A River Runs Through It

By: Norman Maclean

Narrated by: Ivan Doig

Length: 3 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

Life for the MacLean family in Missoula, Montana, in 1937 centers around family, fly fishing and the Big Blackfoot River. Fly fishing is the one activity where the family can bridge troubled relationships, where brother can connect with brother and father with son. And in the end, it is through the river that they realize how life continues and all things are related. This is a universal story of family love and a lyrical masterpiece, as beautiful as the great trout rivers of western Montana upon which it is set.

©1976 by The University of Chicago (P)1992 HighBridge Company; 16 9; 2000 HighBridge Company

Critic reviews

"Exquisite...this recording joins the ranks of the few near-perfect matches of reader and author." (Philadelphia Inquirer)

one of my favorite books

love every minute of it. I enjoy the author's style and the vivid imagery of the streams and Montana

Gorgeous

Prose and story are both gorgeous and a delight to listen to. For those who wrote about the overuse of fly-fishing, it's a metaphor for life. I've never fly-fished, nor will I, but I can appreciate the way the lessons of fly-fishing have informed the narrator's worldview. The narration, like the prose, is understated. Truly a treat.

Rings true

As a fly fisherman and someone who got started because of family, it makes me think and reflect on how important this past time is to me. My grandfather, my father, and my cousin are all responsible for my love of nature and wetting a line. This story does a really good job of making me reflect on that and I couldn’t be happier to have listened. I’ll have to get a hard copy to keep in my collection.

If you love a Fisherman

What you need to know is that this is mainly a book about fishing. And brothers. And the pain and deep love of Family. It is not the movie, although it is clearly the brothers of the movie and I think if I read more of these stories, I'll find the movie story. I've never been a fisherman. It doesn't work to read and fish, so that's out. But I do love fishermen, my grandad in particular. So I loved reading about fishing.

Horrible tragedy

Produced by alcoholism another family is destroyed just like mine. I empathized .
A good read a bit too much focus on fishing.

amazing writing

How the author manages to be plain, straight forward, honest, and eloquent all at the same time is incredible. I was sorry the book was finished when I was done. I wanted to hear more of any story the author had to tell.

A classic for every fisherman

This book is what made me decide to buy a fly rod.
I learned so much about life and fishing.

A River Runs Through It

I wish I had this book in my hands to quote from it...a definite lack in this listening thing. I find this short novel exquisite. Every line has meaning. The relationships are achingly full of perception and grace. The metaphor of the river, and fly fishing, is omnipresent and speaks of the love that is shot through the main characters' interactions with each other. I have listened to this book twice, and read it once. The film is ghastly....the meaning is in the words, and layered: the river, fly fishing, one's relation to one's god, brothers and families, the story of the prodigal son, violence and mayhem of the heart, the beauty of knowing something. And in closing: I plan to just ignore reviews that don't recognize or understand the craft of fiction.

Pure Word Art

I saw the movie many years ago and enjoyed it greatly. But the greatest actor cannot convey visually what a wordsmith whose words are written in the heart can record on paper. Someone who has never wet a fly will be touched as deeply as those who have tried but never mastered the art. And those who are masters know the true value of "three more years. "

Great book

Made me wish I lived in Montana in a time that has almost been forgotten!! It was a great story!