Gus Orviston, a young flyfisherman whose parents are manic fishers (father Henning with flies, mother Carolina with worms), runs away from the city and family to immerse himself in catching fish on a small river near the Oregon coast. But he finds that doing nothing but what you love isn't ultimately rewarding, and the degradation of the natural world around him troubles Gus as well. While he tries to decide what to do with himself as well as how to save his beloved rivers and streams, he learns how to relate with his oddball neighbors and meets a lovely woman who is almost as good at fishing as he is. This wonderful 1983 novel is sort of a _Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance_ of flyfishing.
David Loftus, Resident Scholar
Detailed summary analysis of author Duncan's novel.
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book?
- upbeat
Time/era of story
- 1980's-1999
Life of a profession:
- fisherman
Internal struggle/realization?
Yes
Struggle over
- nature of existence (heavy philosophy)
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Main char. serviced by prostitute?
Yes
Job/Profession/Status story
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- unemployed
Age:
- 20's-30's
Eccentric/Mental
Yes
Eccentric:
- eccentric
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- society
Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings?
- 10 (a tremendous amount)
United States
Yes
The US:
- Pacific NW
Forest?
Yes
Water?
Yes
Small town?
Yes
Small town people:
- nice, like Andy/Opie/Aunt Bee
Style
Person
- mostly 1st
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
Amount of dialog
- significantly more descript than dialog
