This House of Sky (Abridged): Landscapes of a Western Mind Audiobook

" This is an absolutely beautifully written memoir. Ivan Doig was raised in Montana by his single father and his grandmother (the mother of his deceased mother) during the waning days of small time ranching and sheepherding in Montana. His father represents the last of that era. Doig's description of his father's and grandmother's hardscrabble life, set against the harsh, yet sometimes sublime, landscape is both fascinating and moving. "

" Loved this book! It's about my homeland - Montana. "

" It took me awhile to get into Doig's language, but once I did I was swept into this world. I found this book moving and haunting. "

" Touching memoir of a boy growing up in rural Montana, raised by his father and grandmother, who lovingly recounts the environment & life that made him who he is. Descriptive, solidly paced, and thoroughly transports you to these little towns and their people. "

" Beautifully written personal narrative of a child thrust into an adult's world after he and his father adjust to life without his mother "

" I read this while traveling in Montana and it was a perfect choice. Doig's descriptions of his early life on sheep and cattle ranches in Montana are vivid and charming. The countryside, his family members, their challenges, and the other characters he encounters in this harsh but beautiful landscape are described with quotes from the participants and his own evocative words. "

" I quit smoking after reading this novel. Thanks, Mr. Doig! "

" Really enjoyable book. Doig presents detail without bogging the story down. "

" Such a beautiful writer. It took me a while to get into the book, but by the end I was so sorry there wasn't more of it. The book completely grabbed my heart. "

" This is part of a series story. Love, love, love it! "

" not a book in which a lot happens, exactly, which i like; it's more about the telling of what happened. beautiful, descriptive story, full of detail about the use of language by the figures in doig's early life, which to me was one of the most interesting elements of this book. "

" It took a few pages to get in tune with his lyrical writing, and then I fell in love with this book. An absolutely wonderful family tribute and memoir....such love! "

" I re-read this last weekend and it's just as beautiful and lyrical and fully encompassing of the West as it was the first time I read it. You really can't be a Westerner, no matter how long your family has been here, until you've read 'This House of Sky'. "

" Hands down the best memoir I have ever has the pleasure of reading. "

" Read this in about a week (extremely fast for me). Poetic prose about the life and landscape of western Montana ranch life. When so many people I knew were somehow in Montana I was reading all about it... almost as good as being there. "

" This is Doig's autobiogrphy. It is written in odd prose and I need to go back and re-read it before passing judgement. "

" The detail that Diog has put into this book is remarkable. At times, I wanted the story to move along a bit quicker but it was still a heartwarming story that gives the reader an insight to Diog and his books. "

" One of the finest books I've read recently. Looking forward to reading more of Ivan Doig. "

" This is one of my absolute favorites! "

" What a life -- what lives, is a better statement. Lives to match the challenge of the landscapes in which they played out. "

" Ivan Doig is one of the greatest Western genre authors. His writing is beautifully lyrical. "

" The man can paint pictures with his words... I find myself retreading and a bit in awe. "

" It doesn't get any better. "

" One of the best books I have ever read. His prose is incredible! I would recommend this to anyone interested in pioneers or Montana. "

" Brilliant! Filled with imagery that truly captures the landscapes of Montana. "

" a marvelous memoir of a bright young man growing up in western montana in 1936-50. a very human story, although nothing spectacular happens. nice. "

" Has a few spots with language/content. "

" Ivan Doig is marvelous. This is a wonderful insight into his life and the inspirations for his stories and characters. Really enjoyed it, but it ended too soon. "

" Loved this book! It's about my homeland - Montana. "

" This was a good book but a little hard to get into--the ending should get at least 4 stars but overall I'm giving it 3 stars. "

" This is one of the best memoirs I've read in a long time. "

" Having fallen in love with Montana, I have now fallen in love with Ivan Doig's books and his unique literary voice. "

" COuld have been a 3 1/2. A little hard to get into, and not a quick read. Also a little somber. But a touching, real story. "

" <br/>Deeply riveting thoughts of the author's childhood, his family,his land. Having had an 'unconventional' upbringing myself, I could identify with his loving conclusions. All you need is love! "

" This story was a telling of Larry's life with a few exceptions and a review of life as we both experienced as children. Beautifully written. A bit wordy for me in some places. "

" very interesting story of how it really is to live in Montana and the strong bonds of father and son even when they are quite distant sometimes "

" A nearly perfect book, although his reluctance to split infinitives nearly drove me insane a few times, since it marred what would otherwise have been still more beautiful turns of phrase. "