Season of the Gar

Adventures in Pursuit of America's Most Misunderstood Fish

By: Mark Spitzer

Narrated by: Robert E. Prout

Season of the Gar is a fang-infested, monster-headed, armor-plated romp through the prehistoric swamps and murky rivers of America's most feared and demonized fish. Follow Mark Spitzer on his lengthy and often frustrating quest from Texas and Louisiana, Missouri, and Arkansas to catch his own gar. Read about his sometimes bizarre angling adventures in search of this air-breathing freshwater giant (up to ten feet in length and well over three hundred pounds) as he separates fact from fiction. Spitzer draws on folklore, science, history, his own pet gar, and even gar recipes to tell this unique and exciting literary eco-tale about a fish that has inspired imaginations for centuries, a fish many have hated, a fish many have thrown on the shore to die.

©2010 The University of Arkansas Press (P)2014 Redwood Audiobooks

Could have been passable

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

People who don't mind awful narration and forced gonzo journalism.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Diction and pronunciation were terrible. Not a professional narrator at all! The Southern accent could have been an asset for the setting of the book if the narrator had been a professional.

Any additional comments?

This could have potentially been a good non-fiction natural/social history like Kurlansky's oyster and cod books. Such a work would have been very beneficial to the cause of alligator gar conservation. It could have been a great fishing/outdoor book too. Unfortunately the author felt the need to attempt to emulate Hunter Thompson at random intervals throughout the narrative. This nonsense combined with the atrocious narration was a total deal-breaker. I only listened to the whole thing without returning it because gar are so interesting and I was hoping the book could be salvaged. I was wrong.