Barkskins: A Novel

A fan of Proulx' previous novels, I could not get myself to finish this one. I found the writing very disengaged and the characters did not develop to a point where I cared about them. I still remember Coyle from Shipping News which I read nearly 25 years ago. This gifted writer did not deliver on this one. The back story about the deforestation of Quebec/Northern American is intriguing but not enough to carry this story

I loved the history -- the history of two Frenchmen who arrive in "New France" in the late 1600's and their descendants. Many of their descendants are Mi'kmaq. So it's also about the destruction of First Nation people in Northeast Canada. But the main characters are the forests of North America -- and their destruction. Her writing is really good.

Humans interact with the forest primeval in this expansive novel by Annie Proulx. But this is not the romanticized woods of Longfellow. This is the story of the burgeoning lumber business in North America and the destruction it left in its path. It is the story of some who respected the trees and the land, and of many more who did not. Despite spanning three centuries, the tale of the heroic forest is vivid and strongly compelling, and the human characters are exquisitely defined, sometimes with only a few words. I could not put it down. I highly recommend this novel.

/among the best reads ever. Proulx is an amazing writer - would love to meet her. And I am envious. I am a tree-hugger and a re-forester in the Pacific Northwest; I couldn't ask for a better history lesson - with clear and visual characters.

This book is a truly exhaustive account of the damage we have done to the forests of the world and the systematic destruction of the MicMaw native American tribe in North America. That we could be (and still are) so pitifully lacking in concern for our environment that we would chop down trees over 1,000 years old, living archives of the planet's plant growth, is inconceivable. A great read, slow in places, heart-rending about the MicMaws, one of my ancestors. It seems they were great healers, knew the forests and the medicines they contained.

Barbara Grace Givens Langley, author of the soon to be published, The Planetarian Solution: A Higher Level of Consciousness

Perhaps my expectations for another Annie Proulx novel were too high after reading and enjoying The Shipping News. At times, Barkskins reads too much like a history and not enough like a novel. There are frequent shifts in focus from one character to another that can cause confusion. However, the detailed descriptions are vivid and succeed in transporting the reader back to the period in New France that Proulx describes. Also, the novel succeeds in enlightening the reader as to how we have managed to strip the landscape of our forests and alter our climate. A good read but not what I would have expected from such an accomplished novelist as Annie Proulx.

Proulx provides a compelling story of the deforesting of parts of Canada and New England by the French followed by other Europeans. Land with rubble and stumps as far as the eye could see was very instructive as to the destruction of our forests.
However I had got the central messages and ideas by 350 pages. Seven hundred pages was numbing and unnecessary.

The story is somewhat disjointed but the writing is so good it holds the reader's interest. Proulx demonstrates a scientific understanding of forest ecology that is reflected in the narrative. This is especially prominent late in the book. I would have liked to see more detail about forests and life in remote areas. The underlying theme of industrial damage and exploitation of native peoples and ecosystems is compelling and disturbing.

This book is not just about trees as critics position it to be. It is a fascinating and complex narrative of an industry that built this country through two families over hundreds of years. And at the same time it exposes the destruction of our natural resources, and slow genocide of native Americans, while we the immigrants ascend. Thoroughly researched facts and and an evolution of attitudes that has shaped American culture.

Overall 4 stars vs 5 since I found it to be a fascinating, read m, but thought the ending was to narrowly focused given the breadth of this book. However if you love historical fiction, business and gritty not so pretty truth of our history you will enjoy this!

Starts and continues slow through first half of the book with too many characters portrayed too briefly. Picks up in second half of the book and ends with a flop. I continued reading because she can turn a phrase but needs better editing.

If you are interested in knowing more about the forests of America, including Canada, Germany and New Zealand, you'll enjoy this book. It does provide a clear picture of deforestation. But it just wasn't a riveting read for me.

The writing was very strong here -- to be expected from Annie Proulx. Very well researched and lots of potential. Unfortunately, I didn't feel the story got to as strong a conclusion or end as built up? If you liked Jane Smiley's most-recent trinity of Iowa farm life (add in A Thousand Acres) you'll probably like this one. If you like any of Annie Proulx's stuff, you'll like this one. I actually read it right after Shipping News -- so my expectations were high.

Annie Proulx is an exceptionally skilled writer, and I have read all of her fiction. Barkskins is yet another fascinating tale in the form of an historical novel. She and McCarthy are the best writers today.

Proulx is a miniaturist of character who is epic in scale. As an anthropologist I envy her way she evokes the worldview and ontology of Native Americans unforgettably and in the full complexity of unfit dingy character, the quirkiness of fate and the horrific amputation of a people's life by a world of power and forceful acquisition. Resilience of survivors can take generations to emerge. Kuntaw's passing is one of the most beautiful passages I have ever read. Hurrah, Annie! A true custodian of the amplitude of life.

This was a very interesting book and very well written. The devastation of our trees was so well documented from the colonial times up to today. It was a sad story but everybody who believes in conservation should read this book. In face, it is a book that stirs your conscious. I liked it as much as I did Annie Proulx's Shipping News. Although it is long I could not put it down.

Annie is simply one of our best contemporary writers.This is a challenging book especially as Annie uses an expansive vocabulary. The book spans a history of three hundred years, telling the story of individual characters who are not represented in the history books but who brought us to where we are none the less. It deals with the questions of how we survive ( or not ) in the face of our own mistakes. This is an excellent book but "Shipping News" remains as Annie's masterpiece.

Annie is simply one of our best contemporary writers.This is a challenging book especially as Annie uses an expansive vocabulary. The book spans a history of three hundred years, telling the story of individual characters who are not represented in the history books but who brought us to where we are none the less. It deals with the questions of how we survive ( or not ) in the face of our own mistakes. This is an excellent book but "Shipping News" remains as Annie's masterpiece.

Sadly, I have almost read everything she's written. You sink into her places and the people populate a vivid arena which she is a master at creating. Half way through I went back to the beginning again to be sure of what I read. It was worth it. May want to have a map handy of NE USA and eastern Canada.

Very interesting read but too many characters and way too long. It is an epic and it did provide some historical facts of the progression in the logging industry, but at times it was confusing.Still, I'm glad I read it. What an undertaking for a good author to tackle. Logging was important in our country's development.

I enjoyed the book, but there are no many characters to keep straight; it is daunting. Her overarching theme is the tale of the Duke and Sel families as they ravage the forests of the US, Canada, and the world. Sometimes, it's laid on a bit thick, as the Indian side of the family is depicted as forever unable to adjust to "whiteman" world.

What a wonderful piece of story telling and world-class literature this book offers an ambitious reader. The journey taken chapter by chapter cuts across centuries, cultures, countries, and passing generations of families and tribes. It is an awesome sojourn into wilderness, woodlands, and insatiable appetites to conquer and thrive. The research required for this work must have been unbelievable - the knowledge, genealogy, history and scientific background translate into impressive detail as the story unfolds. Impressive!!

What a wonderful read,I found myself totally absorbed from page one and found the similarities between the Indian population and the Australia indigenous peoples very similar .
If I have one criticism it would be that the ending ,for me,fell short of expectations .I really liked THE SHIPPING NEWS,but I loved BARKSKINS.
A very educational tale.A must read.

This Spring, two different magazines suggested Barkskins as a book to read this Summer. I really tried to get into it as I usually like books that span generations. After struggling through over half of the book, I just gave up on it. There are too many books out there to read to spend any more time on it!

This will probably be a National Book Award nominee, and could well be the winner in 2016. A three century's long story of multiple generations of both Europeans (whites) and indigenous peoples. All centered around the tragic global destruction of the world's forests (and many native peoples) by exploitative "invaders".

I disliked this book. I think it tried to accomplish too much and ended up unfocused and lacking continuity. Characters were rarely developed. The quick gory predictable demise of so many characters was evident. Some of the historical details were interesting but not enough to carry the book for me. If it hadn't been our book club's choice I would not have read it. Very disappointing.

An excellent novel spanning several generations of an initially French Canadian indian family with connections to the Netherlands. The story centres on the Doucet/Duke family, starting with a French Canadian fur trapper and lumberjack who married a local indian tribewoman. The story explores the relationship between commerce and exploitation with links to deforestation and present day climate change. A wonderful book that will challenge your faith in 20th century business culture and at the same time tell a mutilayered story

This is a novel about trees. French, Indians, British, Americans, Chinese, New Zealanders, and Brazilians all interact as families build fortunes from forest products. However, the novel is a bit like Russian novels in that there are many characters that pass on and off the scene. It is sometimes difficult to keep the families, who intermarry, straight. A good read and an apology for forest conservation world wide.

Probably Annie's most conventional novel to date. A great read with lots of Proulx touches, but the vaguely Mitchner-esque structure and feel of the narrative made me miss the dark humor and seething atmosphere of her best work.

Another great book by Proulx. A fast paced multi plot narration over at at least 100 years. In the beginning of he book there are alot of vocabulary words. As he time gets more modern, the vocabulary words decrease. This is an escape adventure with some history thrown in. I wan another book by Proulx.

Great writing like you would expect from Annie Proulx, covering the centuries of disturction of the woodlands of the Americas and New Zealand. The effect on the environment and people during these years, told through several family histories of the natives and acolonial family with all their faults and virtues.

Bearskins starts out with an interesting premise in compelling just-outside-of-historical settings. As you plough through hundreds of pages the characters and plots become less inspired--even predictable.

A fantastic, honest, detailed historical fiction. It is challenging , exciting , moving, and above all passionate.. I lived and studied in Massachusits,Rhode Island, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia and had never learned of the essential factors of their development and history. Thanks to this master I finally learned where I came from and a great description of what made the East Coast of Canada and the USA so beautiful and has created such character to its inhabitants. It is a timely lesson of how mixed culture make viable nations!! This novel is not to be missed!!

I was smiling at the first page, remembering how Proulx's writing always captures my attention immediately. Throughout this book I was impressed with her compassionate treatment of her characters. The events unfold in a brutal fashion that is appropriate for the story yet I never lost sight of the author's respect for the lives she chose to tell her story.

It was a wonderful account of a family's evolution from the very origins to the present. It included the commencement of the deforestation of not only Northern America but also the world. Well written and researched. Reading this story on a kindle is not the best as I found the genealogy at the end of the story and it is illegable due to the small print - very disappointing as I am travelling and cannot access a legible sized print for this important aspect of the book. Definitely recommend you to buy it in hard copy.

Well written, but tries to cover too much ground for one novel. Imagines a continuom from the earliest colonial times to the present day of environmental activism to restore our forests to their colonial state. Some interesting characters, but some characters sketchy and not credible. A long read.

Relentless in its dreariness. Annie has used her great talent to create a horror novel where not just the forests of the world meet ghastly endings. Each new character is introduced with the ominous dread that they will die hideously. Too long to be enjoyable. I am faithful to the author but this was a long beating.

The author, focuses on ecological damage unwittingly sustained by our forests--"the paradox of the commons problem," And as most realize our destruction of Native American peoples' culture and lives. These tragedies are wrapped in suburb stories of ambitious
Americans and the devastation heaped on Native Americans!

The starkness of the language is such a perfect parallel with the stark lives of the characters in this epic tale of wilderness living and dying. While I couldn't keep track of many of the hundred characters, it almost gave a feeling of wandering through them as one wanders through a vast forest of people not of trees. The book was a wonderful read, only faltering a bit for me at the end when it veers into a lengthy and ultimately unsatisfactory diatribe by the last character, on the nature of loss and environmental damage. That seems grafted on to an otherwise realistic and well told story at once familiar and strange. Highly recommended.

Everything you never wanted to know about logging and would never have asked. Although I understand the point she is trying to make here I found this very plodding and had trouble staying with it. The character plots just ended with no resolution. Threads were left hanging everywhere.
I like this author and wish she had just written a history on the subject as it is an extremely important story and needs to be told.

I read this book in two installments - took a break half way through. There are many characters to follow. Two large families, their strengths and foibles. I learned a lot about American Indians and forests. I recommend it heartily.

Beautifully written and painstakingly researched, this is possibly Annie Proulx finest novel. She makes a strong case for pulling out all the stops to preserve our planet's precious resources. After reading this I have a new fascination with trees and their symbiotic relationship with all living things.

This is a fascinating account of the ruthless trek west in search of white pines to cut. We liked it so much, we thought of writing to Annie Proulx to invite her to abandon her residence among the smug elites of Seattle, to live near us in God's country.

Very well written as typical for Ms Annie Proulx, but I could not get into it despite trying several times. I'm an avid reader so this is unusual for me. It's hard to explain why I could not get into it, and this is not any kind of thoughtful critique- but I found the part that I read somewhat tedious. The descriptions of the forest and the sea travel were somewhat dry and the main characters not likeable enough to want to know what happened to them.

Should be required reading in schools to see what the lumber industry has done to the ecology of the world by cutting away at our forests. The final chapter was awesome and frightening. We could. have learned so much from the native Americans about respecting our earth.

The writing was excellent but the novel covered a long period of time and many characters. Because of that, very few of the characters had any depth and I really didn't feel any attachment to them. In addition, the theme of the destruction of American forests felt a little didactic and heavy handed at times.

A unique historical novel about an industry I knew very little about. Truly an epic story following generations of lives. Touches on many important themes that are of ultimate relevance today.

Often highly interesting and tragic.

This is an interesting book. Not sure what the author was trying to accomplish. Seemed the point of view was too broad so never really had empathy for any of the characters ok places. Even the devastation of the forests seemed impersonal. For me the ending came abruptly and seemed a bit contrived. That being said, I did read it all so found it an interesting read if not memorable.

Barkskins led to a whole new understanding of our early country and its development. It broke my heart to realize how we tore away whole forest to provide for our future. The indian nations aren't the savages WE ARE. Our environment is eroding and climate change is now underway. This book was well written and informative, I wish it would have continued to let me know if they succeeded in helping with renewal.

This is a sweeping narrative and a prodigious undertaking.
I reel in contemplation of the scope of the undertaking, the sweep of research and the literary craft to seamlessly weave it all together.
Drawing upon her skills in the short form Annie Proulx effortlessly brings to life a litany of characters - each stepping off the page with a resonance and vitality that drives the narrative forward.
I take back my reservations about the big book historical chronicles. This vindicates and benchmarks the standard against which all later comers will be held to account.

The parts about the New England lumber industry were not very interesting. The characters generally did not live. The parts about the Native people were very interesting and lively. Over-all I didn't think it was very good but Proulx always really learns her history and the reader learns a lot from her.

I enjoyed this read - the first for me from Annie Proulx. Its account of the tribulations of the two wood cutters and their descendants, was incredibly insightful and somewhat harrowing. It reflected the hardships that both families endured, on many levels. The disregard for natural resources, the deforestation on a global scale, and the loss of identity, culture and heritage of the Canadian Indians portray a period of extreme loss over the 300 year period. I found the book well written and enjoyed how Annie navigated from one family to the other across the same time period. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

This novel had no main characters the reader could bond with. Characters came and left as fast as they arrived and their grandkids showed up later. The story's main purpose was to show how the destruction of the Earths forests has impacted its survival.

This book is a beautiful and brutal character study of generations of two families. As characters pass on, Proulx provides new compelling characters. I couldn't put it down. I learned a lot about Native history in the northeast by reading this book. There is no 'happy ending' because this book has many endings and new beginnings. It is honest.

I Appreciated the amount of research that went into the development of the novel.
The information and insight into the devastation of both the forests and socio-cultural communities increased my commitment to "saving" the environment in my corner of the world.