A River Runs Through it: And Other Stories

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G.K. Hall, 1993 - Fiction - 310 pages
From its first magnificent sentence, "In our family, there was no clear line between religion and fly fishing", to the last, "I am haunted by waters", A River Runs Through It is an American classic. Based on Norman Maclean's childhood experiences, A River Runs Through It has established itself as one of the most moving stories of our time; it captivates readers with vivid descriptions of life along Montana's Big Blackfoot River and its near magical blend of fly fishing with the troubling affections of the heart. This handsome edition is designed and illustrated by Barry Moser. There are thirteen two-color wood engravings. "A masterpiece. . . . This is more than stunning fiction: It is a lyric record of a time and a life, shining with Maclean's special gift for calling the reader's attention to arts of all kinds--the arts that work in nature, in personality, in social intercourse, in fly-fishing."--Kenneth M. Pierce, Village Voice "Wise, witty, wonderful, Maclean spins his tales, casts his flies, fishes the rivers and woods for what he remembers of his youth in the Rockies."--Barbara Bannon, Publishers Weekly "Maclean's book is surely destined to be one of those rare memoirs that can be called a masterpiece. . . . Earthy, whimsical, authoritative, wise; it touches the heart without blushing and traces lasting images for the eye. . . . This book is a gem."--Nick Lyons, Fly-Fisherman Norman Maclean (1902-90), woodsman, scholar, teacher, and storyteller, grew up in the Western Rocky Mountains of Montana and worked for many years in logging camps and for the United States Forestry Service before beginning his academic career. He retired from the University of Chicago in 1973.

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About the author (1993)

Norman Maclean was born in Clarinda, Iowa on December 23, 1902. He worked for the United States Forest Service before he graduated from Dartmouth in 1924, where he eventually became an instructor. He received his doctorate from the University of Chicago in 1940, where he also became an instructor and received three Quantrell Awards for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching. Maclean was the Dean of Students and Director of the Institute on Military Studies at the University of Chicago, where he co-authored the Manual of Instruction in Military Maps and Aerial Photographs. He was also the William Rainey Harper Professor of English at the University of Chicago. Maclean authored A River Runs Through It, a fictionalized account of the relationship with his brother and father and Young Men and Fire, the story of the forest fires that ravaged the Montana forestland in 1949. Norman Maclean died in Chicago on August 2, 1990.

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