Need a good book

Buddy wrote:

I've spent weeks figuring out ways to take weight out of my backpack and
still have everything I need for a four-day flyfishing
trip in October (two hiking days and two fishing days from basecamp). To
celebrate shedding those pounds I'd like to add a paperback book:

I don't know if it's available in paperback, but I just finished
Thomas McGuane's _The Longest Silence_. It's a collection of fishing
stories from all over the world, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. His
writing style is nice; introspective without being maudlin and
descriptive without being forced.

Speaking of Middleton, :-) FWIW, I agree with you on him. I got
_On the Spine of Time_ after my trip to NC, and while it's fun to read
about places you have visited, I can barely stomach his writing style.
He seems to be intent on packing in as much overwrought imagery per
square inch of page as possible.

Robert Traver is another one who would be nice for some light
reading after a day on the water. His _Trout Magic_ and _Trout Madness_
are both nice. (They are available in paperback.)


Chuck Vance

On 8/29/05 8:33 AM, in article , "Conan The
Librarian" wrote:


Robert Traver is another one who would be nice for some light
reading after a day on the water. His _Trout Magic_ and _Trout Madness_
are both nice. (They are available in paperback.)

And speaking of Traver, Chuck, I hear there are still openings for the Save
A Trout, Eat a Pasty Clave next month...

Word is we're gonna fish 'til we see ol' Death himself barreling down M-28
on the back of a logging truck.

:-)

B

(And color me strange, but I've always liked to take along something other
than outdoor writing when I'm outdoors.)

William Claspy wrote:

And speaking of Traver, Chuck, I hear there are still openings for the Save
A Trout, Eat a Pasty Clave next month...

I would love to crash that party, Bill, but SWMBO'ette #2 is
starting college this month, so while the heart may be willing, the bank
account is suffering.

Word is we're gonna fish 'til we see ol' Death himself barreling down M-28
on the back of a logging truck.

:-)

Hmmm ... throw in some 'shine (or single malt ... or is that
redundant?) and that sounds more like those NC claves. ;-)

B

(And color me strange, but I've always liked to take along something other
than outdoor writing when I'm outdoors.)

Yep, you're strange. :-) I dunno ... for me it just seems natural
to read something related to fly fishing when I'm on a trip. And if I
don't have anything new, I'll get out Datus Proper's _What The Trout
Said_ again and look at the pictures. ;-)


Chuck Vance

"William Claspy" wrote in message
...
On 8/29/05 8:33 AM, in article , "Conan The
Librarian" wrote:


Robert Traver is another one who would be nice for some light
reading after a day on the water. His _Trout Magic_ and _Trout Madness_
are both nice. (They are available in paperback.)

And speaking of Traver, Chuck, I hear there are still openings for the
Save
A Trout, Eat a Pasty Clave next month...

Hell yes, our dance cards ain't nearly full!

Word is we're gonna fish 'til we see ol' Death himself barreling down M-28
on the back of a logging truck.

Which, as you probably recall, is exactly what happened to Steamboat
Bill.......um.......among many others.

Wolfgang

"Conan The Librarian" wrote in message
...

I don't know if it's available in paperback, but I just finished Thomas
McGuane's _The Longest Silence_. It's a collection of fishing stories
from all over the world, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. His writing style
is nice; introspective without being maudlin and descriptive without being
forced.

Thanks, Chuck; I've added The Longest Silence to my list of books to find on
Amazon.

Speaking of Middleton, :-) FWIW, I agree with you on him. I got _On
the Spine of Time_ after my trip to NC, and while it's fun to read about
places you have visited, I can barely stomach his writing style. He seems
to be intent on packing in as much overwrought imagery per square inch of
page as possible.

After hearing from a lot of Middleton fans and having spent so much time in
the Smokies over the last 30 years, this was a real disappointment. It
seems The Earth is Enough has a larger following so maybe I'll give it a go
sometime. --Buddy

Conan The Librarian wrote:


Speaking of Middleton, :-) FWIW, I agree with you on him. I got _On
the Spine of Time_ after my trip to NC, and while it's fun to read about
places you have visited, I can barely stomach his writing style. He
seems to be intent on packing in as much overwrought imagery per square
inch of page as possible.

each to his own, but i haven't found another trout-fishing author whose
books i've enjoyed reading as much as middleton's. each time i read his
stuff i find something new to think about and enjoy. my friend pj and
my wife had the same reaction as you. middleton is a mass of metaphor
and simile...but it's damn good and apt stuff imo. you've been to the
place (though not middle falls or hazel creek as i recall?) ...the
imagery isn't subtle, is it?

i'm sure my connection to the place contributes. i've read traver's
stories and enjoyed them as well. they just never "got" me the way
middleton's did.

jeff

Jeff Miller wrote:

Conan The Librarian wrote:

[Middleton's _On The Spine Of Time_

each to his own,

Yeah, that's why gawd made 3-wts. *and* 5-wt.s :-)

but i haven't found another trout-fishing author whose
books i've enjoyed reading as much as middleton's. each time i read his
stuff i find something new to think about and enjoy. my friend pj and
my wife had the same reaction as you. middleton is a mass of metaphor
and simile

I think that's my biggest problem with him. After the first chapter
I felt like saying, "I get it, I understand you are a master of
metaphor. Now can we just limit it to a couple per sentence?" :-) It
just struck me as overdone.

...but it's damn good and apt stuff imo. you've been to the
place (though not middle falls or hazel creek as i recall?) ...the
imagery isn't subtle, is it?

Nothing about his writing is subtle, IMHO. :-) (And you're right,
I only got as far as the lower falls, and never did get to Hazel.) I
will admit that the chapter on B*g S******d was my favorite, and
probably because I had been there. As you note:

i'm sure my connection to the place contributes. i've read traver's
stories and enjoyed them as well. they just never "got" me the way
middleton's did.

That's a fair reaction. And my problem with Middleton is that if I
hadn't been to the specific place he described, I found it tedious to
wade through what struck me as self-indulgent prose. I figured it might
be laziness on my part, and went back and re-read the book (some
chapters more than once). I still had the same reaction. :-}

Maybe I just need to go back to NC and go to all the places he
describes in his book. :-)


Chuck Vance (just for the literary enjoyment of it, of course)

"Conan The Librarian" wrote in message
...
//snip//

Maybe I just need to go back to NC and go to all the places he
describes in his book. :-)


Absolutely.
Also, you can find Exie Sopwith, Arby Mulligan, and any number of other
Middleton characters right here on ROFF.


--
Bob Patton
(remove hat to respond)

Bob Patton wrote:

"Conan The Librarian" wrote in message
...
//snip//

Maybe I just need to go back to NC and go to all the places he
describes in his book. :-)

Absolutely.
Also, you can find Exie Sopwith, Arby Mulligan, and any number of other
Middleton characters right here on ROFF.

Hmmmm ... I'm guessing that Cyli would be Exie. As for Arby ... I
think Wolfgang is the most likely candidate. I can't imagine anyone
else who's more qualified to be an amateur phrenologist.

And I wonder who amongst us plays the bagpipes when he's on the
stream ...


Chuck Vance (though maybe that's just as well left unknown)

"Conan The Librarian" wrote in message
...
Bob Patton wrote:

"Conan The Librarian" wrote in message
...
//snip//

Maybe I just need to go back to NC and go to all the places he
describes in his book. :-)

Absolutely.
Also, you can find Exie Sopwith, Arby Mulligan, and any number of other
Middleton characters right here on ROFF.

Hmmmm ... I'm guessing that Cyli would be Exie. As for Arby ... I
think Wolfgang is the most likely candidate. I can't imagine anyone else
who's more qualified to be an amateur phrenologist.

I know these characters only by the few references I've seen here on ROFF
over the years. Whatever. I am delighted to take on the role of ROFF's
Official Part-Time Amateur Phrenologist.....if no one
objects.......strenuously. I guess I can read the bumps on asses (about as
close as one is likely to get to skulls in many cases......if you think
about it) as well as the next guy. Um......as long as no one objects to
posting photos on one or another of the available sites........I don't do
house calls.

And I wonder who amongst us plays the bagpipes when he's on the stream
...

Oh Lord, there are SO many dark paths we could go down with this!

Chuck Vance (though maybe that's just as well left unknown)

Yeah, that's what I meant.

Wolfgang
who, oddly enough, has recently encountered a piper on several occasions
while en route to his vehicle after work.......and a shiny new nickel to the
first who guesses the only tune recognized in the process......and yes, it
IS common knowledge.