Book Review

A River Runs Through It
by Norman Maclean
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 0-226-50055-1

Fly fishing is not what this story is all about, although it might seem
so at first. Neither is it about religion, even though the author’s first
line is: "In our family, there was no clear line between religion and
fly fishing." Yes, these two things are themes that run through the
story and add to its power. But there is so much more. It depicts a
place of beauty, history, myth, and mystery—a triangle of
earth in Montana where the author grew up. And it captures a space
of time in the not-so-distant past with a sensitivity that is both witty
and poetic.
Robert Redford loved this story and turned it into a handsome
movie. Read it yourself and you will learn something about fly fishing,
but you will learn more about the wonders of nature and the strengths
and frailties of man.
Author Maclean was truly a man of words—well chosen words!

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