The Other

By: David Guterson

Narrated by: Mark Bramhall

From the author of the best-selling Snow Falling on Cedars, a dazzling new novel about youth and idealism, adulthood and its compromises, and two powerfully different visions of what it means to live a good life.

John William Barry has inherited the pedigree–and wealth–of two of Seattle’s elite families; Neil Countryman is blue-collar Irish. Nevertheless, when the two boys meet in 1972 at age sixteen, they’re brought together by what they have in common: a fierce intensity and a love of the outdoors that takes them together into Washington’s remote backcountry, where they must rely on their wits–and each other–to survive.

Soon after graduating from college, Neil sets out on a path that will lead him toward a life as a devoted schoolteacher and family man. But John William makes a radically different choice, dropping out of college and moving deep into the woods, convinced that it is the only way to live without hypocrisy. When John William enlists Neil to help him dis- appear completely, Neil finds himself drawn into a web of secrets and often agonizing responsibility, deceit, and tragedy–one that will finally break open with a wholly unexpected, life-altering revelation.

Riveting, deeply humane, The Other is David Guterson’s most brilliant and provocative novel to date.

Beautiful but not compelling

The author describes landscapes and people so well, I felt I knew them. But to the very end I wondered where the story was going. I think the author wanted to write a poem instead of a novel. The reader’s voice sounded depressed, morose. The only reason I forced myself to finish is that the descriptions were so lovely, I kept hoping for something more from the text.

The book I purchased and audible had big desync

The book liked to jump between the past, a past, and the present in a way that felt more for for a movie. You get rewarded at the end too for paying attention to the beginning which made me happy.

The second and third chapters according to my hard copy were swapped in the audible version. For me this is a problem because I read my book with the audible for school and if I didn't have the hard copy I wouldn't be prepared for the assignment on 1-2 since I would only know 1&3 of the issue for my class.

Interesting but too long

I have always been a fan of Guterson. This was an absorbing read, but oddly, the main character, I assume the one referred to as "The Other", was not in the least interesting. I found the peripheral characters to have much more going on in terms of life situations, conflicts, inner landscape.

And actually, I was more attracted by the possible sources of John William's rejection of conventional society than I was by his actual repeated expeditions into the Washington wilderness and the construction of his hermit's hole. So in a sense the book didn't really get going for me until about the last few chapters. I have read other reviews, and this is the part that others seem to like least, the monologue by John William's father. Interesting variety of opinions.

The book was good enough, but not great, and suffered from too many literary references.

Compelling Story

I enjoyed listening to the book. I like the author and his other books. I would suggest whomever Audible gets to read books about the ONE that the reader learn to pronounce the names of States, cities, and regions in the area.

Boring

I loved snow falling on cedars and east of the mountain. This was boring. I’m not even sure what it was about. It was just a guy rambling about his life.