Rating: 
Summary: Soul Fuel
Review: This was the best fiction I've read in a long time. Basically, this is a story about a young man named Gus Orviston who strikes out on his own to pursue his love of fly fishing on a river somewhere along the Oregon coast. He believed at first that the amount of time he spent fishing was directly proportional to his state of happiness. Ironically, after he moved away from home and into a small riverside cabin to dedicate his life to fishing, he became depressed. After some soul searching he realized that there is more to life and happiness than the simple pleasure of fishing. There on the river he contemplates religion, philosophy, purpose, and love. Despite the serious nature of the subject, Duncan kept the tone light with an abundant mix of humor. I cracked up through the beginning of the book with the introduction of Gus's eccentric family. I loved the quirky neighbors, and the encounter with "the fishing Dutchman". In many ways the humor reminded me of my grandfather who always had a funny story to tell. I suspect the reason for my grandfather's humor was because in my youth, I was a lot like "Glum Gus". And, I suspect Duncan uses humor just as my grandfather did to remind us that no matter how serious life may seem, love can lift us up. I've always felt that this is done through humor which is the light of happiness which is the product of love.These days you can read a lot of books on the subject of fishing. Many of them deal with an "obsession". But, I agree with Duncan's comments that his life is not based on an "obsession". It's based on a "love" of fly fishing that took years to develop. Duncan's love of the sport is just as evident in this book as Norman Maclean's famous story, "A River Runs Through It". The only difference being that Norman Maclean's story revolved solely around Christianity. This book takes a more universal approach. Zen, Native American spirituality, Christianity and a handful of other religions and philosophies are explored to help young Gus Orviston find happiness and love in his life. Despite the difference I found them to be near equals in combining spirituality and fly fishing. Finally, I just want to say thanks to Sierra Club Books and David James Duncan. There's nothing better than reading a warm book about life, love and fly fishing to get me through the long cold winter.
Rating:
Summary: Why not?
Review: I chose to read The River Why because I loved The Brothers K and hoped his first novel had been as well written and memorable. I was not disappointed. The River Why follows Gus Orviston, the recently graduated son of a famous fly-fisherman, who is a fishing prodigy and wants nothing more than to fish every waking hour of his day. In order to persue his passion he moves to an isolated riverside cabin in Oregon with his fishing pole Rodney and the hopes of fishing 14 hours a day, making flies and other fishing related activities 6 hours, and sleeping the remaining six. He assumes that following this plan will lead to "optimum happiness," but quickly realizes it isn't fulfilling. He wants to interact with other people, enjoy his surrounds apart for more than its fishing potential, and falls in love. It is an excellent coming of age/finding a personal religion story. Besides the main story line, however, the book is excellent for several other reasons. The first is that it has a great supporting cast. Bill Bob, Gus's younger brother, in particular is one of the best child character in any novel I've read, and the rest of his family and neighbors are also developed well. They have great personalities, quirks, and are both insightful and humorous. Duncan also does a tremendous job bringing the environment to life. His descriptions bring the rivers and hills to life and allow the reader to imagine the beauty of the area. It is also a very funny book, so it flies by and is very enjoyable to read. The River Why isn't a perfect book. Duncan's politics seeped in a little too much in a few instances, which would have been fine except Gus lives in an isolated world with problems to worry about other than the government and it just seems out of place when the Vietnam draft and war come up. The conclusion of the book is also disappointing after Gus marries--there are just too many unnecessary changes in his life. Thateing said, however, these small complaints don't hurt the book's overall impact and I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in fishing, the environment, the Northwest, philosophy, or simply great writing. It can be enjoyed by people of all ages and all readers will come away with something new.
Rating:
Summary: Life changing, life affirming, and funny
Review: In some ways The River Why is too complicated to summarize, and any shorthand version of it does the book no justice. The San Francisco Chronicle poll of the best novels of the 20th Century west put The River Why at number 35. That's in the company of The Angle of Repose and The Grapes of Wrath. While it does not much resemble those classics, TRW certainly belongs in their company. Since first reading it 20 years ago, TRW has made me laugh and cry and think. We even used some of the text in our wedding vows. What more could you want from a book?
Rating:
Summary: Stands up to repeated readings and time.
Review: I love this book. I reread it at least yearly and I wish I had bought the hardback because I have worn out my paperback copy with rereading and note-taking and it will remain in my library permanently. This book is not about fly-fishing. The main character, Gus Orviston, exists for fishing but this book is not a snobbish put-down of non-flyfishers. I would compare it most closely to "A River Runs Through It". Where Maclean is "haunted by water" Duncan is immersed in it. It is really about the business of living and becoming and how the character's family and loved ones help him on his journey of self-discovery. I use this book in my life. I often tell friends to read it. I use stories from it to illustrate things I am explaining to patients. I have even used it in church sermons and lessons. The story I share most often is of the Christian friend of Gus's who learns the mercy of God and is left with a large scar on his hand as a reminder of God's rescue of his soul and body in a near-fatal drowning when his warship blows up. Read it for yourself, but it always leaves some of the people to whom I read it in tears. The writing is uneven and some of the digressions lost my interest. The author's leftish politics are more evident than they need to be, but this really doesn't detract from the book. And there are a few weird religious ideas and a few off-color parts. On the positive side, the characters in this novel are breathtakingly complete and you can't help but fall in love with them all - imperfect though they may be. There is a strong environmental ethic that pervades the book (That's probably why the Sierra Club publishes it). The peripheral stories, digressions, etc. that are thrown in are generally fascinating and thought provoking. The plot is really simple. A young man leaves his home to pursue what seems to be the perfect life - fishing all possible hours of the day. The title of the book comes because the river on which the author settles is in the shape of the word "why", and pondering this "why" drives him to do more than just live a life of quiet desperation. He burns out and discovers that life and fishing and the environment are really not enough without the context of family and friends. I highly recommend this book; one of the best I've ever read and it stands up to repeated readings.
Rating:
Summary: This book is not for airheads...
Review: OMG...! Am I 13 or what? Like, what's all this fishing stuff all about anyway? Could this story perhaps be one of those insightful descriptions of a talented young writer's fantasy? Could it be a story so well crafted as if to taste it when reading it aloud? I really like the term "upper tenth of a pair of levis". This writing sold me on DJD for life and now that I am into "My Story..." and read his "In the Beginning..." story not fueld with espresso but with Sierra Nevad Stout, sitting on the john, left my consumer encumbered self, realized my place in the universe and wept.
Rating: 
Summary: BORING
Review: THis book is 1 of the most boring books that I have ever read!!!!!OMG it's okay if you really like fishing but i still couldn't figure how anyone could like it
Rating:
Summary: The River Why answers so many questions
Review: The River Why is one of David James Duncan's best efforts. The tale spans the life of Gus, the lone voice of sanity in a house of chaos. From Ma to H20 to Billy Bob, the novel is a beautiful yet hilarious look into Gus' life. As an avid fly fisher myself, I find Gus' relationship with his father and his pole Rodney poignant and telling of the zen of flyfishing. Duncan's ability to create scenery and accurately describe the breathtaking beauty of the Northwest is undeniable. Duncan's book is at turns comical and heartbreaking. His insight into family and the role that fishing and religion can have are absolutely remarkable. this book, while not as good as The Brothers K is beautiful and absurd. don't miss it.
Rating:
Summary: I love Bill Bob
Review: and I love this book. I will pick it up and turn to my favorite pages just to re-read them again and again. I am no literary genius, but I thought this was great fun to read and very clever. The philosophy cracked me up, and the chapter on the bible and religion is one of my favorites to laugh at - and I'm a Christian! The story has stuck with me for years. I first read it about 9 years ago, and its still one I give out as a gift. Do not hesitate.
Rating:
Summary: Bill Bob
Review: There are so many fine reviews here that offer wonderful commentary and glosses on the novel, yet I am struck by the paucity of mention of Bill Bob, among the most wonderful child characters in modern and contemporary literature. Certainly Bill Bob is the character most responsible for initiating in Gus, faith, by providing him an acceptable theory of an "afterlife" on which to build a broader spirituality. The characterizations that solely drive this novel in the beginning are rich and wonderful preparation for the quest that follows. If there is any weakness in this novel for me, it is that Duncan wrote about 3 pages too many. The concluding exegesis on Vietnam was superfluous. While it may have been in character for Gus to respond the way he did, this section was clearly "tacked on" and disrupted the wonderfulness of "the line of light" I felt in reading the novel. But, I quibble. This will be a reading selection for my high school students from this time on.
Rating:
Summary: A Unexpectedly Brilliant Tale
Review: I bought this book for my husband because he likes to fish. I grew up along the banks of the Red River in Louisiana and enjoy fishing, too...so I was a bit curious about this little tome myself. Hubby and I decided to read this book aloud to each other every night before bed, taking turns with chapters. I have to tell you that I have never, ever laughed so hard in my entire life. Reading this book was a blast...a total blast! The story of how his parents met was worth the price of the book, not to mention the story of how his mother shot the dr's dog. Truth IS stranger than fiction. Mr. Duncan's family is one-of-a-kind and about as eccentric as they get in a very readable way. This book is in my 'I'd take with me if I were stranded on a desert island' collection. I highly recommend it.
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