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Mountain Man
Distributed by the University of Nebraska Press for the University of Idaho Press
A classic in American West literature and the inspiration for Robert Redford's portrayal in the classic film Jeremiah Johnson. Vardis Fisher has captured both the romantic idealism and harsh realism of the wilderness experience with this classic tale of the West.
A classic in American West literature and the inspiration for Robert Redford's portrayal in the classic film Jeremiah Johnson. Vardis Fisher has captured both the romantic idealism and harsh realism of the wilderness experience with this classic tale of the West.
351 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1965
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About the author
Vardis Fisher
87 books35 followersVardis Alvero Fisher was a writer best known for his popular historical novels of the Old West. He also wrote the monumental 12-volume Testament of Man (1943–1960) series of novels, depicting the history of humans from cave to civilization. It was considered controversial because of his portrayal of religion, especially the Judeo-Christian tradition, emphasis on sexuality, and conclusions about anthropology.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 160 reviews
February 9, 2023
This book had some great descriptions of people and places, but for the most part it was incredibly overlong and repetitive. Also, I'm not entirely sure that it wasn't incredibly racist. At the very least, the mountain men appear to have been pretty abhorrent human beings, and reading about their misadventures has left a pretty bad taste in my mouth.
October 4, 2007
Tidbit: In 1972, 5 years after Fisher's death, Warner Bros. thought for some reason the book had become public domain and they made the movie for around $20 million dollars. Four weeks before release, someone in legal found mention of an Opal Fisher in Prescott, Idaho. They sent a man up. He knocked on her door and explained he was from a tiny independent production company that was interested in the rights to Mountain Man. Opal let the man take her out to a steak house. After she finished her cheesecake, she told him she wanted a million dollars, the opening to be in Boise, and funding for a chair in the Boise State English department. She was granted all three
April 2, 2023
El Trampero
Novela soberbia que narra las aventuras de Samson J. Minard, un Mountain Man en las Montañas Rocosas en el siglo XIX. Lo que se cuenta forma parte de la historia, muchos personajes fueron reales y corrieron aventuras y situaciones al límite.
Los Mountain Men eran hombres que vivían solos en la montaña, se dedicaban a la caza de animales y posterior venta de pieles. Normalmente se movían en solitario en los amplios territorios salvajes del centro de los Estados Unidos. Entre ellos se mantenían en contacto, todos conocían la zona en la que estaban y se ayudaban mutuamente, igualmente conocían el territorio de las naciones indias de la zona. La convivencia con los pueblos indios era desigual, pasando desde enemigos, como con los Crows o los temibles Pies Negros, hasta amigos con los que podías conseguir una esposa como los Flatheads.
Nuestro amigo Sam va de camino al pueblo indio de los Flatheads para obtener una esposa.
«Sam vivía en un mundo de criaturas salvajes, muchas de los cuales eran asesinas: la comadreja, el armiño, el halcón, el águila, el lobo, el glotón, el puma, el grizzly, el gato montés… un mundo en el que la primera ley de vida era matar o escapar del que mataba».
En el camino ve como un oso grizzly se pelea con un tejón, luego se encuentra con el terror, los Pies Negros han atacado a una familia de colonos inexpertos que se habían adentrado en el territorio equivocado sin saber dónde iban. La única superviviente es la mujer, que se ha defendido como una fiera pero que queda completamente loca y sin habla al perder a sus hijos y marido. Sam la ayuda pensando que duraría poco en ese entorno salvaje.
Pues ya tenemos a los protagonistas principales, Sam y Kate. No van a ser los únicos, la mayoría de Tramperos libres que aparecen en la novela son personas reales que vivieron en la época. El mismo Sam está basado en un hombre que existió realmente llamado John “Liver-Eating” Johnson (John “Comehígados” Johnson) que tuvo grandes enfrentamientos con los Crows y Pies Negros, asimismo, Kate está basada en Jane Morgan, cuya familia fue asesinada junto al rio Musselshell.
A partir de aquí sigue la aventura y la sinfonía de la naturaleza y sus sonidos. La música está presente siempre en la novela, ya sea por la armónica de Sam, ya sea por los cantos de los pájaros del bosque.
«Había descubierto que tocar arias de Bach o Mozart estando en territorio enemigo era bueno para su soledad y además la música llenaba de asombro a los indios ocultos.»
En esta novela aparece mucho el nombre de John Colter, este hombre estuvo considerado como el primer mountain man de la historia. Fue el primer hombre blanco en descubrir los geiseres de Yellowstone. Cuando transcurre esta historia Colter ya no estaba, pero las fuentes de Yellowstone llevan su nombre. Sam se pasa unas buenas vacaciones bañándose en agua caliente y fría en este lugar.
John Colter fue uno de los que acompañó al explorador español Manuel Lisa, creador de La compañía de pieles de Missouri, en su expedición para intentar descubrir un paso fluvial hasta el pacífico. Esta historia la cuenta magníficamente Santiago Mazarro en su estupendo libro “Senderos salvajes” publicado hace menos de tres años. Muchos tramperos trabajaron para Lisa vendiéndoles pieles.
La novela sirvió como base para una película de Sydney Pollack con Robert Redford en 1972 que se tituló “Las aventuras de Jeremiah Johnson”. El film tiene una puntuación de 7.6/10 en IMDB, lo que quiere decir que no está nada mal. No está nada mal si no has leído el libro de Vardis Fisher, si lo comparas, a mi parecer la película es lamentable. No solo por el resumen que hace de la historia, lo cual es comprensible, si no por haber prácticamente ignorado el papel de Kate en la historia y convertir un hombretón de 125 kilos en un patético Redford. La verdad, no tenía que haber visto la peli. ¡Me cachis!
Novela soberbia que narra las aventuras de Samson J. Minard, un Mountain Man en las Montañas Rocosas en el siglo XIX. Lo que se cuenta forma parte de la historia, muchos personajes fueron reales y corrieron aventuras y situaciones al límite.
Los Mountain Men eran hombres que vivían solos en la montaña, se dedicaban a la caza de animales y posterior venta de pieles. Normalmente se movían en solitario en los amplios territorios salvajes del centro de los Estados Unidos. Entre ellos se mantenían en contacto, todos conocían la zona en la que estaban y se ayudaban mutuamente, igualmente conocían el territorio de las naciones indias de la zona. La convivencia con los pueblos indios era desigual, pasando desde enemigos, como con los Crows o los temibles Pies Negros, hasta amigos con los que podías conseguir una esposa como los Flatheads.
Nuestro amigo Sam va de camino al pueblo indio de los Flatheads para obtener una esposa.
«Sam vivía en un mundo de criaturas salvajes, muchas de los cuales eran asesinas: la comadreja, el armiño, el halcón, el águila, el lobo, el glotón, el puma, el grizzly, el gato montés… un mundo en el que la primera ley de vida era matar o escapar del que mataba».
En el camino ve como un oso grizzly se pelea con un tejón, luego se encuentra con el terror, los Pies Negros han atacado a una familia de colonos inexpertos que se habían adentrado en el territorio equivocado sin saber dónde iban. La única superviviente es la mujer, que se ha defendido como una fiera pero que queda completamente loca y sin habla al perder a sus hijos y marido. Sam la ayuda pensando que duraría poco en ese entorno salvaje.
Pues ya tenemos a los protagonistas principales, Sam y Kate. No van a ser los únicos, la mayoría de Tramperos libres que aparecen en la novela son personas reales que vivieron en la época. El mismo Sam está basado en un hombre que existió realmente llamado John “Liver-Eating” Johnson (John “Comehígados” Johnson) que tuvo grandes enfrentamientos con los Crows y Pies Negros, asimismo, Kate está basada en Jane Morgan, cuya familia fue asesinada junto al rio Musselshell.
A partir de aquí sigue la aventura y la sinfonía de la naturaleza y sus sonidos. La música está presente siempre en la novela, ya sea por la armónica de Sam, ya sea por los cantos de los pájaros del bosque.
«Había descubierto que tocar arias de Bach o Mozart estando en territorio enemigo era bueno para su soledad y además la música llenaba de asombro a los indios ocultos.»
En esta novela aparece mucho el nombre de John Colter, este hombre estuvo considerado como el primer mountain man de la historia. Fue el primer hombre blanco en descubrir los geiseres de Yellowstone. Cuando transcurre esta historia Colter ya no estaba, pero las fuentes de Yellowstone llevan su nombre. Sam se pasa unas buenas vacaciones bañándose en agua caliente y fría en este lugar.
John Colter fue uno de los que acompañó al explorador español Manuel Lisa, creador de La compañía de pieles de Missouri, en su expedición para intentar descubrir un paso fluvial hasta el pacífico. Esta historia la cuenta magníficamente Santiago Mazarro en su estupendo libro “Senderos salvajes” publicado hace menos de tres años. Muchos tramperos trabajaron para Lisa vendiéndoles pieles.
La novela sirvió como base para una película de Sydney Pollack con Robert Redford en 1972 que se tituló “Las aventuras de Jeremiah Johnson”. El film tiene una puntuación de 7.6/10 en IMDB, lo que quiere decir que no está nada mal. No está nada mal si no has leído el libro de Vardis Fisher, si lo comparas, a mi parecer la película es lamentable. No solo por el resumen que hace de la historia, lo cual es comprensible, si no por haber prácticamente ignorado el papel de Kate en la historia y convertir un hombretón de 125 kilos en un patético Redford. La verdad, no tenía que haber visto la peli. ¡Me cachis!
September 5, 2024
🏔️The Rocky Mountains are the Marrow of the World
They based the movie Jeremiah Johnson on this novel. The writing is so spare, so rugged and so good. A book of “proper width and adventure of spirit, suited to the mountains.” You really live his 1800s Rocky Mountains experience with him. It’s tremendous. One of the reasons I live where I do, having been absorbed by this novel.
They based the movie Jeremiah Johnson on this novel. The writing is so spare, so rugged and so good. A book of “proper width and adventure of spirit, suited to the mountains.” You really live his 1800s Rocky Mountains experience with him. It’s tremendous. One of the reasons I live where I do, having been absorbed by this novel.
May 15, 2023
Have you ever read a book that delivered more than it promised? My first reaction when I finished the last page was sadness, a pure sadness I haven't felt since as a child I escaped into the books around me and, reading the last page, knew the adventure ended and my between-the-covers friends were no more.
Mountain Man is the basis for Robert Redford's Jeremiah Johnson and to some extent the "The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams" TV show and movie of the middle 1970's starring Dan Haggerty.
I spent part of my middle twenties hiking and living in the wilderness back and forth between the US and Canada, and some of my short stories are based on my experiences such. Because of those travels, both the TV show and the movies, while romanticized accounts of wilderness survival, meant a lot to me back then.
The book itself is a fascinating study; almost wholly 3rdP POV narration and exposition with little dialogue and only the briefest action sequences, also told in camera POV. This is not a book I would read if written by a modern author as modern authors don't have the knack for character development and revelation Fisher demonstrates in Mountain Man, and the book is wholly about Sam Minard, the protagonist, and his maturation and growth while in the wild. To that point, it's much more Jeremiah Johnson than "The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams."
Is it a good read? Definitely and for many reasons. Writers/Authors will learn a multitude of technique and style in it, history lovers will find it a trove of frontier life during the middle 1800s, psychologists will find it a wonderful study of how environment shapes individuals.
Strongly suggested.
Mountain Man is the basis for Robert Redford's Jeremiah Johnson and to some extent the "The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams" TV show and movie of the middle 1970's starring Dan Haggerty.
I spent part of my middle twenties hiking and living in the wilderness back and forth between the US and Canada, and some of my short stories are based on my experiences such. Because of those travels, both the TV show and the movies, while romanticized accounts of wilderness survival, meant a lot to me back then.
The book itself is a fascinating study; almost wholly 3rdP POV narration and exposition with little dialogue and only the briefest action sequences, also told in camera POV. This is not a book I would read if written by a modern author as modern authors don't have the knack for character development and revelation Fisher demonstrates in Mountain Man, and the book is wholly about Sam Minard, the protagonist, and his maturation and growth while in the wild. To that point, it's much more Jeremiah Johnson than "The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams."
Is it a good read? Definitely and for many reasons. Writers/Authors will learn a multitude of technique and style in it, history lovers will find it a trove of frontier life during the middle 1800s, psychologists will find it a wonderful study of how environment shapes individuals.
Strongly suggested.
December 15, 2015
I read this book years ago and had forgotten it until someone here brought it up. I got the paperback version of the book back when the Robert Redford movie based on it came out.
I have in my "reading life" gone through periods when I'd read almost exclusively from one genre. This was read during one of my many historical fiction periods.
The book follows the life of Sam Minard a hunter/trapper, "Mountain Man" in the Rockies during the mid 1800s. The book is not only interesting in itself as a novel but also gives a look at the lives of these mountain men who opened up the west and became the first to come to know the passes and "ways" of the Rockies. The book is "basically" divided into 3 parts which the movie Jeremiah Johnson follows pretty accurately.
Sam is not a violent man or at least no more so than life in the mountains demands, not until he loses almost all that means anything to him and goes on his own self imposed war path.
A book i read long ago, but I remember it as an excellent read.
I have in my "reading life" gone through periods when I'd read almost exclusively from one genre. This was read during one of my many historical fiction periods.
The book follows the life of Sam Minard a hunter/trapper, "Mountain Man" in the Rockies during the mid 1800s. The book is not only interesting in itself as a novel but also gives a look at the lives of these mountain men who opened up the west and became the first to come to know the passes and "ways" of the Rockies. The book is "basically" divided into 3 parts which the movie Jeremiah Johnson follows pretty accurately.
Sam is not a violent man or at least no more so than life in the mountains demands, not until he loses almost all that means anything to him and goes on his own self imposed war path.
A book i read long ago, but I remember it as an excellent read.
September 19, 2020
4,5/5
En mi propósito de leer la colección Frontera de la editorial Valdemar en su orden de publicación, llego a la que es la segunda entrega: El Trampero, de Vardis Fisher. Su título original es Mountain Man, por lo que el traductor o Alfredo Lara, director de la colección, realizó una libre traducción y le dio este otro nombre a la novela, decisión realmente acertada. Publicada originalmente en 1965, la historia de El Trampero serviría de inspiración al director Sydney Pollack para Las aventuras de Jeremiah Johnson. Las escasas mil valoraciones que tiene la novela en esta página nos dicen mucho de lo desconocida que es, al contrario que su adaptación cinematográfica, tanto para el público estadounidense como el extranjero. Y no entiendo por qué.
Hacía mucho tiempo que no disfrutaba así de una lectura; tanto, que había olvidado la sensación que suponía hacerlo. Esta clase de lecturas le recuerdan a uno por qué no hay afición más deleitosa que el leer. Porque gracias a haber elegido este libro, pude ponerme en la piel de un trampero, simbólicamente claro, pues ya no hay en nosotros el valor que movía a estas personas a hacer lo que hacían; me hizo enemistarme con pieles rojas, pero también admirarlos y sentir su cariño; fascinarme por el sobrehumano e inagotable amor de una madre hacia sus hijos, y recordar, aunque es algo que no podría olvidar, mi pasión por la naturaleza. A lo largo del día mi mente se mantenía ocupada con el deseo de que llegase ese momento del día que me permitía vivir un sinfín de contradictorias experiencias sin despegar el culo de la butaca. Es bonito que una historia se aloje por un tiempo en tu cabeza.
El Trampero es un canto a la libertad, pero uno fracasado. Sabe que está condenado por el irremediable avance de la civilización, al que no puede frenar. Por eso, el protagonista se limita a aprovechar mientras pueda, a dejarse seducir por la belleza de la naturaleza y a combatir los dolores que intenten impedírselo. Somos nosotros, pero sin rendirnos al sufrimiento.
En mi propósito de leer la colección Frontera de la editorial Valdemar en su orden de publicación, llego a la que es la segunda entrega: El Trampero, de Vardis Fisher. Su título original es Mountain Man, por lo que el traductor o Alfredo Lara, director de la colección, realizó una libre traducción y le dio este otro nombre a la novela, decisión realmente acertada. Publicada originalmente en 1965, la historia de El Trampero serviría de inspiración al director Sydney Pollack para Las aventuras de Jeremiah Johnson. Las escasas mil valoraciones que tiene la novela en esta página nos dicen mucho de lo desconocida que es, al contrario que su adaptación cinematográfica, tanto para el público estadounidense como el extranjero. Y no entiendo por qué.
Hacía mucho tiempo que no disfrutaba así de una lectura; tanto, que había olvidado la sensación que suponía hacerlo. Esta clase de lecturas le recuerdan a uno por qué no hay afición más deleitosa que el leer. Porque gracias a haber elegido este libro, pude ponerme en la piel de un trampero, simbólicamente claro, pues ya no hay en nosotros el valor que movía a estas personas a hacer lo que hacían; me hizo enemistarme con pieles rojas, pero también admirarlos y sentir su cariño; fascinarme por el sobrehumano e inagotable amor de una madre hacia sus hijos, y recordar, aunque es algo que no podría olvidar, mi pasión por la naturaleza. A lo largo del día mi mente se mantenía ocupada con el deseo de que llegase ese momento del día que me permitía vivir un sinfín de contradictorias experiencias sin despegar el culo de la butaca. Es bonito que una historia se aloje por un tiempo en tu cabeza.
El Trampero es un canto a la libertad, pero uno fracasado. Sabe que está condenado por el irremediable avance de la civilización, al que no puede frenar. Por eso, el protagonista se limita a aprovechar mientras pueda, a dejarse seducir por la belleza de la naturaleza y a combatir los dolores que intenten impedírselo. Somos nosotros, pero sin rendirnos al sufrimiento.
February 25, 2011
In MOUNTAIN MAN, Vardis Fisher fictionalizes the true accounts of John ‘Liver-eating’ Johnston (who was driven to revenge cannibalism against the Crow Indians after they slaughtered his squaw wife) and Jane Morgan (a frontier settler whose family was slaughtered on the Musselshell river).
Vardis tones-down the true story, replacing cannibalism with the insulting removal of a bodily part, and by making Johnston (renamed Sam Minard) an educated & cultured Easterner (he plays classical tunes on his harmonica & knows Shakespeare) who finds his true, free self in the virgin forests of the majestic West.
The writing is appropriately florid when need-be (such as in the descriptions of nature) and romantic as well (specifically, when he takes his very young wife and begins to bond with her).
The inclusion of real historical Mountain Men as characters that Sam knows, and of accounts of some truly heroic events of famous mountain men were welcome treats.
Two negatives:
1) Fisher, for some incomprehensible reason (perhaps he was a compulsive food fetishist?) details just about every meal Sam Minard has throughout his tale. One or two descriptions of the usually odd and grotesque victuals the Mountain Man had-to & learned-to eat are fascinating and definitely needed in a story like this. But not every time the main character wakes up or before he goes to sleep! It is maddening!
2) The story detailing the sad, solitary, mute mourning of Jane Morgan (here she is known as Kate Bowden) is visited too often by Fisher. He uses these episodes as a resting point for Sam Minard where he can reconnect to his humanity. But Kate is such a zombie that there is no interaction and, therefore, no change in the plot with each visit. As a reader I found it repetitious to a fault without a narrative pay-off.
A minor re-edit of the food descriptions and the trimming of the Kate Bowden episodes would make this a tight, top-notch novel.
Vardis tones-down the true story, replacing cannibalism with the insulting removal of a bodily part, and by making Johnston (renamed Sam Minard) an educated & cultured Easterner (he plays classical tunes on his harmonica & knows Shakespeare) who finds his true, free self in the virgin forests of the majestic West.
The writing is appropriately florid when need-be (such as in the descriptions of nature) and romantic as well (specifically, when he takes his very young wife and begins to bond with her).
The inclusion of real historical Mountain Men as characters that Sam knows, and of accounts of some truly heroic events of famous mountain men were welcome treats.
Two negatives:
1) Fisher, for some incomprehensible reason (perhaps he was a compulsive food fetishist?) details just about every meal Sam Minard has throughout his tale. One or two descriptions of the usually odd and grotesque victuals the Mountain Man had-to & learned-to eat are fascinating and definitely needed in a story like this. But not every time the main character wakes up or before he goes to sleep! It is maddening!
2) The story detailing the sad, solitary, mute mourning of Jane Morgan (here she is known as Kate Bowden) is visited too often by Fisher. He uses these episodes as a resting point for Sam Minard where he can reconnect to his humanity. But Kate is such a zombie that there is no interaction and, therefore, no change in the plot with each visit. As a reader I found it repetitious to a fault without a narrative pay-off.
A minor re-edit of the food descriptions and the trimming of the Kate Bowden episodes would make this a tight, top-notch novel.
May 15, 2021
Wow. I finished this book a while ago and have since read other books (including The Revenant, by Michael Punke, the story of the same Hugh Glass that gets mentioned often in this book). I can't stop thinking of Mountain Man!! This is easily one of the top 3 novels I have ever read!! EVER. And I'm already pining for a reread.
I love reading books I can get totally submerged in, feeling like I'm there, in that time and place. The descriptions in this book, of the mountains and birds and flowers, of the brutality and dangers of the frontier, of the love this man had for the native woman he took as his wife.... I was right there!! I literally cried like a baby at times. Some of the passages simply took my breath away (to the point where I would take a minute, with hand to my heart, and sigh at the beauty and sadness of it all). And at the end, I felt such a profound sadness, as Sam did, at the inevitable "taming" of the wild frontier.
This a "wild west romance" if there ever was one, full of beauty and brutality and heartache. Highly, highly recommended.
I love reading books I can get totally submerged in, feeling like I'm there, in that time and place. The descriptions in this book, of the mountains and birds and flowers, of the brutality and dangers of the frontier, of the love this man had for the native woman he took as his wife.... I was right there!! I literally cried like a baby at times. Some of the passages simply took my breath away (to the point where I would take a minute, with hand to my heart, and sigh at the beauty and sadness of it all). And at the end, I felt such a profound sadness, as Sam did, at the inevitable "taming" of the wild frontier.
This a "wild west romance" if there ever was one, full of beauty and brutality and heartache. Highly, highly recommended.
February 2, 2017
I began reading this as a teen after finding it on my Dad's bookshelf. I found a copy and re-read/finished it. It is one of the best of the frontier/Westerns genre, with tremendous attention to detail about survival food, exploring difficult terrain, hunting and animal lore. It is certainly not politically correct about Native Americans. This is based on a true account of the life of John Johnson, whose native bride was killed by Crow tribe members. He lived peacefully among the various native American, French, and American inhabitants of the wilderness until this tragic event occurred, and then went on a revenge spree that included eating the livers of his victims. This was not part of this fictional account. This book inspired the film "Jeremiah Johnson." The author's books have always been controversial, because of his interests in anthropology, sexuality, and spirituality.
October 21, 2014
I have no words to say about this FANTASTIC book. They just won't come. I was greatly moved after reading the last word. I may even wait a few weeks and read it again.
October 11, 2020
I'm reading this right now and think it is a real gem. So beautifully written, conveying in perfect poetic paragraphs the mountain man's passion for the land within which he moves and lives out his life.
I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say that this book is real work of art....a lost treasure if you like.
A few people have moaned about the in depth descriptions of food preparation etc, but I think they're wonderful. After all, life for mountain men was probably 90% hunting and cooking and 10% dodging "Injuns", not the other way around.
I never give spoilers in reviews, and as I'm currently still reading it I have no idea how it all pans out, but I can't stress enough just how beautifully written it is.
This book seems to get mentioned quite often by Western writers as one of their favourites, so I think that's a pretty good recommendation too.
I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say that this book is real work of art....a lost treasure if you like.
A few people have moaned about the in depth descriptions of food preparation etc, but I think they're wonderful. After all, life for mountain men was probably 90% hunting and cooking and 10% dodging "Injuns", not the other way around.
I never give spoilers in reviews, and as I'm currently still reading it I have no idea how it all pans out, but I can't stress enough just how beautifully written it is.
This book seems to get mentioned quite often by Western writers as one of their favourites, so I think that's a pretty good recommendation too.
May 25, 2011
I read this book when I was in high school but had to add it to my goodreads shelf. Anybody who saw the movie Jeremiah Johnson will absolutely love Fisher's novel. The amount of detail in this book really transports you into the world of the mountain man. After all of these years I still remember the descriptions of food and everyday practices the protagonist goes through. But the book is so much more than that. It is about a man who lives in an untamed world, far from any comforts or civilization, but he is happy. That is until his Indian wife and unborn child are murdered by some warriors from another tribe. Then, he wanders the wilderness seeking vengeance against those who stole away his love and happiness. Very good stuff.
September 2, 2024
I really enjoyed this. I love the Robert Redford movie 'Jeremiah Johnson' and saw that it was based mainly on this book. Obviously, when reading it I saw Redford and the other cast members when their characters appeared but that didn't spoil anything for me. I always enjoy a good western but this was more like a half-way house between, say, 'Hombre' and 'Into the Wild'.
There are some differences: the brutality of the Indians when they tortured captives is discussed more fully and the ending is different in that the main character is not alone in his fight - all the mountain men come together as a war party of their own.
Long story short: if you've seen Jeremiah Johnson and enjoyed it then you'll probably like this.
There are some differences: the brutality of the Indians when they tortured captives is discussed more fully and the ending is different in that the main character is not alone in his fight - all the mountain men come together as a war party of their own.
Long story short: if you've seen Jeremiah Johnson and enjoyed it then you'll probably like this.
April 11, 2008
So enlightening about a true Mountain Man in the 1840's prior to the opening of the west. Sam Minnard is unusual in that he is educated and wise beyong his years. He is a mountain man by choice and hates to see the colonization of the wild west, with special disdain for Brigham Young and the Mormons. He has a wonderful if short marriage to a lovely Indian girl. . This book is so well researched and opened for me an understanding of those noble men who were so tough and resiliant .Little wonder they did not live long lives. I couldn't put this book down. Myrna
May 23, 2022
En las Montañas Rocosas no hay cárceles para los criminales, ni manicomios para los locos, ni leyes, y la única iglesia es la propia naturaleza. Y allí vive Sam Minard, hombretón de fuerza legendaria y con el olfato y el oído de un perro de caza, que se dedica a matar animales para comer y para comerciar con sus pieles. No está solo. Todo un pequeño ejército de otros hombres de la montaña viven y cazan como Sam, y no pueden concebir vivir en la civilización una vez que se ha descubierto la plenitud de la vida en la naturaleza, dure lo que dure. Allí en la montaña no puede haber descuidos de ningún tipo, hay que fijarse en cada detalle ya que el clima, los indios, las alimañas o cualquier otro habitante de aquel territorio puede ponernos en problemas. En estos problemas se halla Kate, viuda de un colono patoso e ignorante que ha llegado -no se sabe cómo- al río Musselshell y del que los Pies Negros han dado buena cuenta. Sam la encuentra sumida en la desesperación e intenta ayudarla, misión que se irá repitiendo a lo largo de la novela y que involucrará a todos los demás montañeros.
Me he tenido que "morder la lengua" o más bien "morder el teclado" para no empezar esta reseña con aquello de "Se llamaba Jeremías Johnson, y cuentan que quería ser un hombre de la montaña..." ya que he llegado a esta novela desde la película de Sidney Pollack y Robert Redford de 1972, una de las más importantes de mi vida. Creo recordar que la novela que aparecía en los títulos de crédito de la película se llamaba "Crow killer", pero supongo que se le debió cambiar el nombre por algún motivo (...). Tengo que reconocer que me ha parecido magnífica, una vuelta a aquello de "contar lo que pasa, y porqué pasa eso", donde el protagonista corta las cabezas de cuatro indios muertos y clava cada una de ellas en un palo con la tranquilidad y la intención del que pone los triángulos del coche cuando ha tenido un incidente en la carretera. Novela en la que los personajes blancos no tienen ninguna piedad con los indios que atrapan porque saben que si se da el caso contrario, tampoco tendrán piedad con ellos. Épica, lirismo, enfoque antropológico e incorrección política, que tanto se echan de menos en estos tiempos, y más de cualquier cosa que venga de los Estados Unidos.
Por ponerle un "pero" y de ahí que no le haya puesto la máxima puntuación, el personaje protagonista tiene cierta formación musical que le viene de familia y se maneja bastante bien con la armónica, pero todas sus referencias musicales son de los grandes clásicos (a los que le gusta citar cuando compara las obras de concierto con la majestuosidad de la naturaleza). Claro, cuando has oído tantas veces la banda sonora de la película, con esa mezcla de flautas que cantan melodías nativas, con los violines y las guitarras acústicas del folk americano de Tim McIntire (aparte de los arreglos de orquesta), no puedes concebir otro tipo de música para los hechos que se están contando, por lo que las alusiones a Bach o Schubert a mi se me pierden un poco respecto a lo que la novela "me hace oír" en mi cabeza.
Y otra cosa que siempre he pensado, por alguna razón, en esta película, lo que le da el toque auténticamente épico de western es el doblaje al español, en especial poner el "Jeremías" en lugar del "Jeremiah" americano. Supongo que, aparte de los que tuvieron la idea, pocos pensarán como yo, pero para eso estamos aquí, para compartir opiniones, aunque sean contrarias.
Obra fundamental en mi vida. Gracias Vardis Fisher. Gracias Sidney Pollack. Gracias Robert Redford. Cuidad de vuestras cabelleras...
Leído en el e-book.
Me he tenido que "morder la lengua" o más bien "morder el teclado" para no empezar esta reseña con aquello de "Se llamaba Jeremías Johnson, y cuentan que quería ser un hombre de la montaña..." ya que he llegado a esta novela desde la película de Sidney Pollack y Robert Redford de 1972, una de las más importantes de mi vida. Creo recordar que la novela que aparecía en los títulos de crédito de la película se llamaba "Crow killer", pero supongo que se le debió cambiar el nombre por algún motivo (...). Tengo que reconocer que me ha parecido magnífica, una vuelta a aquello de "contar lo que pasa, y porqué pasa eso", donde el protagonista corta las cabezas de cuatro indios muertos y clava cada una de ellas en un palo con la tranquilidad y la intención del que pone los triángulos del coche cuando ha tenido un incidente en la carretera. Novela en la que los personajes blancos no tienen ninguna piedad con los indios que atrapan porque saben que si se da el caso contrario, tampoco tendrán piedad con ellos. Épica, lirismo, enfoque antropológico e incorrección política, que tanto se echan de menos en estos tiempos, y más de cualquier cosa que venga de los Estados Unidos.
Por ponerle un "pero" y de ahí que no le haya puesto la máxima puntuación, el personaje protagonista tiene cierta formación musical que le viene de familia y se maneja bastante bien con la armónica, pero todas sus referencias musicales son de los grandes clásicos (a los que le gusta citar cuando compara las obras de concierto con la majestuosidad de la naturaleza). Claro, cuando has oído tantas veces la banda sonora de la película, con esa mezcla de flautas que cantan melodías nativas, con los violines y las guitarras acústicas del folk americano de Tim McIntire (aparte de los arreglos de orquesta), no puedes concebir otro tipo de música para los hechos que se están contando, por lo que las alusiones a Bach o Schubert a mi se me pierden un poco respecto a lo que la novela "me hace oír" en mi cabeza.
Y otra cosa que siempre he pensado, por alguna razón, en esta película, lo que le da el toque auténticamente épico de western es el doblaje al español, en especial poner el "Jeremías" en lugar del "Jeremiah" americano. Supongo que, aparte de los que tuvieron la idea, pocos pensarán como yo, pero para eso estamos aquí, para compartir opiniones, aunque sean contrarias.
Obra fundamental en mi vida. Gracias Vardis Fisher. Gracias Sidney Pollack. Gracias Robert Redford. Cuidad de vuestras cabelleras...
Leído en el e-book.
August 7, 2009
So moved was I by my recent trip out west(Montana,Wyoming,Utah and South Dakota), that I decided to break with my usual habit of reading classic authors and take a look at something a little different.
After all, I have always been fascinated by both Native Americans and the mountain men who got to know them, and to a large degree the history of the West is intertwined with the history of those two groups.I chose Mountain Man by Vardis Fisher as a way to get started.
And it was, although the book is somewhat disappointing in execution. The facts are interesting and supposedly serve as a kind of background for the Robert Redford movie, Jeremiah Johnson ,which I greatly enjoyed. So is the information about the various tribes of Native Americans,although Fisher presents them in a less than favorable light. I don't doubt he is representing them as some mountain men and others saw them, but the picture he paints is unnecessarily dark in my opinion.Never has a group of people been more respectful of the world around them than our Native Americans.I think Fisher might have done more to emphasize that fact.
Still, it is mainly the story telling that I find disturbing. The story drags with an unnecessarily long beginning section about a woman driven beyond what she can endure by the murder of her family by a group of Crows. I understand what Fisher is attempting to do. I wish he had foiund a more effective (and shorter) way to do it.
Just as distracting, is the detail he uses to describe seemingly every meal consumed by the hero and his Native American wife.I like food as much as the next guy, but when a novel moves into Julia Child territory, I am afraid it has taken a wrong turn.
The story of Minard's vendetta against the Crow Nation is interesting and forms the basis of much of Redford's beautifully photographed movie. So are many of the mountain men. I've known and written about a few("Mountain Men" in Half-Past Nowhere) and Fisher is correct when he portrays them as eccentric but fascinating individualists. There is something especially charming about that today.
In short, this is a book to read if you are interested in one man's depiction of a time in our history ,both sad and wonderful. If, however, you are looking for the type of writing that turns the pages for you,I feel you will be somewhat disappointed.
After all, I have always been fascinated by both Native Americans and the mountain men who got to know them, and to a large degree the history of the West is intertwined with the history of those two groups.I chose Mountain Man by Vardis Fisher as a way to get started.
And it was, although the book is somewhat disappointing in execution. The facts are interesting and supposedly serve as a kind of background for the Robert Redford movie, Jeremiah Johnson ,which I greatly enjoyed. So is the information about the various tribes of Native Americans,although Fisher presents them in a less than favorable light. I don't doubt he is representing them as some mountain men and others saw them, but the picture he paints is unnecessarily dark in my opinion.Never has a group of people been more respectful of the world around them than our Native Americans.I think Fisher might have done more to emphasize that fact.
Still, it is mainly the story telling that I find disturbing. The story drags with an unnecessarily long beginning section about a woman driven beyond what she can endure by the murder of her family by a group of Crows. I understand what Fisher is attempting to do. I wish he had foiund a more effective (and shorter) way to do it.
Just as distracting, is the detail he uses to describe seemingly every meal consumed by the hero and his Native American wife.I like food as much as the next guy, but when a novel moves into Julia Child territory, I am afraid it has taken a wrong turn.
The story of Minard's vendetta against the Crow Nation is interesting and forms the basis of much of Redford's beautifully photographed movie. So are many of the mountain men. I've known and written about a few("Mountain Men" in Half-Past Nowhere) and Fisher is correct when he portrays them as eccentric but fascinating individualists. There is something especially charming about that today.
In short, this is a book to read if you are interested in one man's depiction of a time in our history ,both sad and wonderful. If, however, you are looking for the type of writing that turns the pages for you,I feel you will be somewhat disappointed.
March 24, 2016
I am looking for a hardcover edition of this book. This is the story of Jeremiah Johnston (his real name has a 't' in it). It's a beautiful yet brutal book. I can't recommend it enough.
This book will show you the beauty of the western mountains as if you were here, taking you into the lives of the mountain men and indigenous peoples in a beautiful story of one young mountain man's life. You will live the awesomeness and terrors of this time in this place.
If you travel through Wyoming, you will see many signs for Crazy Woman Creek, Crazy Woman River, etc., because there was a Crazy Woman here, and Johnston crossed paths with her in the most traumatic and terrible moment in the woman's life, taking her sanity in Nature's way of coping with the incopable.
While I adore Robert Redford because of his protection of the west and his portrayal of Johnston, while I love the film, the book is a thousand times better.
Jeremiah Johnston died in a Florida nursing home after spending his life in the mountains of Wyoming. He was buried in Florida until school children in Wyoming collected enough money to bring his bones home. He is buried now in the place he loved most.
This book will show you the beauty of the western mountains as if you were here, taking you into the lives of the mountain men and indigenous peoples in a beautiful story of one young mountain man's life. You will live the awesomeness and terrors of this time in this place.
If you travel through Wyoming, you will see many signs for Crazy Woman Creek, Crazy Woman River, etc., because there was a Crazy Woman here, and Johnston crossed paths with her in the most traumatic and terrible moment in the woman's life, taking her sanity in Nature's way of coping with the incopable.
While I adore Robert Redford because of his protection of the west and his portrayal of Johnston, while I love the film, the book is a thousand times better.
Jeremiah Johnston died in a Florida nursing home after spending his life in the mountains of Wyoming. He was buried in Florida until school children in Wyoming collected enough money to bring his bones home. He is buried now in the place he loved most.
March 16, 2015
Después de leer "Bajo Cielos Inmensos" de la misma colección ("Frontera" de Valdemar) el listón estaba realmente alto. Y aunque "El Trampero" tiene algunas cosas que chirrían (ese Sam Minard casi perfecto, esas descripciones algo infantiles de la naturaleza), en general, se ha quedado casi a a la altura de aquel. Un escalón por debajo, pero siendo un libro extraordinario para conocer la vida en ese rincón de norteamérica en ese tiempo concreto.
También es un alegato a la naturaleza, al vive y deja vivir. Y una denuncia de la estupidez humana (tanto de colonos como de indios), y una denuncia ecologista (lo que trae de malo al entorno natural el supuesto desarrollo).
La historía en sí también está muy bien contada. Un canto a la vida no exento de tragedia y dramatismo.
Por cierto, muy sugerentes las imágenes de los banquetes que se pegan en todo el libro. Que si un desayuno con solomillos gigantes de uatipí con un litro de café, que si cenas con bollitos untados en grasa de bisonte con bayas y fresas, para acompañar a hígados frescos y jamones de ciervo, etc. A los que somos carnívoros mejor no leerlo con hambre a riesgo de mojar el papel en baba :p
También es un alegato a la naturaleza, al vive y deja vivir. Y una denuncia de la estupidez humana (tanto de colonos como de indios), y una denuncia ecologista (lo que trae de malo al entorno natural el supuesto desarrollo).
La historía en sí también está muy bien contada. Un canto a la vida no exento de tragedia y dramatismo.
Por cierto, muy sugerentes las imágenes de los banquetes que se pegan en todo el libro. Que si un desayuno con solomillos gigantes de uatipí con un litro de café, que si cenas con bollitos untados en grasa de bisonte con bayas y fresas, para acompañar a hígados frescos y jamones de ciervo, etc. A los que somos carnívoros mejor no leerlo con hambre a riesgo de mojar el papel en baba :p
October 18, 2017
The fictional basis for the movie "Jeremiah Johnson", which is based on the non-fiction "Crow Killer". Loved the movie when it came out and have seen it too many times to mention. The book is great, not great fiction but one hell of a story. I've worn out 2 copies and am on my third, having read it about 25 times.
It's the story of a youngish trapper, Sam, in the West of the 1840's. He is a giant of a man, a trapper and enemy to no one, a lover of life. He comes across a woman, the lone survivor of an attack by Indians. Her family is murdered, but she kills 3 of them before they even realize what is happening. Sam helps bury the children and looks in on her over the years. Also based on a true incident in Montana.
Sam decides to take an Indian wife and marries a young woman of the Flathead tribe. He sings to her and worships the ground she walks on. But it isn't long before things go badly for him, and he seeks revenge on those that destroyed his dream.
Much of the book takes place in winter; this is a great book to read in the summer since you can feel the tree-splitting cold of the northern Rockies. Enjoy.
It's the story of a youngish trapper, Sam, in the West of the 1840's. He is a giant of a man, a trapper and enemy to no one, a lover of life. He comes across a woman, the lone survivor of an attack by Indians. Her family is murdered, but she kills 3 of them before they even realize what is happening. Sam helps bury the children and looks in on her over the years. Also based on a true incident in Montana.
Sam decides to take an Indian wife and marries a young woman of the Flathead tribe. He sings to her and worships the ground she walks on. But it isn't long before things go badly for him, and he seeks revenge on those that destroyed his dream.
Much of the book takes place in winter; this is a great book to read in the summer since you can feel the tree-splitting cold of the northern Rockies. Enjoy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 9, 2019
An interesting story about the life of an American mountain man in the mid-1800's. It was published in 1965 and is not politically correct by today's standards. As a liberal minded person I was uncomfortable reading how the main character decribed his "neighbors", the Native Americans. He likened their emotions to those of children and mocked their spiritual beliefs and rituals. I've learned from past reading that many Native American tribes did horrendous things; for example they enjoyed torturing their captives ("A New World: An Epic of Colonial America" by Arthur Quinn) and were not always gentle people as depicted in the movie "Dances with Wolves". Probably reality lies somewhere in between.
June 14, 2023
Sam Minard es un trampero fuerte, valiente y decidido. Ser trampero tiene unas connotaciones que quizá no se terminen de entender fuera de Estados Unidos, pero se transmiten de maravilla en el libro.
Llevar esta vida supone amar incondicionalmente la libertad, la naturaleza y la fuerza del espíritu humano.
La vida es dura y no se debería desaprovechar ningún instante. En estas páginas he sentido el amor más incondicional y la pérdida más desgarradora. Todo puede derrumbarse en cuestión de segundos, ¿cómo mantener la cordura? Es imposible. La desolación te invade, la ira te corrompe y la sed de venganza inunda tu garganta.
Noto una nostalgia enorme por el estrecho vínculo perdido entre hombre y naturaleza, un vínculo que ha quedado olvidado a causa del progreso, las comodidades y la "locura" como define Sam. Él sigue fiel a sus principios durante toda la obra por lo que no se arrepiente de sus decisiones aunque le lleven a vivir los momentos más crudos y bestias que uno pueda imaginar. Además, durante sus andanzas, recuerda las aventuras y tragedias de otros importantes tramperos, por lo que este libro es un homenaje a los grandes hombres del Oeste. Fueron vidas duras, efímeras y, sobre todo, hermosas.
Es un libro sobre la vida de los tramperos, sobre las impresionantes tierras vírgenes de América y sus gentes, de valores perdidos, enseñanzas y principios fuertes que todos estos amantes de la libertad nos regalan.
La obra se divide en tres partes y en la última, esta visión esperanzada sobre la vida se desgarra: comienza la destrucción, el progreso y el olvido. Todo va muriendo en este mundo naciente y es desolador leerlo actualmente cuando el mundo es tan hipócrita: se magnifica el campo desde las ciudades, se busca la libertad desde ideologías cerradas, se valoran las cosas efímeramente...
Qué desolador es verlo seguir "progresando" alejándose más y más de su propia alma.
Llevar esta vida supone amar incondicionalmente la libertad, la naturaleza y la fuerza del espíritu humano.
La vida es dura y no se debería desaprovechar ningún instante. En estas páginas he sentido el amor más incondicional y la pérdida más desgarradora. Todo puede derrumbarse en cuestión de segundos, ¿cómo mantener la cordura? Es imposible. La desolación te invade, la ira te corrompe y la sed de venganza inunda tu garganta.
Noto una nostalgia enorme por el estrecho vínculo perdido entre hombre y naturaleza, un vínculo que ha quedado olvidado a causa del progreso, las comodidades y la "locura" como define Sam. Él sigue fiel a sus principios durante toda la obra por lo que no se arrepiente de sus decisiones aunque le lleven a vivir los momentos más crudos y bestias que uno pueda imaginar. Además, durante sus andanzas, recuerda las aventuras y tragedias de otros importantes tramperos, por lo que este libro es un homenaje a los grandes hombres del Oeste. Fueron vidas duras, efímeras y, sobre todo, hermosas.
Es un libro sobre la vida de los tramperos, sobre las impresionantes tierras vírgenes de América y sus gentes, de valores perdidos, enseñanzas y principios fuertes que todos estos amantes de la libertad nos regalan.
La obra se divide en tres partes y en la última, esta visión esperanzada sobre la vida se desgarra: comienza la destrucción, el progreso y el olvido. Todo va muriendo en este mundo naciente y es desolador leerlo actualmente cuando el mundo es tan hipócrita: se magnifica el campo desde las ciudades, se busca la libertad desde ideologías cerradas, se valoran las cosas efímeramente...
Qué desolador es verlo seguir "progresando" alejándose más y más de su propia alma.
September 5, 2024
Oh wow! I very rarely give a 5-star review, but this book deserves that and then some. My husband suggested this book and I wasn't sure because our interests are so different. But, he was spot on with it. While reading, it felt like I was riding with Sam because I could see, hear, smell, taste, and touch everything along with the characters. With other books, I have been known to skim the parts when an author describes scenery and such because the writing is usually so predictable (and boring), but this book is definitely not like other books. The writing is eloquent and even poetic, a long lost art.
And, it's an old western tragic love-story. Strongly recommend.
And, it's an old western tragic love-story. Strongly recommend.
October 19, 2022
This book was just ok. The author is incredibly pedantic about many things. First, the food descriptions - I can't recall any other book I've read that went into this much detail about food being eaten by the characters. Second - classical music and symphony references. This is a book about mountain men in the 1800s, I don't really understand why the author felt the need to reference classical music on average at least once a chapter when the only instrument played in the entire thing is Sam's "mouth harp." In chapters when it's not mentioned, don't worry because he references several times per chapter later in the book. I'm sorry but the sound of the wind doesn't need to be described like the build of a symphony. I read this book to read about mountain men, not Mozart and Beethoven. Finally, the story of Kate. Kate's story adds almost nothing to this book throughout the entire novel, yet the author continues to go back to her.
If you're looking for a phenomenal novel about the 1800s mountain men and fur trapping period, I would highly recommend The Big Sky by A.B. Guthrie. The Big Sky is miles better than this book.
If you're looking for a phenomenal novel about the 1800s mountain men and fur trapping period, I would highly recommend The Big Sky by A.B. Guthrie. The Big Sky is miles better than this book.
February 3, 2021
Unusual western story but well told.
November 8, 2016
Well, maybe I liked this book so much because I vacationed at Glacier National Park (where I picked it up) or maybe because it was such a mixture of beauty and brutality. This is the book that was the inspiration for the movie "Jeremiah Johnson." That particular movie holds a special place in my heart because it is the only movie that I ever went to see with my dad. He just wasn't a movie kind of guy, but he loved that one, and we saw it together. When I learned that this book inspired it, I had to read it.
Sam Minard is a mountain man in the middle of the 1800's who roams the wilderness in what is today Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, South Dakota, and North Dakota. He takes a Native American wife, but tragedy strikes while he is away trapping. As a result, he takes his vengeance on those that he considers responsible.
The title character is part vicious warrior and part music lover as he traverses the different parts of his character. Sometimes, he is taking a scalp from a brave that failed to kill him, and sometimes he is singing sonnets to the beauty of the mountain splendor. He is a man torn by his need for vengeance and his love for all things wild, wonderful, free, and brave. The challenge is which part of his persona will win his heart in the end.
This story has some bloody scenes, and it demonstrates the prejudices of the age, even in the heroes of the story, but it is a great read for someone who both loves the American West and adores intriguing characters.
Sam Minard is a mountain man in the middle of the 1800's who roams the wilderness in what is today Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, South Dakota, and North Dakota. He takes a Native American wife, but tragedy strikes while he is away trapping. As a result, he takes his vengeance on those that he considers responsible.
The title character is part vicious warrior and part music lover as he traverses the different parts of his character. Sometimes, he is taking a scalp from a brave that failed to kill him, and sometimes he is singing sonnets to the beauty of the mountain splendor. He is a man torn by his need for vengeance and his love for all things wild, wonderful, free, and brave. The challenge is which part of his persona will win his heart in the end.
This story has some bloody scenes, and it demonstrates the prejudices of the age, even in the heroes of the story, but it is a great read for someone who both loves the American West and adores intriguing characters.
March 19, 2018
4,5/5
Novela absorbente de aventuras, con un componente marcado de venganza y supervivencia (destacan los estallidos de violencia salvaje), centrado en el personaje de Samson J. Minard, a quien se retrata estupendamente, especialmente en su modo de vida libre y salvaje y en su entusiasmo por la vida y la naturaleza. Tal como se señala, Sam no podría vivir en lo que se llama vida civilizaba y es feliz reduciendo su vida a "la sencillez del canto de un pájaro, el vuelo del halcón y la llamada del lobo".
Destaca además por el importante tono descriptivo de la naturaleza así como del modo de vida de los tramperos y de las tribus indias. Además, resulta muy acertado el retrato crepuscular que realiza de los tramperos y las tribus indias (crows y pies negros, esencialmente) quienes ven que su modo de vida libre, salvaje y de amor a la naturaleza está amenazado por la llegada de la "civilización" al Oeste.
Otro acierto/joya más de la colección Frontera de Valdemar.
Novela absorbente de aventuras, con un componente marcado de venganza y supervivencia (destacan los estallidos de violencia salvaje), centrado en el personaje de Samson J. Minard, a quien se retrata estupendamente, especialmente en su modo de vida libre y salvaje y en su entusiasmo por la vida y la naturaleza. Tal como se señala, Sam no podría vivir en lo que se llama vida civilizaba y es feliz reduciendo su vida a "la sencillez del canto de un pájaro, el vuelo del halcón y la llamada del lobo".
Destaca además por el importante tono descriptivo de la naturaleza así como del modo de vida de los tramperos y de las tribus indias. Además, resulta muy acertado el retrato crepuscular que realiza de los tramperos y las tribus indias (crows y pies negros, esencialmente) quienes ven que su modo de vida libre, salvaje y de amor a la naturaleza está amenazado por la llegada de la "civilización" al Oeste.
Otro acierto/joya más de la colección Frontera de Valdemar.
June 10, 2013
I have long been a fan of the movie 'Jeremiah Johnson'(Robert Redford). My dream growing up was to be a mountain man like that..(still is). This book is what inspired the film. And even though I love the movie - the book is better! Vardis Fisher writes very well, and it seems like he reveals a brutal truth about the relationships between whites and the native tribes that is glossed over in movies. I was transported to the wilderness as I read this book. It has a passion for the wilderness that I share. It's a story about the glory of life. It's about loving life no matter what, fighting for the life you want, and thanking the Almighty to be part of the world. The natural world, that is. His views on civilization and mankind are similar to Edward Abbey's. Mine, too, I suppose. I felt like a tenderfoot after reading this. Enjoy!
November 8, 2019
This may very well be my favorite novel. If not, it's surely in the top ten, which explains why I've read it now probably a dozen times, and each time a joy. The fictionalized stories of John Johnston and Jane Morgan: Sam Minard and Kate Bowden in Fisher's tale; love stories between a man and a woman, a mother and her children, and a man and the perhaps the Almighty's greatest sculpturings, the American mountain west. I first read this book when I was 18 years old, then again just now at the age of 63, and it's still difficult to put down once started. You've seen Robert Redford in "Jeremiah Johnson," right? It's a great movie, loosely based on the life of John Johnston and Fisher's fictionalized version. I saw it shortly after reading this book, and it pales in comparison to Fisher's novel. That's how special this book is. It is just magnificent, and I can't recommend it enough.
February 27, 2019
Mountain Man is unlike any Western novel I've ever read. It reminds me a little bit of Moby Dick in that much of the book is devoted not to the advancement of the plot, but to expounding on the lore of the mountain man and the Indians of the American Rockies, in the same way that much--indeed, a majority--of Moby Dick gives the reader an encyclopedic look at whaling in the 19th century. Like Melville, Fisher indulges in philosophical musings and contemplation. In this, Fisher's writing also reminds me a lot of Edward Abbey in his love of the landscape of the inter-mountain West and his disdain of most people in general. Mountain Man is not so much a conventional novel as it is a love letter to the American West and the men who were drawn to it.
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