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So Brave, Young and Handsome: A Novel by Leif Enger
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So Brave, Young and Handsome: A Novel

by Leif Enger

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Louis L'Amour meets Mark Twain meets Cervantes meets Homer. Yet, Leif Enger's voice remains his own. The kind of writing that makes my toes tingle (e.g. "He talked like a deaf mute distrustful of the cure.") Not up to the standard of Peace Like a River, but a great read all the same. ( )
  jhedlund | Nov 15, 2009 |
Leif Enger’s So Brave, Young and Handsome, like its predessor Peace Like A River, was one of those thoughtful books – full of interesting characters, beautiful prose, and journeys both physical and emotional. Like a river, the plot flowed steadily – sometimes tumbling forth in a rapid, while other times, still and unbroken. Enger must be a poet at heart.

Monte Becket enjoyed rapid success with his dime-store novel, but after six years, could not pen another book. His family befriended their quiet neighbor, Glendon, who asked Monte to travel west with him to find Glendon’s estranged wife. Not knowing that Glendon was a former outlaw, Monte agreed to go. Within a day of their journey, Glendon’s past came back to haunt him – his presence alerted to a traveling policeman – and Monte must make a choice: help his fugitive friend make peace with his past, or turn around and go home. Striking out from his usual “safe” personality, Monte chose to accompany his friend, trying to stay one step ahead of the law along the way.

While it was Glendon’s quest for redemption, I quickly learned that it was Monte’s quest too: a quest to become a better person, enjoy his literary success and make peace with his writer’s block. Monte’s journey was deeply personal – he was a character I could root for, despite his mistakes.

Along their journey, the gentlemen meet interesting characters and landmarks. Enger drew real-life men all facing decisions that would forever alter their lives. Mix in a Wild West that was becoming less wild, and you have a wonderful juxtaposition of how things were and are.

Beautifully written, So Brave, Young and Handsome would be perfect for a book discussion. Even the title alone could be a 10-minute discussion. Enger’s themes, characters and descriptions made this novel unforgettable and enjoyable. I would recommend this book to anyone who looks for these elements in their reading. ( )
1 vote mrstreme | Nov 10, 2009 |
I really liked this book. Leif Enger, author of "Peace Like River" tells a beautiful tale. In this instance he combines two stories. The first, the story of what an author must live with after his first success, and I have to wonder if this is partly autobiographical. I enjoy reading about the way authors must live within and alongside their characters while they are writing. The second story is a wonderful, poignant, horrifying adventure, something of a latter day Odyssey or Huck Finn tall tale. It is about love, honesty, character, and respect. I think that when one of the characters, a Pinkerton agent, tells the protagonist that he will outlast them all, it is really a reference to an earlier statement to the effect that an author's dream is to write one piece which will live on beyond him. I believe both of Enger's novels will do so. ( )
  hemlokgang | Sep 3, 2009 |
Mostly readable and beautiful. Sometimes slow, but overall good. Vivid characters and relationships. Delightful story - he spins a great tale. At times it felt like a bit heartwarming old West tale… of redemption and finding oneself. ( )
  Liciasings | Aug 18, 2009 |
Good story, good writing. A man has writer's block and goes on an adventure with an ex-con. ( )
  kimoqt | Aug 14, 2009 |
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Original publication date2008-04-22
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Amazon.com (ISBN 0871139855, Hardcover)

Amazon Significant Seven, April 2008: A gritty western couched in the easy storytelling style of a folk ballad (think 3:10 to Yuma as sung by the Kingston Trio), Leif Enger's highly anticipated second novel (his first was Peace Like a River) tells the story of outlaw Glendon Hale's quest to right his past, as seen through the eyes of his unlikely companion Monte Becket. So Brave, Young, and Handsome begins with Becket, a struggling novelist bewildered by the success of his first book, who has pledged to his wife, son, and publisher to "write one thousand words a day until another book is finished." Four years and six unfinished novels later, Becket sits on the porch of his Minnesota farmhouse about to give up on number seven, when he spies a man standing up in his boat "rowing upstream through the ropy mists of the Cannon River." Eager to set aside his waning tale about handsome ranch hand Dan Roscoe, Becket calls out to the mysterious white-haired boatman and his life changes forever. At turns merry and wistful, romantic and tragic, So Brave, Young, and Handsome is as absorbing as a campfire tale, full of winking outlaws and relentless villains--the sort of story to keep you on the edge of your seat with hope in your heart. --Daphne Durham

(retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:58:04 -0400)

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