My apologies for my tardiness...on to the book.

I have a completely different take on Joe from the get.  I really liked him.  He seems to be a bit of a contrarian, what with his opposition to the war, his love of art, and his desire to work hard despite his privileged upbringing.  Twenty-one straight days banging in fence posts seems like no small task from where I'm currently sitting.  And I truly admired his confidence....confidence that he could earn the respect of Overstreet and his fellow wranglers, confidence that he could win over Ellen, and confidence that he could handle Billy - though not in the most traditional of ways.  I wish I could have displayed more of that when I was his age.

Overall, I think we are off to a great start.  McGuane has set a wonderful backdrop for what I expect to be the future crux of the story - the encircling of the "upstart" family farm set against the expanse of the Overstreet behemoth.  I suspect the Ellen will certainly come back to the fore, making for an interesting turn of events.  I look forward to pressing on, happy to have guysWHOREad on the front burner once again.  Cheers. - Ryan    

Joe at a glance

I have enjoyed up to chapter 5. McGuane has set the seen that no doubt will be the main stage of the novel, it appears to be a beautiful, but not entirely profitable section of Montana frontier. Through the introduction and interaction with the supporting cast we get a good idea of who main character Joe is. We also can catch a glimpse of with whom and how the conflict will play out. Joe's family appears to be well off and upwardly mobile, this seems to be driven solely by his father who is perhaps singularly focused on that movement. Joe is the unfortunate product of that vision. The relationship with his aunt and uncle is cordial at best and he appears to respect the authority of Mr. Overstreet, but only because of Overstreet's position.

I don't like Joe at this point, he is a privileged kid from away who is there for the summer to 'work', but really he is there to spy on the operation. Although he works, and works hard, no one really cares. I respect him for this. Like any young man left to his own devices he sets his attention to Mr. Overstreet's only daughter. He does so with skill and singular drive that appears to have been learned at private school from the older boys. Maybe he steals away with Ellen because of who she, what she is or perhaps that she is the only girl around, I'm not sure. His affections for Ellen do appear earnest, even if those feelings come with an expiration date. I think that I don't like him because it is all coming together for him with what appears to be little effort. Another example of thing just falling into place for those who are lucky enough to be born into privileged society. I am not trying to say that his life is perfect or easy, it just appears to be going in a direction that is working well with little effort. I did enjoy it when he, dutifully, walked over to Billy Keaton and got his lights knocked out just before leaving Montana. I think I liked him a little more at that moment.

J

Return to the written word- Keep the Change by Thomas McGuane

We have decided to start reading and sharing again. After a longer than expected break from active reading, a brief but rewarding reunion at the 5th Annual D.H.L. on Nantucket confirmed that there is time and interest. For our next book, we chose Keep the Change by Thomas McGuane. The inside jacket describes the story as follows:
     The picaresque and heartbreaking adventures of Joe Starling, one of the last great American heroes, in his quest for his roots and his rightful inheritance.
     Keep the Change is an American odyssey, a romance, and adventure- by a master storyteller in the tradition of Mark Twain and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Set in Montana, Key West, and the Yale Club of New York, this story is the story of one man's declaration of independence. It portrays loneliness, family ties and betrayals, seductions and chicaneries and the haunting memory of a faded painting of white hills.

Enjoy