The tone of the writing reminded me of Cormac McCarthy's work, only less gritty and more poetic. The plot seems to meander its way through the protagonist's solitary life, flitting from moment to moment. It's too short to be plot driven. That being said, the only character who develops in any way is the protagonist. The other characters, for the most part, seem to come and go without rhyme or reason. In imagining the story without them, I don't see that we would have lost anything of importance. It was well constructed, but was too brief to make any kind of lasting impression. It could be said that it is a comment on isolation and loneliness, but I didn't find it to be compelling. A slow, rough life carved out of the untamed wilds in the turn-of-the-century American West...sparse and lonesome...and poetically rendered. I'm especially a fan of the length of the book -- as the novella format is, for me, the future of longer fiction. However, If I had to choose, I'd take Johnson's book of short stories, Jesus' Son, over this one. Still, I'll buy and read more Johnson -- and would especially love to try another novella from him.
What do You think about Train Dreams (2002)?
Gritty, powerful at times, and generally well written.
—Nyx
