Up there with Buchan's "Thirty Nine Steps", 14 Feb 2007
As adventure books go you won't get much better than this one. I'd rate it right along side Buchan's "Thirty Nine Steps", Household's "Rogue Male", Haggard's "King Solomon's Mines". It must surely become a classic.
It is a more complex work than the others cited above in that Dickey creates truly believable characters with convincing motives for the way they act.
Dickey has the ability to write extremely visually so that you are drawn deeply into the aching suspense of the action.
It's a an action novel with a twist in that the real tough guy in the end misses out on the tough guy action because of a broken leg and it's left to one of the more unlikely group members to risk everything in a bid to get them all off the river and safely home.
It's not a particularly macho novel- Dickey breathes too much life into his characters to be that insensitive.
I'd recommend this to everybody and anybody. If you've seen the film and found that gripping you're in for even more suspense and entertainment as you read.
By the way, if you have seen the film you'll have seen James Dickey himself because he plays the part of the sheriff.


"The kind of [experience] I'm talking about depends on its being the last chance, the very last of all.", 27 Aug 2006
When four "typical" suburban businessmen decide to canoe down a river in the wilderness of northern Georgia, they are unprepared for any of the disasters which will await them. Inexperienced as canoeists, overloaded with beer and supplies, and ignorant of both the river and the mountains, they all have romantic visions of meeting some self-imposed test of manhood, of shooting a deer with bow and arrow and feeding themselves, of becoming one with the pristine environment, and of emerging from the experience "fulfilled" as men. Instead, they discover hostile country men, whom they refer to as "rednecks," who prove to be even more treacherous than the sheer faces of the cliffs along the river, the river's rocks and currents, and the dense, almost impenetrable, woods.

Poet James Dickey combines his ability to create vibrant descriptions of the natural world with his equally sensitive awareness of the need for city people to get closer to their roots. While sympathetic and understanding toward these suburbanites and their "mission," he is also careful to show their ignorance and their casual arrogance, both toward the natural elements and toward the mountain dwellers for whom these mountains and rivers represent the whole world. As the journey on the river begins, Dickey's romantic descriptions parallel the buoyant spirits of the canoeists, and as disasters begin to strike, his descriptions become darker, reflecting ominous events ahead.

When two mountain dwellers attack the four suburbanites in scenes which are by now infamous from the film, Dickey's minute descriptions of the most devastating aspects of these events add power to the story--one cannot simply close one's eyes to the worst of the horrors which destroy one canoeist's innocence forever. As main character/narrator Ed Gentry recreates this and succeeding events, the fact that he is a very "ordinary" man, who also reflects the responses of his readers, creates an additional bond of sympathy between the reader and the characters.

The practical and ethical dilemmas the men face at the end of the novel put the conflict between the "civilized" life of the city and the "natural" life of the wild into new perspective, reflecting the long-term effects of this test of "manhood." All the men have been permanently scarred, and none will ever again see the world innocently. Appealing for its action, the intensity of its themes, the reality of its descriptions of nature, and the questions raised by its ending, Dickey's novel has become a standard of the man-against-nature genre. Mary Whipple

Up there with Buchan's "Thirty Nine Steps", 14 Feb 2007
As adventure books go you won't get much better than this one. I'd rate it right along side Buchan's "Thirty Nine Steps", Household's "Rogue Male", Haggard's "King Solomon's Mines". It must surely become a classic.
It is a more complex work than the others cited above in that Dickey creates truly believable characters with convincing motives for the way they act.
Dickey has the ability to write extremely visually so that you are drawn deeply into the aching suspense of the action.
It's a an action novel with a twist in that the real tough guy in the end misses out on the tough guy action because of a broken leg and it's left to one of the more unlikely group members to risk everything in a bid to get them all off the river and safely home.
It's not a particularly macho novel- Dickey breathes too much life into his characters to be that insensitive.
I'd recommend this to everybody and anybody. If you've seen the film and found that gripping you're in for even more suspense and entertainment as you read.
By the way, if you have seen the film you'll have seen James Dickey himself because he plays the part of the sheriff.


"The kind of [experience] I'm talking about depends on its being the last chance, the very last of all.", 27 Aug 2006
When four "typical" suburban businessmen decide to canoe down a river in the wilderness of northern Georgia, they are unprepared for any of the disasters which will await them. Inexperienced as canoeists, overloaded with beer and supplies, and ignorant of both the river and the mountains, they all have romantic visions of meeting some self-imposed test of manhood, of shooting a deer with bow and arrow and feeding themselves, of becoming one with the pristine environment, and of emerging from the experience "fulfilled" as men. Instead, they discover hostile country men, whom they refer to as "rednecks," who prove to be even more treacherous than the sheer faces of the cliffs along the river, the river's rocks and currents, and the dense, almost impenetrable, woods.

Poet James Dickey combines his ability to create vibrant descriptions of the natural world with his equally sensitive awareness of the need for city people to get closer to their roots. While sympathetic and understanding toward these suburbanites and their "mission," he is also careful to show their ignorance and their casual arrogance, both toward the natural elements and toward the mountain dwellers for whom these mountains and rivers represent the whole world. As the journey on the river begins, Dickey's romantic descriptions parallel the buoyant spirits of the canoeists, and as disasters begin to strike, his descriptions become darker, reflecting ominous events ahead.

When two mountain dwellers attack the four suburbanites in scenes which are by now infamous from the film, Dickey's minute descriptions of the most devastating aspects of these events add power to the story--one cannot simply close one's eyes to the worst of the horrors which destroy one canoeist's innocence forever. As main character/narrator Ed Gentry recreates this and succeeding events, the fact that he is a very "ordinary" man, who also reflects the responses of his readers, creates an additional bond of sympathy between the reader and the characters.

The practical and ethical dilemmas the men face at the end of the novel put the conflict between the "civilized" life of the city and the "natural" life of the wild into new perspective, reflecting the long-term effects of this test of "manhood." All the men have been permanently scarred, and none will ever again see the world innocently. Appealing for its action, the intensity of its themes, the reality of its descriptions of nature, and the questions raised by its ending, Dickey's novel has become a standard of the man-against-nature genre. Mary Whipple


Wonderful book - gripping to the end., 11 Apr 2006
The stories contained within this book are all excellent. You may well find yourself losing track of time as they draw you in and don't let go.

It's surprising how modern the stories contained within the book (Call of the Wild, White Fang, etc.) feel. If you liked any of the film versions of the stories then read this book: the films can't compete.

Read this book - it's worth every penny and all the stories within are gripping!!!

The Wild is within us, 12 Jan 2004
Beautifully written tale of survival of the fittest in the Wild. London perfectly manages to transpose quite human attributes to both wolf and dog in order for the reader to immerse in the realities of the sublime yet brutal life in the Wild...In doing so, London gives us the chance to communicate with our instincts and react to the events in the book rather than rationalising them.

Up there with Buchan's "Thirty Nine Steps", 14 Feb 2007
As adventure books go you won't get much better than this one. I'd rate it right along side Buchan's "Thirty Nine Steps", Household's "Rogue Male", Haggard's "King Solomon's Mines". It must surely become a classic.
It is a more complex work than the others cited above in that Dickey creates truly believable characters with convincing motives for the way they act.
Dickey has the ability to write extremely visually so that you are drawn deeply into the aching suspense of the action.
It's a an action novel with a twist in that the real tough guy in the end misses out on the tough guy action because of a broken leg and it's left to one of the more unlikely group members to risk everything in a bid to get them all off the river and safely home.
It's not a particularly macho novel- Dickey breathes too much life into his characters to be that insensitive.
I'd recommend this to everybody and anybody. If you've seen the film and found that gripping you're in for even more suspense and entertainment as you read.
By the way, if you have seen the film you'll have seen James Dickey himself because he plays the part of the sheriff.


"The kind of [experience] I'm talking about depends on its being the last chance, the very last of all.", 27 Aug 2006
When four "typical" suburban businessmen decide to canoe down a river in the wilderness of northern Georgia, they are unprepared for any of the disasters which will await them. Inexperienced as canoeists, overloaded with beer and supplies, and ignorant of both the river and the mountains, they all have romantic visions of meeting some self-imposed test of manhood, of shooting a deer with bow and arrow and feeding themselves, of becoming one with the pristine environment, and of emerging from the experience "fulfilled" as men. Instead, they discover hostile country men, whom they refer to as "rednecks," who prove to be even more treacherous than the sheer faces of the cliffs along the river, the river's rocks and currents, and the dense, almost impenetrable, woods.

Poet James Dickey combines his ability to create vibrant descriptions of the natural world with his equally sensitive awareness of the need for city people to get closer to their roots. While sympathetic and understanding toward these suburbanites and their "mission," he is also careful to show their ignorance and their casual arrogance, both toward the natural elements and toward the mountain dwellers for whom these mountains and rivers represent the whole world. As the journey on the river begins, Dickey's romantic descriptions parallel the buoyant spirits of the canoeists, and as disasters begin to strike, his descriptions become darker, reflecting ominous events ahead.

When two mountain dwellers attack the four suburbanites in scenes which are by now infamous from the film, Dickey's minute descriptions of the most devastating aspects of these events add power to the story--one cannot simply close one's eyes to the worst of the horrors which destroy one canoeist's innocence forever. As main character/narrator Ed Gentry recreates this and succeeding events, the fact that he is a very "ordinary" man, who also reflects the responses of his readers, creates an additional bond of sympathy between the reader and the characters.

The practical and ethical dilemmas the men face at the end of the novel put the conflict between the "civilized" life of the city and the "natural" life of the wild into new perspective, reflecting the long-term effects of this test of "manhood." All the men have been permanently scarred, and none will ever again see the world innocently. Appealing for its action, the intensity of its themes, the reality of its descriptions of nature, and the questions raised by its ending, Dickey's novel has become a standard of the man-against-nature genre. Mary Whipple


Wonderful book - gripping to the end., 11 Apr 2006
The stories contained within this book are all excellent. You may well find yourself losing track of time as they draw you in and don't let go.

It's surprising how modern the stories contained within the book (Call of the Wild, White Fang, etc.) feel. If you liked any of the film versions of the stories then read this book: the films can't compete.

Read this book - it's worth every penny and all the stories within are gripping!!!

The Wild is within us, 12 Jan 2004
Beautifully written tale of survival of the fittest in the Wild. London perfectly manages to transpose quite human attributes to both wolf and dog in order for the reader to immerse in the realities of the sublime yet brutal life in the Wild...In doing so, London gives us the chance to communicate with our instincts and react to the events in the book rather than rationalising them.

Up there with Buchan's "Thirty Nine Steps", 14 Feb 2007
As adventure books go you won't get much better than this one. I'd rate it right along side Buchan's "Thirty Nine Steps", Household's "Rogue Male", Haggard's "King Solomon's Mines". It must surely become a classic.
It is a more complex work than the others cited above in that Dickey creates truly believable characters with convincing motives for the way they act.
Dickey has the ability to write extremely visually so that you are drawn deeply into the aching suspense of the action.
It's a an action novel with a twist in that the real tough guy in the end misses out on the tough guy action because of a broken leg and it's left to one of the more unlikely group members to risk everything in a bid to get them all off the river and safely home.
It's not a particularly macho novel- Dickey breathes too much life into his characters to be that insensitive.
I'd recommend this to everybody and anybody. If you've seen the film and found that gripping you're in for even more suspense and entertainment as you read.
By the way, if you have seen the film you'll have seen James Dickey himself because he plays the part of the sheriff.


"The kind of [experience] I'm talking about depends on its being the last chance, the very last of all.", 27 Aug 2006
When four "typical" suburban businessmen decide to canoe down a river in the wilderness of northern Georgia, they are unprepared for any of the disasters which will await them. Inexperienced as canoeists, overloaded with beer and supplies, and ignorant of both the river and the mountains, they all have romantic visions of meeting some self-imposed test of manhood, of shooting a deer with bow and arrow and feeding themselves, of becoming one with the pristine environment, and of emerging from the experience "fulfilled" as men. Instead, they discover hostile country men, whom they refer to as "rednecks," who prove to be even more treacherous than the sheer faces of the cliffs along the river, the river's rocks and currents, and the dense, almost impenetrable, woods.

Poet James Dickey combines his ability to create vibrant descriptions of the natural world with his equally sensitive awareness of the need for city people to get closer to their roots. While sympathetic and understanding toward these suburbanites and their "mission," he is also careful to show their ignorance and their casual arrogance, both toward the natural elements and toward the mountain dwellers for whom these mountains and rivers represent the whole world. As the journey on the river begins, Dickey's romantic descriptions parallel the buoyant spirits of the canoeists, and as disasters begin to strike, his descriptions become darker, reflecting ominous events ahead.

When two mountain dwellers attack the four suburbanites in scenes which are by now infamous from the film, Dickey's minute descriptions of the most devastating aspects of these events add power to the story--one cannot simply close one's eyes to the worst of the horrors which destroy one canoeist's innocence forever. As main character/narrator Ed Gentry recreates this and succeeding events, the fact that he is a very "ordinary" man, who also reflects the responses of his readers, creates an additional bond of sympathy between the reader and the characters.

The practical and ethical dilemmas the men face at the end of the novel put the conflict between the "civilized" life of the city and the "natural" life of the wild into new perspective, reflecting the long-term effects of this test of "manhood." All the men have been permanently scarred, and none will ever again see the world innocently. Appealing for its action, the intensity of its themes, the reality of its descriptions of nature, and the questions raised by its ending, Dickey's novel has become a standard of the man-against-nature genre. Mary Whipple