Books › The night the bear ate Goombaw
The night the bear ate Goombaw
254 pages
A boisterous, witty romp through the misadventures of rural American life and the great outdoors.
What it feels like
This collection of stories offers a brisk, lighthearted journey into the comic misadventures of rural American life and outdoor recreation. The mood is boisterous and rustic, filled with the kind of nostalgic coming-of-age reflections that resonate even with those who have never baited a hook. The prose is pleasant and quirky, revealing a surprising depth of wit beneath its playful surface. The narration leans heavily into expressive, sometimes overly cute dialogue, complete with italicized gasps and exaggerated sound effects that give the text a highly animated feel. It is a perfect fit for readers seeking a hearty laugh, delivering a playful exploration of wilderness mishaps and the enduring absurdities of youth.
- Mood
- lighthearted
- rustic
- boisterous
- Tone
- humorous
- quirky
- witty
- nostalgic
- playful
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- outdoor misadventures · rural coming-of-age · the absurdity of nature · nostalgic youth
- The writing
- Pleasant and quirky, featuring a surprising depth of wit alongside highly expressive, sometimes overly cute sound effects and italicized dialogue.
- The arc
- Moves from nostalgic reflections on rural youth to boisterous, laugh-out-loud wilderness mishaps.
- Who it's for
- Readers looking for a hearty laugh and nostalgic tales of rural life, even if they have never baited a hook themselves.
Content notes
- animal encounters
- mild comic peril
About the book
From Publishers Weekly: McManus (The Grasshopper Trap) has been making outdoorsmen laugh for some time now, but his new collection of writing passes a sterner test. Here he can amuse someone who's never even baited a hook. McManus's stories generally involve either the comic misadventures of life in the wild ("A Road Less Travelled By"; "Gunkholing"; "Water Spirits") or first-person coming-of-age stories set in rural America ("The Night the Bear Ate Goombaw"; "Scritch's Creek"). His comic voice, resonating with a surprising depth of wit, is expressed in a pleasant, quirky prose style--but shows a tendency to get cute. Characters cry "Owww!" and "Arrrhhhh" and "Arp!" incessantly and excessively, and the author indulges a fondness for italic type: "I... gasp... forgot my billfold. It's... pant... in my tackle box. Get it for me... choke... will you?" This talented writer doesn't need to poke readers in the ribs to let them in on the joke. Author tour.
Description from Open Library.
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