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Rivers West #1
The Yellowstone
Robert Burns MacLean, a trapper and mountain man, braves the dangers and hardships of the Great Northwest to forge a new future for himself in the wilderness
296 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 1, 1988
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
November 25, 2012
Four stars for a book I didn't finish? Yep. Read on. It will all make sense.
This book hasn't enjoyed a lot of good ratings from readers, and I think that's because most readers approached it as a western. It lacks the things that make westerns fun: fights, chases, adventure in general. It is much more a literary novel, with beautiful prose and a focus on the internal conflicts of main character Mac as he strives for his various goals in Yellowstone Territory.
The writing is absolutely gorgeous, evocative and memorable. Blevins clearly has great skill with words. And the characters are interesting enough that I ripped through this book at an astounding pace.
When I got to the middle, though, I stopped. I realized that, after one tie-up of all the loose ends with a satisfying if somewhat bittersweet conclusion, that the characters' stories continued on with another conflict, another adventure...making the book more like a saga than a discrete novel. I decided that I wanted to leave them at that midpoint, with that satisfying conclusion, and opted not to continue reading. Maybe there is another fantastic story and ending for them in the latter half of the book. I chose not to find out, feeling satisfied with the midpoint ending.
I gather that Blevins got his rights back to his various books which were previously published by a trade publisher, including this one, and independently re-released them. I have no idea whether the continuation of the characters' story was in the original version of Yellowstone, or whether it's an addition he added, an extension of their tale he always wanted to make. If so, I respect his right to make the addition. But I am keeping their story, in my memory, where I felt comfortable with its ending.
It's a beautiful book, emotional and inspiring. Recommended to those who love American historical fiction, westerns, and literary fiction.
This book hasn't enjoyed a lot of good ratings from readers, and I think that's because most readers approached it as a western. It lacks the things that make westerns fun: fights, chases, adventure in general. It is much more a literary novel, with beautiful prose and a focus on the internal conflicts of main character Mac as he strives for his various goals in Yellowstone Territory.
The writing is absolutely gorgeous, evocative and memorable. Blevins clearly has great skill with words. And the characters are interesting enough that I ripped through this book at an astounding pace.
When I got to the middle, though, I stopped. I realized that, after one tie-up of all the loose ends with a satisfying if somewhat bittersweet conclusion, that the characters' stories continued on with another conflict, another adventure...making the book more like a saga than a discrete novel. I decided that I wanted to leave them at that midpoint, with that satisfying conclusion, and opted not to continue reading. Maybe there is another fantastic story and ending for them in the latter half of the book. I chose not to find out, feeling satisfied with the midpoint ending.
I gather that Blevins got his rights back to his various books which were previously published by a trade publisher, including this one, and independently re-released them. I have no idea whether the continuation of the characters' story was in the original version of Yellowstone, or whether it's an addition he added, an extension of their tale he always wanted to make. If so, I respect his right to make the addition. But I am keeping their story, in my memory, where I felt comfortable with its ending.
It's a beautiful book, emotional and inspiring. Recommended to those who love American historical fiction, westerns, and literary fiction.
May 22, 2022
Montana state is one of the most beautiful places on earth. This story is sent in 19th century Montana when things were raw and dangerous. There were lot of conflicts between the Native American tribes and white settlers and on top of that there were Grisly Bears, Mountain Lions roaming free and countless other things to worry about. Taking a peaceful nap alone in these beautiful mountains could have been detrimental back in the day. The beauty of the landscape and its dangers would make any book written on Montana interesting. This story didn't move me much but it had its moments. Not a masterpiece but an entertaining novel for the fans of Western fiction.
July 23, 2017
Good story of peaceful life in the Yellowstone valley during the middle of the 19th century...before the end of the Civil War and the beginning of the Gold Rush when everything changed. Characters, plot and writing added to an overall enjoyable read.
February 27, 2018
There were great parts of the story and then some slow parts that were hard to get through. I love historic fiction that tells more of the true story behind the settling of the West. I have read many of Win Blevins and want to read more of the Rivers West Series.
September 21, 2016
Epic Saga
This book is a well written saga of one man, Robert Burns "Mac" MacLean. It follows him from a young age as he is just beginning to live in the West, through his adulthood as a trader, husband and father, and up to his death at a fairly young age. In the story, we meet and get to know many Mountain Men, the Cheyenne band that becomes Mac's family, and the many friends he makes along the way.
This is a terrific book for those who like historical writing. It's set in the West, but I wouldn't really call it a typical Western. It's more like historical fiction and also a family saga. I liked the style of writing that was not in "proper English" but in a western dialect, especially in the dialogue.
The one thing that I didn't like was that there were a lot of errors in the typing. I could usually figure out what was meant, and what I think happened is that whoever put this book into digital format just didn't double check their work.
This book is a well written saga of one man, Robert Burns "Mac" MacLean. It follows him from a young age as he is just beginning to live in the West, through his adulthood as a trader, husband and father, and up to his death at a fairly young age. In the story, we meet and get to know many Mountain Men, the Cheyenne band that becomes Mac's family, and the many friends he makes along the way.
This is a terrific book for those who like historical writing. It's set in the West, but I wouldn't really call it a typical Western. It's more like historical fiction and also a family saga. I liked the style of writing that was not in "proper English" but in a western dialect, especially in the dialogue.
The one thing that I didn't like was that there were a lot of errors in the typing. I could usually figure out what was meant, and what I think happened is that whoever put this book into digital format just didn't double check their work.
November 20, 2016
This is a Rivers West book #1. I will try to find the other four in the series. This one is about a Scot (Mac McLean) who goes out to Yellowstone country in 1843 as a young man and falls in love with it. He decides that he wants to be a trader and gets the backing of his Uncle Hugh and Robert Campbell who are merchants and promoters in St. Louis. The story is about the building of Yellowstone House, Mac's life with two indian wives and four children, and his death in 1865. A great story, well written.
September 30, 2016
Interesting juxtaposition of two cultures
This book combines native people and Whites into a store woven into time and place of Yellowstone. There are real family struggles that happen. The natural cycles of life and death happen. These stories are well told.
This book combines native people and Whites into a store woven into time and place of Yellowstone. There are real family struggles that happen. The natural cycles of life and death happen. These stories are well told.
October 30, 2022
Enjoy reading!
I love Win Blevins' books. The Yellowstone is no exception. An epoch tale of how things might have been in the 1800s in what would become Wyoming and Montana. The characters are well developed and likeable. The end of the book leaves one sad, yet hopeful.
I love Win Blevins' books. The Yellowstone is no exception. An epoch tale of how things might have been in the 1800s in what would become Wyoming and Montana. The characters are well developed and likeable. The end of the book leaves one sad, yet hopeful.
August 31, 2016
I was hoping for more historical and less fiction. Actually, i had thought it was non-fiction when i started listening to it. Good tale.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews