So. As of today I am taking the rest of November off and this includes a social media hiatus. Therefore, the last thing Im wrapping up is my much forgotten book club. Last book I assigned was The Hunters by James Salter, which many of you read. I, however, got bogged down with the end of our season and then the million little things that piled up in the rest of my life. So now, finally, here are my overdue thoughts on The Hunters. This is, without a doubt, one of the best debut works I have ever read. In fact, I sent it to my friend and Sewanee English professor Tam Carlson and he loved it too; claims hes going to assign it in his American Fiction class. THAT is high praise from a tough critic. I was roughly half-way through the novel when I realized how perfectly chosen this title is. Salter intentionally places the North Korean fighter pilots at horizonal distance, teasing us and our protagonist with the expansiveness of the void which must be searched for they who are distant specks of rare game. But, ultimately, the title cannot be taken so literally. These men are hunting for more than kills. They are hunting for something that barely approaches ontological meaning for men so young and vulnerable to idealism. According to an equally young Carson McCullers, the heart itself is a lonely hunter. What is perhaps most impressive (especially when one keeps in mind that this is his freshman outing) is that Salter achieves all of this in so spare a way. Only occasionally does the prose border on shades of purple. For the most part, it is an exercise in control; as emblematic of our protagonist as it is of more seasoned writing. The climactic moment should be clear to anyone who has read the book. I hope you will agree that it is utterly satisfying that this moment does not happen in the air, but on terra firma. And it is not expressed in bullets, but in words. And although those words are an utter lie, they are also incredibly brave. Like much of American fiction and cinema in the latter half of the 20th century, our internal journey relies upon a man learning to become less selfish. But here, when it happens, it seems that he is almost as surprised as us. But he is content with his decision. And it is for this reason that I do not find the final moments to be at all tragic. If you havent read this book, do yourself a favor and check it out. Its spare. Youll read it in just a few days time. Best, Anson
Posted on: Wed, 12 Nov 2014 22:49:43 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015