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    Goodbye to a River: A Narrative
    Goodbye to a River: A Narrative
    Goodbye to a River: A Narrative
    Audiobook10 hours

    Goodbye to a River: A Narrative

    Written by John Graves

    Narrated by Henry Strozier

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    A classic from the Lone Star State, John Graves' Goodbye to a River is a poignant narrative of one man's journey by canoe down the river of his memories. Along the way, he describes the colorful Texas landscape and recounts its rich history. When Graves learns that the river he knew and loved as a youth-the Brazos in north-central Texas-is slated to be dammed at multiple points, he understands that things will never be the same.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateFeb 21, 2008
    ISBN9781440798788
    Goodbye to a River: A Narrative

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    Reviews for Goodbye to a River

    4.5/5

    72 ratings8 reviews

    What did you think?

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      I was, and shit, still am, confused as all hell as to why this book here by a John Graves, some old fart I'd never heard of (surprise surprise), was chosen this year of '07 as the 'core text' of the freshman University Seminar course, a course that makes no sense at all in its recent necessity, at Texas State University. Or whatever. (57 owners, man, are you kidding me? Where did they get this bad boy from?)It appears to be some forgotten 'classic', a book that was able to achieve quite the amount of fame on its release (1960), but over many years lost its impact and hazed out into absolute obscurity, known now only to Larry McMurtry and other literary Texans.I'm-a gonna say right here, right now, that Goodbye to a River deserves this reputation given to it by few. That Graves, boy, he really knows how to craft a sentence. The writing is beautiful, edging on poetic always. The story: simple, but done right: Graves gives the Brazos one last a-travelin' in the '50s before a number of dams are constructed that, in his view, will ruin it, and along the way he informs the reader of local history surrounding any landmark or non-landmark he spots or looks for. The stories are fascinating...Stories that most every town has, and only the old folk know, stories that can't be found on the Internet, usually dealing with 19th century tales of what spawned from the enmity between Indians ('The People') and the many whites movin' in on their turf, mannn.Goodbye to a River is chock-full (what does that mean? where does it come from?) of literary references, many to Juan Jiménez, some forgotten-in-a-similar-fashion-to-Graves Andalusian poet punk whose Platero and I I wrote a much more satisfying review in need of less editing and re-writing for last month.Eighty percent, I sez. Read it.P.S. Legend has it the fame this book had upon release prevented the construction of all but three of the dams that were at one time planned for the Brazos River. But don't take my word for it, I don't know a damn thing.P.P.S. I appear to be the only student who enjoyed the work in my class. Even the teacher agreed with the students that Goodbye to a River and, o boy, books in general are boring. Reading is boring....This is, my good man, a beautiful world we live in.[57 copies at time of review...]

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      A reference to this book in Larry McMurtry's memoir prompted me to read it, and I'm glad I did. Graves canoed part of the Brazos River before a series of dams were built and writes about his trip. This is part history, part nature book, part reflection on society and solitude. It should be read along with "A Sand County Almanac" and "Desert Solitaire" as elegies for some beautiful ecologies that have passed away at the hands of humans.
    • 5/5
      If you like the idea of reading about a man's 2 week adventure of a canoe trip on the Brazos river in the 50's with a shotgun, fishing rods, camping equipment, and his young dog, then this will be your cup of tea. A lot of local history is covered in this book, much about Indian raids and settlers as he travels down the river and makes note of these events that happened near the river and tributaries. Overall, I thought this was a great read.
    • 5/5
      My friend Tami brought this to me when I was in the hospital, and she couldn't have given me anything better. (Actually, it was loaned to me, and I still don't own a copy. Have checked it out at the library many times) It is the best of Texas, wonderfully written and a pleasure to read. Especially now, with so much of our wild places in danger, it is good to read a book like this. Enjyo!
    • 5/5
      I think this is a truly great book, but am so tied to it through my background that I admit that there is little to no objectivity in my judgement. I grew up on the Brazos myself, but was mostly a disinterested teenager paying more attention to girls and cars and parties. Somehow my surroundings seeped into me though and when I finally read this book it was both familiar (as in family) and a revelation. Graves says it himself towards the end "One scawny, salty bit of river on the edge of West Texas seemed at the moment, together with its unsignificantly bloody past and its bypassed present and the kid memories I had of going there, to be maybe less than a noble focus for a man's whole interest." In the end though, I think that anyone who grew up in Central Texas should read it. Even given my prejudices and the narrow focus of the book I think it holds wide appeal in its descriptions and outlook.
    • 5/5
      I have read this book many, many times. I always bring it along in a zip loc bag when I canoe the stretch of river covered in the book. I wish that exploring private property was in my nature, because I would love to visit the spots that Graves details.One of my favorite passages deals with the historical significance, or lack thereof, of the entire Comanche/Settler struggle. I love how Graves downplays the Hollywood version of the frontier.To be continued...
    • 4/5
      I was, and shit, still am, confused as all hell as to why this book here by a John Graves, some old fart I'd never heard of (surprise surprise), was chosen this year of '07 as the 'core text' of the freshman University Seminar course, a course that makes no sense at all in its recent necessity, at Texas State University. Or whatever. (57 owners, man, are you kidding me? Where did they get this bad boy from?)It appears to be some forgotten 'classic', a book that was able to achieve quite the amount of fame on its release (1960), but over many years lost its impact and hazed out into absolute obscurity, known now only to Larry McMurtry and other literary Texans.I'm-a gonna say right here, right now, that Goodbye to a River deserves this reputation given to it by few. That Graves, boy, he really knows how to craft a sentence. The writing is beautiful, edging on poetic always. The story: simple, but done right: Graves gives the Brazos one last a-travelin' in the '50s before a number of dams are constructed that, in his view, will ruin it, and along the way he informs the reader of local history surrounding any landmark or non-landmark he spots or looks for. The stories are fascinating...Stories that most every town has, and only the old folk know, stories that can't be found on the Internet, usually dealing with 19th century tales of what spawned from the enmity between Indians ('The People') and the many whites movin' in on their turf, mannn.Goodbye to a River is chock-full (what does that mean? where does it come from?) of literary references, many to Juan Jiménez, some forgotten-in-a-similar-fashion-to-Graves Andalusian poet punk whose Platero and I I wrote a much more satisfying review in need of less editing and re-writing for last month.Eighty percent, I sez. Read it.P.S. Legend has it the fame this book had upon release prevented the construction of all but three of the dams that were at one time planned for the Brazos River. But don't take my word for it, I don't know a damn thing.P.P.S. I appear to be the only student who enjoyed the work in my class. Even the teacher agreed with the students that Goodbye to a River and, o boy, books in general are boring. Reading is boring....This is, my good man, a beautiful world we live in.[57 copies at time of review...]
    • 5/5
      How do you classify such a book? I tagged it under "Biography" because I could think of nothing better. It is a biography, of course, but it is also philosophy, history, nature, political commentary, and social commentary. And then it is none of these. It cannot be explained, only experienced. When I read it I felt transported to the Brazos River itself; I longed for something simpler and pure. A month after I read it I read it again, and I hope to find time to read it once more this year. It is one of my favorite books, and I cannot recommend it enough.