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Hand-Dug Well Full of Snakes: A Nearly True Story
From the Mississippi River to the mountains of Denali, I spread my fathers ashes across the country. A road trip down memory lane and up the Alaskan highway. "It's about a love of a son for his father. It's about love that conquers misfortune, sorrow, and even death. It's about love of music, the open road, fresh air, chaos, and the finest herbs, smoked with the finest people. This is about a love of life."-Redboi (From the Forward)
212 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 17, 2020
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
January 4, 2025
Though vulgar and saturated with drug use, I think I enjoyed this "nearly true story" in part because I know the author. When you walk into the bar and grill where he works and he's playing guitar and singing while tending bar, you realize pretty quickly that he's an interesting character who must have some good stories.
This book is not just about stories; it's about his relationship with his dad and the journey that he takes to spread his ashes when he dies. It's about a lot of relationships - friends, step parents, co-workers and strangers. It's about growing up and coming to terms with pain. It jumps around a lot, but if you read it consistently, it flows and doesn't feel disjointed. At a couple of hundred pages, it's still something you could read in a few sittings because it goes quickly.
The author has a way, that seems to have been passed down to him from his dad based on the inclusion of several journal entries and songs written by his dad, with describing things that lends a special significance to them. Even though I can't get behind the lifestyle that much of the book portrays, I appreciated the meaningfulness that was pulled from it. From the little that I've observed, there's a kindness and a passion for life in the author and that comes through in his writing.
I also enjoyed the setting. The author lived in Minnesota and then Alaska (and back and forth between the two). Since I grew up in Minnesota and then moved to Alaska, this is quite an enjoyable backdrop for me. It was fun to read about towns like Minneapolis, Minnetonka and even Pillager and then read about Tok, Willow, and Anchorage. I have pictures from many of the places he mentions from his drive between MN and AK which is also fun.
The book reminded me somewhat of Keruoac's On the Road (which I did not really enjoy), but I think there's a tenderness to it that redeems what could feel like a wallowing in the stupor and pointless drug culture that Keruoac's book was.
The book is funny, poignant and and overall very entertaining. What a pile of experiences - the good, the bad and the ugly.
The book would benefit from a once-over by a good editor. There were some grammatical and formatting errors, but it wasn't very distracting. In some ways it seemed to fit.
Unfortunately, due to the content (constant drug use, sexual innuendo, language, etc.), I can't recommend it to most of the people I know, but I'm glad I read it and I think it's a special tribute to a man and his father and all of the life that they've lived.
This book is not just about stories; it's about his relationship with his dad and the journey that he takes to spread his ashes when he dies. It's about a lot of relationships - friends, step parents, co-workers and strangers. It's about growing up and coming to terms with pain. It jumps around a lot, but if you read it consistently, it flows and doesn't feel disjointed. At a couple of hundred pages, it's still something you could read in a few sittings because it goes quickly.
The author has a way, that seems to have been passed down to him from his dad based on the inclusion of several journal entries and songs written by his dad, with describing things that lends a special significance to them. Even though I can't get behind the lifestyle that much of the book portrays, I appreciated the meaningfulness that was pulled from it. From the little that I've observed, there's a kindness and a passion for life in the author and that comes through in his writing.
I also enjoyed the setting. The author lived in Minnesota and then Alaska (and back and forth between the two). Since I grew up in Minnesota and then moved to Alaska, this is quite an enjoyable backdrop for me. It was fun to read about towns like Minneapolis, Minnetonka and even Pillager and then read about Tok, Willow, and Anchorage. I have pictures from many of the places he mentions from his drive between MN and AK which is also fun.
The book reminded me somewhat of Keruoac's On the Road (which I did not really enjoy), but I think there's a tenderness to it that redeems what could feel like a wallowing in the stupor and pointless drug culture that Keruoac's book was.
The book is funny, poignant and and overall very entertaining. What a pile of experiences - the good, the bad and the ugly.
The book would benefit from a once-over by a good editor. There were some grammatical and formatting errors, but it wasn't very distracting. In some ways it seemed to fit.
Unfortunately, due to the content (constant drug use, sexual innuendo, language, etc.), I can't recommend it to most of the people I know, but I'm glad I read it and I think it's a special tribute to a man and his father and all of the life that they've lived.
Displaying 1 of 1 review