NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERA thrilling tale of betrayal and revenge set against the nineteenth-century American frontier, the astonishing story of real-life trapper and frontiersman Hugh GlassThe year is 1823, and the trappers of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company live a brutal frontier life. Hugh Glass is among the company’s finest men, an experienced frontiersman and an … company’s finest men, an experienced frontiersman and an expert tracker. But when a scouting mission puts him face-to-face with a grizzly bear, he is viciously mauled and not expected to survive. Two company men are dispatched to stay behind and tend to Glass before he dies. When the men abandon him instead, Glass is driven to survive by one desire: revenge. With shocking grit and determination, Glass sets out, crawling at first, across hundreds of miles of uncharted American frontier. Based on a true story, The Revenant is a remarkable tale of obsession, the human will stretched to its limits, and the lengths that one man will go to for retribution.
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This book was good. The author had a bit of Hemingway in his style. I didn’t love the ending, but as the story was historical, I can’t really ask for artifice over truth.
Michael Punke’s The Revenant is brutal, gripping, and perhaps too historically accurate for its own good.
The story starts with a flash-forward, showing us the moment in 1823 when Hugh Glass, the protagonist, is left to die near the Missouri River. Then Punke flashes back to show how Glass came to join the Rocky Mountain Fur Company, get horrifically mauled by a grizzly bear, and be abandoned by the two men who were supposed to stay with him until he passed. Glass survives, though, and swears vengeance on the men who shirked their duty and stole his gear, including his prized rifle.
This quest for vengeance fuels the rest of the narrative by giving Glass a tangible goal: catch the thieves, enact his revenge, and reclaim his possessions. The simple mission carries him through encounters with other frontiersmen, Native Americans—both hostile and friendly—and the elements. Glass overcomes terrible injuries and faces down worse odds time and again to get what’s his. The clear target also allows the reader to navigate long passages with no dialogue, transforming what could have been a wandering survival story into something more compelling.
And yet… the conclusion doesn’t fully live up to the promise Punke makes in the beginning. There’s a semi-climactic confrontation, but it feels unsatisfying after the pages and pages of Glass’s torturous struggle to get there. I wonder if Punke felt constrained by writing a story about real men—many of the characters in the story are historical figures, including Glass. Punke notes in his afterword that he took some liberties with how the story closes, adding a partial resolution that doesn’t exist in the historical record. I wish he’d gone further and improvised a more fulfilling finale.
I’m curious to see how the (Oscar-winning) film adaptation handles the ending. My guess is that Hollywood takes greater license, but we’ll see. For now, I’ll remember The Revenant as a thrilling hunt that doesn’t quite catch its quarry.
(For more reviews like this one, see http://www.nickwisseman.com)
More than anyone could endure!!!
I tried to watch the movie, starring Leonardo DiCaprio. I got through the first 30 seconds before I left the film because it was too intense. For some odd reason, I thought I’m could handle the book better. all I can say is wow! This book is fantastic. It’s definitely got cringe-worthy moments… The infamous bear attack , for example. But it’s rich in history and layered in prosw. I love this book!
Much better than the movie.
Sorry to say the movie version was better.
But still a good read.
I can easily see why a movie was made from this book! Life in the 1800s was hard, but this was the hardest of the hard. Between weather, wild beasts, and fellow man, it’s a wonder anybody survived that period at all! I give five stars!
Interesting take on a subject covered in other books and even a movie. This treatment draws upon established references to develop a believable picture of an individual who is driven to seek personal justice for contemptible actions performed against him by fellow 19th century frontier men.
Great treatment of an interesting historical figure.
Good book. Different than the movie. I liked them both
Had to watch the movie after reading this book. Interested in history of Hugh Glass and Jim Bridger. Great read.
Damn that bear fucked that guy up