Farley MowatCritiques

As an adolescent, Mowat was one of my favourite authors as a model of Canada, northern life, personal independence and appreciation of nature. This book fits well in that tradition.

I found Mowat an exciting read as a child, and the first writer to inspire an interest in being Canadian and environmentally conscious.½

Biography

Canada

History

If you want to study wolves, go to where the wolves are. That’s what Farley Mowat did when he ventured to the rugged Arctic landscape in the early 60’s. One of the book's strengths lies in its exploration of the delicate balance of ecosystems and the interconnectedness of all living beings within them. Mowat skillfully weaves scientific observations with personal anecdotes, offering insights into the intricate web of life in the Arctic wilderness. Through his journey, Mowat challenges prevalent stereotypes about wolves as bloodthirsty predators and instead portrays them as complex, intelligent animals with intricate social structures. Never Cry Wolf is a seminal work in nature writing and a playbook for wilderness exploration and discovery.

A surprisingly funny look at the actual habits of wolves. It was a fast and fun read, and I still managed to learn a lot!

The ending was a bit abrupt, however, and there’s some controversy about how much of the book is true, apparently. I don’t tend to put much stock into controversy, and everything in the book seemed plausible enough to me, given what I’ve read and heard elsewhere.

Note: There is some profanity, and references to evolutionary theory as fact.

READING LEVEL: 6.6 AR POINTS: 9.0

Lost in the Barren by Farley Mowat (1956 1st ed.) 244 pages.

Mowat does real science and tells what his life was like when doing his research.

Outstanding book!

One of the things I find funny about his diff. books is the way you find out that he's edited certain things from the stories. The end in real life was rather sadder than in the children's version.

A Canadian infantry officer's memoir of his time in Sicily and Italy during World War II, published in 1975. As the combat becomes more and more difficult, and as the narrator's mental state deteriorates, the prose becomes more and more fantastic. The ending is abrupt.
===================
This is my first use of the Hoopla app. It worked fairly well, but be careful if you leave your place without a bookmark, you will not return easily.

3.5 stars

In the 1930s, Farley Mowat and his parents moved to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. They wanted a dog. His father wanted a hunting dog, but since that was too expensive, his mother just bought a dog a little boy was selling for cheap door-to-door. They called him Mutt. This book includes stories that mostly focus on Mutt.

Actually my favourite chapter was the one with the two owls (Mowat used those owls in his fictional kids’ story, “Owls in the Family”). The book was more like short stories, but that’s ok. Mutt was a character. A lot of people seem to consider this a children’s book, but I didn’t think it read that way. A boy and his dog, sure. I suppose that would appeal, but it didn’t seem particularly written for kids. I’m rating it good.½

The Snow Walker by Canadian author Farley Mowat is a collection of short stories that gives a voice to the people of the north, the Inuit. The stories have a warm campfire feel to them, but there is one consistent thread that runs throughout – these are all stories about people who are losing their culture and identity as modern men and their technology encroach upon their territory.

I enjoyed all of the stories even those of them that dealt with native superstition and the consequences of crossing the gods. My favourites of the collection was the title story, “The Snow Walker”, as it beautifully illustrates the love of family and “Walk Well, My Brother” about a pilot and his passenger, an Inuit woman who survive a plane crash and then travel across the barren lands to find her people.

Originally published in 1975 one can see how accurate Mowat was in his judgment of Western methods and how the indigenous people have suffered from the treatment they have received. Although slightly dated when it comes to terminology, this is a powerful collection of stories that are versatile and unique.

The stories told herein are of great heroics and brave men. Regrettably, they are told in a dry and uninspiring way that wasn't particularly thrilling to read.

2 printings

It's an okay book. I read it with my son during our homeschool reading lessons. We've been reading a lot of autobiographical fiction lately and this fits right into that category.

It's meant for early readers. So, there's nothing complex here. As such, it's not fleshed out much.

Not a kid's book; beautifully-written look at a child's life in a semi-rural world (Ontario > Canadian Prairie) esp. but not exclusively devoted to Mutt the dog but also Wols and Weeps the owls, assorted skunks, gophers, and cats... Teddy Roosevelt without the money, Mowat's fascination with the natural world began early and led to a life and writings for which we are all grateful.

The controversy surrounding this book (many people claim it is fiction) may have influenced my rating. This was an entertaining story of time spent among wolves in Canada.

The first thing that comes to mind when describing this children's book is "old fashioned" - not necessarily in a bad way. The main character's childhood roamings through the prairie of Saskatoon chasing birds, catching gophers, and stealing eggs from nests seems so implausible and environmentally unsound now. Having said that, the story is sweet and funny and engaging. I'll be encouraging my third grader to read this one!

not my favorite book in the world. :(

Good enough that I remember the book almost 50 years later, after reading during a series of rainy days at sleepaway camp in the camp library.

From his non-fiction writings Mowat was obviously familiar with the high Arctic. One of the events of the book was a December warm wave that almost fatally lured the two adventurers trapped in the tundra to strike out for the tree line and milder weather. Should give pause to climate alarmists since novels usually hew pretty close to real geographic and weather conditions.

Another was the kindness of strangers. Overall, if still in print, I recommend it.

My boys and I loved this book!

Read this several years ago, and I remember liking it. I read it with a group of kids when I was working as a paraeducator.

powerful depiction of life, people and places in the remote part of the Canadian East, and most especially, how despicable people can be