Norman Maclean

Reviews / Votes

"A profoundly intimate glimpse into the life of an enigmatic man who became most notable for his exquisitely rendered novella, A River Runs Through It. . . The witness McCarthy presents is supplemented by meticulous research, letters, and interviews that capture a well-rounded portrait of Maclean." * Shelf Awareness * "McCarthy's personal portrait is noteworthy and unique among works about Maclean." * Booklist * "[T]he first full-length biography of Maclean. . . is long overdue, and not only because his fiction cleaves so closely to his life that the two are best considered side by side." * New Yorker * "[P]art author bio, part literary memoir, told by Rebecca McCarthy, a former student of Maclean who kept a lifelong friendship with the Hyde Park legend." * Chicago Tribune * "Just as [Norman Maclean's] stories were drawn from reality, but written with what he called "literary latitude," so [Rebecca McCarthy's] book is a braiding, combining her memories of a man who was a friend and mentor with what she learnt from his colleagues, former students and family. It's affectionate, but clear-eyed." * Times Literary Supplement * "Norman Maclean is a wily old devil, and Rebecca McCarthy's Norman Maclean: A Life of Letters and Rivers makes that slipperiness and devilishness more accessible. . . [Her] diligent discovery of what exactly in "A River Runs Through It" is fiction . . . offers what is probably most interesting to readers of a book about the famous author of the most famous fly-fishing story around." * Missoulian * "What makes Norman Maclean such a pleasure to read is that it's written by an acolyte of sorts, Atlanta author Rebecca McCarthy, who brings a tremendous amount of intimacy and insight to the telling. . . A compassionate account of a compelling individual." * Atlanta Journal-Constitution * "Drawing from her personal friendship with Norman, conversations with the Maclean family, and subsequent research over the last four decades, McCarthy looks beyond the common perceptions of Norman Maclean the author. . . In doing so, she broadens her reader's understanding of what contributed to Maclean's professional persona across his multi-decade teaching and writing career." * Trout Unlimited * "McCarthy's portrait expertly blends personal recollections with a journalistic examination of the correspondence and other writings that Maclean produced throughout his life and career. Readers will find a wealth of insight into the creative output and encompassing world of this acclaimed author." * Big Sky Journal * "McCarthy returns to Maclean's struggles as an aspiring author throughout her book, but the strength of the portrait is spent with the man." * Mountain Journal * "In this stylish and fittingly fluent blend of scholarship and reminiscence, McCarthy gives us multiple glimpses of her idiosyncratic subject." * The Spectator * "Provides a new perspective on Maclean's most famous work [A River Runs Through It] . . . Reading this biography enlarged my understanding of Maclean." -- Michael Agger * Ralph Lauren Magazine * "Part family memoir, part bildungsroman, part literary criticism, part orthodox biography, Norman Maclean is a splendid addition for the Macleanophile, for those who not only collect all of Maclean's writing that is publicly available, but also any writing by anyone else that pertains to him." * Front Porch Republic *