Beside this monstrosity his own curled hand - eternally bluish from so many hours in the wash-water cleaning glasses, the flesh appearing to approach transparency the way meat does after pickling - looked even bluer and smaller than usual. Teddy lowered his lashes and gazed at the wienie-fingered, rusty-knuckled paw resting on the richly grained surface of the bar. since everyone sooner or later comes through his saloon: Hank, Henry, Leland Draeger, the smooth-talking union organizer Evenwrite the striker's agent the drunks, the movie-theatre owner (who tries to kill himself) and the local bully, Big Newton: This epic tale goes on, in the hills, at the ocean, through the forests, on the river, or in the town of Wakonda, at the Wakonda bar under the eyes of watchful Teddy, who may be the Pacific Northwest version of a Greek chorus, playing out his role there in the Snag. It's Lake Woebegone with nuts it's Our Town acted out, with verve and passion (and blue language) on the Oregon Pacific coast in the bizarre house that Henry built on the river, a Sisyphean structure than never seems to get finished when Henry finally dies, Hank takes over the job. and enough hate to take it all through to another generation. Notion is more than a Northwest strike tale: it's an epic, family members locked in classic family battles, with each other or with the gods (or both), like something out of Ovid or the Mahabarata or Æschylus.īrother (or half-brother) sleeping with mother, another brother (step-son) vowing to avenge this, complete with tricks, deceit, attempted murder, suicide. Well, yes, but that's like saying that The Old Man and the Sea is a how-to-do-it guide on fishing in the tropics. The story involves an Oregon family of loggers who cut and procure trees for a local mill in opposition to striking, unionized workers. The obit writers (Kesey died in 2003) said things like Notion is a ravishingly good book, and this disc version does it justice. I finally went to the library, got out an old 1965 edition of the book, started reading through the parts that I had liked listening to. Stechschulte becomes these characters - and many others - because the writing is good, good enough to let one into the story so the story becomes you. He's also the crabby old reprobate Henry Stamper, and the eastern college graduate Leland (Stanford) Stamper, and Vivian, too. He's cool Hank Stamper, a man who lost two fingers in a logging accident (his wife Vivian didn't find out until she takes off his gloves). GradeSaver, 21 February 2019 Web.I went through all twenty-six discs of Sometimes a Great Notion, narrated by Tom Stechschulle. Next Section Character List Previous Section About Sometimes a Great Notion How To Cite in MLA Format Anonymous "Sometimes a Great Notion Summary". Will review the submission and either publish your submission or provide feedback. You can help us out by revising, improving and updatingĪfter you claim a section you’ll have 24 hours to send in a draft. Eventually, the house will collapse and everyone knows it, but for now, it stands on a little peninsula, a testament to Henry's stubbornness, surrounded on all sides by rapidly flowing water. These days, the river by the house has widened, and the foundation of the house is precariously close to the erosion, but Henry is too stubborn to move. ![]() One day, Leland has moved to the East Coast, but his mother dies, and he goes to Oregon to pursue revenge against Henry, or at least to settle the score in some way. wanes over the years as she slowly resigns herself to the slavery he has created for her in their marriage. Finally, there is Viv, whose love for Hank Sr. Leland doesn't fit in very well, and eventually he will end up on the East Coast. Then we meet the younger half-brother of Hank, Leland. Hank, his older son, has a powerful personality, but his insecurity poses a risk for the future of the family. His life motto is "Never Give a Inch", which defines his opinion of the strike. Henry Stamper's opinion is conservative, philosophically and politically. The decision is heavily scrutinized from many points of view by the prose. They keep on working as if the strike is not happening. But the Stampers own a small company, free from unions. The union goes on strike to demand fair pay for decreased hours of labor (since technology improved, reducing the need for labor). It's the early 1960's, and the town runs on the logging industry. We meet the Stamper family who live in Wakonda, Oregon. Written by people who wish to remain anonymous We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own. ![]() ![]() These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community.
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