The Big Rock Candy Mountain

By: Wallace Stegner

Narrated by: Mark Bramhall

Length: 25 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

Bo Mason, his wife, and his two boys live a transient life of poverty and despair. Drifting from town to town and from state to state, the violent, ruthless Bo seeks his fortune in the hotel business, in new farmland, and, eventually, in illegal rum-running throughout the treacherous back roads of the American Northwest.

Based largely on his own childhood, Stegner has created a masterful, harrowing saga of a family trying to survive during the lean years of the early 20th century. It is the conflict between the hardscrabble existence and Bo's pursuit of the frontier myth and of the American dream that gives the book such resonance and power.

©1938 1940, 1942, 1943 by Wallace Stegner (P)2010 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Stegner has felt the spell of mountain and prairie, of drought, flood, and blizzard....a harrowing saga." - ( New York Times)
"Stands out beautifully and unforgettably." ( New Yorker)

deeply moving rollercoaster ride

i could not stop listening to this book and devoured it in less than three days. at the end i felt a little angry at the professors who let me get out of more than one American Novel class without reading anything by Stegner. i was looking for a book about the west and found this great book. Though i have often seen Stegner s books at used bookstores, i never picked one up. at the ripe old age of 51 i am thrilled to have discovered him. i have to say, this writing, this wise writing, makes Hemingway look like an adolescent.

Some of the themes in the book, marriage, ambition, fidelity, integrity (and the lack thereof) are obvious and hit you over the head. Other themes are so subtle and so magically delivered, i had the feeling a spell had been cast. In general, you follow two people who are in love with each other, and who have ideas about life that could not be more different. As they travel from one dream to another the landscape changes. From city to country to city, small towns, big cities, it is America growing up. One of the most fascinating themes in the book is change, and as you follow these characters you slowly realize how important the ability to change will be to their destiny.

Four main characters, and i fell hard for each one of them. i cannot remember when i read a book that made me tell so many people they must read it.

Early American Life - Great Story!

This is a long read (listen), over 25 hours. If it were on T.V., it would be quite the mini-series. I almost bailed on the story early on because it looked like it was shaping up to be a romance story. Well, I am glad I hung in there because it was not.

Written in 1943, this story chronicles the life of a family from the early 1900???s. As the husband purposes to strike it rich with various enterprises that promise quick money, the family quickly becomes nomadic. Drifting from poverty to short lived wealth, the family is always on the move living in tents in the middle of nowhere to comfortable city life with various iterations in between. A true to life (even though it was fiction) tale of early America in the west. It was a fascinating and intriguing read.

The characters were flawed and at times not very lovable but the story got better the further along it went. It was interesting to gauge the family dynamics and how they evolved. In the end, love and to some extent, forgiveness prevailed. I could relate to how this road called life ends up throwing everyone a curve-ball to some extent.

Did it end up that everyone lived happily ever after? No, but they always hoped for a better life. In the end, our lives aren't defined by your social status and what stuff you end up with. It is much deeper than that. I loved the style of writing and the prose that Wallace used. I would highly recommend this book.

An amazing portrait of an historical time!

My first Wallace Stegner novel! Now I'm on a steady Stegner diet - slowly getting through every one of his books available on audible. I really like his writing style and the emotion that it carries. I can't believe I nearly gave up on Big Rock Candy Mountain. It took 3 attempts to get through part one which, to me, is the weakest part. From then on, the novel gathers strength and momentum dragging your emotions along for the ride. I believe Big Rock Candy Mountain is largely autobiographical. Perhaps those early painful experiences are what made Stegner the author I so admire. I mustn't forget the narrator. Mark Bramhall is wonderful and entirely right for the story. So, this is an all around 5 star read/listen that I highly recommend.

cosider for a very long trip

the author's need to over describe nearly everything, diminished our enjoyment. too many words!

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A transcendent work.

For some reason I was under the mistaken impression that this book had been written recently, and never veered from that misconception during my reading of it. It was complex, tough, unflinching and unsentimental in such a contemporary way, and expressed views and emotions that I wouldn't have thought were delved into in another era.
I was shocked at the end when the copyrights were mentioned, to find out it was written in 1938. Its a reminder of the universal human experience that transcends time and place. I can't imagine a more beautifully rendered performance, or a more beautifully written story, one that moved me to tears many times. This is the gold standard for what an audiobook can be.

Excellent Historical Drama

Loved it. It gave me the feeling of what it's really like to live on the margin.

one of America's greatest authors

This is a truly American story with historical insights to a time often not described in literature. Stegner is a master who creates well defined and interesting characters. The family dynamic is timeless and universal.

Angle of Repose better but this has heart

Would you listen to The Big Rock Candy Mountain again? Why?

It is very personal. I have lived in several of the western areas that this story takes place. Also I am near seventy years old and can identify with the values presented in this novel.

What other book might you compare The Big Rock Candy Mountain to and why?

Angle of Repose is better written in 1973 versus 1943 for Big Rock Candy Mountain. This is Wallace Stegner trying to understand his own father so it rings very true.

What does Mark Bramhall bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Mark Bramhall is perfect for Bo Mason's voice and he does Elsa's very well. I read the book after I listened it and, of course, I could hear Mark Bramhall.

If you could rename The Big Rock Candy Mountain, what would you call it?

The American Tragedy

Any additional comments?

Elsa is a saint but Bo is far more interesting. It took me a long time to realize that Elsa was the strong one.

best book ive listened to in a long time

i thoroughly enjoyed this book. beautifully and intelligently written. a very believable insight into family life from that era.

I could not stop listening!

Like all Stegner novels, expect to cry. His characters are flesh and blood; you will feel their triumph, sorrow, and emotion.