Mustang
Gold Member
- Jan 15, 2010
- 9,257
- 3,230
The Big Rock Candy Mountain is the fourth book by Stegner I've read. All I can say is that with every subsequent book after Spectator Bird I've read (Angle of Repose, Crossing to Safety, and BRCM), Stegner's stock as an author has continuously risen in my eyes. While Stegner's powers as a storyteller are second to none, his descriptive abilities far surpass most authors.
Frankly, it's difficult for me to believe that this book was written and published when Stegner was only 34 years old, especially when I consider that it must have taken him a couple of years to write it.
All I can say is that for anyone who wants to read a good story told well, you can't go wrong with Stegner. You'll also get a book that just so happens to have some depth and complexity to it while also being beautifully written. In my experience, you just can't pick a Stegner book that doesn't fully live up to his reputation as a very fine author.
If I had any complaint about the book (and I don't), it would be the title. Don't get me wrong here. Once you're far enough into the book, you'll get a sense of why Stegner gave it that title. By the end, you'll know it for sure. But for anyone who hasn't read the book and is considering doing so, the title can't help but be confusing with all the other cultural references to the term.
Frankly, it's difficult for me to believe that this book was written and published when Stegner was only 34 years old, especially when I consider that it must have taken him a couple of years to write it.
All I can say is that for anyone who wants to read a good story told well, you can't go wrong with Stegner. You'll also get a book that just so happens to have some depth and complexity to it while also being beautifully written. In my experience, you just can't pick a Stegner book that doesn't fully live up to his reputation as a very fine author.
If I had any complaint about the book (and I don't), it would be the title. Don't get me wrong here. Once you're far enough into the book, you'll get a sense of why Stegner gave it that title. By the end, you'll know it for sure. But for anyone who hasn't read the book and is considering doing so, the title can't help but be confusing with all the other cultural references to the term.
