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So Brave, Young and Handsome: A Novel | 
 enlarge | Author: Leif Enger
Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press
Category: Book
List Price: $24.00
Buy New: $8.58
You Save: $15.42 (64%)
New (53) Used (30) Collectible (9) from $8.15
Rating:  90 reviews
Sales Rank: 4051
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 272
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 9 x 6.1 x 1.2
ISBN: 0871139855
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780871139856
ASIN: 0871139855
Publication Date: April 22, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: jacket cover has very very slight wear from shelving
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| Also Available In:
| • | Paperback - So Brave, Young, and Handsome: A Novel | | • | Kindle Edition - So Brave, Young, and Handsome | | • | Audio Download - So Brave, Young, and Handsome (Unabridged) | | • | Audio CD - So Brave, Young and Handsome | | • | Hardcover - So Brave, Young, and Handsome (Thorndike Press Large Print Basic Series) | | • | Hardcover - So Brave, Young and Handsome: A Novel | | • | Hardcover - So Brave, Young and Handsome: A Novel |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com Review
Amazon Significant Seven, April 2008: A gritty western couched in the easy storytelling style of a folk ballad (think 3:10 to Yuma as sung by the Kingston Trio), Leif Enger's highly anticipated second novel (his first was Peace Like a River) tells the story of outlaw Glendon Hale's quest to right his past, as seen through the eyes of his unlikely companion Monte Becket. So Brave, Young, and Handsome begins with Becket, a struggling novelist bewildered by the success of his first book, who has pledged to his wife, son, and publisher to "write one thousand words a day until another book is finished." Four years and six unfinished novels later, Becket sits on the porch of his Minnesota farmhouse about to give up on number seven, when he spies a man standing up in his boat "rowing upstream through the ropy mists of the Cannon River." Eager to set aside his waning tale about handsome ranch hand Dan Roscoe, Becket calls out to the mysterious white-haired boatman and his life changes forever. At turns merry and wistful, romantic and tragic, So Brave, Young, and Handsome is as absorbing as a campfire tale, full of winking outlaws and relentless villains--the sort of story to keep you on the edge of your seat with hope in your heart. --Daphne Durham
Product Description
A stunning successor to his best selling novel Peace Like a River, Leif Enger’s new work is a rugged and nimble story about an aging train robber on a quest to reconcile the claims of love and judgment on his life, and the failed writer who goes with him.
In 1915 Minnesota, novelist Monte Becket has lost his sense of purpose. His only success long behind him, Monte lives simply with his wife and son. But when he befriends outlaw Glendon Hale, a new world of opportunity and experience presents itself. Glendon has spent years in obscurity, but the guilt he harbors for abandoning his wife, Blue, over two decades ago, has lured him from hiding. As the modern age marches swiftly forward, Glendon aims to travel back to his past--heading to California to seek Blue’s forgiveness. Beguiled and inspired, Monte soon finds himself leaving behind his own family to embark for the unruly West with his fugitive guide. As they desperately flee from the relentless Charles Siringo, an ex-Pinkerton who’s been hunting Glendon for years, Monte falls ever further from his family and the law, to be tempered by a fiery adventure from which he may never get home.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 85 more reviews...
 Incredible Road Trip, Odd Grace March 28, 2008
90 out of 95 found this review helpful
Monte Becket should have been happy, with a doting wife, adventuresome little boy, and a place by the river. Not to mention a bestselling novel to his credit. But something's missing and he can't seem to write a second. Then Glendon Hale shows up--courtly, charming, talented, and a self-confessed rascal--a man who walked out on his wife, the love of his life, many years before. Now he envisions a quixotic journey of redemption--to find his lost wife and apologize--and he asks Monte to go with him. So begins the road trip to end all road trips. Monte gets in deeper than he ever expected, and soon runs afoul of Charles Siringo, the detective/bounty hunter who has been pursuing Glendon for many years. Will they ever find the long lost Mrs. Hale? Will Glendon receive forgiveness? Wlll Monte ever make it home again? Or will both men end up in jail? Or worse?
Of course, I won't tell you what happens, only that this trip becomes longer, darker, and more costly than Monte could ever have dreamed. And that both men suffer and lose a lot, and that they end up touched by an odd kind of grace.
Leif Enger is an amazing writer. He brings this improbable yarn to life so richly, so delightfully, that you keep turning the pages, want to or not. He has an absolutely stunning gift for making his characters real and this absurd adventure profoundly believable. I enjoyed Enger's first book--Peace Like A River--but this one is much better. You simply have to drop what you're doing and get a copy. Now. I recommend it highly. Reviewed by Louis N. Gruber.
Wonderful second novel from Enger April 28, 2008
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
"So Brave, Young and Handsome" is a novel about three men who are none of these things - failed author Monte Becket (who is the least brave of the three), retired train robber Glendon Hale (no longer as young as he was), and aging detective Charles Siringo (not young or particularly handsome as the book proceeds). While they may not be brave, young and handsome, they are interesting and well-drawn characters, amiable companions during a novel of medium length.
Like "Peace Like a River," a significant part of the novel takes place on the road, as Becket and Hale travel by boat, car, foot and horse from Minnesota to California, in search of the wife Hale hasn't seen in 30 years. They are pursued by Siringo, written as the classic tenacious and omniscient detective, Terminator-like in his dogged pursuit of Hale, the one who got away years ago. However, the pursuit is not the entirety of, nor the point of, the novel, nor is this an adventure or genre novel. At its core, it is the story of two men at the end of their lives, and a middle-aged man who is caught between them.
While not as playful as, and without the supernatural elements of, "Peace Like a River," "So Brave, Young and Handsome" manages to deliver an interesting, literary story with a light touch. At times, I thought that Enger wrote Monte Becket as a quasi-autobiographical character, particularly in describing Becket's difficulty in following up his unexpectedly-popular first novel.
Those who loved "Peace Like a River" will not be disappointed in "So Brave, Young and Handsome." Indeed, I would recommend this novel to anyone who likes good writing. You will be pleased with this even as a blind purchase. If you don't want to spend the money, seek this out at your local library. You will be glad you did.
A Meandering Tale with Depth April 16, 2008
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
Although this is not a book I normally would have bought, I enjoyed it tremendously. The story meanders across the country, and through the lives of the people involved. It recalls a simpler time, which is only enhanced by the author's use of period writing. While at first blush this is simply a story of the travels of several men, it has a deeper meaning that provides a dose of wisdom for all. Highly recommended.
Yes, there is a country for old men...or old writers April 25, 2008
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
The author mentions "The Cowboy's Lament" in the afterword. I recommend listening to The Sons of the Pioneers The Essential Collection ( The Sons of The Pioneers) and Country Classics Country Classics, Vol. 2 when you read this poetic love letter to the Western.
This book, like many of the finest stories, is about the quest for redemption. To the list of classic dusty-trail duos, Leif Enger adds the team of the anguished one-hit wonder author Monte Becket and the ex-train robber Glendon Hale (who travel in a Packard for much of the trip). In 1915 Minnesota, Monte lives a comfortable life with his wife and son, hiding his failed novels and his despair, at least until Glendon Hale rows into his life down the Cannon River. Glendon has a past and a wife he regrets abandoning. He seeks her forgiveness, and like most writers attempting to live up to past successes, Monte would rather brave pursuit by an ex-Pinkerton detective, a flood, a fire, and all the mythic obstacles any hero must confront --- after all, a shootout is less terrifying than a blank page, or several pages of prose that you know with dead certainty are going nowhere.
The characters are wonderfully drawn, especially Glendon Hale, the antagonist Charles Siringo, Glendon's former wife Blue/Arandano (and her new husband Claudio), Monte's wife Susannah (who interestingly lacks a physical description other than the mention of an orange skirt) encourages him on this adventure rather than telling him to go back to work at the post office, Monte's son Redstart, and the enigmatic rogue youth Hood Roberts who aids and complicates Monte and Glendon's journey. Charles Siringo is a villain worth of Joel and Ethan Coen, crossed with Detective Javert.
For people who found "No Country For Old Men" too intense, this is a delightful counterpoint and a moving story of love and friendship in a vanished age. Enger does a marvelous job of capturing early twentieth-century America.
Excellent Follow Up To PEACE LIKE A RIVER April 16, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
I really liked PEACE LIKE A RIVER and was thrilled when Amazon gave me a chance to read and review Leif Enger's new novel SO BRAVE, YOUNG AND HANDSOME before its publication date. I'm not usually a big reader of adventure type novels but this one really is superior and Enger is remarkable in capturing the style of writers like Zane Grey (albeit with much better plotting, description and characterization than those old dime novelists) in this well researched novel. The language of the novel is often deliberately old fashioned creating a major part of the novel's charm though the well developed characters (especially our narrator, Monte, an author of one successful novel suffering from a serious case of writer's block ) are what I will remember about the book. And as a former Oklahoma resident who is very fond of the remarkable but little known history of that unique state I really like the portion of the story that is set at the legendary "Hundred and One" ranch in Ponca City. Though this book is enjoyable for all ages I highly recommend it especially for older readers who grew up with this style of novel.
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