As Good as Gone: A Novel

“No matter how long they’ve been there, the people who live out here believe that whatever life demands of them they can meet it on their own. And perhaps they can. But Bill Sidey knows he’s not cut from that cloth. The infinite sky that inspires certainty in some people breeds doubt in him, and he’s never been sure what the truth of human endeavor is: Are we meant to do it on our own or with the help of others?”

A very well-written tale of family, exile, and the ties that bind no matter what. Ultimately, it's about the folly of rejecting the help one needs in favor of going it alone, whether out of fear, pride, or ignorance. The sense of place - a large town on the Montana prairie in 1963 - is excellent, with the changing landscape echoing the broader changes becoming evident in the Western ethos. ( )

That crotchety old man! I rooted for him through the whole book.

Larry Watson’s books are peopled with individuals who remain true to their characters. As we get to know the members of the Sidey family and the townspeople, he shares a piece of the puzzle along the way, then another piece falls into place, but you find at the end, he’s withheld some of the pieces. We are left to puzzle out some things on our own.

Marjorie Sidey needs an operation; her husband, Bill, takes her to the hospital hundreds of miles away, leaving his estranged father, Calvin Sidey, in charge of the children, Ann, 17, and Will, 11. With the old Montana cowboy, nothing has changed.

Spare writing, spare landscape, spare strings tying the family together.

Very good, but I liked his Montana 1948 half a star better. ( )

I loved this book! ( )

A western tale, set in the Sixties. Calvin is an aged former cowboy who is estranged from his sone and lives in a run-down trailer. He is coaxed into returning to his former home to house set his grandchildren. A believable story that is subtly revealed, Calvin moves messily forward - - just as in real life. ( )

I'm grateful to Library Thing and the publisher for my copy of As Good As Gone, and for introducing me to Larry Watson's writing. I enjoyed the book (most of it, anyway), even though it's not exactly the sort of fiction I normally read. But I've heard so many good reports about Watson's "Montana 1948," I decided to take a chance. It's an interesting book -- well drawn characters, and a pretty good story that held my attention...mostly. The tale develops in a very leisurely fashion, and the focus keeps changing from one character to another, and after a while I just really wanted it to go ahead and wrap up. Calvin Sidey was an intriguing guy and I kept hoping he'd finally demonstrate some real growth, but kept being disappointed. So not a terrible read, but not four stars. ( )