Paul Nelson's Reviews > Deliverance

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Deliverance
by

James Dickey

Paul Nelson's review

Jan 02, 2015

it was amazing

bookshelves: crime-thrillers, 2015-books-read

First of the year and what a first, a simple, totally gripping story that resonates with power. Will Patton's narration puts you on that river, in that tree sighting the arrow with one shot at survival and this gets my highest recommendation.

Told in first person through the eyes of Ed Gentry, who with three friends attempts a breakout from suburbia with a canoe and hunting trip. Naïve, lacking the skills needed to survive, maybe but things don’t get any easier when they are approached on the riverbank by two men, one with a gun, and the other with a knife. Coupled with a river that takes no prisoners and a tension that borders on breathtaking at times, all described with a prose and dialogue that imposes every single word on your consciousness.

This is a quote from one of the most riveting scenes in the story, both sighting that arrow and getting in the position to be able to do just that, their lives depending on this very moment.

‘But mainly I was amazed at my situation. Just rather dumbly amazed. It was harder to imagine myself in a tree, like this, than it was to reach out and touch the bark or the needles and know that I was actually in one, in the middle of the night–or somewhere in the night–miles back in the woods, waiting to try and kill a man I had seen only once in my life. Nobody in the world knows where I am, I thought. I put tension on the bowstring, and the arrow came back a little. Who would believe it, I said, with no breath; who on earth?’

If you listen to audio, you have to get this, it’s absolutely one of the best audiobooks and stories that I've listened to. Just over 7 and 1/2 hours and I will definitely reread/re-listen to this, it is that good. And yes I did enjoy it as you can guess.

Also posted at http://paulnelson.booklikes.com/post/...

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Quotes Paul Liked

“What a view, i said again. The river was blank and mindless with beauty. It was the most glorious thing I have ever seen. But it was not seeing, really. For once it was not just seeing. It was beholding. I beheld the river in its icy pit of brightness, in its far-below sound and indifference, in its large coil and tiny points and flashes of the moon, in its long sinuous form, in its uncomprehending consequence.”
― James Dickey, Deliverance

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Reading Progress

January 2, 2015 – Started Reading

January 2, 2015 – Shelved

January 2, 2015 –

18.0%

January 3, 2015 –

36.0% "I'm sure Will Patton could make a burger menu sound gripping, the guy's are in the canoes now. Not long till it all kicks off."

January 4, 2015 –

61.0% ""What a view, i said again. The river was blank and mindless with beauty. It was the most glorious thing I have ever seen. But it was not seeing, really. For once it was not just seeing. It was beholding. I beheld the river in its icy pit of brightness, in its far-below sound and indifference, in its large coil and tiny points and flashes of the moon, in its long sinuous form, in its uncomprehending consequence.”"

January 6, 2015 –

87.0%

January 7, 2015 –

100.0% "First of the year and what a first, a simple, totally gripping story that resonates with power. Will Patton's narration puts you on that river, in that tree sighting the arrow with one shot at survival and this gets my highest recommendation.

If you listen to audio, you have to get this, its absolutely one of the best audiobooks and stories that I've listened to. Just over 7 and 1/2 hours and I will defo revisit."

January 7, 2015 – Shelved as: crime-thrillers

January 7, 2015 – Shelved as: 2015-books-read

January 7, 2015 – Finished Reading