The Bartender's Tale Audiobook

" This is my first excursion into the land of Ivan Doig, and I had such mixed feelings about it. He does a wonderful job of creating very real and down-to-earth characters in a small town in Northwestern Montana in the late 1950s. At times the novel reminded me of a modern-day Mark Twain, a Tom Sawyer for the 21st century. So why only 3 stars? There was an "aw shucks" quality to this novel that wore one me. Expressions that were endearing (e.g., "s of a b") became wearing to be when read over and over. And I had some trouble with the narrative aspects of the book. There were various incidents in the plot where I found myself not really interested in what was going on (fishing, dealing with drunks in the bar, amongst others), and there wasn't enough tension or narrative drive to keep me involved. I felt that if a movie was made of this book, it would be by the Hallmark Channel (not necessarily a bad thing, they do Anne Tyler novels). He does wrap up everything very nicely with emotional satisfaction. The last 20 pages are actually quite compelling. "

" Terrific coming of age story set in the early 60's in Montana and told in the first person by a 12-year-old boy whose father is a bartender; some parallels with fictional twists to The Tender Bar. "

" Another great book about English Creek, Montana, by Ivan Doig. This made me want to go back and reread the others. Set in 1960, 12-year-old Rusty is on the cusp of a new life--and so is the world, but no one knows it yet. His father is the owner and bartender of the town's favorite bar, and a series of visitors one summer changes everything for Rusty. Rich with Doig's customary array of quirky, powerful characters, and alternately funny and touching experiences, this is just a good yarn. "

" Very engaging story and wonderful characters. "

" Rusty was "an accident between the sheets" who lives with his aunt until he is six and his father swoops down from Montana to take him off to live over his saloon in Gros Ventre called "The Medicine Lodge." In 1960, Rusty's life changes dramatically. Proxy, a taxi dancer, Rusty's dad knew long ago, and her daughter Francine arrive at the Medicine Lodge. Rusty struggles to decipher the adults around him and comes to terms with the oddities of adult behavior. The pace of the book is slow and deliberate and the reader watches as Rusty's world becomes bigger and more complex than he ever thought it could be. "

" I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it as a very well told story. "

" What a great yarn!! I just loved the characters in this book. They are so life-like. When are they ever going to make a movie from one of Doig's books? "

" A lovely study of relationships. It ended well. I've never read this author before, but I would definitely choose more books by him. "

" I really enjoyed this book. Here is my favorite quote, "All we had to live up to was for each of us to do half the laughing." - Rusty speaking about his new best friend Zoey. "

" I enjoyed this author very much. He has a great writing style, is funny, and his story moved along very nicely. "

" A wonderful story, great characters, beautiful writing "

" A great coming of age story about a young boy living with his bartender father. A wonderful cast of characters. I really enjoyed it. "

" The story started very slow, but it got better once you got into it. Book club book for Jan. 2013. "

" This is the first book by Doig I've had the pleasure to read, but I'm sure there will be more! Wonderful story of a 12-year-old boy piecing together the story of his father's past. Filled with memorable characters and lively descriptions of Rusty's life in 1960 Montana. "

" Classic Doig - maybe a little more upbeat than the earlier novels. "

" My first Ivan Doig story....what a treat, knowing there are so many more to read! What a wonderful story teller he is. "

" I think I'm just not in the mood for this type of story right now. Couldn't get into it. "

" Another great story. I am so glad I discovered Doig. He has complete control of his craft and this story, oh what a story. I absolutely loved this book. "

" What can I say, I'm addicted to Doig's books! His characters come to life and he spins a magical tale through them. "

" This was not my favorite Doig book, but like all his books, the characters and place were strong, with good history and dialogue. "

" I am a sucker for Doig's storytelling, and this was another great one. I could have done without the last page and left it to my imagination though. "

" I love Ivan Doig. Thanks for another book. "

" This was a lovely relaxing story to read with characters you could picture and relate to. "