The Quest and the Quarry

By Gordon Hutchinson

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Paperback
• ISBN: 0970981325
• ISBN13: 9780970981325
• Release Date: July 2005
• Publisher: Louisiana Publishing, Inc.
• Length: 217 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.

Customer Reviews

The Quest and the Quarry

I found the book to be very entertaining and although I doubt it was written to be informative, it actually was. I found myself becoming a part of the plot not long into the book. I sincerely hope the author has more to come.

Modern Classic

There aren't too many "men" writers these days, and that's disappointing. Anyone who has ever read The Sun Also Rises could never forget the emotional depths Hemingway painted when Jake and Bill shed the constraints of city life to fish together in the mountain streams of Pamplona. In that scene, Hemingway simply showed readers the honest cores of two regular men, but what emerged was one of the most graceful passages in all of classic literature. Where Hemingway left off, Gordon Hutchinson continues in The Quest and the Quarry. Two award-winning short stories form the basis of this novel, which brings readers into the life of a Mississippi farming and hunting family, and exposes them to the simple pleasures of camaraderie, family, and freedom from the constraints of city living. The tale begins with a story of an old man's quiet wisdom, elegant in its simplicity, decisive in its certainty. From there it expands, introducing readers to a Southern family and describing the family's longstanding relationship with its farmland. The straightforward dignity of the lifestyle quickly entrances the reader, which is the ultimate purpose of the story. As the tale progresses, the family faces down joy and adversity in the backwoods. The men hunt, farm, and enjoy each other's company in a uniquely male way. There's drinking, card games, practical jokes-and true friendship. Meanwhile, the bonds between them-and between them and the reader-grow. It's almost as though by bringing the reader along with the family, Hutchinson slowly permits the family to accept the reader. And Hutchinson is a gifted storyteller. With an incisive eye for detail, he conveys all the little aspects of the hunt-from the bitter cold of hunting in the pre-dawn rain to the vivid tastes of the food made at camp-that are necessary for a reader to truly experience it. In so doing, he makes this story accessible to all readers; you need not have any hunting experience, or even like the idea of hunting, to appreciate his message. He changes perspectives at crucial points in the story, allowing it to evolve naturally while providing an overarching perspective of this family's way of life. He writes with a light touch and a steady, patient rhythm that bespeaks the deep-set values embodied by the book's family. His dialogue rings true and conveys a dialect that is at times hilarious, while at others, deeply touching. Further, he empathizes with all of his characters, showing an incredible ability to see from others' perspectives, including-amazingly-that of the hunted deer. His tones are always well matched to the events taking place, easily shifting from mischievous, during moments of carefree revelry, to deep melancholy, as the central tragedies occur. The dominant theme is simply the raw emotions men feel as they face the challenges of life, some self-imposed, others thrust upon them. Hutchinson expertly and honestly conveys these emotions. He seamlessly juxtaposes the thrill of the hunt

Through the eyes of the hunter and the hunted

Being the mother of four sons and coming from a family of small-game hunters, I was looking for a book that would introduce my youngest son to the world of big-game hunters. We got that and much more. This book speaks of a time in old, gallant south when men were men and boys wanted to be those men. I've known deer hunters, but I never realized all that is involved in getting inside the mind of a deer. Hutchinson takes us with ease and realism from the mind of the hunter to the mind of the deer. His writing is akin to a beautiful ballet of the woods, where the dance ends victoriously for either the prey or the predator while weaving the lifelike drama of southern realism throughout. My son and I know more about deer and deer hunting than we did before, but we got our education while glimpsing the lives of possibly a time gone by. It is my deep hope that Hutchinson will reach in his bag of short stories and pull together another great book that will take us as deep into another realm of the forgotten south.

A novel for both the hunter and the heart

I must say, when first opening the novel The Quest and the Quarry by Gordon Hutchinson, I was skeptical. I am not a hunter, and the only experience I have had involving the hunt consisted of a single hunting trip where I fired a rifle only once at an unmoving metal can. After reading a review by Alan Clemons, where he thanks Hutchinson for "taking [him] to [his] own beginnings of deer hunting with [his] father," I wondered if I would be able to connect to the characters as well as someone who had these memories to fall back on. Once beginning the novel, however, I discovered that you don't need your own hunting memories to borrow the vivid and moving tales Hutchinson so generously lends and make them your own. The story unfolds expertly, following the lives and experiences of several members of a rural Mississippi family. The point of view changes throughout the novel, allowing a broad look into the lives of all the characters, each connected by the strongest bond of all - family strength. This novel is about hunting, filling the mind with the excitement and thrill involved in winning a trophy buck while on horseback after weeks of preparation, but it also delves deeper than the mere passion of the hunt itself. Encompassing a tale of a young boy growing into a wise "old timer", Hutchinson reveals the true story hidden in the excitement of the hunt. The lessons taught to young chaps by their fathers and grandfathers as they learn to fire rifles and ride horses are innumerable and irreplaceable. With chapters that will make you cry, chapters that will make you laugh out loud, and chapters that will make you do both at once, The Quest and the Quarry brings the strength that belongs to this rural Mississippi family to life. I am a city girl with a country heart, and this novel brought me in and gave me the privilege of becoming a part of this remarkable, strong and cohesive family.