This book is easy to read and has glorious photos of bygone county fairs. An excellent selection for those interested in the history and feeling of the old fairs.

Though these state fairs were slightly before my time, yet I found the book fascinating. Fish's photographs and prose are a joy. Highly recommended

These black and white photos, along with the recollections of the author, conjure up an intriguing look back at country fairs - something that goes well beyond the simple nostalgia that one might expect from such a collection. The photos are touching and powerful, and reveal elements of both the human and animal condition in regards to such fairs. Things like the burlesque shows may be a thing of the past, and these photos perhaps show why as Fish looks at both the girls on show and those who watched them with a detached and objective eye. A fine book altogether - especially for those interested in photo-realism or historical archives. The images speak on a number of levels...which is, in the end, the measure of a good photograph.

I listened to the recorded, three cassette version and really think I missed some of the depth of Robert Peck's childhood-based story. I heard the re-recorded version narrated by Johnny Heller.

Shakers in Vermont must have been quite a peculiar people, and young Robert showed extreme gratitude and happiness when a neighbor gave him his first real gift, a tiny piglet he named Pinky. Robert's father was a butcher and made his living from pigs. At first the father would not allow Robert to accept the gift until it was given as advance pay against labor promised in the future.

Life was tough and Robert worked very hard on the farm. His parents' strict Shaker faith would not allow for idleness or waste. Therefore, it was a very big task to expect this young lad to take a neighbor's cow to the fair and show the cow in spite of the fact he wanted to show his own pig. He made good choices -- most of the time.

In spite of the incredible sadness at the end of this book, Robert's heroic act of saving a cow and her calf by pulling a goiter from the cow's throat with his bare hand puts this book on a must-read list for children over 10 (due to occasional profanity and gory descriptions of life on the farm).

The book leads to many possible avenues for lively discussion for children....family life, responsibilities and friendships. Animal care and appreciation are stressed as important.

Probably the most important aspect for discussion is what to do when your family is apt to go hungry and your very best friend is your pet pig which would feed your family.

A great springboard for imaginations and young people exchanging ideas!

This book was one of the best books that I have ever read. The ending was wonderful and made the whole book worth reading.

Going by the Shaker Book, Robert Peck and his family never accepted any frills. Robert's father, Haven Peck, kills pigs for a living. One day, Robert is given a pig by his neighbor for helping him with his cow. He names his pig Pinky. The author describes Robert's and Pinky's lives together, and how happy Robert is that he has something that he can call his own. This is a very sad and compelling book. Although their are some deaths, it shows how a family unlike other neighbors of theirs can keep their Shaker religion, even if it causes them to be different.

Citro's story The Gore is a masterpiece in itself. He once again combines folklore with the natural settings of Vermont to challenge your idea of a reality. Is there somebody out there??? He will heighten your suspense to a new level that you will not be able to sleep without reading this book!

This is one amazing book. It really gets you to think about every little thing around you. Is there someone out there just watching you? This is a great read for anyone. You won't be able to help to turn the next page. Great book. It was cool

Big Truck

This is a great original thriller/horror story. Citro again proves that he is at the top of the class in the horror field. This book (originally titled THE UNSEEN) does a great job describing this remote mountain region of Vermont.

I found this in a Bennington, VT bookstore after my wife Andi pointed it out and bought it right away based on a warm description of how loving a cat could be, even moments after killing and gutting a grouse. Berkeley does a wonderful job of showing that duality of cats, of how at once they're incredibly close to us they are as well as being close to natural hunting machines. Warmly written, funny and touching, she also fills out the book with very well-researched scientific info on feral cats, and cat populations. A must-read if you're a cat person and owner.

This book is out of print and copyrighted 1987, but it's the only book I found with information regarding a feral cat colony. The author's experiences with the feral cats living around her Vermont home are a delightful insight into the person/cat relationship, and her interest, curiosity, and research regarding the realities of feral cat colonies is incredibly useful to me, as a lay person is just starting to trap, spay/neuter, and return strays and ferals in the Los Angeles area. A must-read!

I was hooked! I love cats, and all other felines for that matter, but fiction is more my range. This, however, is a great book! I LOVED IT!!! A must read! Yay! Heheh!

In his penultimate novel, John Gardner finds a mature, more confident voice; the baroque tour-de-force he unleashed in certain earlier novels is supplanted by a simple and straightforward narrative that exibits the estimable writerly trait of knowing what to leave out. The story concerns an elderly brother and sister "living together in profound conflict" (-dustjacket), an uneasy truce that escalates into full-scale war when curmudgeonly James L. Page takes a shotgun and blows Sally Page's TV back to the hell whence it came. This pulpy tripe casts a strange spell over her as fact and fantasy merge. The novel-within-a-novel grows, frankly, tiresome; what Gardner is getting at (ostensibly something about art's relationship to life, a trifle didactic if so), and how her cheap novel relates to the primary narrative, is obscure. It will, however, provide grist for English- and Philosophy-major mills. The main tale, meanwhile, is one of Gardner's most accessible -- funny, with expertly observed characters, and ultimately so moving it astonishes.

I no longer give 5 stars to everything I like, but this is a book I return to again and again. It is a great 5 star book by a great 5 star author and a brilliant teacher (see The Art of Fiction). I hope it will be reissued so that more people can discover a gem of twentieth century writing. Do whatever you can to find a copy. It's a true hoot. Hopefully your local library will still have October Light in the collection.

John Gardner has created two great characters in 72 year old James Page and his older sister Sally Abbot. James, born on the fourth of July, is fiercely independent. His life's work has been caring for "dumb animals: horses, dairy cows, bees, pigs, chickens, and, indirectly, men. " James is truly shocked by Sally's disrespect for his opinions on the state of things in general. "Though he was never a great talker--certainly not in comparison to her, she could lecture your arm off--he knew a signifcant fact or two, knew by thunder, a truth or two--a truth or two that was still worth getting out of bed for."

Sally Page, a widow, has moved in with her brother James, because once the well to do wife of a dentist, she is now destitute. Sally does not adapt well to James' idea of a good life (one without television, nuclear energy, opinionated females, or home improvements.) "She'd preached him a sermon off television about the Equal Rights Amendment. He'd been amazed by all she said--shocked and flabbergasted, though he knew from magazines that there were people who believed such foolishness." They shake each other up, "She'd seemed as astonished by it all as he was, so astonished to discover what he thought that he almost came to doubt it," and ultimately survive themselves and each other.

The pleasure of laughing out loud one minute and then crying quietly in recognition almost in the next moment are among the literary gifts that Gardner bestows. Within the main story of the crises in James and Sally's relationship, precipitated by the murder of Sally's television set, is another lurid, slyly compelling trash novel, a "blockbuser," which Sally reads while locked up in her room subsisting on a diet of apples. Sally's relationship with the book she is reading are some of the most satisfying moments in October Light. "She began to fall in with the book's snappy rhythms, becoming herself more wry, more wearily disgusted with the world..."

As the spat between James and Sally becomes more grave and less of a rollick, Sally's trash novel becomes an hilarious rollercoaster ride. Sally hangs on for dear life. We learn through her musings a little more about the past and why the two siblings have only each other to rely on now. Much occurs to resolve the spat between James and Sally. And it's all perfectly satisfying, like true October light. If this book were a painting, I would imagine a Wyeth interior with a Bosch on the wall. Fasten your seatbelts and prepare to be entertained.

John Gardner was such an excellent writer that his artistry, like that of Hemingway, may go unnoticed by many readers. From the epic poem "Jason and Medea" and his translation of the Sumerian "Gilgamesh" to this novel and the later _Mickelson's Ghosts_, every line is eminently readable. In _October Light_ he moves far beyond his most popular work, the bildungsroman "_The Sunlight Dialogues_", to a novel of intense and intimite characterization. Fans of Gardner's student and disciple Richard Russo should be sure to read this book, which is unquestionably one of the greatest modern novels.

Michael Tougias's latest book, There's a Porcupine in My Outhouse, is a well-written, humorous account of some his adventures (and misadventures) surrounding his rustic camp in northern Vermont. Tougias bought the small A-frame when he was only 22 years old. Over the years, with the outdoors world as his teacher, he learns to live with nature, rather than by asserting dominance and control over it. Middle-aged suburbanites, such as myself, will readily see aspects of their own youthful development in Tougias's stories.

Don't expect the eloquence and introspection of a Thoreau. Tougias's style is light and very engaging. Also, as a bonus, the book is filled with great recommendations for further reading about naturalists and mountain men. The pages turn very quickly, which is unfortunate, since there are only 160 of them, including lots of porcupine filler. I found myself wanting more after the tales came to a rather abrupt ending. Further development of the three characters might have added to the tales. Overall, I enjoyed the book immensely.

After putting my three year old to bed for the night, I collapsed into my favorite chair, picked up "There's a Porcupine in My Outhouse", and found myself welcoming the morning sun with a smile on my face, memories my own misadventures, and thoughts of childhood friends. A thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining book. Michael Tougias has the uncanny nack of combining an extensive knowlege of the outdoors along with Wit and heart of a great storyteller. I found myself longing for my own special place, and to share adventures with Michael, Boomer, and Cogs as they learn about the great outdoors and themselves. I will return to this book over and over to share their stories.

Michael Tougias, a well-respected outdoor writer, has written a wonderful book about his growth from a young novice outdoorsman to a competent expert. "There's A Porcupine in My Outhouse" is funny portrait of one man's experience learning about the natural world. After I finally stopped laughing, I realized that I had even learned a lot in the process of reading his book.

E. Anne Proulx has the amazing talent to describe the small moments and details in life that we pass by everyday...but which we can immediately visualize when they are word-painted for us. She is an author that implores your every sense (sight, smell, sound, taste, touch, memory, & nostalgia) as you read. But her writing is not flowery...in fact it has a dark edge to it. Her descriptions are only surpassed by her characterization. She introduces you to the heart of rural Vermont through characters that you both admire and loathe...sometimes simultaneously. This collection of short stories is not her most famous work, but is perhaps her most classic. It is an easy read for pleasure, but one with layers and layers of depth for those who want to delve and ponder.

"Heartsongs and Other Stories" is an excellent collection of short stories set in the landscape of rural New England, where poor country folk struggle to eke out a living. These tough, gritty stories focus, for the most part on hunting and fishing, activities that give full play to the author's gift for capturing the rugged, rural landscape in all its moods and also provide an unusual backdrop for the human dramas played out. Revenge, ill-will, greed, infidelity, passion and jealousy, violence and death are all strong presences in these stringent stories so don't be misled by the tame "hunting and fishing" reference. Annie Proulx creates a cast of vivid characters - eccentric, downtrodden, down and out, malicious, conniving, - bringing them alive in a striking image or phrase. One character is described as "thin as a folded dollar bill" while another has a "white face like a folded slice of store bread".

Several stories reflect the clash of values of two very different worlds: the world of wealthy outsiders from the city with their flash guns, flash hunting gear, flash cars, flash houses and flash improvements impinging on the land, customs and traditions of the poor rural community, the actions of the outsiders often appearing naive, clumsy, even foolish. Central to this theme is "The Unclouded Day". Other stories such as "Electric Arrows", "Negatives" and "On The Antler" also explore this theme but perhaps to a lesser degree.

The best stories for this reader are "On The Antler" - bad blood had always existed between Hawkheel and Bill Stong, going right back to boyhood. Now both elderly, an incident triggers life-long ill-feeling into thoughts of revenge; "Stone City" - a hunter stumbles on a remote, derelict farm high up on the snow-covered wooded hillsides but senses an atmosphere of evil pervading the abandoned ruin, Stone City, once owned by the Stone family, old man Stone and his brood of wild, unruly offsprings. Gradually, more shocking revelations about the Stones and the grim past of Stone City come to light. "Bedrock" - living alone after the death of his wife, an elderly farmer, Perley, marries a young woman (four years younger than his own daughter) who turned up at the farm one day announcing, "Come to clean for you, do some home cookin'". Perley soon discovers he's let himself in for more than he bargained for. "A Country Killing" - the grim discovery of two bodies, a man and a woman, found in a trailer in a clearing, open this full-blooded story where treacherous undercurrents swirl around a small rural community. If you enjoy "Heartsongs..." try Annie Proulx's other superb short story collection, set in Wyoming, "Close Range".

To those, who were already enchanted by E.Annie Proulx's masterpieces ('Postcards' or 'The Shipping News'): do not eschew this collection of early short stories. They are not unskillful sketches of incipient, promising author but dazzlingly and glamorously brilliant splashes of her extraordinary talent (paradoxically both tragical and comical), unforgettable portraits of sundry people, to whom from the first pages you will feel admiration or aversion but never indifference or lack of interest, people in search of lost happiness... such as all of us are...

This book is multifaceted and some facets are better than others. I found the author's descriptions of his experiences with chronic mood disturbance enlightening and interesting. His attention to the interpersonal impact of dysphoria was especially good. As a book about the natural world, I was less satisfied. Moreover, I didn't find myself drawn to the connections he was making between processes in the natural world and the internal processes of a mood disorder. His accounts of his homelands lack the vividness found in works by Rick Bass or Richard Nelson. I don't want to overstate these criticisms; the book is well written and this is exactly the "type" of book I like: it's about a person who loves the land that surrounds him. However, better reading of this sort is found with the above-mentioned authors, or I especially want to recommend a couple of works by lesser known authors, "Purple Flat Top" by Jack Nisbet, and "Teewinot" by Turner.

Terry Osborne's coming-of-self narrative is brave, honest, and poignant. I have recently left New England after seven years, and Osborne's careful and tactile descriptions truly stirred me. But even for anyone who's unattached to a Vermont landscape, there's an important lesson here. Osborne shares with us his very personal journey to the discovery of how deeply our environment can inform our sense of self - in Osborne's case, how the complex "mosaic" of land, water, and air reflects the contours of his struggle with depression. Even now, living so far from all the swamp-and-peaks nature of Osborne's journeys (I'm a Paris resident), Sightlines has inspired me to explore my surroundings with a renewed energy and curiosity - to understand how much self-discovery can unfold through such an investigation. For that - and for his pure, graceful prose - I thank him!

Every so often a book reminds us of why we seek out the woods for solitude and comfort. "Sightlines" accomplishes that considerable feat with resounding success.

But it doesn't stop there. This elegant and deeply human narrative about the contours of landscapes (both inner and outer) lets us walk several paces behind the author and view his journey through years of depression even as we pause to lean against a nearby birch tree and admire the surrounding beauty of his rugged New England. The book is a remarkable achievement for combining these two storylines--and very often it is downright mesmerizing.

Osborne's writing--understated and controlled, what you'd expect from a Vermonter--soars to its greatest heights when framing the smallest things: a seemingly uprooted tree, a dark swamp, a river sand bar. Those images, and many others, stay vibrant long after the book is done.

This is a touching tale that comes complete with black and white photographs. A young man, David, is witness to the murder of his mother. He then hides in the woods of Vermont until he is old enough to carry out revenge. Lots of thing occur during the course of this short book including David being mistaken for the Green Mountain Yeti and his own saving of another's life. I liked it.

Leann Arndt, Reviewer

Tersely and expertly written, with a level of deep intensity permeating every page, credible characters and locales, the book is also profusely illustrated with black and white sketches. I very much enjoyed the book!

Here is a compelling family drama that you can read aloud to the kids! With a strong sense of place (Vermont) and an engaging plot (murder/revenge), this is a G-rated murder mystery that the whole family can enjoy. When a young boy is traumatized by watching his mother's murder, it starts him on a fascinating journey that includes becoming mute, learning to survive alone in the wilderness, and an eventual reconciliation with society five years later. A visiting family from California helps put all the pieces together in this charming, brief book that clearly has ties to the author's own life.

This is a book for Civil War buffs. The first half is interesting because it focuses on the raising and training of soldiers -- something not usually covered in other books of the genre. However, the author presents this material as a compendium of research tidbits rather than a story. The tale turns compelling and the writing more interesting when the Brigade meets its appointment with destiny at Gettysburg.

I read this book because I discovered that my great great grandfather fought with "A Co." 13th Reg. 2nd Brigade. A frenchman in the "Irish" company. Great detail on the volunteers who signed on for a quick nine month adventure and found eight months and two weeks of boredom and in the last weeks of their enlistment had a heroic march to get to Gettysburg and then to meet Picketts Charge, great story, even better knowing it is true.

Excellently written account of the day to day lives of the volunteer soldiers of the 2nd Vermont Brigade and of particular interest to me in that my great great grandfather was Freeman Sunderland, a member of CO.K, 13th Reg. and mentioned in the book. Thank you Mr. Coffin!