The Bear in the Attic

by Patrick F. McManus

The beloved humorist and bestselling author returns with his most riotous collection of essays to date

Starting with his trademark outdoorsman's wit, Patrick F. McManus's newest collection ponders the strange allure of the RV, the existential implications of being lost, the baffling tendency of animals to outsmart those who wish to hunt them, and the singular pleasure of doubling the size of every fish one doesn't actually catch.

Combining the curmudgeonly voice of Dave Barry and the innocent tone of Garrison Keillor, McManus brilliantly captures the everyday absurdities that comprise our existence. Alongside his humor, McManus's inimitable vision consistently evokes a childlike wonder at the natural world. Even if we are running low on food, the compass is broken, and we are fairly certain we have just spotted a family of Sasquatches frolicking in the treetops, The Bear in the Attic makes the outdoors seem wildly irresistible.

Genres: Humor, Nonfiction, Short Stories, Outdoors, Essays, Comedy, Nature

225 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Patrick F. McManus is an American outdoor humor writer. A humor columnist for Outdoor Life and other magazines, his columns have been collected in several books.

Reviews

[Troy Stauffer]

"If I May Digress" is literally 2 (run-on) sentences long. The first one is 1,099 words.

Take that Apostle Paul.

[Tami Gandt]

My Dad read many McManus's books and now I know why, hilarious with occasional sarcasm that makes you laugh out loud with his stories of his childhood.

[Rob]

I started listening to the audiobook, and while there was nothing wrong with the stories I just couldn't stand the narrator. He just sounded cranky with me, and I couldn't handle the guilt. I'd recommend the book if you want to read it.

[Judy]

Enjoyable collection of essays about the outdoors. Reminds me of the everyday absurdies that surround us.

[Karlin Miller]

McManus's curmudgeonly conversations are still comical. This collection of stories come from later in his life, and in my opinion have less knee-jerk humor and a bit more of honest reflection on life. An enjoyable encounter.

[Shiloah]

Thoroughly enjoyable. I can always count on laughing out loud with his books.

[Florence]

So far, so good! I love Patrick McManus' books, they are so funny and enjoyable for a quick read before bed, I always end up laughing out loud and waking Brent!

[Andy Moss]

great stories

[Katie O’Reilly]

<3

2015: JOY. Just JOY!

[Ethan]

It was interesting reading this back-to-back with Avalanche. A couple of the anecdotes in this book from his childhood in Idaho are directly worked into the novel.

As always, McManus entertains, with essays of exceptional humor being "Comments I Could Do Without," "Pockets," "A Hunter's Breakfast," and "As the Ear Is Bent."

His earthy humor could mask the classic homespun wisdom and poetry, if you're not looking for it, but if you are, some of the lines reallt resonate. For example his ode to his boots, "Curly and Mo": "Curly and Mo have carried me out of many a dark woods and out of even darker moods." Can relate.

I do think that it's a disservice to read these sorts of anthologies at a single sitting. I suspect they are actually best as bathroom books, which I don't think would offend any of the authors. Certainly not this one.

[Jerimy Stoll]

Patrick likes to write triction. I find all of his books entertaining. He has a great imagination and is able to combine humor with stories from his childhood, adulthood, and geezerhood. He uses an effective combination of the normal vernacular, redneck language, sarcasm, cynicism, and the added white lie to bring his stories to the life Frankenstein's monster never dreamt possible. I always learn a few things when I read about his haphazard misadventures. In this book I learned the following:

1. Children are inherently selfish.
2. Adults are inherently selfish.
3. Employers are inherently selfish.

These lessons were learned through the turbulence of many guffaws.

[Charles Wagner]

Thurber in the woods

Searching for tolerable humor books, I across this volume. I found the title story hilarious and the line “That explains so much” from the story “The unexplained” properly topping that, I will make you read the story to properly appreciate the punch line.

If only McManus had thrown in some squiggly cartoons as Thurber did, I would have given this one a five star.

The only objection I had was it was primarily about fishing, about hunting, about hunting and fishing, about fishing and hunting. But, that is okay for one book.

Enjoy.

[James Biser]

Patrick McManus can spin a yarn. This book is full of story after story of McManus, his family, his friends and everyone else he happens upon in the tales. As the title suggests, there are bears in the family attic in a few stories, but that does not abandon tales about fish, elk, turkey, sasquatch, and insane neighbors. The book is hilarious.

[Rebecca]

This was a laugh out loud all the way through to the end kind of book! It was even better narrated by Norman Dietz. I have picked this up to listen to several times at the library but it never seemed to make it into the check out stack. What a surprise it was! Light and funny stories of camping, fishing, hunting and mostly childhood boy stories but just fantastic.

[Anthony]

Thirty-six essays filled with home spun wit, outrageous humor, and questionable truths by the Northwest's version of Mark Twain. This collection of essays are sure to bring the inner smile outward, and bursts of laughter to the reader even if they've never hiked, fished, hunted, camped, or grew up on a farm.

[C.G.]

Pure Pleasure Reading

I've always loved Pat McManus and was shocked to find one of his books that I had never read. Whether it was one of his humor articles in Outdoor Life or Field and Stream, one of his collections of essays or Sheriff Bo Tulley mysteries, I greedily read and enjoyed them all.

[Heather]

A little funny, a little charming, a little unbelievable…not sure whether to think of this as memoir of a boyhood in the 1940’s, strictly humor, or tall tales of outdoor exploits. Probably best in small doses like it was originally published (magazine humor column). Not the top of my favorites list but I’ll definitely read his others when I come across them.

[Stefano]

Usual Mcmanus: witty, humorous and sometimes thought-provoking.

A nice collection of anecdotes, mostly from his childhood, that lift the reader back in time and place, to a simpler life in the great outdoors.

A nice, light-hearted read

[Josh]

Not McManus's best collection, but still quite good.

[Bryan]

Best story in the book is the title story. Read o\it to my wife and we died laughing.

[Kate Insley]

If you miss the crazy uncle telling the funny stories, this ones for you. Literally had me laughing in the dentist office chair and wiping tears away so I could see the road (not at the same time 😏)

[Bambi Campbell]

Super cute collection of essays. Ones you want to remember so you can retell your version of them as a bedtime story for your kids

[Jannette Tacka]

The literary collision of Reader's Digest and visits with my grandfather. Not high brow but familiar. Nice and adorkably familiar.

[Sam Hagadorn]

Read - Joint Base Balad, Iraq.

[Regina]

So many laughs!!!

[Nola]

This is an addictively cute and funny book.

[Melody]

Read by Norman Dietz. NOT translated by …

[Jeremiah Small]

Collection of comedic short stories

[Barbara]

What a fun collection of stories! I chuckled out loud reading Patrick's tales of fishing and exploring the out of doors! Patrick McManus is a wonderful story teller.

[Karin]

Funny stories and maybe an intelligence test as to whether you can catch what is funny. It reminds me of Mark Twain’s style. Short stories that make good car listening going short distances.