To coincide with my author study for this course, I have begun to read Winterdance by Gary Paulsen. I am a little over halfway into it and I really can't put it down! It's not even like the book is a real dramatic page turner. It is a memoir about Paulsen's experiences running the Iditarod race in Alaska, and if you aren't a dog person, you probably wouldn't enjoy it nearly as much as I do. I even laugh out loud at some parts. Like when he described himself training with his new team of dogs. It was early fall so he attached an old 50's bicycle to the dogs and they flew out of the yard and into the woods. The three new dogs decided to chase after a rabbit and the whole team joined in flinging Paulsen off the bike into the trees. The dogs then chased the rabbit for over ten miles before turning around and running all the way home dragging the old bike behind them. Paulsen, however, didn't know this and followed their trail for miles until giving up and stumbling home at 3 o'clock in the morning. His wife woke and told him that the lead dog, Cookie, lead them home hours ago. They were all sleeping in the yard with the old bike. I found this story hysterical. There are so many silly incidents like this during his period of training.
I love how his writing engages me. The scenery he describes sounds so beautiful and it puts me in such a lovely mood. Paulsen, at the time, lived so simply. He and his wife were basically broke so they had to hunt, trap, fish, farm. Anything they could, but they were happy. So content it seems. I value that lifestyle immensely. Being self-sufficient like that is definitely something I want to strive for when I'm older.
I am about to start reading about the race. The Iditarod seems like the craziest race on Earth! Thousands of miles through Alaska. Temperatures down to 60 below, with every person to his/herself to face the elements with their teams of dogs. At one of the mandatory meetings that Paulsen attended, people were warning each other about “suckholes” which are basically whirlpools beneath the ice that can suck a whole team down. They also talked about how a certain stretch of the race has no snow this year. No snow?! How do you run a sled on dirt? Paulsen was completely ignorant throughout the whole meeting and his training really. So it will be really interesting to see how the race starts off versus how it ends! At least I know that he doesn’t die.
I don't really love dogs or anything like that so I'm not really sure whether or not I would enjoy reading that book since from what it sounds like it seems like something that really resonates with dog lovers but I don't know. Sometimes the plot of a book comes second to the author's writing and their particular writing style from what I've experienced. So maybe I might actually enjoy the book as well!
ReplyDeleteYou mention that Paulsen describes scenery beautifully but how is it that he does this exactly? Is he a very literal type of writer or much more metaphorical? I think I tend to like when authors are literal so that I can try and envision exactly what they saw rather than just making my own picture up but being imaginative has its own benefits as well.
It does seem as though that this Iditarod race could actually be pretty exciting, especially with these sink hole things and the -60 below weather. From what you've written it seems like you really enjoy the book and I hope that you enjoy reading the rest of it!
I am a super crazy dog lover so that really does have a lot to do with why I love this book, but I think that most people would find his writing very satisfying. He is very literal with his descriptions and stories. I got a strong sense of him just speaking onto paper rather than writing. It all sounds so natural. He shared so many stories from training as well as the actual race, too many to even count! But they were all so easy to imagine.
ReplyDeleteIn that case you may very well enjoy this book because of his writing style. The Iditarod race was the best part of the book but not by that much. Paulsen's training period was almost just as exciting. I love this book because it really takes you miles away from where you are. It's all very captivating, but I do love his lovey-dovey-dog rambles as well. It is something I can relate to easily.
This book was so pleasing, I was very sad to finish it. I was even more sad about how it ended! At the end, he finishes the race and then he fast-forwards to a few years ahead. A doctor tells him that he has heart disease and that he can’t run sled dogs anymore… And then it just ENDS! Hated that.. but I am trying to find another outdoorsy, maybe doggy kind of book. I am open to suggestions!