Bucking the Sun

I've read many of Doig's books and he does have a way with words. I found this book interesting for the historical information (FDR, New Deal, etc), and enjoyed the characters, and the mystery, but parts of it drug on. The technical information on the dam were too hard for me to follow (I'm not an engineer!), so it took me awhile to finish it. But I am glad I read it!

It is unusual for me to read a book that begins with two dead -- and naked -- bodies in a truck. But I am an Ivan Doig fan and so I have "Bucking the Sun" on my shelf.
This is a complicated tale.Doig gives readers clues by putting a character's thoughts in italics: what they say is often different. The book is set in 1938. The Duff family is involved in a major project: construction of the Fort Peck Dam, aiming to dam the Missouri River. There are flashbacks to earlier days (some exciting, some sad) and these, at least for me, made the book more worthwhile.

Few authors would be brave enough to attempt a complete history of The Fort Peck Dam and impressive that Ivan Doig delivered it!

The smooth gentle cover is an entry into this exceptional tale enlivened by humor.

What is missing is the anticipated rousing, rip-roaring, roof lifting Duff finale drama/reaction/fury scenario !!!!!
One may hope that Charlene, Kate, Jackie and Neil borrow from Widow Proxy and
take off for a happier realm.

Sheriff Kinnick and Neil "Bucking the Sun" were those I most cared about.

I was totally with Mr. Doig until the ending >
impossible to accept that Owen would act so out of character & with his boring secretary...Egad.

Whose still, we lost Darius Duff for no good reason!
He could have played strongly in THE BARTENDERS show more TALE! show less

This is an historical novel built around some of the events that took place during the Construction of the Fort Peck dam in Montana during the Great Depression. It is also a prequel to The Bartender's tale, one of Doig's more recent novels. Some characters carry over.

It's a good active story about interesting characters who have flawed personalities. There is a fair balance of humor and contemplation about life. Don't expect a knight in shining armor to save the day, or you will be disappointed. Be forewarned that the book has some sex scenes that give you a rather explicit picture of what is going on, though without using many explicit words- an interesting writing skill.

Doig is an excellent spinner of tales - very detailed & with beautiful language. This book is too convoluted and dense for my taste. Often I had no idea where the story was going or what the point of the story was. This is primarily a very intricate family drama with the “punchline” not delivered until literally the last page !

3.5 There were times when I felt this book was a tad long, but for the most part I really liked it. It is not my favorite of his, but it was still well worth reading.