Northwest of Normal

by John Larison

Set in the quirky mountain town of Ipsyniho, Oregon--a community of artists, loggers, dope growers, and river guides-- Northwest of Normal is the humorous story of one village reinventing the American dream. Andy Trib is a troubled fly-fishing guide returning to his hometown of Ipsyniho after a year on the run. He embarks on a quest to repair his life's greatest sin, the betrayal of his surrogate brother Danny Goodman. Andy's quest will end in a staggering act of violence, one that will endanger everything he holds dear.

Genres: Fiction

234 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2009

About the author

JOHN L A R I SON spent much of
his childhood in remote regions of Australia,
the Caribbean, Canada, the South Pacific,
Alaska, and the American West before graduating
from high school in Ithaca, New York. He
studied philosophy and literature at the University
of Oregon, and became a renowned flyfishing
guide ahead of earning an MFA from
Oregon State University, where he stayed to
teach while writing Whiskey When We’re Dry.
He lives with his family on a small farm in rural Oregon, where he is at work on his next novel.

Reviews

[David Bryson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book because it was favorably compared to David J Duncan's "The River Why" which I thoroughly enjoyed and think is a great book, even for non-fishers.

This book, however, fell quite short of the high bar set by Duncan.

The best thing about this book are the author's descriptions of the setting: the river and it's streamside ecology (blackberries included) and the funky town in which it is set and it's (typical) cast of characters. The scenes with fishing involved are pretty good too as the author is a salmon fly fisherman and reading them felt like being in the boat.

As far as being a novel, this book fell flat. There was little character development, none of the characters were very sympathetic, the plot was fairly predictable, and he is far too blunt in driving home themes of man's destruction to nature.

[Kyri Freeman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A rare case of an author who showed promise then actually improved his craft with time. I would recommend Holding Lies, set in the same community and focused more on the river, over this occasionally unpolished book.

[Stacy Bearse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love fly fishing. I love the Oregon rural lifestyle. And, I loved this novel. With steelhead fly-fishing as a backdrop, NORTHWEST OF NORMAL is a saga of a deep friendship corroded by anger and betrayal. At the core of the story is a complex relationship between two male fishing guides and the woman who spurned one angler to marry the other. The characters are torn by feelings of regret, and by big lies that nibble away at their souls. Eventually the lies surface and the plot explodes. The powerful (and fictional) Ipsyniho river is at the heart of the story and serves as a reminder that truth - like water - will always prevail.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as "Holding Lies", but still good. I appreciated getting the back story on Danny, a character I particularly liked in HL. Larison is very good at putting you inside a particular person's reality, their body and their perspective and their frustrations with their own various limitations, and good with the timing of his reveals. Most of all I appreciate the richness of the language that flows with the same beauty and grace as his beloved Ipsyniho River.

[Luke K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is a fairly generic love triangle but the author does a great job of weaving the region and the passions of the characters into a complete story about love and growing older. A good read for anyone, seems more angled at those of us in between responsibilities and expectations

[Ron Patch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story.