Publication
Penguin Classics (2000), 336 p.
Original publication date
1962
Collections
Genres
Subjects
Awards
Notable Books List (1962)
Description
Biography & Autobiography. History. Literary Criticism. Nonfiction. HTML:Wallace Stegner weaves together fiction and nonfiction, history and impressions, childhood remembrance and adult reflections in this unusual portrait of his boyhood. Set in Cypress Hills in southern Saskatchewan, where Stegner's family homesteaded from 1914 to 1920, Wolf Willow brings to life both the pioneer community and the magnificent landscape that surrounds it. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member MrsLee
I enjoy Stegner's writing. It is almost lilting when describing forsaken landscapes or tawdry town scenes. Here he describes the dry prairie land of Canada in the Saskatchewan province near the Montana border. This book creeps forward, building his thesis step by step, until he has a foundation for
One insertion, a very valuable one in my opinion, is a cowboy story which could almost be a novelette. That has drama and tension, character building and pathos. It reveals the kind of men who staked their lives on hardship and usually lost in the end, as well as a glimpse of the sort of woman who supported them.
I would not read this again, unless it were the cowboy story in the middle, but I did enjoy the reading of it. I must admit, I began to tire of Whitemud, and I skimmed a bit at the end just to get out of the town, but then, I left a town very similar to it in my youth and have never wanted to return to live there. It is nice to visit now and then though, especially with someone who understands.
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his conclusions about the small town and community he grew up in. Not really for those who like to have tension, drama, action and a storyline. More of a meander with the author as he revisits his memories and his town. One insertion, a very valuable one in my opinion, is a cowboy story which could almost be a novelette. That has drama and tension, character building and pathos. It reveals the kind of men who staked their lives on hardship and usually lost in the end, as well as a glimpse of the sort of woman who supported them.
I would not read this again, unless it were the cowboy story in the middle, but I did enjoy the reading of it. I must admit, I began to tire of Whitemud, and I skimmed a bit at the end just to get out of the town, but then, I left a town very similar to it in my youth and have never wanted to return to live there. It is nice to visit now and then though, especially with someone who understands.
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LibraryThing member Rascalstar
I find this book hard to review because Stegner is one of my favorite authors. The writing, as always, is stellar, way more than a 5 rating. The subject matter was varied here as the book is partly autobiographical and partly history. The author wanted a history, which he seemed to think he didn't
Throughout the book, I learned more about Stegner. It's interesting what shapes people and how they become who they are later in life after being influenced by people and experiences.
The book is written in 4 distinct sections, each of which appeared to be written at different times and covering different subjects around the same area. I like the third the best and found it easier to read and more riveting. Since this is a personal work, it's hard to get excited about the history of a place I know nothing about, so the second section was slow going for me. Still, I learned. The first and fourth sections were good but not as much as the third. The book would be fascinating for someone interested in the history of this area in both the US and Canada when it was still a frontier.
I suspect the book was satisfying to Stegner -- he got his history and seemed to enjoy the search and memories. The 4 rating is for content -- not that it isn't good for the right person, but it didn't hold my interest well in some sections. So unusual for a book by this author. Otherwise, the ratings aren't high enough for this author's writing.
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have, so he returned to his boyhood home in Saskatchewan, Canada, just over the US border, to a time when the area on both sides of the border was mostly wilderness and a difficult place to live. Throughout the book, I learned more about Stegner. It's interesting what shapes people and how they become who they are later in life after being influenced by people and experiences.
The book is written in 4 distinct sections, each of which appeared to be written at different times and covering different subjects around the same area. I like the third the best and found it easier to read and more riveting. Since this is a personal work, it's hard to get excited about the history of a place I know nothing about, so the second section was slow going for me. Still, I learned. The first and fourth sections were good but not as much as the third. The book would be fascinating for someone interested in the history of this area in both the US and Canada when it was still a frontier.
I suspect the book was satisfying to Stegner -- he got his history and seemed to enjoy the search and memories. The 4 rating is for content -- not that it isn't good for the right person, but it didn't hold my interest well in some sections. So unusual for a book by this author. Otherwise, the ratings aren't high enough for this author's writing.
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LibraryThing member DeltaQueen50
Wolf Willow by Wallace Stenger is a collection of essays along with a novella that captures the essence of the Prairies. Through his memories, research and descriptive writing he brings this small corner of Saskatchewan alive. I was fortunate enough to be travelling through this area as I read the
This was the first Stenger that I have read although I have a few of his books on my TBR. He writes with strength and purpose and as a Westerner myself, I loved the pictures he painted with his words. Many people see the prairie as flat and colourless, but Stenger manages to see and describe both the layers and the colours of this unique landscape. His narrative on the particular smells of the bushes and plants had me pinching handfuls of various shrubs and grasses and experiencing these aromas for myself.
I found Wolf Willow an absorbing, informative and wonderful read. Looking at nature and history with the help of this author gave me new insight into this different landscape that appears to set a stamp on individuals who grow up in this type of habitat.
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book, and this blend of truth and fiction was a beautiful read on pioneering, environment and history.This was the first Stenger that I have read although I have a few of his books on my TBR. He writes with strength and purpose and as a Westerner myself, I loved the pictures he painted with his words. Many people see the prairie as flat and colourless, but Stenger manages to see and describe both the layers and the colours of this unique landscape. His narrative on the particular smells of the bushes and plants had me pinching handfuls of various shrubs and grasses and experiencing these aromas for myself.
I found Wolf Willow an absorbing, informative and wonderful read. Looking at nature and history with the help of this author gave me new insight into this different landscape that appears to set a stamp on individuals who grow up in this type of habitat.
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LibraryThing member b.masonjudy
"Wolf Willow" is an excellent account of Stegner's personal history homesteading in Saskatchewan and the geographical and cultural history of the Cypress Hills in the southwest of the province. Considering the popularity of creative nonfiction this is well worth a read to see the wide range of form
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in the genre and the liberty of blending personal essay and some fiction. The chapter "Genesis" a long fictional account of the blizzard of 1906-1907 is the weakest part of the book. Stegner is at his best when he's recounting the escapes of his childhood and unpacking the cultural mythologies of the West. Show Less
LibraryThing member Doondeck
No one writes better than Stegner. Masterful combination of fiction and nonfiction. The cattle drive novella is amazing.
LibraryThing member Dairyqueen84
Beautifully written.
Language
Original language
English
ISBN
9780141185019
Physical description
336 p.; 5.06 inches
Pages
336