Rating: 
Summary: A Tepid "Heartwarmer"
Review: 20th Century Literature is usually a term reserved for gaudy, existential, stream of consciousness drivel that lays down a subjective take on the sensuality of the day we live in without attempting to make any sense of it. I found this book to be a refreshing departure, a very human story told by I man I find easy to understand as he tries to make sense of situations that I find all too easy to relate to. Most importantly, there is an overriding sense of value, love, worth, interdependence, and genuine warm humanity. I don't feel an attempt to encapsulate a brief series of experiences to wring the emotion from it in a sensational or glamorous way, but rather a down to earth exposition of real life, told with a feeling of assurance that it does all tie together, life does have meaning, it does make sense, love is real, if a bit poignant, someone is watching over us, the past has validity, and there is definite reason to have hope and positive expectations for the future. A beautiful book. Don't miss it.
Rating: 
Summary: 20th Century Literature at its best
Review: 20th Century Literature is usually a term reserved for gaudy, existential, stream of consciousness drivel that lays down a subjective take on the sensuality of the day we live in without attempting to make any sense of it. I found this book to be a refreshing departure, a very human story told by I man I find easy to understand as he tries to make sense of situations that I find all too easy to relate to. Most importantly, there is an overriding sense of value, love, worth, interdependence, and genuine warm humanity. I don't feel an attempt to encapsulate a brief series of experiences to wring the emotion from it in a sensational or glamorous way, but rather a down to earth exposition of real life, told with a feeling of assurance that it does all tie together, life does have meaning, it does make sense, love is real, if a bit poignant, someone is watching over us, the past has validity, and there is definite reason to have hope and positive expectations for the future. A beautiful book. Don't miss it.
Rating:
Summary: A Tepid "Heartwarmer"
Review: As a divorced flyfisherman with a 7-year old daughter named *Megan*, you'd think I would have loved this book. Indeed, I shelled out the cost of the hardcover based on the similarities between Dodson's book and my own life. Unfortunately, I felt that the book rambled as much as their journey - it reads more like a transcription of Dodson's journal than a coherent narrative. As with any long drive, it's always touch-and-go whether the highpoints outweigh the hours of monotonous driving. That having been said, Dodson has a keen eye for detail and some of his scenes, as well as the letter to his daughter, are excellent. Just don't get your hopes up too high.
Rating: 
Summary: Very touching for fathers with little girls
Review: Congratulations to Jim Dodson! -- someone who I knew, unfortunately not well enough, in high school. Have been promising myself for quite some time to begin writing. You, and the inspiration delivered daily from my (new) son Alex, just might be the catalyst.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding--great to see such talent in an old classmate
Review: Congratulations to Jim Dodson! -- someone who I knew, unfortunately not well enough, in high school. Have been promising myself for quite some time to begin writing. You, and the inspiration delivered daily from my (new) son Alex, just might be the catalyst.
Rating:
Summary: Not as good as "...Midlife Crisis", but worth the effort.
Review: For any parent who has experienced the heartbreak of a dissolved marrage and the effects on children, this book will bring sad memories. It will also allow the reader to recognize that only time will help. The author gets a little long winded at times on topics unrelated to the major themes of the book... father-daughter relationships & fly fishing as a metaphor on life. I found myself skimming through sections, but if the reader can forgive some incorrect information on the geography of the west... and the sources of some rivers... the father's letter to her daughter, near the end of the book, is well worth the time. Glad I read it...
Rating:
Summary: A gentle, charming tale
Review: If you are expecting to learn a lot about fishing, or about human relationships and all those difficult questions, this is not the book for you. But if you want a well written, charming story of a father and daughter trip out west, this is a great read. It manages to avoid being over sentimental, raises a few interesting questions, doesn't pretend to have the answers but ripples by as enjoyably as a relaxing day on a good stream.
Rating:
Summary: A gentle, charming tale
Review: If you are expecting to learn a lot about fishing, or about human relationships and all those difficult questions, this is not the book for you. But if you want a well written, charming story of a father and daughter trip out west, this is a great read. It manages to avoid being over sentimental, raises a few interesting questions, doesn't pretend to have the answers but ripples by as enjoyably as a relaxing day on a good stream.
Rating: 
Summary: An unforgettable story about a father and daughter....
Review: Picked by Reader's Digest as one of the best non-fiction books of 1998, Faithful Travelers has already received some glowing endorsements. Here is just a sampling: "James Dodson's Faithful Travelers is more than a travelogue--a father-daughter bonding under the guise of fly-fishing. It is a journey of self-discovery equal to Dodson's extraordinary first book, Final Rounds, and one that offers tender perspectives on the awesome task of parenting, and on the perplexing task of being one's self. A brilliantly written book by one of America's most gifted writers." --Terry Kay, author of The Runaway "A new American classic...and a much deserved, if unintentional tribute to the new American Dad." --Jessica Maxwell, author of I Don't Know Why I Swallowed the Fly "A unique and poignant odyssey of father and daughter in search of trout and a new sense of family. Faithful Travelers is a fly-fishing journey made immensely memorable by its wise and vibrant sojourners." --Nick Lyons, author of A Flyfisher's World Read "surely the sweetest father-and-daughter story ever told (Paul Hemphill, author of The Heart of the Game)" and join the Dodsons on their cross-country odyssey in search of not only clear, rushing streams, but also the eternal truths that only nature can provide.
Rating:
Summary: Very touching for fathers with little girls
Review: This book represents the how we (fathers of daughters) feel about the fear of having our little girls grow up and away from us. I'm a new father and this book drives home my priority to spend every minute with my little angel.
|
