The High Divide by Lin Enger

 I ordered this book used from Amazon based on the author's brother's books. Leif Enger, the brother, mentioned in an interview I read, how much he admired his brother's work. Well, it's not even in the same ball park as Leif's work. It was okay...just mediocre writing and story. Whereas Leif's writing is colorful and admirable and filled with great characters. There are similarities, however.

Both brothers write about Minnesota and North Dakota and settings in a slightly earlier time. This novel takes place in Bismarck and Miles City, Montana, and open spaces in between. There are cowboy and Indian elements, just none that are particularly compelling or even educational. It's too bad... And the mother in this story, the woman left behind by both her husband and her two sons, does some fairly unbelievable things... Her dialogue didn't ring true at all, nor did her actions. The two brave sons were likable enough, but not very interesting.

One part that was enjoyable, however, was when the older son learned how to ride an Indian pony and went on a buffalo hunt with the Indian his father had sought. The "trade" made between the two fathers was interesting, but I was surprised when the trade was only temporary. It did cause me to reflect on forgiveness and accountability...

The mystery that moved the story forward, the father's crimes against the Indians while he served under Custer, unfolded fairly predictably. I enjoyed the historical and geographical references that I was familiar with, but it was all rather ho-hum. This book is going to be pitched into the "Little Library" box down the street. 

The Amateur Marriage by Anne Tyler

 I can't remember why I ordered this book. I believe I read somewhere that they loved this author and when I looked her up, I was happy to see she's written a lot. If I liked her, I thought, I'd have more to read, which I like. And her reviews were glowing. So, I thought she was worth a try. 

I was disappointed. This book was mildly interesting and the dialogue was good. The characters did not come alive for me, and they weren't people I could relate to very well anyway. However, the setting in the 1940s when this couple met, pre-World War 2, was colorfully drawn. And the dialogue was good; it felt real and moved the plot along. So, the writing of the dialogue was good. And the dynamics of resentful, spoiled, and immature people were described very well and I could relate to much of that. 

What I kept hoping for, though, was that these people would wake up to their myopia and their self-centeredness, etc., I was hoping that Pauline and Michael, the two main characters, would eventually find their way to love each other again. There wasn't any visible growth toward each other. They just got further and further apart. It was too bad. 

I'm not sure what the author's point was. A description of a family's struggles with no hope or inspiration for being or getting better? Their lives were pretty dull and predictable, except for one rebellious daughter. I don't know--it was just mundane and disappointing. Some critics call Tyler "literary" but I can't see it. Sometimes, when I'm in a bad mood, I will dislike a book. This book almost PUT me in a bad mood!

Virgil Wander by Leif Enger

This book was a delight, with just a tinge of darkness. I love Enger's writing--he's amazing in his imagery and word choices, not to mention his wonderful characters who are quirky and fascinating. Here's an example from page 173: "Ellen was working things through. One week she'd show up plain as a hymnal, eyes cast down and her hair yanked back; the next she arrived in glitter and paint, short and bright as a puffin." 

The narrator in this book is hapless and humble. Bordering on crazy and slightly worried about that. His voice is very similar to the narrator in Enger's other two books. Very lovable and vulnerable. He has crashed his car into Lake Superior and rides around the dying town on an old Schwinn. He loves from afar and when this love is returned, he can barely believe it.

One image and character I really enjoyed in this book is the Norwegian Rune. He builds and flies kites. And Enger describes them so beautifully that you want to see them. He describes flying them as a transformative experience--you want to go fly a kite. There's a surreal almost spiritual quality to both Rune and Virgil. It's interesting to notice Enger's feelings about God and faith. In his first book (Peace Like a River), it's evident the narrator son is amazed by the goodness and faith and power of his father. In his second book (So Brave, Young and Handsome) there's a feeling the narrator is not relying on or expecting help from God. It's more about goodness and evil and persistence... And in this story, the character of Adam Leer is thoroughly evil and is pitted against Virgil. I wonder what Enger is trying to tell me...

The small dying town of Greenstone, Minnesota is well- but depressingly-described. I love the setting of cold Lake Superior and the proximity of Duluth, having visited there last summer. I related to and enjoyed the descriptions of that very beautiful yet isolated part of the country. 

I really love Enger's word choices. They are beautifully simple but evocative. I enjoy his characters, even though some of them scare me. His stories and settings are charming, yet there's a darkness that creeps in...but the light prevails. I like that. I don't read to explore darkness...but maybe it's useful to consider its complexity and counterpoint to goodness and light.