First off, I haven't seen the movie, so this will not be a comparison piece. Norman Maclean's novella is an inspirational story, definitely poignant and touching as so many others before me have stated. This work melds nature, heritage, human emotions, and even metaphysics like none I've ever encountered. In its poetic and deeply probing style, A River Runs Through It compares favorably with the work of Robert Penn Warren, my favorite author.

I cannot think of another novel that is as satisfying in both literal and conceptual dimensions. On one hand, this is a story of a family told in a fly-fishing setting. On the other hand, this is a study of the nature of existence and human consciousness. Just as an aside, maclean's memory of the intricacies of fly-fishing and the events of 50 years prior is simply astounding. Even if he's filling in the details with literary license, it doesn't diminish his astonishing gift.

I have gleaned from this novel the concept that true knowledge eludes us, what we are left with is "a lifetime of questions." This is only one of many questions handled deftly by the author. This is a classic never to be forgotten; I wish I could give it more stars.

I am invariably disappointed by movies "based on" a book if I've read the book first. After seeing A River Runs Through It (Columbia Pictures, 1992) recently, I felt compelled to read the book by Norman Maclean upon which movie is based. Even for a clueless fly-fishing rookie like me, the book is charming in a bucolic and unpretentious sort of way. Moreover, the screenplay deliciously - and accurately - reflects the panache and élan of the print version. Prodigious chunks of the screenplay are lifted verbatim from this disarmingly simple novella of just over 100 pages, with a few minor differences.

Some Differences:

The chronology of events is slightly different. Norman's wife Jessie appears much sooner in the book than in the movie. In fact, Norman and Jessie are married by page 9 and Norman meets his insufferable brother-in-law, Neal, at the train on page 29 well after Jessie becomes Mrs. Norman Maclean. In the movie this incident occurs before Norman and Jessie are married.

Also, Norman's mother is a more full-bodied, three-dimensional character who makes chokecherry jelly for her boys and, along with Paul, was "the central attraction" of every family reunion (p. 78). Also receiving more attention in the book is the fishing fiasco with Neal, and how Neal got fried to a crisp under a hot Montana sun. In the movie, Paul's pursuit and ultimate triumphant landing of the "unbelievable" fish occurs toward the end of the film. In the book, it's Norman who catches the big fish in the Big Blackfoot River, and he does so early on - before page 22.

Additional minor differences include:

- The timeline is slightly altered from book to movie. The opening lines in which an elderly Norman recalls his father's advice to write down his stories occurs far back in the book, which opens with, "In our family, there was no clear line between religion and fly fishing...."

- No mention is made of Norman attending Dartmouth or being offered a university professorship in Chicago in the book - plot devices invented for the movie.

- Norman's courtship of Jessie, a major movement within the movie, doesn't appear in the book, where the couple is already married the first time we meet Jessie.

- In the movie, both brothers seem evenly matched in their fly-fishing skills. In the boo,, Paul is "a master," his skills far superior to Norman's (see pp. 42 and 43).

- Norman's offer to "help" Paul, made while he's driving an intoxicated Paul and his girlfriend home from a night on the town in the movie, is clumsily offered while the brothers are fishing in the print version.

- Rev. Maclean's "you can love completely without complete understanding" is a comment made to Norman in the book (p. 103), not part of a church sermon, as it appears in the movie.

- Maclean's wry wit and sandpaper humor are completely lost in the movie, probably due to its thematic focus and time constraints. In print, both are as fresh and flavorful as a stream-to-skillet Rainbow trout.

Similarities:

- Rev. Maclean's teaching techniques for casting are directly from the book, metronome and all (pages 2-4)

- Paul vs. father in the Battle of the Oatmeal (p. 7)

- Paul's "shadow casting" technique (p. 21)

- Norman's clipped conversation with the Irish desk sergeant after Paul's been jailed for a drunken fist-fight (pp. 23-25) is an abbreviated but verbatim version of what appears in the book.

- Black Jack's Bar appears on page 30 and Old rawhide" puts in her swarthy appearance on page 31.

- Norman's brother-in-law, Neal, spins fab fibs at the bar about tracking and trailing otters on page 33. (However, Neal doesn't spend the night with Old Rawhide after picking her up at the bar, as implied in the movie. Instead, he wakes up at his mother's with a hellacious hangover and a couple of annoyed brothers-in law who are raring to go fishing - and tolerate the family picnic that follows.

- Neal stores his flies in a fly box; Paul uses his hat band)

- "Three things we're never late for" in Montana include church, work and fishing, a line delivered by Brad Pitt in the movie as Paul, appears on page 34 in the book.

- Rev. Maclean's comment about Paul's decision to change the spelling of the family name appears (ages 80 and 81)

- "Three more years before I can think like a fish" - Brad Pitt as Paul in the movie; p. 101 in the book.

- Rev. Maclean's musings about how to help someone who won't take help are recited by Tom Skerritt in the movie almost verbatim. (See p. 81)

- Events surrounding Paul's death, narrated by Robert Redford in the move, are word-for-word from the book (pp. 102 - 104). In print context, Rev. Maclean's subsequent question about "which hand" of Paul's had the broken bones makes more sense in the book because the author spend more time discussing casting technique and hand strength than the movie had time to develop.

Maclean provides additional details about intricacies of fly-fishing and casting that allow the uninitiated to better understand and more fully appreciate fly fishing as an art form. Readers are "hooked" without being drowned beneath mind-numbing minutia or tangled webs of technicalities. Maclean occasionally waxes lyrical with poetic descriptions such as :

"It was a beautiful stretch of water, either to a fisherman or a photographer, although each would have focused his equipment at a different point. It was a barely submerged waterfall. The reef of rock was about two feet under the water, so the whole river rose into one wave, shook itself into spray, then fell back on itself and turned blue. After it recovered from the shock, it came back to see how it had fallen." (pp.16, 17)...

Below him was the multitudinous river, and, where the rock had parted it around him big-grained vapor rose. The mini-molecules of water left in the wake of his line made momentary loops of gossamer, disappearing so rapidly in the rising big-grained vapor that they had to be retained in memory to be visualized as loops. The spray emanating form him was finer-grained still and enclosed him in a halo himself. ... The images of himself and his line kept disappearing into the rising vapors of the river, which continually circled to the tops of the cliffs where, after becoming a wreath in the wind, they became rays of the sun. (p. 20)

The Story

Occasionally coarse, the story itself is gently nuanced with "four count rhythms," "roll casting," the difference between a "brook" and a "creek" or a "number four or six fly," and "setting the hook." The story moves along at a gracious pace, dignified without dragging. The text evinces a deep - albeit clumsy - bond of mutual affection and admiration between brothers. Maclean's love of his Montana roots, his knowledge of the land, its people, scenery, culture, history, and fly-fishing - are keenly weft throughout the warp and woof of this narrative. It's also clear that Norman "knew" his brother without fully understanding him.

Characterization

As in the movie, the main characters in the print version of A River Runs Through It are cleanly drawn and genuine. Drawing readers into the story like moths to a flame, each character has his or her own special kind of luminosity. These people are gracious and yet sharp, gentle but not simple. They are linked but not necessarily connected. The Maclean family is at once close and yet distant, as if they've breathed in some mysterious quality of spaciousness from the Montana skies. Mother, father, and elder brother all know that Paul is in some kind of trouble, yet feel helpless to help him.

The theme of "help" pops up throughout the book like an overnight mushroom. Norman's struggle to understand and help his brother is more emphatic in the book than in the movie (pp. 37, 38, 81). But what kind of help and how to give it are questions no one can fully answer. This is summed up sagely by Rev Maclean:

"You are too young to help anybody and I am too old, he said. `By help I don't mean a courtesy like serving chokecherry jelly or giving money.

"Help," he said, "is giving part of yourself to somebody who comes to accept it willingly and needs it badly." (p. 81)

Worthwhile Read?

A River Runs Through It is a satisfying story that's been faithfully represented on the big screen. In both you can hear the river roar, smell the beer, feel the baking afternoon sun or the cool splash of water on a hot, thirsty day as you watch a fish rise and grab an expertly tied "general," feel him jerk the line and run with it.

As for the book, is Norman Maclean Shakespeare? Nope. Does he need to be? Naw. Will A River Runs Through It make the NY Times bestseller list? Doubtful. Is this story worth the read? Yep. In fact, A River Runs Through It almost makes me want to "get the horse collar off my neck," wade into the Big Blackfoot and learn how to cast myself. Almost.

A River Runs Through It is a wonderful story of life in Montana, well, really life in general. In addition to a great story, this book contains some of the best uses of the English language in the 20th century. Highly recommended.

An excellent piece of literary work. From the time I received it, I couldn't set it down.

A River Runs Through It deals with tragedy, loss, and other such deep themes, but it's impossible for the reader to distant himself from the realization that much of the tragedy and loss inflicted on the family being explored is, in one way or another, the fault of the family members. While this does not automatically make the situations any less meaningful, it does chip away at the feeling that these tragedies were undeserved or unforseen.

The patriarch of the family is a stubborn, unyielding man who teaches his children by example to ruin another's fishing spot if he has better luck than you that day. His unyielding belief in the Biblical interpretation of a young earth and the scientific evidence of an old one is resolved by a stern splitting of the difference, by averaging the ages and coming up with a "medium aged" earth theory that he lectures to his sons. And when, as little children, they refuse to eat their veggies, the father shouts until he turns red, forces the child to stay at the table until the veggies are eaten, and then gives up in defeat when the child outlasts him.

Is it any wonder, then, when his youngest child grows up to be a free-spirited, gambling, immature man who simply cannot be talked out of his self-destructive tendencies? No one ever reasoned with him growing up - he was taught, by example, from day one that the most stubborn, unyielding person always wins. He was taught to never consider the needs and desires of others as anything but subbordinate to his own. It is difficult for me, therefore, to feel much pity for the bereaved family when the young man finally self-destructs - didn't they see this coming, every moment of every day? Didn't they train the child, every day, for years to reach this eventual moment?

Yes, the story is poignant. Yes, it is beautiful and touching. Yes, it should be read. But it should be read, I think, as a cautionary tale more than as a compassionate one.

One passage amoungst many sticks out from this book that is full of wisdom if you take the time to read closely and relate it to the many aspects of your life and the lives of others:

He thought back on what had happened like a reporter. He started to answer, shook his head when he found he was wrong, and then started to answer. "All there is to thinking," he said, "is seeing something noticeable which makes you see something you weren't noticing which makes you see something that isn't even visible."

This book should be read by anyone seeking an understanding of life. If you've seen the movie, give the book a try. The combination of both will give a feel for a moment in one man's life and a lifetime of reflection. Both are superb!

This is one of the best books I've ever read. It's been a while since I read it, but saw it the other day on my book shelf and just wished I could read it again fresh and brand new for the first time. It has joy, it has heartache. It has love, hate and the cruelty of the world all wrapped wonderfully around the beauty of nature and the awe of God's creation. Passages in this book can move you to tears in both a sad and joyous way. The ending pages are almost like a religious experience. It's hard to find someone in this day and age that can put words together like Norman Maclean did. The book is very poetic. I happen to love fishing, but it doesn't matter if you've ever fished in your life. This book is one you won't ever forget.

I love fly fishing. I love Montana. I love rivers. So how could I not like this book? I remember some years ago discussing the novella with a friend, and he said he thought it was too simplistic. I suppose what he was really saying was that it was too sentimental, that it was trying too hard to be poetic, or that it simplified itself into silence to pull at your heartstrings. I see his criticism, but to this day I still don't agree.

I'm a sentimental person who is also a cynic -- so I may shed a tear or two, but I hate it when I do -- especially when I feel at all manipulated. But the final page of this novel always makes me grieve in a way that makes me feel expansively human, and not at all self-conscious.

I wonder how many people who don't share my interests are moved in the same way as I am by this story?

Like Mr. Maclean, I spent a great deal of time, whole summers, in the American West fishing and hiking with my father. This book is the fullest expression yet of the kind of respect and love that can grow between a father and son from the accumulation of small moments of instruction and the act of meditating on those moments for years. This book, as a reflection on nature, and the nature of man and memory and how the two can become intertwined, is simply perfect.

This is one of the finest books i have ever read. I have never been into fishing of any sort, but Maclean's wonderful sensory detail brings Montana to life in a way that everyone can appreciate. The ending was shocking and powerful, something i will never forget.

if you like to read and like good stories, you wont be disappointed in this book.

no hype is too much for the way mclean writes. he put his story into words when he was in his seventies, and he knows how to reflect and correspond his memories to us his reader, as though we're all old friends.

i can't say anything more about this story or his writings other than:

they're beautiful.

This book reads like a conversation, it feels like Maclean is sitting directly acroos from you telling his life's story. The language is so poetic that even though I've never fished or liked the outdoors it made me want to. I highly recommend it.

This book reads like a conversation, so even though there may be a lot of fishing references it doesn't sound boring. I personally don't like the outdoors but ended up enjoying this book a lot more than I thought I would. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys memoirs, fishing, the outdoors, or just reading.

Norman Maclean is truly an underated american icon. His simplicity and flow of the story lead the reader into the Western Montana wilderness like no other can.

Simply great writing from an extremely interesting man! Maclean writes poetically like an eloquent ancient orator, making the techniques of fly-fishing, descriptions of mountain grandeur, and the earthy side of rough, western towns blend together into a harmonious whole. The three stories of this book are extremely well crafted by a fine wordsmith. There is a natural spirituality that flows under his writing, yet he and his brother were simply tough kids. A classic read!

Marina Kushner
Author
The Truth About Caffeine: How Companies That Promote It Deceive Us and What We Can Do about It

I have read this collection of three stories about 5 times and The stories just seem to get richer with each read. There are parts I forget or somehow overlooked that are real gems during the next reading of the story. The prose is very fine although told in a "Manly" roughness that only slightly covers an amazing level of sensitivity to the people and the setting. There are very few books that are better.

I have read this collection of three stories about 5 times and The stories just seem to get richer with each read. There are parts I forget or somehow overlooked that are real gems during the next reading of the story. The prose is very fine although told in a "Manly" roughness that only slightly covers an amazing level of sensitivity to the people and the setting. There are very few books that are better.

The stories in this book truly stir the imagination and take you too another place and time. A must read!

Ages 14 and up. In this book, the author brings you on a journey through the West. You are shown the rivers of Montana through a tale about fly fishing and friendship. Norman Maclean is marvelous in his descriptions of earth structures and the art of fly fishing. In A River Runs Through It, you learn little about fly fishing while learning a valuable life lesson. In this book, Norman Maclean shows the reader the beauty of the West, and he teaches you that you can never fail while helping someone with a problem.

This novel is probably one of my favorite books now. I always heard it was a good book, but I never knew until I read it for myself. It was such a well written book, at first I didn't think it was going to be so interesting because it was a lot about fishing. Also, when I found out it was a true story I think it made me enjoy it much more. I just loved how Norman and Paul were close and they both enjoyed to fish. I also watched the movie and that is probably one of my favorite movies now. I just thought it was a really cool book, and reading isn't my favorite book. I would definitely recommend this to someone who loves to read, or even people that don't like to read...because it's such a short but great novel :)

I read this book in high school and then again in Prof. Morgan's Intro to Lit class in college and I loved it more the second time. Most people would say it's a book about fishing but I think it's about more than that. It's about how different a family can be even when they grew up side by side with each other. It shows how much love they can still have for one another and the admiration of qualities that each one has. It took me back to my own childhood. Thanks Prof. for picking such a good book. ~CG MWF 10 am

This is the type of book I look at as more a work of art than literature. Although the two can be intertwined, Norman Mclean takes the simple premise of the bond between a family and especially its brothers made permanent by fly-fishing and creates an artistic collage about the two. Admittedly, although I am not a fly fisherman, the sport can be quite beautiful to watch. Mclean is able to translate that beauty onto the page. He then effectively compares that beauty to the inner workings of his family. One warning, if you have seen the movie and have the same expectations for the book, beware. The book is not so much a linear story as a picture illustration of one family's relationship represented by fly-fishing.