The Blue Bear: A True Story of Friendship, Tragedy, and Survival in the Alaskan Wilderness

Rating:
Summary: hard to put down
Review: a fascinating mixture of many interesting facts of Alaska and its natural history skillfully blended with the author's tale of personal tragedy and healing

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful
Review: A wonderful story of friendship, loss, growth, introspection, wilderness, devastation, change, art -- all the facets of life that make our lives poignant, painful and ultimately worthwhile. It's also a beautifully written homage to Michio Hoshino, the nature photographer, who slowly brings Schooler out of his shell to rediscover himself. Only then is Schooler able to look back at his life's events and work through them, to face his own loneliness. Other reviewers may be disappointed by this book but they did not read it for its OWN merits. So what if it doesn't mimic other books about Alaska? It's not supposed to and it shouldn't. This is its own book, its own story. Well worth reading. Lynn is a fascinating person, an excellent writer. Wherever you are, Lynn, you have a fan on the other side of the country who wishes you hope and happiness.

Rating:
Summary: Over-rated
Review: As a great fan of nature books, I bought "The Blue Bear" after reading the glowing reivews. I grew bored with it after about half of the book. While some of the writing is indeed superb, and some of the moments are unforgettable, the narrative wanders all over the place and seems to lose its focus. I learned virtually nothing about the glacier bear, which was disappointing, and very little about Michio Hoshino. Lynn Schooler, on the other hand, spends a lot of time talking about himself. I think the book's title should have been, "Man Runs Away From Life And Blue Bear Shows Up At the End". This doesn't come close to my favorite book about Alaska, Barry Lopez's intelligent and sensitive "Arctic Dreams". A big disappointment.

Rating:
Summary: Elegant writing reveals love of wilderness
Review: Elegiac is the perfect word to describe both the cadence and direction of this book: somber, straightforward, yet filled with joy. We come to know both men -- the author and the late Michio Hoshino -- through dialogue and description that is utterly natural, yet weighted with meaning. Pivotal scenes are described so elegantly that you want to read them again and again to extract every nuance of mood. Small vignettes speak volumes, such as the visit of the two men to a village where hundreds of native women and children died by starvation due to a US government relocation program. Or the choice of the author to pilot the boat away from Hobart because he could not bear the sight of the ravaged hillsides.
The author's lightness of touch is captivating especially because it is paired with such a deep knowledge and love of the flora, fauna and weather of the region. Reading Blue Bear, you become effortlessly acquainted with the Alaskan coast, as though it is indeed home, and come to mourn its slow, relentless destruction. I look forward to Lynn Schooler's next book.

Rating:
Summary: BUY The Blue Bear!
Review: Enjoyed every word of this beautifully written book. What a talented writer! We'll be looking for more by Lynn Schooler whether it be about Alaska or his insight into the big picture.
Thanks!

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I enjoy wilderness adventure stories and, based on the reviews posted, thought that this would be another enjoyable read. I was very disappointed in this story. I found the writing to be very "flowery" and the narrative to be very meandering. I was bored and skimmed entire chapters just to find the "hook" that would pull me into the story. I gave up after about 5 chapters. I was also a bit annoyed at the author's choice to spend so much time explaining the difficulty that Michio had with pronouncing American words. Just write it how he said it and don't try to make it such a big deal. I was expecting more of an adventure story about the search for the bear, but there were a lot of false starts interrupted by a story about something else. So, I never did finish the book. I do believe that there is probably an interesting story buried under all of the extended metaphors and similes, but I couldn't find it and simply cannot recommend this story.

Rating:
Summary: Almost like being there
Review: I was driving around, running errands on a hot June day, when I stumbled across a National Public Radio talk show on which Lynn Schooler was promoting this book. By the time it was over, I was at the nearest bookstore, sipping a cup of coffee and reading the first chapter of The Blue Bear.
Schooler is a natural-born story-teller and his knowledge and love of the Alaskan wilderness make every paragraph glow with authenticity.
Like most good books, the Blue Bear can be enjoyed and appreciated on many different levels: it's a wonderful adventure story, it captures the precious qualities of friendship and it encapsulates Schooler's life-affirming world view in a way that is powerful, but never preachy.

Rating:
Summary: Life as an Odessy
Review: Lynn Schooler has personal attachment losses that are a part of everyone's life, but in the quite magnificent narrative of his awe for Michio Hoshino's life and art, and thrills of the hunt for this glacier bear, he gives us a grand picture of southeast Alaska, it's beauty and dangers, and his own foibles. Even if one didn't care for the audulation for Hoshino (I did), the story is a must read for its adventure and autobiographic detail of "the guy who cannot commit" to people, but can and does to a remarkable part of the world.

Rating:
Summary: Hard to put down!
Review: Lynn Schooler has taught me a great deal about landscape---both the outer, physical landscape of Alaska, it's history and inhabitants, AND the inner landscape of Lynn Schooler's psyche. A very intimate tale, beautifully told, visually and emotionally stunning. Thank you for sharing, Lynn. I wish I could have met Michio, but I feel like I got to know him through your book.

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating
Review: Lynn Schooler's book "The Blue Bear" easily meets the qualifications for an 'Oprah book club' selection. Schooler's poetic prose has readers savoring each word of this rare glimpse at a special friendship and at a state most of us think of first as COLD. Picturesque scenes lure readers to experience first hand the beauty of this unusual state. Amidst the glory of Alaska's greater-than-life topography and its land and sea creatures are tidbits of history that keep you riveted to the author's words. "The Blue Bear" is a book you will not easily forget, a book you will eagerly share with friends.
Beverly J Scott author of "Righteous Revenge" and "Ruth Fever." Reviewer for Intriguing Authors and Their Books at http://www.funeralassociates.com/authors.htm