| |  | Author: John Graves
Publisher: Knopf
Category: Book
This item is no longer available
Avg. Customer Rating:  21 reviews
Pages: 306
ASIN: B00071Z566
Publication Date: 1986
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| Customer Reviews:
 A piece of Texas to carry with you May 11, 2004
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
I carried a copy of this book with me while away from Texas, while in the US Army back in '71. Every time I would get terribly lonely for home and Texas, I would read this book. I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves history, Texas, nature, or rivers. I own several copies (five last count, as have given away half a dozen to good friends), and continue to re-read the book, as I always enjoy Mr. Graves' words, his history lessons, and his use of the English language. His imparting of the north Texas dialect is wonderful, as that dialect is the one in which I also was and am immersed. I have many other of Mr. Graves books, but GTAR is the first you should read! By the way, I also went to Boy Scout Camp at Worth Ranch on the Brazos as many boys did during the mid 50s, boated and canoed and fished on the Brazos, or the Brazos de Dios, the Arms of God. The sweet smell of oak and cedar, of campfires on river islands, the sounds of water rushing down river, the taste of fresh catfish fried up in a campfire...the bald eagles and deer, the ghosts of "The People" and early settlers....the best times..
Much bigger than Texas May 2, 2003
14 out of 14 found this review helpful
I first read this book 15 years ago. And although I've never been to that part of Texas, I feel as if I know Mr. Graves' stretch of the Brazos as well as the back of my hand. I have always felt guilty for never writing him a fan letter. He deserves as much credit as Wallace Stegner, Edward Abbey, John McPhee and all the rest or our naturalist philosophers for his beautiful prose and endlessly ruminative mind. I know that at least one reviewer found the book dull, and I have no capacity for empathy. In fact, I recently purchased, through Amazon, an autographed copy of the book with Mr. Graves' own photographs, for [$$]. If my son loves this book someday as much as I have, I'll consider my life a success. It is that good.
 John Graves "ruminations" on Texas living August 8, 2002
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
As a Texan, I found this book to be a wonderful heartfelt tribute to Mr. Graves love of the Brazos River which included a lot of local history. I formerly lived in that area and have also canoed on the river and so I enjoyed his thoughts very much. I now live in the Hill Country and he wrote a book called "From A Limestone Ledge" that deals with his ruminations on life in our area! It is a pretty good one too! I agree that sometimes he gets a little "wordy" but I think it is still worth reading!
 It can't be good if it's not readable........ July 30, 2002
4 out of 40 found this review helpful
I am a person who will persevere through a book just to allow it to redeem itself. I tried, I tried, I really tried. I even skipped around to various passages, hoping to find something that would convince me to read this book. I couldn't. There was ONE lovely snippet early on about camping with the dog that ignited a flicker of hope but that was it. His language is rambling and did not engage me. I can't ascribe this to the date of the novel, as much, much older books have held me captive despite difficult language and phraseology. Honestly, it was boring. The plot? Well, it started out with a man's journey back to the river of his childhood that was about to be dammed out of existence. I think although that was all I read, that's all you need to know.
I can't ascribe my dislike of this book to my gender as I read more novels by males and abhor "chick books". I suppose if you are local to that area, it holds some interest if you can work your way through the rambling language. But this was money ill-spent and I don't even have the heart to give it to a dear male friend of mine who usually enjoys novels of this type. I know even he would agree with me.
The illustrations were as bad as the text too. If you can imagine...
Real Texas Literature May 14, 2001
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
I was only a few pages into this book when I realized that I was reading a person who was the real thing. John Graves is a master wordsmith, a thinker, and a person who has the background and experiences to address the subject. As a former Marine and a native Texan, I admit that I might have identified with him a bit more strongly than some, but there is no question that his prose is from a gifted and talented pen. I have experienced part of the trip he described (the first couple of days...spectacular sandstone bluffs and all...)so it made the read more enjoyable and absorbing for me. The book I read was borrowed, so naturally, I have to have my own copy as well as other of his efforts.
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