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Angle of Repose  By  cover art

Angle of Repose

By: Wallace Stegner
Narrated by: Mark Bramhall
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Publisher's summary

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize when it was first published in 1971, Angle of Repose has also been selected by the editorial board of the Modern Library as one of the hundred best novels of the 20th century.

Wallace Stegner's uniquely American classic centers on Lyman Ward, a noted historian who relates a fictionalized biography of his pioneer grandparents at a time when he has become estranged from his own family. Through a combination of research, memory, and exaggeration, Ward voices ideas concerning the relationship between history and the present, art and life, parents and children, and husbands and wives. Like other great quests in literature, Lyman Ward's investigation leads him deep into the dark shadows of his own life. The result is a deeply moving novel that, through the prism of one family, illuminates the American present against the fascinating background of its past.

Set in many parts of the West, Angle of Repose is a story of discovery - personal, historical, and geographical - that endures as Wallace Stegner's masterwork: an illumination of yesterday's reality that speaks to today's.

©1971 Wallace Stegner (P)2009 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Brilliant....Two stories, past and present, merge to produce what important fiction must: a sense of the enhancement of life." ( Los Angeles Times)
"Masterful...Reading it is an experience to be treasured." ( Boston Globe)

What listeners say about Angle of Repose

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The Quest for Balance

Ten years ago I picked up this novel, read through the first couple of chapters, uttered an, "ugh" and moved on--with serious doubts regarding the tastes of the friend that recommended the read. (In hindsight and looking at some of my own choices, I understand whose taste was questionable.) Forward ten years--I find myself wondering if this novel I've been glued to the last 3 days is the same book I plodded through years ago.

I recently saw a documentary on Wallace Stegner, produced in 2009 at the request of then Utah Governor, Jon Huntsman, whom declared Feb. 18th, '09, Wallace Stegner Day in Utah (Stegner lived in Utah and graduated from the University of Utah). It was out of curiosity, not native pride (I'm a transplant) that I purchased this Stegner novel. Same book--very different eyes and ears. Awarded the Pulitzer in '72, on the *Top 100* and *Most Important* books of the century, by an author referred to as the "conscience of the conservation movement," nonetheless considered overlooked, underrated, controversial, and (piously) snubbed.

For retired historian Lyman Ward, a window to the past becomes ominously reflective as he looks into the history of his grandparents and sees his own possible future. The text resourcefully splices together the actual letters of 19th century author and illustrator Mary Hallock Foote with a fictional story-in-a-story of marriage, expectations, exploration, art, and the conquest of the wild unforgiving west. The letters--the blasted wonderful letters that caused such controversy--are the framework for the story, and add an authentic Victorian flourish, so polar to the rough ungentrified country west of the Mississippi. Hallock's missives are an incredible record of the times, a timeline entwining Geronimo terrorizing the west with Emily Dickinson writing her poetry, Twain publishing Huckleberry Finn, Winslow Homer painting, Wyatt Earp keeping law and order in Tombstone. They also reflect the contrasts of the changing times: the elite artists and writers of the eastern states--the rugged west and the toughened adventurers; the dreams of an aspiring artist/genteel lady--the harsh realities of life in the west; the exploitation of the land--the uncommon insight of conservation. But, it took Stegner's beautiful writing to create this unforgettable depiction of the raw frontier and the colorful characters that fought for every inch of conquest; it is his words, not the regrettful ponderings of Hallock, that create this generational quest to find balance and grace. The controversy and snub that resulted from Stegner using the letters seem a moot point to me when presented with such a beautiful novel. Stegner acknowledged using the letters, and openly stated he had the permission of the descendant that turned the letters over to him to do so. (I doubt Leonardo's critic's thought him less an artist because Mona was uncannily mysterious and beautiful).

The novel hasn't changed in 10 years, but my appreciation of it has; it is now a favorite. Sometimes it is better to be told a story than it is to read a story. The audio version was perfection for this book; the characters came alive, the West was vivid and enticing, and I was captivated.

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A magnificent novel, beautifully read

The story is told by Lyman Ward, a grumpy historian pushing 60 who has been disabled by a serious joint problem during the 1970s. To occupy his hours, he is researching the story of his grandparents' marriage, mostly from the perspective of his grandmother, Susan, a "lady" from good Massachusetts stock, shoulder-rubber with writers and artists like Louisa May Alcott and Emerson. Her husband, Oliver Ward, is a mining engineer, and his (very rocky) career takes them all over the West in mid-1800s. This is alternately exhilarating and devastating for her, as their fortunes and hopes go up and down and she feels she's in "exile" from almost anyone who could understand her.

Meanwhile, Lyman hires the caretaker's daughter, a free-spirited counterculture type, and they talk about the differences between the new ways of seeing life and love and his grandmother's. (He mostly gets the best of these discussions.)

The novel won a bunch of prizes when it came out years ago -- well deserved. It's one of the greatest American novel's I've ever read. There were times when, listening to it on my headset, I just had to stop whatever I was doing and just allow the story to happen because I could not do or think of anything else.

Some other notes: This also has to be one of the best novels written by a man from a (mostly) woman's perspective that I've ever read as well, and the narrator, Mark Bramhall, handles this SO well. He has to go from taciturn Western men, to cranky gruff Lyman, to genteel Susan and not make any of them sound like caricatures: Bravo!

Also, finally, what a moving, sad, joyful, compassionate, wise depiction this is of a long marriage, one of the most commonplace and yet mysterious of human experiences.

Just cannot recommend this more highly.

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Not too many novels written about marriage

as opposed to courtship. This is a fairly profound extended meditation on marriage, civilized behavior, temptation, forgiveness, and redemption. The controversy over the usage of Mary Hallock Foote's letters gets even more blurred in the audio version since it's impossible to know where or when anything is in quotation marks. It's an amazing evocation of American life in the 1870s and 1880s, and a reminder of what is universal in all our lives and relationships. It's fascinating to be reminded that so many of the things in this book actually happened. It's also a time-capsule of what life was like circa 1970; a reminder of how things were different and how much hasn't really changed at all. So much so-called historical fiction depends upon trying to invent a narrative and half-baked characters over a framework of historical events. This book is different. Every character rings true. Every reaction and feeling rings true. And Stegner is smart enough not to try to explain things that cannot be explained. Therein lies the work of the reader.

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A wonderful reading of one of the best books.

Let's just say this up front: I love this book. It is on my top 10 list of all time. I have read it in print a number of times. These characters are so real to me and the writing is pure Stegner - gorgeous, sparse, western, insightful. I believe, as do many others, it was one of the finest books written in the 20th century. I know I'm gushing. I can't help it. No other book makes me feel quite the same way.

I have avoided downloading this because I just knew no one could ever get those voices like I heard them in my mind's ear. I was wrong. Mark Bramhall's narration is beautifully nuanced. He hits every note just right. He's a perfect Susan and a gruff old miner, too. Few narrators could nail the breadth of characters without resorting to caricatures. He does it brilliantly. I loved listening to every word and sometimes had to go back just so I could hear it again.

Bunches of people have written about this book and the topics Stegner addresses. Though he says at one point it's a book about a marriage, I'm not so sure. I think it's about hope, forgiveness, grief, and soldiering on. Perhaps you'll find it's about something else entirely. I just know this: if you've never read this book, you are in for a treat. You can experience the awe that comes from discovering Stegner for the first time.

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The most marvelous book

The Angle of Repose is a book I saw my mother read years ago. I was too young then to share it with her but knew it was on my must read list just by quietly watching her experience this remarkable book during one hot summer vacation. This book is a masterpiece - I think it is the best american novel I have yet read. Stegner opens a door to us into a world so different from our own,and yet so familiar and heartrending and human. I can not remember ever being so moved by the characters in a novel. Stegner's prose is gorgeous - there is a rapture that takes over while listening to it. His description of the western landscape inspires true reverence. The empathy and care he takes in creating characters and relationships is awe inspiring. I read the book about a year ago, and decided to buy the audio version because I wanted to experience it again and because I knew Mark Bramhall would do a fine thing with the reading of such a book. I envy those about the listen for the first time!

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Beautiful reading of a terrific book

This is one of my all-time favorite books; I re-read it every few years. This is the first time I've listened to it, Mark Bramhall does a marvelous job with the reading. The characters and their emotions are beautifully rendered without overdoing it. The connection between Lyman Ward (the narrator) and his grandparents, about whom he is writing, is palpable and deeply moving.

Having listened to this and to Lev Grossman's The Magicians and The Magician King, Mark Bramhall vaults onto my Top Readers List. A beautiful job.

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One of the Great American Novels

The Story:
A wheelchair bound grandson assembles the notes & letters of his grandmother to piece together her family's travels into the west in the 1800's.

If you thought Steinbeck held a monopoly on classic California historical fiction, you haven't listend (read) to this masterpiece. Without exception, Stegner's writing in this novel is taut & unquestionably beautiful, what this man can do in a line will fill your imagination. His weaving of the early West and this family's struggles, successes, and failures creates the most realized version of the period to date. His characters, flawed, opinionated, frustrating, forgiving, & funny leap out of the earbuds (off the page) becoming people you've known, people you care deeply about. His phrasing drives this tale with a truly human bend to every action, line of dialogue and motivation. This isn't my normal go to book and was extremely happy for the recommendation. This is a book that earned every bit of the Pulitzer that it won.

The Narrator:
Mark Bramhall tackles this book with the dedication of someone who deeply understands the beauty, depth, and life within this book. Leading with the story's narrator, there was little doubt that he could handle this character with the tone, timber and age in his voice. It's with the female voices that he lends the passion and sympathy that really surprised me. A narrator can make or break a book, consider me a huge fan.

The Sum:
I was recommended this book and accepted it without knowing a single thing about it. The breadth of this story, characters, time & place left me with a renewed hope in what this format is capable of. I was excited to move back into this world with each listen, as each chapter unfolded. Give this book a chance, it will surprise you.

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On many of the Top 100 Lists, now I know why!

Excellent book. Really enjoyed it. It not only makes you feel like you invested your listening time well, but it also makes you reflect on your ancestors and your own family histories. Highly recommended.

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Interesting Slice of US History

Since the story teller is somewhat of an invalid with a dour attitude, most of the story is inflicted with his depressing state of mind. However, I did find the historical perspective to be informative. If you prefer or insist upon happy endings, you should pass.

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Much touches the heart; much is problematic

Any additional comments?

I very much wanted to like this book for several reasons: (1) I heard Andrew Imbrie's operatic treatment of the story during San Francisco Opera's "Spring Opera" season in 1976; (2) the La Jolla Symphony and Chorus has named their current 2011-2012 season "Angle of Repose" as a tribute to the author, Wallace Stegner; (3) it gets very good ratings in surveys of the best American books and is, in fact, #83 on the Modern Library's 100 Best Novels list. It even received a Pulitzer Prize.

Stegner is undeniably a fine prose stylist and the way he chooses to tell his story is rather complex and interesting, although this very narrative complexity undermined my willing suspension of disbelief. Everything is filtered through the imagination of a grouchy, socially reactionary scholar (who may or may not be a projection of Stegner) named Lyman Ward, who at age 60 is doing research on his grandmother, Susan, the long-suffering wife of a brave but congenital failure for whom nothing goes right in the wilds of California, Idaho, Colorado and Mexico in the late 1800's. Stegner has controversially "lifted" the actual letters of Mary Hallock Foote, the only authentic voice in the book. Her correspondence, quoted verbatim I am told, constitutes 10% of Stegner's finished novel. But then Lyman lets us know that he is inventing virtually everything else he tells us about his grandmother and grandfather, which for me, at least, creates an alienation effect I cannot quite overcome. The final dream sequence of the book is, I imagine, a metaphor for the whole thing. Interested readers are left to puzzle together how Lyman relates his broken marriage to the lasting bond of his grandparents.

I am especially interested in books that deal with women's issues and experiences, so I was moved by Susan's (Mary's) letters and the general tale of her fortitude raising a family and dealing with her husband in an environment so unlike that to which she would have liked to have been and could have been accustomed in the American East. The story itself, however, seems overly drawn out for the number of truly significant incidents that occur in it. The narrator, Lyman Ward, also lacked appeal for me, perhaps because I was a member of that very UC Berkeley generation he so continually disapproves of. A contrast between the current times and the past favor the heroism of the latter.

I was frequently extremely irritated by the reader, Mark Bramhall, who would be just fine if he did not adopt an absurd, breathy falsetto when reading Susan's words. She sounds more like a whining child than a mature woman. Oliver Ward comes off as sounding unpleasantly growly. But, my hat's off to these Audiobook readers; and I cannot imagine the challenges of reciting this long book out loud.

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