Review of Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving. Unabridged Audio Book.

Last Night in Twisted River is the epic story spanning five decades of Dominic Baciagulpo and his son Danny. The novel opens with the death in a logging accident of Angel Pope (later discovered to be Angelù Del Popolo and of Bostonian roots rather than Canadian as claimed) on the Androscoggin River, one of the main log driving rivers of New Hampshire. Angel fell off a log on a logging drive.

The town of Twisted River is home to hard logging men and their too few women. There is little education, but there are lots of fights. Dominic Baciagulpo is the cook in the Twisted River’s logging camp. The town is policed by Carl (the cowboy) who is a woman beater and a brute with a Colt 45. The five decades of the novel begin on the last night in Twisted River, when Danny accidentally kills Jane, long time girlfriend of Carl, with whom Danny’s father is having an affair. Danny was awoken in the night by the sounds of Dominic’s and Jane’s lovemaking and in the confusion of the darkness and the night, Danny, when he sees Jane astride Dominic,  mistakes her for a bear and brings her life to a premature end with a heavy skillet. The next five decades are spent hiding from Carl.

Through the period, Dominic’s and Danny’s closest friend Ketchum remains a constant. Ketchum is a bear of a man and a compelling character. Although a simple, tough man of the woods, he is a constant critic of US foreign policy as we travel through the periods of the Vietnam War and the events of 9/11.

As one comes to expect with Irving’s novels, there are many references to other books. Bears seem ever present, as does amputation.

For Arthur Morey’s narration I have nothing but praise. Although each character has his or hers own voice, the reading feels subtle. Ketchum is perhaps the one exception and is rightly played in a larger than life tone. His occasional profane ejaculations are very funny.

This is a novel of characters. As the novel progresses through the twentieth century and the early twenty first century, the listener is carried along through the sometimes small and seemingly insignificant events of a family as they sit alongside the great events of the post second world war America.

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