
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Apr 13, 2008
William
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Peace Like a River, Enger's first novel, had simple, elegant writing and a believable, suspenseful plot that set the author loping comfortably between the literary buttes of Larry McMurtry and John Steinbeck. River felt like a classic before you were halfway through the book. So Brave, Young, and Handsome is set at the same pace, and holds to the same style of writing, and if that process seems now too easily reproduced, or too wash worn to stun us at second sight, the casualness of this appeara
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Jun 04, 2008
Jolie
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Oh, I wanted so much to like this book...I loved Peace Like a River, and would recommend that one wholeheartedly. And I was prepared to love this one, too, but just...couldn't.
I did love Monte Beckett at the beginning--his angst over writing 1,000 words a day in order to turn out a follow-up to his unexpected bestseller. I loved that one of his throw-away stories sounded much like the plot line for Peace. I found all his characters at the beginning of the book to be intriguing and More...
I did love Monte Beckett at the beginning--his angst over writing 1,000 words a day in order to turn out a follow-up to his unexpected bestseller. I loved that one of his throw-away stories sounded much like the plot line for Peace. I found all his characters at the beginning of the book to be intriguing and More...
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Apr 10, 2008
Patrick
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"I said, 'Most men never have the chance to be both things at once, the hero and the devil.'
'That is ignorant. Most men are hero and devil. All men. That is what ruins it with wives.'
'She wanted just the hero?'
'Bad men or good she would've had me either way. She couldn't endure both, however. She said to pick one and to be that thing only so that she might trust me until the day of Jesus.'"
There is a perspective in some ancient cultures a More...
'That is ignorant. Most men are hero and devil. All men. That is what ruins it with wives.'
'She wanted just the hero?'
'Bad men or good she would've had me either way. She couldn't endure both, however. She said to pick one and to be that thing only so that she might trust me until the day of Jesus.'"
There is a perspective in some ancient cultures a More...
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Apr 26, 2008
Amelia
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It's here! Finally, after almost 6 years, the second book by Leif Enger! He wrote Peace Like a River - my all-time #1 favorite!
I liked it in the end. It's no Peace, but it was a good story. I couldn't feel the characters as deeply as in Peace ... I wish we had more time with Redstart and Hood, less with Siringo. But, the overall themes were ones I could get behind: true love endures, forgiveness is sweet on both the giving and receiving end, there is a fine nobleness in voluntary ju More...
I liked it in the end. It's no Peace, but it was a good story. I couldn't feel the characters as deeply as in Peace ... I wish we had more time with Redstart and Hood, less with Siringo. But, the overall themes were ones I could get behind: true love endures, forgiveness is sweet on both the giving and receiving end, there is a fine nobleness in voluntary ju More...
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Apr 26, 2008
Ann
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This book is about a Minnesota man, the narrator, Monte Becket, in 1910 who had written a 'western' that made his name familiar to many but now feels that he somehow did not deserve the accolades of family, friends, and the world. One day he looks through the mist at the Cannon River running by his home where he lives with beautiful wife Susannah and 8 year old son, Redstart to see salvation in the form of failed man, Glendon Hale, rowing into view. They meet Hood Roberts, a young mechanic wh
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May 30, 2008
Cheri
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I knew Enger would have a hard time writing a book as powerful as Peace Like a River, and well, he didn't. But, but--his second book is crafted much the same as the first: metaphorical, each word carefully chosen, the characters obviously well-loved and intimately known by their maker, a richly drawn setting. The story, though, isn't appealing to me, I think because it's a romantic western set in 1914 and because the chain of obstacles and resolutions in the plot just aren't plausible.
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Jul 13, 2008
Sherrie
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Wow. I really didn't like this book.
Here's a link to my review in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, although I'm realizing my byline is missing in the online version, but my bio is at the bottom:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08160/887...
Here's a link to my review in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, although I'm realizing my byline is missing in the online version, but my bio is at the bottom:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08160/887...
Aug 18, 2009
bookczuk
rated it:
Crud, crud, crud. I meant to write my review of this when I finished it, but now it's been several weeks and a bunch of books in between. Still the story has stayed with me. While I can no longer recall a specific eloquence of phrase, the overall flavor of the story, with the wonders of the early 20th century: train travel, Wild West shows, outlaws, Pinkertons, sharpshooters and cheap penny novels. The basic story is one of an aging train robber, Glendon Hale, seeking redemption from the lo
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Aug 08, 2008
Catherine
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The thing Leif Enger does better than any other author I can think of is give his characters a completely unique voice. No one in his books speaks like anyone else - the word choices, the inflections, the idioms; every little thing adds up to a wholly singular creation. It's a remarkable talent in original fiction, to hear your characters with such perfection. I could (and will) read anything he writes for the rest of his life just to glory in those voices.
That said, it's hard not More...
That said, it's hard not More...
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Jun 30, 2008
Stephen
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Occasionally the narrator of this wonderful tale refers to the misadventures of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, which had occurred a few years prior but which of course to a modern audience are understood in terms of the movie. In both stories, the protagonists are pursued by an implacable detective -- somebody almost inhuman in his ability to keep on coming in spite of every effort to shake him off.
There’s a crucial difference, however, in that this is a story of redemption. A f More...
There’s a crucial difference, however, in that this is a story of redemption. A f More...
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Jun 22, 2008
Judy
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Ever since reading "Peace Like a River" seven years ago, I've been anxiously awaiting Enger's second book. While I would not rank this one quite as high as "Peace," I still enjoyed it tremendously.
This appears to be a somewhat autobiographical novel about a writer named Monte Becket who makes it big on his first book, but then fails to produce a second. After years of writing meaningless sentences, he meets and befriends the outlaw Glendon Hale, who is on his wa More...
This appears to be a somewhat autobiographical novel about a writer named Monte Becket who makes it big on his first book, but then fails to produce a second. After years of writing meaningless sentences, he meets and befriends the outlaw Glendon Hale, who is on his wa More...
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Jun 17, 2008
Kim
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I opened this book with great expectation and anticipation, as Peace Like a River is one of my favorite books. Of course, as with any second novel following a great debut, it did not meet my expectations. However, that being said, Enger is still a skilled novelist and storyteller. He creates characters that are compelling, and this novel was light and fun, yet poignant. Once again, Enger weaves deep and meaningful themes into his story in such a way that the reader does not even realize he or sh
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Apr 05, 2009
Holly
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I really wanted to like this book, especially after reading "Peace Like a River" by the same author. It started out great -- I really liked Monte Beckett and his angst over writing 1,000 words a day to try and crank out another bestseller. I loved Monte's throw-away stories -- they actually sounded like something from Peace. But then the rest of the book dragged and slowed and it was hard to keep reading. Leif Enger's writing is still beautiful, but the book just did not keep me intere
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Mar 28, 2009
Jim
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A writer, Monte Beckett, meets his neighbor, Glendon Hale, a lovable train robber and along the way they meet up with Hood Roberts, a young mechanic. Monte gets six weeks from home life to travel with Glendon. They are pursued by Charlie Siringo, a former Pinkerton agent. The book turns on Monte becoming a willing hostage and at the end Glendon turns himself, willingly. From about p. 150 on, I felt like I was following the exploits of a dumbshit. I didn’t believe anyone would do that. The
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Jun 06, 2008
Dana
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UPDATE:
Have to say that I am about 1/3 into the book and am not nearly as enamored with the characters and storyline as Peace Like a River. Have actually taken a break and read three other books in-between....I will pick it up again later this summer to see if I can get back into the book....
I haven't read this yet, as it is being released on April 29, but I am VERY excited to read it. When I read Leif Enger's Peace Like A River, I was so struck by it's pur More...
Have to say that I am about 1/3 into the book and am not nearly as enamored with the characters and storyline as Peace Like a River. Have actually taken a break and read three other books in-between....I will pick it up again later this summer to see if I can get back into the book....
I haven't read this yet, as it is being released on April 29, but I am VERY excited to read it. When I read Leif Enger's Peace Like A River, I was so struck by it's pur More...
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Apr 12, 2009
Bonnie
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I was really looking forward to this book because I loved his earlier Peace Like a River. I was disappointed. It moved slowly, the characters weren't very interesting. I kept waiting for somehting interesting to happen.
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Jun 18, 2008
Susie
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Magical. Need I say more? Yet again, Leif Enger has created a fascinating story of PEOPLE living out their lives, good, bad, and extremely difficult in the context of the romanticized American West. I have never been a fan of the typical western novel, yet this one does exactly what it's predecessor (_Peace Like a River_) did in presenting us with a very different view of the West, both within the characters minds and within the story of their journeys as well. And, yet again, the narrator's uni
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Apr 14, 2009
Luanne
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I like Peace Like a River much more than this one, but I do like his writing style. I wasn't as engaged with the characters, but worth the time to read it.
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Dec 19, 2008
Kamirae
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I really enjoy Leif Enger's style of writing, it feels relaxed like a story around a campfire with no where to go, no hurries, no worries. He paints the landscape, sculpts the characters, and gives life to the story with such ease and grace. "Peace Like a River" is still my all time favorite. Hope he's working on another tale or two, I can't wait.
Mar 04, 2011
Deb
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This rollicking tale of the old west is one enjoyable yarn. Monte is a writer who is afraid his brief success and subsequent writers block have made him a failure to his family. His friend Glendon entices him to accompany him on a trip to find Glendon's long lost love, Blue. What seems to be a simple trip south turns out to become an adventure, where Monte and Glendon are dodging the Pinkerton agent Charles Siringo who is after Glendon--who turns out to be a former train robber. Monte becomes aq
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Feb 05, 2009
Enger's new novel has much in common with Peace Like a River—"its beset, first-person narrator, an earnestly colloquial sensibility, a religious faith in life's essential worth and muscular optimism about the fundamental decency of human nature" (Chicago Tribune). Critics considered it an admirable successor to Enger's highly acclaimed debut, with its pitch-perfect dialogue, beautiful prose, highly romantic characters, cheerful tone, and a delightfully conjured-up Old West. Though a f
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Jan 30, 2009
As with his successful first novel, Peace Like a River, Enger evokes a time long past and themes of loyalty, retribution, and the undeniable, though not always wise, yearning for adventure. In his new book, set in 1915, Monte Becket, author of a hugely successful cowboy novel, is suffering from a career-killing case of writer's block. The sudden arrival of Glendon Hale, a mysterious new neighbor who is building a strong, river-worthy rowboat, is the beginning of a life-changing journey for both
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Dec 15, 2011
Richard
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Rating: 3.5* of five
The Book Report: Failing novelist and failure of a farmer Monte Becket, Minnesotan manque, meets Glendon the gangster via the good offices of his son the pathologically friendly, and to the undisguised disgust and reluctant encouragement of his dreary, negative wife, takes off to Mexico with Glendon to see what he can see.
My Review: I started this book annoyed. I did NOT like the pseudoformal English that the author posits regular people used a century ago More...
The Book Report: Failing novelist and failure of a farmer Monte Becket, Minnesotan manque, meets Glendon the gangster via the good offices of his son the pathologically friendly, and to the undisguised disgust and reluctant encouragement of his dreary, negative wife, takes off to Mexico with Glendon to see what he can see.
My Review: I started this book annoyed. I did NOT like the pseudoformal English that the author posits regular people used a century ago More...
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Sep 12, 2011
Suzanne
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Set in Minnesota this story carries the reader across the Midwest to Mexico. The year is 1915 and Monte Beckett is struggling to complete his next novel, following the success of his first publishing. Finding his mind and pen have reached a stalemate, Beckett sets off on an adventure with an eccentric boat maker.
Glendon Hale has spent the past 20 years with regrets of leaving his wife, Blue, behind while running and hiding from "the law." Hale, mostly lives on profits fr More...
Glendon Hale has spent the past 20 years with regrets of leaving his wife, Blue, behind while running and hiding from "the law." Hale, mostly lives on profits fr More...
Aug 09, 2011
Ann
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Leif Enger's first novel, PEACE LIKE A RIVER, is one of the most beautiful and moving books written in the last dozen years or so. It's the kind of book that makes you drop to your knees in awe of the talent that created such a literary marvel. I finally got around to reading his second book, and though the same elegant prose, with its' semi-Elizabethan tone, is still in evidence, this time around I'm afraid I didn't believe a word of the book. None of the characters seemed real to me, and it
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May 22, 2011
Joan
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A Hollywood pitch might describe this book as Huckleberry Finn meets The Big Fish, Pecos Bill and Canterbury Tales. Like "The Cowboy's Lament," the song quoted in its title, this story took me back to childhood in mid-century Minnesota, where a typical evening might find my brother and me sitting on the floor listening intensely to radio dramas starring Hopalong Cassidy and the Lone Ranger.
In 1915, about the time cowboy days are winding down, Monte Becket, a writer without a More...
In 1915, about the time cowboy days are winding down, Monte Becket, a writer without a More...
May 13, 2011
Keith
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This is a man’s book; not that women wouldn’t enjoy it and gain insight from it but more importantly it allows men to gain insight into themselves. It’s a novel about men and what motivates them; well some of us at least. It’s also a story about fate and how it crosses the threshold each day and then insists that we each make decisions about its direction and be responsible for the outcome. Men don’t make friends in the same way as women and their stake in the relationship is something most w
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Apr 13, 2011
Charlotte
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Really, it's a 3 1/2, but to be optimistic I chose to round up to the four-star option. This book isn't as good as Enger's Peace Like a River. The prose was superb, but the story was lackluster. About one-hit-wonder author Monte Beckett and his unlikely friendship with former train robber Glendon Hale, the story reads with a western timber. For a large portion of the book I was frustrated with Beckett's pliable character. He's a one-time bestselling author who tries unsuccessfully to repeat his
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Mar 08, 2011
Sara Diane
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I tried reading Enger's other book a few years ago and had to drop it--I couldn't get into the story, the voice bothered me, and I was on a quest to read 100 books in a year and didn't have time to waste on books I couldn't get into.
But this year I took recommendations from friends, in order to find new authors they like and to understand my friends more. My friend Scott loved this one, so I picked it up with much trepidation.
The writing is excellent--Enger has a way with wo More...
But this year I took recommendations from friends, in order to find new authors they like and to understand my friends more. My friend Scott loved this one, so I picked it up with much trepidation.
The writing is excellent--Enger has a way with wo More...
Nov 18, 2010
Frances
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Leif Enger sits on my shelf of favorites with Joseph Heller, Charles Dickens and Markus Zusak. I saw his new novel, "So Brave, Young and Handsome" and realized it was a book I couldn't miss out on. However, like all the aforementioned writers, I have a particular "favorite" by him, I set my sights fairly high for this book and was a tad disappointed when it didn't measure up to "Peace Like a River." This book explains why, though. It seems to me that Leif Enger expr
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