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Peter Matthiessen, 1927-2014

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    Peter Matthiessen, 1927-2014

    The magnificent Peter Matthiessen has died aged 86 - he wrote one of my favourite works of fiction, and one of the best pieces of non-fiction writing ever published.

    Shadow Country is a re-written amalgamation of three of his novels, a trilogy set over several decades on the muggy coastal inlets of Florida. You feel like you are sweating the whole time you are reading it, it's that evocative - an absolute meisterwerk of American fiction.

    In The Spirit of Crazy Horse is a meticulously researched history of settler exploitation and annihilation of the native American Indian population, focusing in particular on the case of Leonard Peltier, stitched up by the FBI in the 1970s and still in jail today.

    Anyone else read either of these, or any of his other books? I only ask because whenever I mention him, no one's ever heard of him, and I wouldn't have either if frau imp hadn't bought me Shadow Country on spec one Christmas.

    #2
    Peter Matthiessen, 1927-2014

    I read The Snow Leopard nearly 30 years ago, and disliked it and him. He went trekking in Nepal and treated the natives bad. And that's all I remember. I wouldn't set too much store by my snotty student self, but there you are.

    I'll put the Crazy Horse book on my library list. Death (his) and old age (mine) merits a re-appraisal.

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      #3
      Peter Matthiessen, 1927-2014

      After contributing to both the Gabriel Garcia Marquez thread and the Sue Townsend one, I thought it only fair to drop into this obituary thread. However, in answer to imp's question in the opening post, no I have never read nor heard of him. Kudos to your wife though, for recommending him to you.

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        #4
        Peter Matthiessen, 1927-2014

        Appreciate you bolstering my meagre thread, jon. If you like quality epic American fiction, do give Shadow Country a try. Frau imp, by the way, has never read a word of Peter Matthiessen beyond the jacket blurb, but she did intuit that it would be something that would appeal to me.

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          #5
          Peter Matthiessen, 1927-2014

          I've taken you up on your reco. Will report back in eight months when I'm through it.

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            #6
            Peter Matthiessen, 1927-2014

            I've read In The Spirit of Crazy Horse. Some of the best time I've spent reading.

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              #7
              Peter Matthiessen, 1927-2014

              In addition to 'Shadow Country', he also wrote two of my favorite novels: 'At Play in the Fields of the Lord' and the highly experimental, difficult, but (to me) brilliant 'Far Tortuga.' There are some dated attitudes in some of his work, understandably, but he was an immensely gifted writer.

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                #8
                Peter Matthiessen, 1927-2014

                Must check out 'Far Tortuga' - thanks for the recommendation, that had passed me by completely. And welcome to the board. 'Books' is a little slower than the other sections - it's WSC's quiet little library.

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                  #9
                  Peter Matthiessen, 1927-2014

                  I'm going to hedge my bets on 'Far Tortuga' a little, because it divides opinion, mostly because all the dialogue is written in a heavy Caribbean vernacular. This can be heavy going at times, mainly because it's difficult to distinguish which character is speaking. I think it's worth it though.

                  Thanks for the welcome.

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                    #10
                    Peter Matthiessen, 1927-2014

                    You're most welcome.

                    So, WOM [taps fingers impatiently on laptop], what about that review?

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                      #11
                      Peter Matthiessen, 1927-2014

                      I can also add Blue Meridian to the mix, Peter's book about the great white shark. Some of the science is understandably out of date, but it's a terrific narrative.

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                        #12
                        Peter Matthiessen, 1927-2014

                        imp wrote: You're most welcome.

                        So, WOM [taps fingers impatiently on laptop], what about that review?
                        I'm in three books of non-fiction at the mo', so it's still on the pile. I'll start it over Christmas, I think.

                        In...er...unrelated news, big ups for 80 Days, the story of Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland racing each other around the world.

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