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The Bear
In an Edenic future, a girl and her father live close to the land in the shadow of a lone mountain. They possess a few remnants of some books, a pane of glass, a set of flint and steel, a comb. The father teaches the girl how to fish and hunt, the secrets of the seasons and the stars. He is preparing her for an adulthood in harmony with nature, for they are the last of humankind. But when the girl finds herself alone in an unknown landscape, it is a bear that will lead her back home through a vast wilderness that offers the greatest lessons of all, if she can only learn to listen.
A cautionary tale of human fragility, of love and loss, The Bear is a stunning tribute to the beauty of nature’s dominion.
224 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 11, 2020
609 people are currently reading
20500 people want to read
About the author
Andrew Krivak
10 books339 followersThe grandson of Slovak immigrants, Andrew Krivak grew up in Pennsylvania, has lived in London, and has taught at Harvard, Boston College, and the College of the Holy Cross. He lives with his wife and three children in Somerville, Massachusetts and Jaffrey, New Hampshire.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,149 reviews
December 30, 2019
A fable, an ominous tale for the human race, one that leaves us not knowing what the thing was that spares the beauty and bounty of nature, but no human beings save for a man and his young daughter. The beautiful writing and a story that held me, had me reading this in one day. I wasn’t surprised. I loved both of Krivak’s other novels. It’s taken me some time to write a review because I didn’t want to give too much away and still do justice to this story.
In this novel there are amazingly beautiful descriptions of nature, touching tales of animals, stories that the girl’s father tells her of her mother, a story of a bear that saved a village, a story of a care giving puma. Tales and stories and lessons are told that will stay with the girl for the rest of her life. We don’t know when or where the story takes places and we don’t know their names. I’m usually left feeling detached from characters when they are not given names, but in this case I could not have been more emotionally involved with the man and his daughter. I felt them in their moments of pain and sadness and grief and in their moments of joy and relief. The care and love her father gives her teaching her to hunt, to fish, to make a bow and arrows, to survive by herself for the time when he is no longer with her melted my heart. It’s a joy to her and to the reader, when he teaches her to read. It was achingly sad, but at the same time beautiful when he takes her to the mountain where her mother’s remains are buried for the first time.
This is a short book and I wanted there to be more of the story before that last chapter beautiful chapter. I won’t say much about the plot because you really have to experience this yourself. I’ll just say that this book is about a journey, a journey of survival, of instinct, of the desire to pay honor to a loved one, full of love and loss, joy and sadness, a journey of life. This is one of those books that will remain with me for its beauty and it’s significance.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Bellevue Literary Press through NetGalley.
In this novel there are amazingly beautiful descriptions of nature, touching tales of animals, stories that the girl’s father tells her of her mother, a story of a bear that saved a village, a story of a care giving puma. Tales and stories and lessons are told that will stay with the girl for the rest of her life. We don’t know when or where the story takes places and we don’t know their names. I’m usually left feeling detached from characters when they are not given names, but in this case I could not have been more emotionally involved with the man and his daughter. I felt them in their moments of pain and sadness and grief and in their moments of joy and relief. The care and love her father gives her teaching her to hunt, to fish, to make a bow and arrows, to survive by herself for the time when he is no longer with her melted my heart. It’s a joy to her and to the reader, when he teaches her to read. It was achingly sad, but at the same time beautiful when he takes her to the mountain where her mother’s remains are buried for the first time.
This is a short book and I wanted there to be more of the story before that last chapter beautiful chapter. I won’t say much about the plot because you really have to experience this yourself. I’ll just say that this book is about a journey, a journey of survival, of instinct, of the desire to pay honor to a loved one, full of love and loss, joy and sadness, a journey of life. This is one of those books that will remain with me for its beauty and it’s significance.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Bellevue Literary Press through NetGalley.
January 7, 2020
A beautiful story!
A young girl and her father are the last remaining humans.
They live in a post apocalyptic world in the shadow of a lone mountain..where nature is full of animals and vegetation.
The father teaches the daughter how to make hunting tools and how to hunt.. how to make clothing and food. He tells her the the secrets of the seasons and the stars and tells her stories about her mother who passed soon after the girls birth.
After some years pass, the girl is alone in an unknown landscape, and a bear will lead her home.
There is a lot more to the story especially in regards to nature and animal friends. Just lovely!
Thank you to Bellevue Literary Press via Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
A young girl and her father are the last remaining humans.
They live in a post apocalyptic world in the shadow of a lone mountain..where nature is full of animals and vegetation.
The father teaches the daughter how to make hunting tools and how to hunt.. how to make clothing and food. He tells her the the secrets of the seasons and the stars and tells her stories about her mother who passed soon after the girls birth.
After some years pass, the girl is alone in an unknown landscape, and a bear will lead her home.
There is a lot more to the story especially in regards to nature and animal friends. Just lovely!
Thank you to Bellevue Literary Press via Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
December 23, 2019
A wondrous tale of love, loss and the natural world that remains. A father and his daughter, both unnamed, are the last two humans to inhabit the world. We don't know why, but birds, and animals, plants and fauna as well as fish are still present. The girls mother died when she was a year old, and while we don't know exactly where they are living, we do know it is near a mountain and a long trek away to the ocean. The years pass and soon the girl is alone, but only in human companionships, the animals call her the last one.
I just love how this author writes, minimalist, no words wasted but at the same time just descriptive enough. This can be considered a myth, a fable, an allegorical tale or even magical realism. What it is not is a dystopic novel, though civilization as we know it is no longer present. Nature has reclaimed its own and the animals take on magical properties, or maybe they always had them for those who knew how to listen. Melancholy for sure but at the same time hopeful. We humans haven't managed to destroy everything, despite our attempts to do so, we have only destroyed ourselves. Maybe a morality tale, but a beautiful one.
ARC from publisher.
I just love how this author writes, minimalist, no words wasted but at the same time just descriptive enough. This can be considered a myth, a fable, an allegorical tale or even magical realism. What it is not is a dystopic novel, though civilization as we know it is no longer present. Nature has reclaimed its own and the animals take on magical properties, or maybe they always had them for those who knew how to listen. Melancholy for sure but at the same time hopeful. We humans haven't managed to destroy everything, despite our attempts to do so, we have only destroyed ourselves. Maybe a morality tale, but a beautiful one.
ARC from publisher.
October 1, 2023
New Hampshire Humanities BIG READ event this year, 2023, is the discussion of Author Andrew Krivak’s “The Bear”. The local librarian is enthusiastically encouraging us to join in the BIG READ. Well, how could I say no?
I thoroughly enjoyed Krivak’s 2017 “The Signal Flame”, finding it a 5-star read. Like “Signal Flame”, “The Bear” is a quiet, passive, pensive, and beautifully written story. Krivak utilizes minimalist writing hauntingly.
In “The Bear” a father and his daughter are surviving in the mountains somewhere in the USA. From the first sentence in the novel, the reader learns that they are the last two. They live “along the old eastern range on the side of a mountain they called the mountain that stands alone”. The father teaches his young daughter to read the stars, to tell time based upon the lunar cycle. He teaches her what plants to forage, how to hunt.
During a journey to find salt, the man dies, and the animals refer to the daughter as “the last one”. The father taught the daughter to listen to the forest, to listen to the wind. To pay mind to the feel of the breeze. He taught her to be a survivalist, for he knew she would one day be alone.
From the title, I assumed a bear would be involved, and I was correct. My favorite part, though, is that Krivak anthropomorphized the bear. As an avid dog lover/owner/admirer, I do the same. Author Jane Smiley writes books effectively doing the same. I’m a big fan of the anthropomorphized read. This bear, though, is more of a wise elder, not a whimsically amusing pet. Through the bear, the connection between animals and humans becomes evident. More animals get involved in assisting the young girl in her quest to return to her “home” so she can bury her father. Harmony between the animals and the girl is a strong message. Krivak shows that when we try to work within the laws of nature, and for the greater good, all can benefit.
In a personal note, Krivak stated that this story began as a bedtime story to his young children. He and his family have a second home on a pond in New Hampshire, and he utilizes the landscape as his backdrop to his story. He states, in the note, that it was his observations of nature while in the New Hampshire woods that inspired his love of the environment and the ideas for this novel. He states, “By calling the novel The Bear, I am suggesting that there is hope all around us, if we step back and see ourselves as part of—not the center of—a larger, ever more beautiful and animate world.”
I hope this novel inspires many to go out in nature, unplug, listen, look, smell, and learn.
I thoroughly enjoyed Krivak’s 2017 “The Signal Flame”, finding it a 5-star read. Like “Signal Flame”, “The Bear” is a quiet, passive, pensive, and beautifully written story. Krivak utilizes minimalist writing hauntingly.
In “The Bear” a father and his daughter are surviving in the mountains somewhere in the USA. From the first sentence in the novel, the reader learns that they are the last two. They live “along the old eastern range on the side of a mountain they called the mountain that stands alone”. The father teaches his young daughter to read the stars, to tell time based upon the lunar cycle. He teaches her what plants to forage, how to hunt.
During a journey to find salt, the man dies, and the animals refer to the daughter as “the last one”. The father taught the daughter to listen to the forest, to listen to the wind. To pay mind to the feel of the breeze. He taught her to be a survivalist, for he knew she would one day be alone.
From the title, I assumed a bear would be involved, and I was correct. My favorite part, though, is that Krivak anthropomorphized the bear. As an avid dog lover/owner/admirer, I do the same. Author Jane Smiley writes books effectively doing the same. I’m a big fan of the anthropomorphized read. This bear, though, is more of a wise elder, not a whimsically amusing pet. Through the bear, the connection between animals and humans becomes evident. More animals get involved in assisting the young girl in her quest to return to her “home” so she can bury her father. Harmony between the animals and the girl is a strong message. Krivak shows that when we try to work within the laws of nature, and for the greater good, all can benefit.
In a personal note, Krivak stated that this story began as a bedtime story to his young children. He and his family have a second home on a pond in New Hampshire, and he utilizes the landscape as his backdrop to his story. He states, in the note, that it was his observations of nature while in the New Hampshire woods that inspired his love of the environment and the ideas for this novel. He states, “By calling the novel The Bear, I am suggesting that there is hope all around us, if we step back and see ourselves as part of—not the center of—a larger, ever more beautiful and animate world.”
I hope this novel inspires many to go out in nature, unplug, listen, look, smell, and learn.
July 11, 2019
Civilization has collapsed and humankind is extinct save for two survivors, Father and Girl. They live in a house constructed of timber, stones and cement, a house with a glass window, "a precious hand me down". The dwelling is set halfway up the mountain slope along the old eastern range of "the mountain that stands alone".
Once they were a family of three. Girl was born on the day of the summer solstice. Yearly, on this day, Father and Girl climb to the top of "the mountain that stands alone" to visit mother's resting place,"in the shade of the ledge shaped like a bear".
Father teaches Girl about the land, bodies of water, how to "approximate" time, and how "to read" the stars and constellations. She learns to craft implements for hunting game and catching fish. Respect for the natural world comes in the form of fables about how a bear saved a village by keeping a promise and how the great hunter Thorn's respect for the animal world was reciprocated.
A long, challenging journey unfolds. Survival is a daily struggle. Life is a seesaw of emotions; love, hope, frustration, and endings. Acceptance of the companionship and wisdom of a bear buoys spirits and deepens understanding of the co-dependence between man, the landscape and the animal world. "The Bear" by Andrew Krivak, by way of a dystopian literary novel, is a subtle foray into the balance between love and loss, hope and despair, and respect for animals and the environment. I highly recommend Krivak's "cautionary tale".
Thank you Bellevue Literary Press and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review "The Bear".
Once they were a family of three. Girl was born on the day of the summer solstice. Yearly, on this day, Father and Girl climb to the top of "the mountain that stands alone" to visit mother's resting place,"in the shade of the ledge shaped like a bear".
Father teaches Girl about the land, bodies of water, how to "approximate" time, and how "to read" the stars and constellations. She learns to craft implements for hunting game and catching fish. Respect for the natural world comes in the form of fables about how a bear saved a village by keeping a promise and how the great hunter Thorn's respect for the animal world was reciprocated.
A long, challenging journey unfolds. Survival is a daily struggle. Life is a seesaw of emotions; love, hope, frustration, and endings. Acceptance of the companionship and wisdom of a bear buoys spirits and deepens understanding of the co-dependence between man, the landscape and the animal world. "The Bear" by Andrew Krivak, by way of a dystopian literary novel, is a subtle foray into the balance between love and loss, hope and despair, and respect for animals and the environment. I highly recommend Krivak's "cautionary tale".
Thank you Bellevue Literary Press and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review "The Bear".
March 16, 2021
There are just these two, a girl and her father, the last two left living on the eastern range of this mountain. Once, another time, it had been the man and a woman who had come to this place, had built a house using stones from the earth, timber and cement made from limestone, a glass window which was so rare now, handed down to the woman from her parents, and from the generations that came before. The woman was no longer there, she lay underneath the stones and stars on the top of the mountain.
They don’t possess much in the way of worldly goods, although they do have books, a comb, flint and steel, and they are blessed in other ways – from where their house sits halfway up the mountain, they overlook the lake encircled by bushes filled with blueberries and birch trees, eagles soaring overhead, and with other gifts of nature abundant. For food, they fish, hunt, or gather. And in those moments, he teachers her about the land, navigating by the stars, skills needed for survival. He shows her the importance of gratitude, an appreciation of the gift of life, as a gift given, and a gift taken.
A fable set in a dystopian environment, a lovely ode to the beauty that abounds in the nature, and a cautionary tale for everyone and everything living here.
Published: 21 Feb 2020
Many thanks for the ARC provided by Bellevue Literary Press
February 12, 2020
I had resistance to reading this book....but .....
so much for that.
I appreciated many of the same things other readers did...
the experience & vivid images - the messages - insights - the storytelling adult-fairytale
feeling.
The first half of the book was more engaging to me than the second half.
My question is this - if civilization has basically collapsed as we know it and everyone’s going to die- leaving no human beings left to reproduce- what’s the point?
I honestly don’t know.
I’m sure I’m the turd - lacking a healthier appreciation gene in my brain.
Beautiful... compassionate prose....
Love trees, leaves, animals, oceans, sand, berries, and everything nature....
The father was wonderful with his daughter ... teaching her survival skills...etc....
but
I have a hard time ‘loving’ a book with an orphan child - alone in nature - with a talking bear.
My brain does somersaults with these types of ‘can-you-imagine’ type stories.
I imagine I’d feel freezing cold some days, hungry, alone and sad!!!!
3.5 -
very well written!!! Honestly — the nature- descriptions were outstanding!!!
Interesting-thought provoking story...
....likable characters-
but the gloomy overall-feeling leaves me feeling rather low!!
so much for that.
I appreciated many of the same things other readers did...
the experience & vivid images - the messages - insights - the storytelling adult-fairytale
feeling.
The first half of the book was more engaging to me than the second half.
My question is this - if civilization has basically collapsed as we know it and everyone’s going to die- leaving no human beings left to reproduce- what’s the point?
I honestly don’t know.
I’m sure I’m the turd - lacking a healthier appreciation gene in my brain.
Beautiful... compassionate prose....
Love trees, leaves, animals, oceans, sand, berries, and everything nature....
The father was wonderful with his daughter ... teaching her survival skills...etc....
but
I have a hard time ‘loving’ a book with an orphan child - alone in nature - with a talking bear.
My brain does somersaults with these types of ‘can-you-imagine’ type stories.
I imagine I’d feel freezing cold some days, hungry, alone and sad!!!!
3.5 -
very well written!!! Honestly — the nature- descriptions were outstanding!!!
Interesting-thought provoking story...
....likable characters-
but the gloomy overall-feeling leaves me feeling rather low!!
June 27, 2020
The beauty of this story is in its simplicity.
It’s the end of civilization. Only a daughter and father exist and are the last survivors in the world.
They live on a mountain and the father prepares her for adulthood and the survival skills required.
Once she finds she is alone however, a bear leads her back.
So harmonious is this story. Beautiful, eloquent. It’s about listening to nature and the beauty and fullness that can transpire. The spirit in the animals and nature and the symbiotic relationship that can exist with mankind.
It’s the end of civilization. Only a daughter and father exist and are the last survivors in the world.
They live on a mountain and the father prepares her for adulthood and the survival skills required.
Once she finds she is alone however, a bear leads her back.
So harmonious is this story. Beautiful, eloquent. It’s about listening to nature and the beauty and fullness that can transpire. The spirit in the animals and nature and the symbiotic relationship that can exist with mankind.
October 25, 2023
Thanks to my Goodreads friend Barbara for putting this story on my radar.
A man and his daughter are the last two people on earth. The man reminisces about everything that was lost, including the girl’s mother. But even though his thoughts are in the past, he has a job to do in the present. He needs to raise his daughter so she can take care of herself in the wild.
When the daughter suddenly finds herself alone in the woods, she befriends a talking bear who agrees to take her home. But a harsh winter might throw a wrench in their plans.
The talking bear might lead you to believe this is a children’s story. And it’s admittedly got some fairy tale influences. When the girl and the bear try to make their way back home, I was reminded a little bit of Brother Bear. And other parts of the story reminded me a bit of The Jungle Book. But this is very much a story for grownups that deals with some heavy themes. It’s all very down to earth and realistic. And the titular talking bear doesn’t feel out of place in that regard. It actually seems to symbolize the close connection to nature we’ve lost in our modern society.
The setting is one of the highlights of this book. The thing is, in post-apocalyptic stories, there’s usually traces of the past lingering around. Here, you honestly wouldn’t know this is a post-apocalyptic setting if the man didn’t explicitly say it. The man and his daughter live in complete harmony with nature, rather than making do with what remnants of the past are left to survive. Which feels quite fresh and exciting. And it’s definitely also subtly nodding in the direction we in general should be heading to if we want to avoid this kind of post-apocalyptic world.
There are no quotation marks denoting speech. This does hamper the story a bit for me, as I very much do prefer dialogue with speech marks. Though since it’s quite a short read, it didn’t bother me too much.
Definitely not the usual kind of post-apocalyptic story, but quite charming. It’s like a post-apocalyptic coming of age fairy tale/folk tale. It’s a very melancholic story that deals with some rather heavy themes like survival and death.
A man and his daughter are the last two people on earth. The man reminisces about everything that was lost, including the girl’s mother. But even though his thoughts are in the past, he has a job to do in the present. He needs to raise his daughter so she can take care of herself in the wild.
When the daughter suddenly finds herself alone in the woods, she befriends a talking bear who agrees to take her home. But a harsh winter might throw a wrench in their plans.
The talking bear might lead you to believe this is a children’s story. And it’s admittedly got some fairy tale influences. When the girl and the bear try to make their way back home, I was reminded a little bit of Brother Bear. And other parts of the story reminded me a bit of The Jungle Book. But this is very much a story for grownups that deals with some heavy themes. It’s all very down to earth and realistic. And the titular talking bear doesn’t feel out of place in that regard. It actually seems to symbolize the close connection to nature we’ve lost in our modern society.
The setting is one of the highlights of this book. The thing is, in post-apocalyptic stories, there’s usually traces of the past lingering around. Here, you honestly wouldn’t know this is a post-apocalyptic setting if the man didn’t explicitly say it. The man and his daughter live in complete harmony with nature, rather than making do with what remnants of the past are left to survive. Which feels quite fresh and exciting. And it’s definitely also subtly nodding in the direction we in general should be heading to if we want to avoid this kind of post-apocalyptic world.
There are no quotation marks denoting speech. This does hamper the story a bit for me, as I very much do prefer dialogue with speech marks. Though since it’s quite a short read, it didn’t bother me too much.
Definitely not the usual kind of post-apocalyptic story, but quite charming. It’s like a post-apocalyptic coming of age fairy tale/folk tale. It’s a very melancholic story that deals with some rather heavy themes like survival and death.
May 8, 2021
This was the beautiful tale of a father and his daughter surviving in a world where civilization has disappeared. They live off the land and take a long trip from The Mountain That Stands Alone to the sea where the man expires and the girl must continue. It becomes a magical tale after that with her communication with the world around her as she lives through a bitter winter in a cave with The Bear and survives thanks to her inner strength and the animals that help her. I thought it was interesting that the book takes place at least two generations after the fall of civilization. It does not offer easy solutions and does not have a particularly happy ending, so I felt that the author didn’t take shortcuts or insult the reader’s intelligence.
There was a McCarthy aspect to this book which reminded me of The Road, in terms of the humanless landscape and the anonymous characters. The Bear was refreshingly different in terms of the self-realization of the girl and her relationship with nature.
I loved this book and will probably encourage my kids to enjoy it as well.
There was a McCarthy aspect to this book which reminded me of The Road, in terms of the humanless landscape and the anonymous characters. The Bear was refreshingly different in terms of the self-realization of the girl and her relationship with nature.
I loved this book and will probably encourage my kids to enjoy it as well.
May 3, 2020
The Bear is a beautifully rendered novel about a young girl and her father who are the last humans on earth. The prose is stark and yet exquisite. It reads at times like a fairy tale.
Though not a whole lot happens, I was mesmerized. Unfortunately, because the young girl and her father (reminiscent of The Road, they are never named) live in a time after modern civilization collapsed, this meant they had to provide for themselves -- there was a lot of hunting and all that it entails. As an all-animal lover, I had a difficult time reading about this. It seemed like at least half the novel was about hunting, eating meat, tanning hides, sewing skins, etc. Of course, knowing the animals killed had at least lived a free life, unlike those in modern factory farms, made it a bit easier, as did the fact that these people actually did need to hunt and eat animals in order to survive, unlike modern times.
Had it not been for how disturbing I found all this, I'm pretty sure I would be giving this 5 stars. As it is, I just can't. This aspect of the book won't bother everyone, but if you're like me, you might want to bypass this book. Again, it is beautifully written, and in spite of hunting, the girl and her father have a respect for nature and all animals that most humans today lack.
I do have a bitch about the author's lack of research....
Whilst he obviously did do some research into how people would survive without modern technology, he apparently didn't learn that it can be deadly to eat snow. The girl is constantly eating it when she's out hunting and gets thirsty. I almost dropped another star from the book for that but I'll let the author slide. Just please don't do this if you're ever stuck outside in the cold, unless you have a death wish. Find something waterproof to put the snow in, place it against your body, let it melt, and only then consume it.
This book is not long and can be read in a day and the author does a remarkable job describing the scenery. There were times I could almost believe I was breathing in salty ocean air, or feeling the wind on my face as I stood atop a mountain. Times I envisioned the night sky, free of light pollution, with millions of twinkling stars.
The Bear is slow-moving, introspective, and alluring. Those who enjoy quiet novels will find much to appreciate in this book.
Though not a whole lot happens, I was mesmerized. Unfortunately, because the young girl and her father (reminiscent of The Road, they are never named) live in a time after modern civilization collapsed, this meant they had to provide for themselves -- there was a lot of hunting and all that it entails. As an all-animal lover, I had a difficult time reading about this. It seemed like at least half the novel was about hunting, eating meat, tanning hides, sewing skins, etc. Of course, knowing the animals killed had at least lived a free life, unlike those in modern factory farms, made it a bit easier, as did the fact that these people actually did need to hunt and eat animals in order to survive, unlike modern times.
Had it not been for how disturbing I found all this, I'm pretty sure I would be giving this 5 stars. As it is, I just can't. This aspect of the book won't bother everyone, but if you're like me, you might want to bypass this book. Again, it is beautifully written, and in spite of hunting, the girl and her father have a respect for nature and all animals that most humans today lack.
I do have a bitch about the author's lack of research....
Whilst he obviously did do some research into how people would survive without modern technology, he apparently didn't learn that it can be deadly to eat snow. The girl is constantly eating it when she's out hunting and gets thirsty. I almost dropped another star from the book for that but I'll let the author slide. Just please don't do this if you're ever stuck outside in the cold, unless you have a death wish. Find something waterproof to put the snow in, place it against your body, let it melt, and only then consume it.
This book is not long and can be read in a day and the author does a remarkable job describing the scenery. There were times I could almost believe I was breathing in salty ocean air, or feeling the wind on my face as I stood atop a mountain. Times I envisioned the night sky, free of light pollution, with millions of twinkling stars.
The Bear is slow-moving, introspective, and alluring. Those who enjoy quiet novels will find much to appreciate in this book.
January 21, 2021
The world as we know it, has ended and there are two people still populating the planet, a father and his daughter. The father is preparing his daughter for his inevitable end and as they are visiting a mountain that shadows their home, a place where the wife is buried, we share in the conversations between father and daughter. However, tragedy strikes and brings about the death of the father.
The father has prepared his child, teaching her the ways of the land, ethereal in its beauty. He instructs her how to hunt, fish, and others things that will keep her alive and managing to live on her own when that day comes when he is no longer with her. He also gives her the gift of reading, a most cherished tool indeed!
After his death, the daughter is alone in the wilderness but encounters a bear who becomes a friend, someone to look out for her as he guides her back home. He relates stories of the world of animals, one where if you listen carefully, you can hear them speak. He shows her a world of co-dependence where animals and man could and in some cases did coexist and the world benefited from this arrangement.
The descriptions and story is ever so touching, and the world that Krivak opens up to the reader, is one that respects the environment, man, and the domain of the animals. It is a touching story as we find the girl struggling daily with the rigors of life, but also one of tenderness, love, and hope.
I definitely found this story a true treasure, one that brings on the aura of acceptance, respect, and the knowledge that all things end. It is how we meet that end that is the journey we all travel.
The father has prepared his child, teaching her the ways of the land, ethereal in its beauty. He instructs her how to hunt, fish, and others things that will keep her alive and managing to live on her own when that day comes when he is no longer with her. He also gives her the gift of reading, a most cherished tool indeed!
After his death, the daughter is alone in the wilderness but encounters a bear who becomes a friend, someone to look out for her as he guides her back home. He relates stories of the world of animals, one where if you listen carefully, you can hear them speak. He shows her a world of co-dependence where animals and man could and in some cases did coexist and the world benefited from this arrangement.
The descriptions and story is ever so touching, and the world that Krivak opens up to the reader, is one that respects the environment, man, and the domain of the animals. It is a touching story as we find the girl struggling daily with the rigors of life, but also one of tenderness, love, and hope.
I definitely found this story a true treasure, one that brings on the aura of acceptance, respect, and the knowledge that all things end. It is how we meet that end that is the journey we all travel.
August 7, 2025
***NO SPOILERS***
Full disclosure: Book abandoned at 33%.
This story bored me. A father and daughter live alone somewhere in the wilderness, the implication being that they're the last few survivors after some apocalyptic event. In the beginning the (nameless) father and (nameless) daughter spend time talking and hiking up a mountain, whose summit is shaped like a bear. Some magical realism elements come into play later in the story.
The Bear reminded me in a few ways of The Road. It's about a father and his child surviving post-apocalypse; both characters are pointlessly nameless; and dialogue pointlessly lacks quotation marks. It isn't as bleak—I didn't feel the hopelessness that I felt while reading The Road—but it's dull because nothing happens, and it's unclear where the story is heading. I disliked The Road, but at least it has some suspense and made me feel something.
The only thing I did like about The Bear is the little fairy tale within this fairy tale. Maybe Andrew Krivak should have made that his story and scrapped this.
NOTE: I received this as an Advance Reader Copy from Netgalley in June 2019.
Full disclosure: Book abandoned at 33%.
This story bored me. A father and daughter live alone somewhere in the wilderness, the implication being that they're the last few survivors after some apocalyptic event. In the beginning the (nameless) father and (nameless) daughter spend time talking and hiking up a mountain, whose summit is shaped like a bear. Some magical realism elements come into play later in the story.
The Bear reminded me in a few ways of The Road. It's about a father and his child surviving post-apocalypse; both characters are pointlessly nameless; and dialogue pointlessly lacks quotation marks. It isn't as bleak—I didn't feel the hopelessness that I felt while reading The Road—but it's dull because nothing happens, and it's unclear where the story is heading. I disliked The Road, but at least it has some suspense and made me feel something.
The only thing I did like about The Bear is the little fairy tale within this fairy tale. Maybe Andrew Krivak should have made that his story and scrapped this.
NOTE: I received this as an Advance Reader Copy from Netgalley in June 2019.
July 4, 2020
It’s rare for me to not be able to summarize the description of a story in my own words but I’ve given it two days and just cannot do more justice to that provided with the book so here it is.
“In an Edenic future, a girl and her father live close to the land in the shadow of a lone mountain. They possess a few remnants of civilization: some books, a pane of glass, a set of flint and steel, a comb. The father teaches the girl how to fish and hunt, the secrets of the seasons and the stars. He is preparing her for an adulthood in harmony with nature, for they are the last of humankind. But when the girl finds herself alone in an unknown landscape, it is a bear that will lead her back home through a vast wilderness that offers the greatest lessons of all, if she can only learn to listen.”
I love fables, am mysteriously drawn to dystopian worlds and have a high appreciation of those that know how to survive using the earth’s natural resources. Even though this story seemed to have all of these elements based on its description, I almost gave it a pass and would have missed out on one of the most captivating short stories. The writing is elegant in its simplicity and the underlying messages resound throughout. I longed for more but found the ending to be perfection. The narrator’s performance was so subtle, never giving in to any need for dramatization because the writing didn’t need it. It’s a great story no matter if you read or listen but I highly recommend the audio version. This was just lovely.
(Thanks to the publisher and Libro.fm for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
“In an Edenic future, a girl and her father live close to the land in the shadow of a lone mountain. They possess a few remnants of civilization: some books, a pane of glass, a set of flint and steel, a comb. The father teaches the girl how to fish and hunt, the secrets of the seasons and the stars. He is preparing her for an adulthood in harmony with nature, for they are the last of humankind. But when the girl finds herself alone in an unknown landscape, it is a bear that will lead her back home through a vast wilderness that offers the greatest lessons of all, if she can only learn to listen.”
I love fables, am mysteriously drawn to dystopian worlds and have a high appreciation of those that know how to survive using the earth’s natural resources. Even though this story seemed to have all of these elements based on its description, I almost gave it a pass and would have missed out on one of the most captivating short stories. The writing is elegant in its simplicity and the underlying messages resound throughout. I longed for more but found the ending to be perfection. The narrator’s performance was so subtle, never giving in to any need for dramatization because the writing didn’t need it. It’s a great story no matter if you read or listen but I highly recommend the audio version. This was just lovely.
(Thanks to the publisher and Libro.fm for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
September 2, 2019
3.5 Stars.
"Without you I'd be nothing but alone."
THE BEAR is an enchanting little fable about loss and survival in the wilderness....with some pretty cool animal friendlies.
Although post-apocalyptic, it's not blatantly obvious and is not dark. There are no villainous types waiting around the corner to steal what you have or do you harm; the only fear being the elements, loss and loneliness....which is relentless.
The story is simple. There's a man, a girl, a mountain home, a trip to the ocean and a wise old bear. There's also a loving relationship between father and daughter with many teachings of life and shared memories of man for his wife....girl's mother.
A bit slow going here and there, (for me) but Krivak's somber descriptive prose so fit the environment. As for the ending.....wonderful.
Many thanks to Bellevue Literary Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 13, 2020
50% : 5 stars!! Love this.
60% : 4 stars. A little lull.
75% : 3 stars. Yawn. How long is this book?
90% : can I dnf this close to the end!?
95% : should have dnfd.
Finished: 1 star. Don't read this.
I was so in love with this at the start. It was a beautiful story about loss and survival with magical elements! And then somehow it turned onto the longest, most boring thing I've ever read.
The last quarter of this book :
*slight spoilers*
girl hunting, eating, being cold, hunting, tanning hides, being cold. On and on and on... and on. Then boom, it's spring! It has to get better again! Nope. Hungry, eating leaves, hunting ... gets home & it's covered in animal poo ... ok, it could pick up nowwww? Girl skips breakfast. Ahhhhhh! 60 years pass. Dead.
60% : 4 stars. A little lull.
75% : 3 stars. Yawn. How long is this book?
90% : can I dnf this close to the end!?
95% : should have dnfd.
Finished: 1 star. Don't read this.
I was so in love with this at the start. It was a beautiful story about loss and survival with magical elements! And then somehow it turned onto the longest, most boring thing I've ever read.
The last quarter of this book :
*slight spoilers*
girl hunting, eating, being cold, hunting, tanning hides, being cold. On and on and on... and on. Then boom, it's spring! It has to get better again! Nope. Hungry, eating leaves, hunting ... gets home & it's covered in animal poo ... ok, it could pick up nowwww? Girl skips breakfast. Ahhhhhh! 60 years pass. Dead.
May 23, 2020
Winning little fable about a father and daughter that live in isolation in a mountainous wooded area. It’s implied that they are the last two humans left on earth. Aside from some artifacts passed down from their forbears, the father and daughter live off the land and fashion their own hunting tools. The father recounts stories to the daughter that instill in her a respect for nature and the interconnectedness of all living things. He teaches her the skills she will need to survive when, inevitably, she will be alone.
One day they venture forth from their mountain home to journey to the ocean, so they can harvest the salt needed to preserve their meat. The father has made several trips in the past, but it is the first time for the twelve year old daughter. The trip proves to be a life-altering one and the daughter must call upon on all her resources to find her way home.
Nicely done. I recommend this to nature lovers and/or those who enjoy dystopian or metaphysical fiction.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bellevue Literary Press for an ARC of this novel. My review, however, is based on the hard copy version.
One day they venture forth from their mountain home to journey to the ocean, so they can harvest the salt needed to preserve their meat. The father has made several trips in the past, but it is the first time for the twelve year old daughter. The trip proves to be a life-altering one and the daughter must call upon on all her resources to find her way home.
Nicely done. I recommend this to nature lovers and/or those who enjoy dystopian or metaphysical fiction.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bellevue Literary Press for an ARC of this novel. My review, however, is based on the hard copy version.
October 6, 2023
A beautifully written story imagining what life would be like for the last man and his daughter living alone on earth. It reminded me of learning about the many skills, traditions and reverence the Native Americans use to live off of the land. Especially moving is the honor given to the animals that are eaten for the two to stay alive.
TW: Detailed descriptions of killing and preparing animals for food.
TW: Detailed descriptions of killing and preparing animals for food.
March 11, 2020
I had to step away for a moment before I could write this because I was feeling very emotional trying to gather my thoughts together. This book will mean something different to everyone, but the many themes that were explored were very touching.
I enjoyed this so much and wish in a way that there could have been more of it. I was never bored and I find myself struggling to write a review that doesn't give anything away about the story. While this could be a post apocalyptic setting, the uncertainty of much of when and where allows you to draw your own conclusions and focus on the journey of the girl and her father. I liked this very bare bones approach because to me it didn't matter. What mattered was the girl and her father, their relationship with the world around them and the animals and nature that inhabited the world with them. There are some points that I think will cause people to lose interest, but I think for those willing, it is a perfect book to get lost in and just let yourself feel. I cried a couple of times while listening and the spectrum of emotions I went through was therapeutic. I particularly enjoyed listening to it at night while I was walking the dogs. It felt special to be with them in that way, surrounded by the trees and wildlife that inhabit my neighborhood and to look up at the stars in the clear, dark sky while I sat with them on the porch. It made me appreciate all that Earth provides to human kind and it also depressed me that some of the sentiments in these pages will be lost on those who choose not to listen.
In closing, I do wish I had the opportunity to read the print book versus listening to this, but I felt the audio version was very well done. It captured the silence and isolation of the girl very well and also did a good job of portraying the animals. It was expertly written and I already put a library copy on hold so I can read it again.
Thank you to Highbridge Audio and Libro.fm for providing this ALC for me to review.
Review Date: 03/11/2020
Publication Date: 02/11/2020
I enjoyed this so much and wish in a way that there could have been more of it. I was never bored and I find myself struggling to write a review that doesn't give anything away about the story. While this could be a post apocalyptic setting, the uncertainty of much of when and where allows you to draw your own conclusions and focus on the journey of the girl and her father. I liked this very bare bones approach because to me it didn't matter. What mattered was the girl and her father, their relationship with the world around them and the animals and nature that inhabited the world with them. There are some points that I think will cause people to lose interest, but I think for those willing, it is a perfect book to get lost in and just let yourself feel. I cried a couple of times while listening and the spectrum of emotions I went through was therapeutic. I particularly enjoyed listening to it at night while I was walking the dogs. It felt special to be with them in that way, surrounded by the trees and wildlife that inhabit my neighborhood and to look up at the stars in the clear, dark sky while I sat with them on the porch. It made me appreciate all that Earth provides to human kind and it also depressed me that some of the sentiments in these pages will be lost on those who choose not to listen.
In closing, I do wish I had the opportunity to read the print book versus listening to this, but I felt the audio version was very well done. It captured the silence and isolation of the girl very well and also did a good job of portraying the animals. It was expertly written and I already put a library copy on hold so I can read it again.
Thank you to Highbridge Audio and Libro.fm for providing this ALC for me to review.
Review Date: 03/11/2020
Publication Date: 02/11/2020
June 5, 2021
My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Andrew Krivak has a gift for describing Nature. The Bear tells the story of the last humans on earth. Loss and loneliness are just a fragment of what you will feel as you read about the father and daughter's journey together, then her life alone, when he too is gone. As she grieves for her father, a bear, which they had seen earlier on their travels, reappears and speaks to her, encouraging her to live and continue with her journey on earth. He tells her that she has many years left to her before the earth ceases to hear the last human footfall. The bear (and later a puma) and indeed the rest of Nature conspire to keep the girl alive well into old age. Now that she is alone, the girl relearns the language that was once shared by all life forms on earth. According to the bear, we humans somehow lost our ability to hear any voices other than our own.
On their journey back to the girl's home, her companion, the bear, tells her many things, just as her father had before his death.
“The bear… told her that the voices of the trees were the voice of the forest, and that when they spoke, they spoke with such indifference to time that it would take the girl several moons to hear one of their conversations, the better part of one just to hear a single word. But to them it was no different from any story told to any other around a fire in the night, a word spoken in a moment, or in a lifetime."
The girl endured and lived on, and found comfort in Nature, overcoming the loss and loneliness after her father's passing. This is a very whimsical, lyrical fable. Highly recommended.
Andrew Krivak has a gift for describing Nature. The Bear tells the story of the last humans on earth. Loss and loneliness are just a fragment of what you will feel as you read about the father and daughter's journey together, then her life alone, when he too is gone. As she grieves for her father, a bear, which they had seen earlier on their travels, reappears and speaks to her, encouraging her to live and continue with her journey on earth. He tells her that she has many years left to her before the earth ceases to hear the last human footfall. The bear (and later a puma) and indeed the rest of Nature conspire to keep the girl alive well into old age. Now that she is alone, the girl relearns the language that was once shared by all life forms on earth. According to the bear, we humans somehow lost our ability to hear any voices other than our own.
On their journey back to the girl's home, her companion, the bear, tells her many things, just as her father had before his death.
“The bear… told her that the voices of the trees were the voice of the forest, and that when they spoke, they spoke with such indifference to time that it would take the girl several moons to hear one of their conversations, the better part of one just to hear a single word. But to them it was no different from any story told to any other around a fire in the night, a word spoken in a moment, or in a lifetime."
The girl endured and lived on, and found comfort in Nature, overcoming the loss and loneliness after her father's passing. This is a very whimsical, lyrical fable. Highly recommended.
June 11, 2025
More bears, less people.
September 3, 2024
Imagine this premise—as articulated by Andrew Krivak—What would it be like if there were only two people left in the world? Would the world really be a place ravaged by war and covered in darkness and destruction, like so many works of fiction now imagine it? Or would nature have reclaimed everything but what the last two carry with them, sole reminders of the past?
Andrew Krivak’s spare novel imagines the latter scenario. We don’t know and never learn why all of Earth’s inhabitants disappeared; we only know that an unnamed father and his daughter remain. This is a contemplative novel, where nature owns the plot, and where the two who remain are intricately woven into the tapestry of nature. When the girl finds herself alone, it is a bear, a puma, and an eagle who will tend to her survival.
There is a poignancy and a beauty in this fablelike novel that will appeal on two levels; first, to parents whose role is to guide their children forward, which I believe is Mr. Krivak’s intended audience. But also, it delivers powerful messages to those who are looking through the rearview of the mirror at their lives. One of the key themes—that no one or nothing is lost or has disappeared forever and that the universe goes on within and without you—is particularly touching to someone like me, who lost my mother last year.
Deceptively simple but hauntingly constructed, The Bear, like most other fables, is partially symbolic: waiting out the long cold winter of one’s soul and emerging again, stronger and ready to survive. In an era when nature is handled so cavalierly by those who should be charged with its stewardship, there is also a sinking feeling of loss along with the inevitability that in the end, nature will be there after we’re gone.
Those who prefer action plots would be advised to look elsewhere for their next read. But those who enjoy a cautionary tale that is meditative and lyrical will surely enjoy The Bear. Thank you to #BellevueLiteraryPress for an advance reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.
Andrew Krivak’s spare novel imagines the latter scenario. We don’t know and never learn why all of Earth’s inhabitants disappeared; we only know that an unnamed father and his daughter remain. This is a contemplative novel, where nature owns the plot, and where the two who remain are intricately woven into the tapestry of nature. When the girl finds herself alone, it is a bear, a puma, and an eagle who will tend to her survival.
There is a poignancy and a beauty in this fablelike novel that will appeal on two levels; first, to parents whose role is to guide their children forward, which I believe is Mr. Krivak’s intended audience. But also, it delivers powerful messages to those who are looking through the rearview of the mirror at their lives. One of the key themes—that no one or nothing is lost or has disappeared forever and that the universe goes on within and without you—is particularly touching to someone like me, who lost my mother last year.
Deceptively simple but hauntingly constructed, The Bear, like most other fables, is partially symbolic: waiting out the long cold winter of one’s soul and emerging again, stronger and ready to survive. In an era when nature is handled so cavalierly by those who should be charged with its stewardship, there is also a sinking feeling of loss along with the inevitability that in the end, nature will be there after we’re gone.
Those who prefer action plots would be advised to look elsewhere for their next read. But those who enjoy a cautionary tale that is meditative and lyrical will surely enjoy The Bear. Thank you to #BellevueLiteraryPress for an advance reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.
July 18, 2020
Lovely nature descriptions but this novel was not for me. A ponderous, folksy tale about a girl/woman who survives in the wilderness with the help of her wise animal friends.
December 24, 2019
In The Bear, Andrew Krivak weaves a hauntingly beautiful novel of elegant simplicity, visually rich and unforgettable. The story of a girl and her father surviving alone in a wilderness becomes a fable, a testament to familial love, and a portrait of humankind's place in the world.
This is a novel that entered my dreams, strangely offering a sense of peace and a feeling of oneness with the natural world. Strange because this is also a dystopian novel set in a future when mankind has disappeared and his civilization has crumbled, reverted to its basic elements.
These two remaining live an idealized oneness with nature. They have some antiques--a glass window, some moldering books, a silver comb, singular heirlooms of another time. The father teaches his daughter how to fish and hunt, how to turn animal fur into clothing and blankets, how to sew shoes from leather and sinew. They drink pine needle tea and gather nuts. The weeds we heedlessly poison become their salad. The maple helicopters that we curse when cleaning the gutters are their survival food.
What a long way we have come, we humans with our large brains and big dreams and greedy appetites! I look about my yard and neighborhood and understand suddenly the plenty that surrounds me. Not just my father's apple trees that bore thousands of fruit this year, but the maple trees and the oaks down the road. Not just my raised bed of chard and kale but the weeds I diligently pull up one by one.
Krivak's heroine is aided by her totem animal, the bear whose profile is seen in the mountain where her mother's bones rest. With winter, he sleeps and the girl is aided by a puma. These magical creatures feel a kinship--a kinship humanity has rarely returned.
Oh, no, we are to conquer and subdue and use and abuse!
But what has that gotten us?--Decimation of species, destruction of the environment, pollution that poisons us, alienation.
The gorgeous style of Krivak's writing, his story of survival and death that somehow brings a sense of peace, the love and respect shown by his characters, the themes eternal and crucial, earmark this as a must-read novel.
I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. My review is unbiased and fair.
This is a novel that entered my dreams, strangely offering a sense of peace and a feeling of oneness with the natural world. Strange because this is also a dystopian novel set in a future when mankind has disappeared and his civilization has crumbled, reverted to its basic elements.
These two remaining live an idealized oneness with nature. They have some antiques--a glass window, some moldering books, a silver comb, singular heirlooms of another time. The father teaches his daughter how to fish and hunt, how to turn animal fur into clothing and blankets, how to sew shoes from leather and sinew. They drink pine needle tea and gather nuts. The weeds we heedlessly poison become their salad. The maple helicopters that we curse when cleaning the gutters are their survival food.
What a long way we have come, we humans with our large brains and big dreams and greedy appetites! I look about my yard and neighborhood and understand suddenly the plenty that surrounds me. Not just my father's apple trees that bore thousands of fruit this year, but the maple trees and the oaks down the road. Not just my raised bed of chard and kale but the weeds I diligently pull up one by one.
Krivak's heroine is aided by her totem animal, the bear whose profile is seen in the mountain where her mother's bones rest. With winter, he sleeps and the girl is aided by a puma. These magical creatures feel a kinship--a kinship humanity has rarely returned.
Oh, no, we are to conquer and subdue and use and abuse!
But what has that gotten us?--Decimation of species, destruction of the environment, pollution that poisons us, alienation.
The gorgeous style of Krivak's writing, his story of survival and death that somehow brings a sense of peace, the love and respect shown by his characters, the themes eternal and crucial, earmark this as a must-read novel.
I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. My review is unbiased and fair.
February 22, 2020
The Bear is a literary science fiction/fantasy tale about the last two people on earth. It's short, and can be read in just a day if you have the time. The two main characters are known only as Father and Girl. When the story begins the girl is very young, and we watch as her father teaches her to survive the world.
The depictions of nature and scenery are beautifully done. It's hard to imagine a world in which everything is covered by forests and fields, the remnants of residential areas grown over and covered by soil, a place where animals have no fear of man kind. There is a sense of wonder to it all.
The Bear feels like a fable rather than a book. Something handed down over generations and told by a campfire. The author never dives into the past- what happened to mankind, how these two people came to be the last on earth. It's strictly about the story of these last two survivors.
The pacing is slow despite the high level of tension and conflict found at the heart of the book, and the reader grows to care about the characters slowly throughout. This is why the book ultimately ended up being only a three star read for me. The story felt very heavy and lonely, and I don't think I was in the right frame of mind to read a story like this one. Everything else about the book- the setting, the writing, the feelings it evoked, are easily a four star read, but when I put the book down I was left feeling a little sad. It's unlikely that I'd ever pick this up to read again.
I'd recommend this to readers who like man versus nature stories or nature lovers in general. The Bear released on February 11, 2020 and can be found on GoodReads or ordered on Amazon. Thank you to the publisher for sending an ARC for review.
The depictions of nature and scenery are beautifully done. It's hard to imagine a world in which everything is covered by forests and fields, the remnants of residential areas grown over and covered by soil, a place where animals have no fear of man kind. There is a sense of wonder to it all.
The Bear feels like a fable rather than a book. Something handed down over generations and told by a campfire. The author never dives into the past- what happened to mankind, how these two people came to be the last on earth. It's strictly about the story of these last two survivors.
The pacing is slow despite the high level of tension and conflict found at the heart of the book, and the reader grows to care about the characters slowly throughout. This is why the book ultimately ended up being only a three star read for me. The story felt very heavy and lonely, and I don't think I was in the right frame of mind to read a story like this one. Everything else about the book- the setting, the writing, the feelings it evoked, are easily a four star read, but when I put the book down I was left feeling a little sad. It's unlikely that I'd ever pick this up to read again.
I'd recommend this to readers who like man versus nature stories or nature lovers in general. The Bear released on February 11, 2020 and can be found on GoodReads or ordered on Amazon. Thank you to the publisher for sending an ARC for review.
September 11, 2020
This is one of the most serene post-apocalyptic books I’ve ever read, one detailing harmony with nature and acceptance of the world as it has become, including the resulting isolation. The story is one part realism and one part myth, told in a way that’s reminiscent of traditional oral storytelling, with an unexpected shift in who’s doing the telling.
It begins with a father and daughter living in a remote wilderness setting, the two of them the last humans alive on earth. The man’s wife died not long after the daughter was born and he doesn’t know what became of everyone else because whatever catastrophe occurred happened long before he was born. He and his daughter live off the land at the base of a mountain that’s shaped like a bear, an important place which has its own myth attached to it. The father teaches the daughter everything she needs to know to survive, and he takes it well beyond the physical as he provides emotional sustenance and tells her all about the mother she never knew, yet has grown to love as dearly as her father. All is peaceful and in balance in their world, despite the difficulties of living moment by moment, hand to mouth. Then one day, the father tells his daughter they must go on a long journey, one that will challenge the daughter in ways she never could have dreamed of, especially after an unexpected turn of events.
She left them to the silence now of her father, who sat before the embers of the fire and gazed at them as though they were tiny suns setting on a world of sand and water and he was given this moment alone to see them in the evanescence of their warmth.
If I could use only one word to describe this book, I’d call it transcendental, in that it provides something nourishing for the soul. It was also satisfying in a way that’s harder to explain. It has to do with all the steps the daughter takes to survive on a daily basis, making use of everything and anything at her disposal, including her wits and courage. She knows nothing of technology, social media, or any of the trappings of modern life that are supposed to make life easier, but ultimately can burden people. In this world, everything she possesses, she finds or makes. She’s in sync with the land and all it encompasses, right up to and including the weather and the stars. They are her constant companions, as are her memories and something more, which she will need every bit as much as food and shelter.
This is a fine book to read for the here and now, as everyone must learn to adjust to living in a new reality during the pandemic. I found it enriching to read about how putting one foot in front of the other is sometimes the only way to get through certain things, even if a person is only going in circles, at times. Knowing when to move and when to hunker down is essential and thoroughly explored here in these pages, providing food for thought and a roadmap of sorts for our present day world. Just know, it’s a slow, unfolding story, similar to how seasons unfold to reveal what comes next. It reminds me of stories like those written by Ursula Le Guin in which the plot is not the point, and it’s not the ending that’s the destination, but the journey of words that takes you somewhere the author wants you to be, usually a lesson learned that’s as individual as the reader. This is a short book that speaks volumes, one that’s often sad, but beautifully told and filled with moments of hope, one I won’t soon forget.
It begins with a father and daughter living in a remote wilderness setting, the two of them the last humans alive on earth. The man’s wife died not long after the daughter was born and he doesn’t know what became of everyone else because whatever catastrophe occurred happened long before he was born. He and his daughter live off the land at the base of a mountain that’s shaped like a bear, an important place which has its own myth attached to it. The father teaches the daughter everything she needs to know to survive, and he takes it well beyond the physical as he provides emotional sustenance and tells her all about the mother she never knew, yet has grown to love as dearly as her father. All is peaceful and in balance in their world, despite the difficulties of living moment by moment, hand to mouth. Then one day, the father tells his daughter they must go on a long journey, one that will challenge the daughter in ways she never could have dreamed of, especially after an unexpected turn of events.
She left them to the silence now of her father, who sat before the embers of the fire and gazed at them as though they were tiny suns setting on a world of sand and water and he was given this moment alone to see them in the evanescence of their warmth.
If I could use only one word to describe this book, I’d call it transcendental, in that it provides something nourishing for the soul. It was also satisfying in a way that’s harder to explain. It has to do with all the steps the daughter takes to survive on a daily basis, making use of everything and anything at her disposal, including her wits and courage. She knows nothing of technology, social media, or any of the trappings of modern life that are supposed to make life easier, but ultimately can burden people. In this world, everything she possesses, she finds or makes. She’s in sync with the land and all it encompasses, right up to and including the weather and the stars. They are her constant companions, as are her memories and something more, which she will need every bit as much as food and shelter.
This is a fine book to read for the here and now, as everyone must learn to adjust to living in a new reality during the pandemic. I found it enriching to read about how putting one foot in front of the other is sometimes the only way to get through certain things, even if a person is only going in circles, at times. Knowing when to move and when to hunker down is essential and thoroughly explored here in these pages, providing food for thought and a roadmap of sorts for our present day world. Just know, it’s a slow, unfolding story, similar to how seasons unfold to reveal what comes next. It reminds me of stories like those written by Ursula Le Guin in which the plot is not the point, and it’s not the ending that’s the destination, but the journey of words that takes you somewhere the author wants you to be, usually a lesson learned that’s as individual as the reader. This is a short book that speaks volumes, one that’s often sad, but beautifully told and filled with moments of hope, one I won’t soon forget.
February 14, 2023
I listened to the audiobook for this one. And I think it’s a good thing I did; as I was stitching while listening. Had I been reading, with no other multitasking distraction, I suspect I’d have fallen asleep. Even at only 224 pages this felt a bit long. Sad but true.
While The Bear is very poignant, beautifully written, immensely sad, and lovely narration of the changing of the seasons; it doesn’t really have a plot. It could be that The Bear is intended to be a story to help us understand loss, loneliness, or respect for animals. I would accept any one of those three reasons. Overall, it’s quite dull. If you are hoping for some sort of dystopian or climate change story I can tell you that does not exist here. We are merely told our man and girl are the last humans with no further description, ideas, or even wondering about how, why, and what took down the once viral human race.
I was initially so excited to read a story that (hopefully) portrayed winter appropriately. As a Canadian girl who lives in a very snowy, wintery place (Calgary, Ab), where the wind and snow literally have a song and haunting of their own (as I write this it’s a howling snowstorm outside my warm home), I had really hoped for some good winter descriptions and experiences. I was sorely disappointed.
While the issue of hunger and food was well handled; the constraints of cold, frostbite, ice and other elements were not. A couple things were well done (like the girl laying on her belly on the river ice) and the absolute mandatory find of shelter (ie: cave, lean-to, etc) from the howling ice cold winter wind; most were poorly done. I’m sorry but frostbite (at a minimum) would have plagued our characters long before most things that cause them actual grief. And don’t even get me started on the fatality rate of anyone who gets wet in subzero temperatures!! Alas, once again, I’m let down by another winter portrayal. :(
Overall there are much better books out there to read about survival, wilderness, and our relationship with nature and death. This one is okay; but I wouldn’t read it again, nor am I inclined to recommend it out. There are better overall books (including the classic The Call of the Wild) that tell this type of story just as well or better.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
That said the copy I listened to came from my local library.
While The Bear is very poignant, beautifully written, immensely sad, and lovely narration of the changing of the seasons; it doesn’t really have a plot. It could be that The Bear is intended to be a story to help us understand loss, loneliness, or respect for animals. I would accept any one of those three reasons. Overall, it’s quite dull. If you are hoping for some sort of dystopian or climate change story I can tell you that does not exist here. We are merely told our man and girl are the last humans with no further description, ideas, or even wondering about how, why, and what took down the once viral human race.
I was initially so excited to read a story that (hopefully) portrayed winter appropriately. As a Canadian girl who lives in a very snowy, wintery place (Calgary, Ab), where the wind and snow literally have a song and haunting of their own (as I write this it’s a howling snowstorm outside my warm home), I had really hoped for some good winter descriptions and experiences. I was sorely disappointed.
While the issue of hunger and food was well handled; the constraints of cold, frostbite, ice and other elements were not. A couple things were well done (like the girl laying on her belly on the river ice) and the absolute mandatory find of shelter (ie: cave, lean-to, etc) from the howling ice cold winter wind; most were poorly done. I’m sorry but frostbite (at a minimum) would have plagued our characters long before most things that cause them actual grief. And don’t even get me started on the fatality rate of anyone who gets wet in subzero temperatures!! Alas, once again, I’m let down by another winter portrayal. :(
Overall there are much better books out there to read about survival, wilderness, and our relationship with nature and death. This one is okay; but I wouldn’t read it again, nor am I inclined to recommend it out. There are better overall books (including the classic The Call of the Wild) that tell this type of story just as well or better.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
That said the copy I listened to came from my local library.
June 9, 2020
Many thanks to NetGalley, Bellevue Literary Press, and Andrew Krivak for an ARC in exchange for an honest review of The Bear. My thoughts and opinions are 100% my own and independent of receiving an advance copy.
A simple yet stunning story that fills you with wonder. No wonder Andrew Krivak won the National Book Award for Fiction. His prose evokes every sound in nature so you feel the wind on your face, the crunch of the leaves, the smell of the grass. A father and his daughter in an Eden-like world, long after man has disappeared from the earth. The father teaches the daughter the ways of the land and reminds us of a time when respect for those who we share the earth with was vital. But nature can be cruel and as they travel days to retrieve much needed salt from the ocean, the father dies. A bear who has been passed down the knowledge of language, accompanies the girl on her travels back home.
This move at a serene pace, with a gentle push forward as the trials and tribulations that living off the land can bring. The relationship between the father and daughter is loving, tender, and so supportive. He is raising a strong independent girl that will know how to survive once he no longer is around. He tells her stories of her mother and the animals with awe and respect. He teaches her well because when the bear observes her, he does so also with respect. He sees the way she kills an animal, thanks the animal spirits, gives back to the land and uses all parts of the animal so nothing goes to waste. The bear helps her survive the trek back to her home. Their relationship is also beautiful and magical. But there is a third character, the land. She can be kind or cruel, is always magnificent.
This is one of those special books that you can read over and over again. Each time you revisit the story, you will find something else to marvel about. I was entranced the whole time I was reading it. It really did transport me to a new world, I was sad to leave the characters and loved the prose. One of my favourite reads in a while.
A simple yet stunning story that fills you with wonder. No wonder Andrew Krivak won the National Book Award for Fiction. His prose evokes every sound in nature so you feel the wind on your face, the crunch of the leaves, the smell of the grass. A father and his daughter in an Eden-like world, long after man has disappeared from the earth. The father teaches the daughter the ways of the land and reminds us of a time when respect for those who we share the earth with was vital. But nature can be cruel and as they travel days to retrieve much needed salt from the ocean, the father dies. A bear who has been passed down the knowledge of language, accompanies the girl on her travels back home.
This move at a serene pace, with a gentle push forward as the trials and tribulations that living off the land can bring. The relationship between the father and daughter is loving, tender, and so supportive. He is raising a strong independent girl that will know how to survive once he no longer is around. He tells her stories of her mother and the animals with awe and respect. He teaches her well because when the bear observes her, he does so also with respect. He sees the way she kills an animal, thanks the animal spirits, gives back to the land and uses all parts of the animal so nothing goes to waste. The bear helps her survive the trek back to her home. Their relationship is also beautiful and magical. But there is a third character, the land. She can be kind or cruel, is always magnificent.
This is one of those special books that you can read over and over again. Each time you revisit the story, you will find something else to marvel about. I was entranced the whole time I was reading it. It really did transport me to a new world, I was sad to leave the characters and loved the prose. One of my favourite reads in a while.
July 11, 2020
Written in reverent, hushed tones that echo like voices in an empty cathedral, The Bear is a tale of the last two humans on earth.
An unexplained catastrophe has ended the dominion of human, and the earth has reverted to the quiet brutality of weather and seasons and creatures. A father and daughter grow older in their stronghold beneath The Bear, the eponymous mountain of the title, the man teaching the girl survival skills and an appreciation of the poetry of Wendell Berry from the few books that remain in their cabin. Each year, on the anniversary of the girl's mother's death, not long after the girl's birthday, the two climb to the summit of The Bear to visit the grave.
The father nurtures a wrenching melancholy, knowing that all he can offer his daughter is an appreciation for the moment, for the doing of a thing. Why else would he teach her to read and write? There is no one left to write to and their few books will disintegrate in time. He offers her joy and satisfaction in crafting the perfect arrow, reverence in slaughtering an animal that will sustain them, delight in collecting wild honey.
The father and daughter leave their home one summer just as the girl enters adolescence, making for the sea where they can harvest salt. Disaster strikes and the girl must carry on alone.
What begins as a dystopian fairy tale carries on as magical realism, in a world where bears talk and mountain lions wrestle with moral dilemmas. The novella takes on a dream-like quality as the girl drifts from desperation and depression into quiet resolution. She derives comfort and wisdom from her carnivore companions, making her way home to bury her father beside her mother, growing old in the shadow of The Bear.
Andrew Krivak could not have known he would be releasing The Bear into a world standing at the cliff's edge, moments before plunging into a pandemic. This lovely, elegiac, post-apocalyptic fable is poignantly and eerily timed. Its underlying message of hope is that Nature will not only endure without us, she will thrive.
An unexplained catastrophe has ended the dominion of human, and the earth has reverted to the quiet brutality of weather and seasons and creatures. A father and daughter grow older in their stronghold beneath The Bear, the eponymous mountain of the title, the man teaching the girl survival skills and an appreciation of the poetry of Wendell Berry from the few books that remain in their cabin. Each year, on the anniversary of the girl's mother's death, not long after the girl's birthday, the two climb to the summit of The Bear to visit the grave.
The father nurtures a wrenching melancholy, knowing that all he can offer his daughter is an appreciation for the moment, for the doing of a thing. Why else would he teach her to read and write? There is no one left to write to and their few books will disintegrate in time. He offers her joy and satisfaction in crafting the perfect arrow, reverence in slaughtering an animal that will sustain them, delight in collecting wild honey.
The father and daughter leave their home one summer just as the girl enters adolescence, making for the sea where they can harvest salt. Disaster strikes and the girl must carry on alone.
What begins as a dystopian fairy tale carries on as magical realism, in a world where bears talk and mountain lions wrestle with moral dilemmas. The novella takes on a dream-like quality as the girl drifts from desperation and depression into quiet resolution. She derives comfort and wisdom from her carnivore companions, making her way home to bury her father beside her mother, growing old in the shadow of The Bear.
Andrew Krivak could not have known he would be releasing The Bear into a world standing at the cliff's edge, moments before plunging into a pandemic. This lovely, elegiac, post-apocalyptic fable is poignantly and eerily timed. Its underlying message of hope is that Nature will not only endure without us, she will thrive.
February 5, 2022
"And yet no matter how long winter lasted, spring followed, it's arrival soft and somehow surprising, like the notes of birdsong upon waking, or the tap of water slipping in a droplet from a branch to the ground."
Beautifully written, this one is sad but touching. All about the graceful end of our race, about the last left finding and nurturing a lovely relationship with nature.
Beautifully written, this one is sad but touching. All about the graceful end of our race, about the last left finding and nurturing a lovely relationship with nature.
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