Reading Well’s very first entry was Peter Heller‘s The Painter. Four and a half years and many write-ups later, we find Heller’s The River (2019).
The novel traces two college friends as they kayak and camp along a river in Canada. They are both able outdoorsmen, but the voyage holds two dangers. First, there is a massive fire tearing through the wilderness and gaining on them; second, there are other people on the water, of unknown and perhaps sinister intent.
There are two deep strengths to the book; the first is the relationship between the young men, which is deep and palpable, managing to shed insight into each of them without sliding into cliche. The second is the setting itself: Heller has a true gift for describing the natural world, and the river–and most spectacularly a scene where the fire leaps from one bank to the other–is a powerful and central force in the narrative.
While not reaching the heights of The Painter, The River is a deeply satisfying read, with at least a few scenes that will stay with the reader for quite some time. Highly recommended.
#What I Wish I Could Do
The way Heller brings the environment to life is spectacular. It adds so, so much to the depth of the world when the natural surroundings are so vividly portrayed, and that’s a really worthwhile goal for my own writing, which often is a bit light on the specifics of flora and fauna, which can be a little overwhelming to invent.