Gallatin Canyon
by Thomas McGuane
Published by Vintage Books
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Reviewed by C. L. Rossman
This is the third collection of stories by author Thomas McGuane and his most recent publication. These ten stories, written in his clear, easy style, look at human beings in trouble, usually trying to regain their humanity, but there is the occasional sarcastic one thrown in., as in the story “North Coast,” where two drug dealers are apparently refreshing themselves by climbing the mountains.
Another, “Cowboy,” deals with an ex-con who is accepted by an old couple as their ranch hand, and works there peaceably and lawfully until the couple dies, and he finds that the human herd has closed ranks against him. More hopeful are stories like “The Refuge,” where the main character sets sail across the Caribbean to try and find a witch-woman who will absolve him of his wasted and unhappy life.
The book also contains one unforgettable (to me) narrative picture of a boy who, out to prove something to himself, skates out onto Lake Eire at night, only to find himself alone in a vast darkness and lost out of sight of land. That story is called “Ice,” and the vivid word picture alone is worth the price of the book.
Human beings are not always at their best in McGuane’s works, but some of them do try to redeem themselves and learn what it is to be human. McGuane is known primarily as a novelist. He began his career with “The Sporting Club,” and continued it through nine novels and a couple of essay collections, along with some short stories.
Because so many of his works take place in the West, McGuane is thought of as a Westerner. He is, in part, since he lives on his ranch in MacLeod, Montana; but he got his start in Wyandotte, Michigan, where he was born, and received a blue-blooded education from Michigan State, Yale and Stanford universities.
Armchair Interview says: This collection maintains his well-deserved reputation.