That includes finding the wife of the man who Jack and Wynn encounter, severely injured and near death, and crossing paths with two drunken rednecks before the wildfire - and the intention of the man the find paddling down the river - forces a fight of survival.Īt the heart of the book is the delicate dance of beauty and brutality. But they are both just carefree college boys who are largely unprepared for the events that await them on what was supposed to be a trip full of fishing and stargazing. Jack is cautious and watchful, his childhood shadowed by a tragedy, and Wynn is a Vermont kid who believes in the goodness of people. With Heller’s background, the fully developed main characters are entirely credible. The long desolate cry of a loon.” And the sheer terror of a wildfire baring down: “The burning debris rained down, they swiped it off arms, shoulders … an inconstant blizzard of sparks, bunches of pine needles flaming like flares, birch leaves ignited to molten lace rained down, but the wind had gone quiet, it eddied as if confused, circled around them like a dog settling for sleep …. The serenity of drifting down a calm river at night: “They loved how the darkness amplified the sounds - the gulp of the dipping paddles, the knock of the wood shaft against the gunwale.

The wilderness is more a character than a setting, and Heller captures its duality.

But then you hit the rapids and the danger and risk jump off the page, forcing a sense of urgency. The story itself resembles a trip down a river - some parts are peaceful and allow for quiet introspection and big, deep breaths. “The Dog Stars” was set along the Front Range, and, here, Jack grows up on a ranch outside of Granby, learning survival and toughness in the rugged Colorado landscapes. Not to mention a Colorado connection - Heller lives in Denver. “The River” is Heller’s fourth work of fiction, and it recalls his debut, “The Dog Stars,” with its poetic, staccato sentences and masterfully crafted prose. They’re on a long canoeing trip in northern Canada that unexpectedly takes a turn into part mystery (a man, likely in shock, whose wife has gone missing in the woods) and part action-adventure (there’s a giant, hellish forest fire burning behind them). Jack and Wynn are college buddies, men whose friendship has been forged by their mutual love of books and the outdoors. On the page, it’s referring to the northern lights, but it’s also a perfect description of the captivating and poetic thriller: “It was terrifying and unutterably beautiful.” There is a line in Peter Heller’s newest book, “The River,” that one could use to explain it. Digital Replica Edition Home Page Close Menu

The river peter heller