Trout Fishing in America By Richard Brautigan

Cartoon of Richard Brautigan

“I always wanted to write a book that ended with the word Mayonnaise.” (and he did just that)

“The bookstore was a parking lot for used graveyards. Thousands of graveyards were parked in rows like cars. Most of the books were out of print, and no one wanted to read them any more and the people who had read the books had died or forgotten about them, but through the organic process of music the books had become virgins again.”

           My parents gave me this book for Christmas this past year, and I read it soon after during my winter break from school.  I have previously read A Confederate General from Big Sur and The Revenge of the Lawn, and Trout Fishing in America is by far the most outlandish and strange of the three, and thats saying something with Brautigan.  Throughout the entire novel, a little over 100 pages, he refers to people, places, events and emotions as 'Trout Fishing in America'.  It may have been his way of critiquing and describing his America in all of its various forms, but with Brautigan I've found it more enjoyable to just enjoy the ride rather than trying to understand every bit and piece. Like his other works the chapters are never more than a few pages, and they often traverse between several locations and people.  I feel that he had as much fun writing this novel as I did reading it because each chapter seemed to be an individual experiment in literature. I can't say that I claimed any obvious message or over-arching meaning from this novel, but  perhaps to recognize the little happenings in life and appreciate all they have to offer. 4/5