Reviewed by: BigAl
Genre: Memoir
Approximate word count: 40-45,000 words
Availability
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Author:
Randy
Kadish’s writing has appeared in flyfishing journals and magazines. His stories
often combine his love of fishing with people struggling to do good while
fighting their demons. Kadish’s fishing tips and more information about his
book and stories can be found on his website.
Description:
“The Way of
the River is a collection of memoirs and autobiographical stories that reflect
Randy Kadish's long journey of fishing and spiritual recovery. The journey,
often difficult, often gratifying, began when he finally admitted to himself
that he couldn't communicate, and that his life had become unmanageable.”
Appraisal:
Most of my
life, I’ve divided books into three categories, which I’ve read for three
disparate reasons. Fiction was for entertainment. Non-fiction was divided into
the more technical, which was for learning, and those that were biographical,
to re-live things I’ve experienced in the past and to live vicariously those I
haven’t. The latter were also good for comparing the thinking and motivations
of other humans, both as a means to understand others and to help understand
myself. I’ve since realized that benefits overlap more than my explanations
would indicate, but as a broad brush definition, I think they’re valid.
My reason
for bringing this up is twofold. The first is that Randy Kadish’s writing I’d
read prior to this was fiction, yet it was one of those exceptions, where in
addition to entertainment, there was a lesson to be learned about the human
condition buried in there if you were interested. My second thought is that, in
the past (before the days of indie publishing), most memoirs I was aware of were
by someone famous (or possibly infamous). While they might be inspirational
(maybe a rags to riches story), they were also about people who, because of
that fame, were harder to relate to, even if their name made the book more
marketable.
I’ve found
I can relate to the memoirs from people whose lives are more mainstream. Kadish
is much more like you or I than one of those more famous memoirists. That Kadish
and I are both male and about the same age might help too. This book is a
series of essays where he works through the things that bother him about his
life so far, regrets for choices not made and paths not taken. Each is done
against the backdrop of his avocation of flyfishing, with his challenges on the
river or stream often helping illuminate something about his life. It resonated
for me, though I’ve never cast a fly in my entire life.
Format/Typo Issues:
No
significant issues.
Rating: ***** Five stars
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