So Brave, Young, and Handsome (Thorndike Press Large Print Basic Series) | 
 enlarge | Author: Leif Enger
Publisher: Gale Cengage
Category: Book
Buy New: $33.95
New (2) from $33.95
Avg. Customer Rating:  77 reviews
Sales Rank: 2099424
Format: Large Print
Media: Hardcover
Edition: Lrg
Number Of Items: 1
ISBN: 1410408167
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9781410408167
ASIN: 1410408167
Publication Date: August 6, 2008 (New: Last 30 Days)
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
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Amazon.com
Amazon Significant Seven, April 2008: A gritty western couched in the easy storytelling style of a folk ballad (think 3:10 to Yuma as sung by the Kingston Trio), Leif Enger's highly anticipated second novel (his first was Peace Like a River) tells the story of outlaw Glendon Hale's quest to right his past, as seen through the eyes of his unlikely companion Monte Becket. So Brave, Young, and Handsome begins with Becket, a struggling novelist bewildered by the success of his first book, who has pledged to his wife, son, and publisher to "write one thousand words a day until another book is finished." Four years and six unfinished novels later, Becket sits on the porch of his Minnesota farmhouse about to give up on number seven, when he spies a man standing up in his boat "rowing upstream through the ropy mists of the Cannon River." Eager to set aside his waning tale about handsome ranch hand Dan Roscoe, Becket calls out to the mysterious white-haired boatman and his life changes forever. At turns merry and wistful, romantic and tragic, So Brave, Young, and Handsome is as absorbing as a campfire tale, full of winking outlaws and relentless villains--the sort of story to keep you on the edge of your seat with hope in your heart. --Daphne Durham
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| Customer Reviews: Read 72 more reviews...
 On the road with the last of the Old West August 19, 2008
"That is how you want to be remembered, my friends. Take a picture in your moment of conquest, when your luck is high and bullets still bounce off. That will do for the ages." - Monte Becket
Monte Becket lives with wife and young son in rural Minnesota along the Cannon River during the second decade of the 20th century. To date, Becket's one claim to wealth and fame is his wildly popular pulp Western, MARTIN BLIGH. His publisher wants more, but, lately, Monte's muse has failed him. Becket is drifting and anticipating failure as a writer, husband and father. Then one day, out of the fog on the river, a white-haired old man paddles his boat past. Enter into Monte's life boat-builder Glendon Hale, formerly Glen Dobie of the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang.
Hale was once married to a Mexican girl named Blue. But, sought by the Federales, Glendon deserted her never to return. Now, years later, he desires to go back and apologize to the woman he truly loved. He invites Monte to accompany him on the journey, and the latter, fearing the stagnation in his life, accepts. Along the way appears Charles Siringo, also once of the Hole-in-the-Wall, but now a self-anointed lawman of some legend, mostly constructed from books that he himself has written. Charles, now an old man himself, is in relentless pursuit of Glen Dobie for past crimes.
SO BRAVE, YOUNG AND HANDSOME is a coming-of-maturation story by Leif Enger. Its characterizations and narrative pace are reminiscent of Larry McMurtry's novels of the West, e.g. the superlative Lonesome Dove: A Novel (Simon & Schuster Classics). Here, Becket rediscovers not only himself and the talents within, but also learns something about the nature of honor, friendship, love and public fame.
In the McMurtry style, the plot of Enger's book doesn't evolve to a climactic and dramatic ending. Rather, random and relatively mundane events accumulate over time to give meaning to the protagonist's life, much as they do in the real lives of you and me. Enger's writing talent enables him to tell his tale with sympathy for each of the characters while demonstrating a keen eye for the story's time and place. What results is not a thriller in the popular sense, but still a book that I couldn't put down. Like Lonesome Dove, it could translate to an intelligent and absorbing film of deep emotional impact.
 So Brave, Young and Handsome August 15, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I was so very disappointed with this novel. After reading Enger's debut novel, Peace Like a River, I had high expectations for his new work. Unfortunately, I found it to be a dull read. It was disjointed, the characters were not compelling and the fine craftsmanship evident in his initial novel were simply missing. I slogged my way through the book, hoping for the best, but it actually got worse as I continued. What an incredible disappointment!
 The Ultimate Wimp August 9, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book starts out with the lure that action and drama will follow. It is interesting and eloquent. Then, at about page 140, it flat-lines, as in dies. The character who narrates the story becomes boring, letting people treat him like dirt for...whatever reason. He's a wimp, I guess. He just can't defend himself, even verbally. The eloquence becomes tiring, just a bunch of strained metaphors. Coincidences occur, seemingly in an effort to juice up the story. It never gets juiced. It drags along for another 150 pages, to an unpredictable but uninteresting ending.
another hit July 29, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
Leif Enger is back. His "Peace Like a River" is such a phenomenal book, and while this one doesn't quite measure up to its predecessor, it presents us once again with some down-to-earth but often colorful and complex characters who get caught up in events that frequently escalate. I sometimes wondered why the main character kept pursuing his neighbor--not sure that was well-developed enough. Yet it is a point that would be good for discussion, and perhaps that is Enger's reason for not pointedly stating it. It also stirs up consideration of the wanderlust that may exist in many hearts. Enger's narrative is again wonderful and beautifully wrought. It was often a pleasure just to read the beautiful way he put words down on paper. This is one author I will look for again.
Mr. Enger does it again! July 21, 2008
Leif Enger has created another wonderful read in So Brave, Young and Handsome: A Novel. Though I ranked his 1st book, Peace Like a River, among my top 5, I also found the new story to be compelling and well-charactered.
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