Mountain Man

If you are easily offended by ideas and language that reflect historical attitudes and thoughts, don’t read this.

If you can set aside that tendency, this book offers an interesting glimpse into that brief time when mountain men roamed the mostly unexplored West. The dichotomy of hatred between the mountain men and the Indians and the trading and intermarrying between them is a subtle theme, but important to understanding that period in our history. Both races strived for freedom and the ability to pursue their preferred live styles, even as the westward expansion of “civilization” closed in on them.

Vardis’ descriptions of the landscape Sam Minard roamed are some of the most beautifully written prose I’ve seen in some time. show more The imagery evoked by the passages are poetic word pictures to be savored.

On the darker side, Vardis deals with Kate Bowden’s descent into madness with sensitivity and great insight. Interactions between her and both mountain men and Indians demonstrates that, in most ways, the two groups had more in common than a love of freedom. Sad, at times hard to read, Kate’s fate is all but certain as she buries her dead.

This novel is only held back from five stars because of the occasional passages where the author spends an excessive time on the landscape as symphony or lists native birds in descriptions as if he were cataloging his birdwatching hike. In spite of these minor shortcomings, this novel is worth reading for the beauty of its prose. show less

Sam Minard is a Mountain Man, someone who lives the wild west and makes a living trapping animals for their furs and selling at trading posts. Much of his life is spent in solitude and in balance with the nature that surrounds home. Although his extraordinary size - he was a giant of a man standing 6 foot Four - easily sets him apart from the other trappers, he is well liked and respected throughout the land. Eventually he stumbles upon Kate Bowden, her husband and three children have been scalped and killed by a band of Indians, yet she managed to fight and kill three of them in her blind fury. Sam decides to help her by building a small cabin near the newly built graves and checks in on her as the seasons roll around. Meanwhile Sam show more decides to take a wife, but while he is away trapping in the winter months she is slaughtered by Crow Indians, finding her body he vows vengeance on the tribe and openly declares war against every Crow Indian. It is now a battle of the wills as to who lives and who dies.

This has to be one of the best books I have read for a long time. The descriptive writing is amazing, and Fisher really does have an incredible eye for detail. You can tell he knows and loves his subject matter and this shines through the book. He isn't afraid to graphically describe the violence and you can expect to find the harsh reality of life in the wilderness amongst the almost poetic description of nature and landscape. No punches are also pulled when describing the Native Americans, and I wonder how this book would be received today? Probably condemned under a tirade of PC nonsense I wouldn't doubt. There are times I can see why some people may describe the prose as a little wordy, but there is more than enough action to compensate. I really cannot recommend this book enough, if you enjoy tales of survival then this will be right up your street.

This story is part based on the true story of Liver Eating Johnson and also had a film loosely based on it call Jeremiah Johnson. show less

For many years I have been looking for a book that I read long ago about mountain men but somewhere along the way I had decided that perhaps it was one of A.B. Guthries‘. I was pleasantly surprised when I started reading Mountain Man by Vardis Fisher and found the book I have long been searching for. I probably first read this book in the early 1970’s before going to see the movie “Jeremiah Johnson” which was partly based on this book.

Originally published in 1965, and, in turn, loosely based on real life people John Johnson known as the “Crow Killer” and a pioneer women named Jane Morgan. Fisher’s story is truly a classic in Western American Literature. Written simply and without overdoing the sentiment, he gives us the show more story of fur trapper Sam Minard, who deeply loves his Indian wife and when she is murdered by some Crow Indians, goes on a trail of vengeance. We also learn the story of Kate, who watched her family brutally slain by Blackfoot Indians and went crazy with grief but was able to survive by both the Indian’s superstition and the many mountain men, particularly Sam Minard, who watched over her, protected her and supplied her.

Of course there are minor flaws in this book. His opinions, especially of the native Indians is both somewhat dated, stereotypical and prejudicial, but his love of nature and his descriptive writing shine through. He manages to weave a tale that captures the mind and the heart, and is able to place you right in the scene. I love to travel the American west, and in particular Yellowstone National Park. His descriptions of these places is both beautiful and accurate. When he writes about the day-to-day life of a fur trapper, I could hear the ripples on the river and smell the greasy campfire smoke.

Real mountain men had a reputation for romanticising life and telling tale tales, I think this story that Vardis Fisher wrote would have pleased most mountain men. It certainly pleased me. show less

A very well written, very realistic western. Almost a nature travel log in places, and it does tend to drag out the details a bit, but overall an excellent read. Much better than, and different from, the movie it inspired.

One of my most favorite books. Well written, very descriptive of the events that happen involving a "Mountain Man". Can't just start out as a mountain man-have to learn and observe a fellow mountain man.

It embodies a philosophy of self-reliance and self-fulfilment. The title (a career pathway I have considered if not for the impracticalness of it) and also the refernce in the title to the move that was inspired by this book, a movie that I thought was epic, made me select this book. AHS/RM

Really good.