The Bottom Line
- Contains many great hunting tales.
- Good reading for the hunter and non-hunter alike.
- Book II is so good I didn't want it to end.
- Unusual yet effective style and approach make for a memorable story worth re-reading.
- Seems disjointed at times, and gets off to a slow start. (Stick with it, though.)
Description
- Set in the deep south along the Mississippi River.
- The story follows a family's course through several generations.
- Runs the gamut from cornpone philosophy to laugh-out-loud hunting yarn to tearful tragedy, and more.
- Don't be fooled by advertisers' references to Robert Ruark - this book is its own creation.
- Hunters who love to read will likely love this book.
- Soft cover, 217 pages.
- ISBN 0-9709813-2-5, $19.95
Guide Review - The Quest and the Quarry
The author, Gordon Hutchinson, is a friend of mine. He has a unique approach to writing, so when he told me he had written a book, I didn't quite know what to expect. I'd seen many positive comments before I started reading it, including many comparisons to Robert Ruark, so when I began reading, I suppose I had Ruark on the brain. That was, perhaps, unfortunate.
Initially, I was thrown and a touch put off by the first section of the book - its conversational style had the grammar-police siren screaming in my head. But by the time I got to the second section I was home, and loved it - a lot. By the time I reached the end of the book, where the same style returns, it seemed right and natural, and my editor's red-pencil twitch had all but disappeared.
This is a wonderful little book. It ain't Ruark, and doesn't need to be. Man, woman, or young 'un - hunter or not - you will find this a unique book that illustrates many good things, not the least of which is the hunter's deep respect for the animals he - or she - hunts. You want morals and strong values? Tales to literally make you laugh and to cry? They're all here, plus a pile of other goodness.
- Russ Chastain
