Written some years before Stoner (bwl 71 & 72), this less mature but equally interesting work is set in the virgin territory of 1873 Kansas. The young protagonist, filled with Emersonian romanticism, finds himself on a buffalo hunt led by a figure as obsessive as Melville's Captain Ahab. The story, while it describes extraordinary physical courage and resourcefulness on one level, is an examination of the nature of desire. And for me, it is ultimately about hubris and defilement.
(Kate Hobson - bwl 79 Winter 2016 ) |
