Brian's Return

I was so excited when my hold for this came in. Brian's Saga is such a pure, simple, fun series. I've been having a lot of fun reading it. Brian's Return is pretty much objectively worse than the first three books. There is barely a plot and the stakes feel incredibly low because we already know Brian has the survival skills to survive. But this book is soooo Paulsen. It is crazy to see so much of an author in a book. From the dissociative brawl that kicks off the story, to the random Shakespeare quotes, to the woo woo "medicine," to the fuck it all moment at the very end. I love this shit.

Brian's Return is really specific in that it's about Brian having a really hard time letting go of his time in the woods and readjusting to "normal show more life." I think it's super relatable to anyone who's ever felt like they don't seem to care about the same things everyone else cares about. Eventually you just have to say fuck it and find your own path. That's what the barely there story of Brian's Return is about. It ends with an author's note where Paulsen basically explains how a lot of Brian's Saga was based on his real life and how for most of his life, he struggled with finding his place in the world.

So this 4.5/5 star rating is really more for the vibes and the message than the story. show less

Brian can't adjust to "normal" life, and convinces a therapist and his mom that he needs to go back out into the wilderness. Ostensibly, he wants to meet up with the native folks that helped him in Brian's Winter.

This one was a departure from Hatchet and The River in that there was never any question of Brian's survival. It was much more introspective (and sounds like it took a lot from the author's own life and perspective on nature, as the author's note details), as Brian goes to a therapist at the beginning and describes why he needs the wilderness rather than city life. I have a fundamentally different take on life - and don't get me wrong, I love hiking and getting out in the woods, but I have no need to be constantly camping - and show more all I could think about the little end twist is what Brian's mom must have felt like. The kiddo in my home thought it was amazing, however, so I can't discount that the books have an audience and meet a reader's interest. Just not mine. show less

This fourth book in the series has Brian back at home in the city, but longing to be back in nature and really not fitting in. He manages to convince his counsellor and his mom that he should head back out to the wilderness.

This one was super short, so only about ½ of it was in the wilderness. Which for me is the most interesting part. Also, very unrealistic – to think the adults would let him go back on his own (he was supposed to be meeting up with someone, but how come an adult didn’t accompany him that far?). I did find the author’s note at the end very interesting, though.

I love when Brian realizes that he no longer fits in society and that he prefers the quiet of the wilderness and that his experiences have made it difficult for him to understand and interact with others.
I also love that this time when he heads back into the wilderness he brings some creature comforts so that it isn't as much of a struggle this time around.

Yearly re-read. I think this is my favourite in the series. There’s something so special about the bond that Brian finds with nature, especially when you consider the man who wrote the book and HIS relationship to nature. The author’s note on this one brings me to tears every time.

I liked this book because I liked that fact that Brian went back to the wilderness. He follows his heart and that rang true with me. I sometimes Gary pushes it a bit with relation to the number of attacks Brian survives without serious injury but hey, his coping is what the book is about and the story would be over pretty quickly if he was severely injured or died. I re-read four of these books partly as research for a novel I am currently writing in which surviving in the Canadian north is an important part. If you want a quick read that is well written and entertaining I would recommend Gary Paulsen as an author.

This was an amazing book. The book started back at Brian's home where he was living an everyday life. He gets in a fight and has to go to a counselor. During counseling he decides he wants to go back to the woods and spends time preparing. He goes back and meets a man. There Brian finds his spirit animal. And decides he will stay in the woods.
I gave this book a 5 star rating. I gave it this because it was hard to stop reading. I was always finishing a chapter and I would have to go to bed and then immediately in the morning continue. It was very interactive and seemed like you were there. The way they described every thing made you see it. Near the end of the book you could see a change in everything the way of talking and all. I show more really liked this book and that's why I gave it 5 stars. show less