Roderick Haig-Brown -- A River Never Sleeps

A River Never Sleeps by Roderick L. Haig-Brown

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's pretty easy to see why this one's so highly regarded. Haig-Brown comes closer to over-writing at times, but doesn't, and everything's pretty straightforward in a rewarding way. There are more than just fishing exploits, but he writes those extremely well. His successes are rarely cause for self-congratulation, and his failures are never cause for misery. He seems to be perpetually exploring and learning, and it's engaging. By the mid-point of the book, I was pretty sure that I would have enjoyed fishing with Haig-Brown, and by the end of the book I was convinced I was born a half century too late, even if (especially if?) it would have meant roughing it for a living.

I think this one works best when it's read slowly and over a period of time, properly absorbed. There are a few spots that drag, but otherwise you'll want to both keep reading and keep slowing down.


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