"Home Waters" by John Maclean

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Hellmtflies
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"Home Waters" by John Maclean

#1

Post by Hellmtflies »

You have it, the son of Norman Maclean has published the family history so to speak. Being published this year will be "Home Waters" by John Maclean. I was fortunate to have received a copy of the advanced readers edition. Published by Custom House. For those of you who have been affected by "A River Runs Through It" you may want to seriously put this book on you wish list. It delves into the entire background of the family. After completing this read I thought that perhaps it would have been fun to have plowed through this one first before reading "The River". That said, this book does remind me of various parts of the movie and the book that started same. Check it out when you can. I suspect it will be out sometime later this year.
Mark

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Shoeless Joe
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Re: "Home Waters" by John Maclean

#2

Post by Shoeless Joe »

For those who might want a signed or personalized copy, John said that ‘Home Waters’ will be listed on his website sometime in April, after he’s finished “rebuilding” the site.
http://johnmacleanbooks.com/

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creakycane
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Re: "Home Waters" by John Maclean

#3

Post by creakycane »

In addition, the engravings to accompany the text by Wes Bates should prove to be very beautifully done. Due in June.

bluesjay
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Re: "Home Waters" by John Maclean

#4

Post by bluesjay »

Hi Guys, Why does John Maclean write about fire? Was 'Young Men and Fire' better than 'A River Runs Through It?'

Jay Edwards

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Hellmtflies
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Re: "Home Waters" by John Maclean

#5

Post by Hellmtflies »

bluesjay wrote:
03/30/21 19:59
Hi Guys, Why does John Maclean write about fire? Was 'Young Men and Fire' better than 'A River Runs Through It?'

Jay Edwards
Hi Jay,
I believe he does this as a way of continuing to finish a book his father Norman was trying to complete. The
"Man Gulch Fire" on the Missouri was an inspiring issue for his father. I could be wrong here but that is what I am in the understanding of.
Mark

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creakycane
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Re: "Home Waters" by John Maclean

#6

Post by creakycane »

bluesjay wrote:
03/30/21 19:59
Hi Guys, Why does John Maclean write about fire? Was 'Young Men and Fire' better than 'A River Runs Through It?'

Jay Edwards
John Maclean wrote a number of books about forest fires...Fire and Ashes; Fire on the Mountain. Interesting reads

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Shoeless Joe
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Re: "Home Waters" by John Maclean

#7

Post by Shoeless Joe »

bluesjay wrote:
03/30/21 19:59
Hi Guys, Why does John Maclean write about fire?...
Jay, perhaps it's because he spent most of his working life writing & reporting for the Chicago Tribune ... that & like his father, who at the end was a Chicagoan through & through, John Maclean, though he lives near D.C., possesses a heart that's genetically affixed to the Rocky Mountain West.

As previously mentioned, his books are “interesting reads” & much of this interest stems from what can best be described as a continuation of investigative reporting, as he dissects the particulars of each fire & where need be, holds the feet of culpable individuals, agencies & institutions to the fire, so to speak. Laying aside the press badge, Maclean personalizes the catastrophic fires by introducing readers to & then into the truncated worlds of each Hotshot who died doing what they literally loved & lived to do.

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Re: "Home Waters" by John Maclean

#8

Post by bluesjay »

Hi Guys,

"Perhaps it is not odd, at the end of this tragedy where nothing much was left of the elite who came from the sky but courage struggling for oxygen, that I have often found myself thinking of my wife on her brave and lonely way to death." Norman Maclean

Jay Edwards

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Re: "Home Waters" by John Maclean

#9

Post by nativebrownie »

bluesjay wrote:
03/31/21 20:45
Hi Guys,

"Perhaps it is not odd, at the end of this tragedy where nothing much was left of the elite who came from the sky but courage struggling for oxygen, that I have often found myself thinking of my wife on her brave and lonely way to death." Norman Maclean

Jay Edwards
Yes, agreed - a beautiful passage that I often think of - in a book that just captures you on so many levels that really matter. Have the audio book - in cassettes - worn from many readings...
Thank you for reminding me of that section, image and meaning...

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Shoeless Joe
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Re: "Home Waters" by John Maclean

#10

Post by Shoeless Joe »

John’s website has been updated to now include signed Home Waters pre-orders & additional ‘galleries’ entries: https://johnmacleanbooks.com/?fbclid=Iw ... gKkkhCfYW4

As one who has read his Fire books, this ALA Booklist review is bang on:
“His Hemingway-esque prose is as clear as a mountain stream, flowing with a poetic cadence and lyrically describing the many splendid natural treasures to be found under the Big Sky. A sure bet for readers who enjoy American and natural history and a must-read for fishing enthuiasts.”

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Re: "Home Waters" by John Maclean

#11

Post by gjbu »

My copy arrived today. Look8mg forward to it.

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Re: "Home Waters" by John Maclean

#12

Post by GMflyf1sh »

My copy is at the house - next on the reading list

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Re: "Home Waters" by John Maclean

#13

Post by bearbutt »

Home Waters is a fine book. The narrative depends heavily on A River Runs Through It, and it would probably would be just another fishing book if it was not for the one that made his father, fly fishing, and Montana family history so well known. But what it does it does well. Where’s David Coggins’ recent book The Optimist is populated by “characters,” Maclean’s is populated with people—an extended family. Coggins’s characters are all flash and lifestyle; Maclean’s are just trying to be themselves. For Maclean, fishing is “a family legacy” and he is sensitive to how that legacy has evolved, and how the Montanas of his grandfather the Rev. Maclean and his father Norman Maclean are not the Montana of today.

One of the nicer moments of the book is a modest picture of his grandfather’s beat up-Leonard with short sections; his father’s Granger, which Orvis restored; and his own unnamed bamboo rod.

Home Waters also answers some of the blurry parts of the story about his uncle Paul, and how his life came to an end in an alley of Chicago, where a lot of lives have come to an end over the years.

Two nice quotations:

p 59: (voice of John): “My father and Joe Turrell and I went fishing one time. We caught a bunch of fish, which we carefully counted, but somehow one of the fish was lost in the upholstery of Joe’s car.”

p 187: (voice of his father Norman Maclean): “I would rather spend my time fly fishing than in writing a mediocre story about fishing because I am better than mediocre as a fisherman.”

Happy reading and fishing,
bb

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Re: "Home Waters" by John Maclean

#14

Post by Caneghost »

Finally acquired this one and read it a couple of days' time. A very nice, enjoyable book that makes me want to finally read his father's tome. All the movie hubbub had turned me away from it thirty years ago. I never found my way back.

Maclean does a nice job presenting his family history and their meaningful connection to the rivers and fly fishing. Shame what happened to his Dad's Granger though. It would be better if he was able to fish it now in his later years.

These days I am far more likely to be reading a book published in 1921 as opposed to one from 2021, but I would recommend this one to anyone.
...a wink of gold like the glint of sunlight on polished cane...

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Re: "Home Waters" by John Maclean

#15

Post by GerardH »

I read Home Waters over the holidays and found it to be a very enjoyable, well-written bio. Though I knew much of the Maclean family story -- including Paul's death in Chicago -- it provided valuable information that filled in a lot of gaps and expanded my knowledge of the family. What I was especially impressed with was how John Maclean was able to maneuver between being an adoring son and an objective biographer....not an easy task by any stretch. I was especially touched by how Paul's memory lived on in the family and by extension through both Norman's writings and The Movie, has been memorialized in popular culture.


Highly recommended and worthy of a re-read next winter.

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Re: "Home Waters" by John Maclean

#16

Post by adkfan »

What an enjoyable book this was

bluesjay
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Re: "Home Waters" by John Maclean

#17

Post by bluesjay »

Hi Guys, Just finishing up this fine book that 'ties up the loose ends' of the movie and book. I'm so glad to have it!

Jay Edwards

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Re: "Home Waters" by John Maclean

#18

Post by PT48 »

Home Waters constitutes a vital third component in the Maclean family trilogy. Whilst Norman's novella is the font, it is essentially a work of art and I have come to accept the liberties that it took with some of the facts surrounding the family story. The film is also a work of art, one which drifts a little further away from the facts. Again, that is something that I have come to accept. The characterisations of the various family members are spot on, due in part to astute casting. There are some really clever ploys in the film, such as making Neal Burns an alter ego of Paul, particularly his darker, more unattractive side. John Maclean's book gives us the facts and in doing so, deepens our understanding of both the novella and the film. It provides for really fascinating reading.

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Re: "Home Waters" by John Maclean

#19

Post by mlarocco »

Anticipating being home bound during the snow event I went into Portland and picked this book up at Powell's (used). I was not impressed. The writing style was not tight and the author seemed to make stretches to build up his family legacy. An example of that is detailing his grandfather's role of presiding as minister over a local boy's death during world war !.

It did provide some nuggets on Montana's history that are widely available in other books.

The author also tried to couple his own legacy with his fathers. Not sure if he was a good reporter but if his books read like Home Waters not worthy of his father.

One thing that peaked my interest was John Mclean's rehash of what his father Norman meant by 'IT'. To me this was the best part because it so totally fell short of my understanding of the words use in the book, I also took the time to reread 'A River Runs Through It'

From page 78
It was here, while waiting for my brother, that I started this story, although of course at the time I did not know that stories of life are often more like rivers than books.

From page 161
Eventually all things merge into one and a river runs through it.

'A River Runs Through It' was a pleasure to read though again.. Biographical enough where I can see possibly why the Pulitzer committee was reluctant to award it the 'Fiction' category the year it was published.

Of course opinions do vary and if you decide to pick it up, it reads better at the price of a used book.

SPOILER - Do Not Read If you plan to buy the book

The one thing I found interesting in the book was that Paul died from a head blow after being mugged in Chicago. Norman apparently felt some responsibility as he convinced Paul to come to Chicago to work (Paul was trying to 'save' Norman).

Pg 12 of River
Evert once in a while you run into some guy who likes to fight as much as you do and is better at it. If you start off by loosening a few teeth of his he may try to kill you.
Last edited by mlarocco on 02/25/23 11:38, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: "Home Waters" by John Maclean

#20

Post by prairieschooner »

Just ordered a copy from ABEbooks; looking forward to it.
I spent most of my money on shotguns, fly rods, guitars and banjos. The rest I just wasted. (Apologies to W.C. Fields)

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