Audiobook Sample
Listen to the sample to experience the story.
Please wait while we verify your browser...
- Title: River Runs Through It and Other Stories
- Author: Norman Maclean
- Narrator: David Manis
- Length: 08:03:00
- Version: Abridged
- Release Date: 30/09/2010
- Publisher: HighBridge Company
- Genre: Fiction & Literature, Literary Fiction
- ISBN13: 9.78E+12
I’ve always believed that stories are like rivers – they carve paths through our hearts, carrying us to places both familiar and unknown. Norman Maclean’s ‘A River Runs Through It and Other Stories’ is one such river, and experiencing it as an audiobook, narrated by David Manis, feels like wading into the cool, clear waters of western Montana. Published by HighBridge Company, this literary fiction masterpiece weaves together themes of family, faith, and the natural world in a way that resonates deeply, especially for someone like me who’s spent a lifetime chasing the hidden currents of human connection.
When I first pressed play on this audiobook, I was instantly transported. It reminds me of a time when I was driving through the vast, surreal expanse of the Atacama Desert in Chile, listening to another audiobook that matched the landscape with its magic. Here, Maclean’s prose, delivered through Manis’s steady voice, mirrors the rugged beauty of Montana’s trout rivers. The story unfolds like a long, reflective hike through the wilderness – slow at times, but always purposeful, always leading you somewhere profound. You can almost feel the weight of the fly rod in your hand, hear the rush of the river, and sense the unspoken tensions between brothers and fathers.
For me, this audiobook experience taps into a personal memory of evenings spent in Oaxaca with a family whose grandmother spun tales under a flickering lantern. Her voice, her pauses, her way of letting a story breathe – it was a masterclass in oral storytelling. Listening to ‘A River Runs Through It,’ I found echoes of that intimacy. Maclean’s autobiographical novella centers on the intricate bonds of family, where fly-fishing becomes a sacred ritual, a way to bridge the gaps that words often fail to cross. As someone who’s wandered through countless cultures, I’m drawn to how Maclean blurs the lines between religion and nature, suggesting that salvation might just lie in the rhythm of casting a line.
Diving into the content, the titular novella is the heart of this collection, a poignant exploration of love, loss, and the haunting beauty of life’s impermanence. Maclean, a retired English professor who began writing fiction at 70, crafts a narrative that’s both deeply personal and universally relatable. His assertion that ‘in my family, there is no clear line between religion and fly-fishing’ isn’t just a statement – it’s a philosophy. The river becomes a metaphor for life itself, flowing relentlessly forward, connecting everything in its path. The other stories in this collection, ‘Logging and Pimping and “Your Pal, Jim”’ and ‘USFS 1919: The Ranger, the Cook, and a Hole in the Sky,’ offer gritty, grounded counterpoints, showcasing Maclean’s versatility as he captures the rough-hewn lives of loggers and rangers with the same lyrical precision he applies to fishing.
Now, let’s talk about the audiobook experience itself. David Manis’s narration is a quiet triumph. His voice has a weathered, gravelly quality that feels like it’s been shaped by the very landscapes Maclean describes. There’s a restraint in his delivery that mirrors the stoic masculinity of the characters, yet he knows when to let emotion seep through – particularly in the novella’s more tender moments. The audio quality, crisp and immersive, enhances the listening experience, making you feel as though you’re right there on the riverbank. Whether I was listening through headphones on a long flight or letting the sound fill my car during a road trip, the production never faltered, drawing me deeper into Maclean’s world of literary fiction.
That said, I must offer a balanced perspective. While the audiobook shines in its ability to bring Maclean’s prose to life, there are moments where the pacing feels almost too measured. For listeners accustomed to faster-moving narratives, the deliberate tempo of both the writing and narration might test patience. Additionally, while Manis excels at embodying the male characters, his portrayal of female voices occasionally feels less nuanced, though this is a minor quibble in an otherwise stellar performance. These limitations, however, don’t detract from the overall power of the listening experience – they simply remind us that even the most beautiful rivers have their quiet, meandering stretches.
Comparing this to other works in the literary fiction genre, I’m reminded of Ernest Hemingway’s sparse, emotionally charged style. Like Hemingway, Maclean finds profundity in the unsaid, in the silences between brothers, in the weight of a shared glance. Yet Maclean’s voice is distinctly his own, rooted in the American West and infused with a reflective, almost spiritual tone that sets it apart. For fans of contemporary authors like Kent Haruf, whose work also explores small-town life and familial bonds, this audiobook will feel like a kindred spirit.
Who would I recommend this audiobook to? Anyone with a love for literary fiction, certainly, but also those who crave stories that linger, that haunt you like waters, as Maclean himself puts it. If you’ve ever felt the pull of nature or wrestled with the complexities of family, this listening experience will speak to you. It’s perfect for long drives through open country or quiet evenings by a fire – moments when you can let the words wash over you. And while I don’t have confirmation that this audiobook is free, I’d encourage you to check platforms like Audiobooks.com for potential deals or trials to access this gem of Fiction & Literature.
On a personal note, listening to ‘A River Runs Through It’ stirred memories of my own family – times spent fishing with my uncle on a quiet lake in upstate New York, where we didn’t need to say much to understand each other. Maclean’s words brought those moments back, reminding me that sometimes the deepest connections are forged not in conversation, but in shared silence, in the simple act of being present. This audiobook experience isn’t just a story – it’s a mirror, reflecting the parts of ourselves we often overlook.
Until our paths cross again, keep seeking the stories that move you, whether they’re found in books, rivers, or the faces of those you love. This is Marcus Rivera, signing off with a heart full of wanderlust and words.
