Honey in the Horn (Northwest Reprints)
Set in Oregon's frontier era, the novel follows a young man's adventures and coming of age while exploring the relationship between people, land, and nature. Its vivid sense of place captures the roughness of the pioneer world and turns that setting into a story of freedom and belonging.
Work Information
In the roughness of the frontier, the bond between land and people shapes the form of growth.
A regional novel about a young man's growth in Oregon's frontier country, shaped by harsh nature and the ties of community.
Book Information
- Publisher
- Oregon State Univ Pr
- Published
- 2015-06-01
- Pages
- 380 pages
- Language
- 英語
- Size
- 15.24 x 2.29 x 22.86 cm
- ISBN-13
- 9780870717680
- ISBN-10
- 0870717685
- Price
- 4178 JPY
- Category
- 洋書/Literature & Fiction/Genre Fiction/Coming of Age
Set in Oregon in the early years of the twentieth century, H. L. Davis’s Honey in the Horn chronicles the struggles faced by homesteaders as they attempted to settle down and eke out subsistence from a still-wild land. With sly humor and keenly observed detail, Davis pays homage to the indomitable character of Oregon’s restless people and dramatic landscapes without romanticizing or burnishing the myths. Clay Calvert, an orphan, works as a hand on a sheep ranch until he stumbles into trouble and is forced to flee. Journeying throughout the state, from the lush coastal forests, to the Columbia Gorge, to the golden wheat fields east of the Cascades, he encounters a cast of characters as rich and diverse as the land, including a native Tunne boy and a beautiful girl named Luce. Originally published in 1935, Honey in the Horn reveals as much about the prevailing attitudes and beliefs of H. L. Davis’ lifetime as it does about the earlier era in which it is set. It transcends the limitations of its time through the sheer power and beauty of Davis’ prose. Full of humor and humanity, Davis’s first novel displays a vast knowledge of Pacific Northwest history, lore, and landscape. An essential book for all serious readers of Northwest literature, this classic coming-of-age novel has been called the “ Huckleberry Finn of the West.” It is the only Oregon book that has ever won a Pulitzer Prize for fiction. With a new introduction by Richard W. Etulain, this important work from one of Oregon’s premier authors is once again available for a new generation to enjoy.
H.L. Davis was a truly original Northwest voice. Born in southern Oregon’s Umpqua Valley in 1894, Davis grew up in Antelope and The Dalles, USA. He began his writing career as a poet, receiving the prestigious Levinson Prize at age twenty-five. With the encouragement of H. L. Mencken―who called Honey in the Horn the best first novel ever published in America―he turned to fiction, publishing five popular novels and many short stories and essays in the course of his career.
Reviews
-
My Favorite Book Ever!
I'm not generally a huge fan of Westerns. This book is the exception. It's the most entertaining book I've ever read. Every single line of the book just leaps off the page. Davis' descriptions of the characters and their lives are so full of humor and wit. The book has a compelling story line, but that's secondary to the lively descriptive writing. Open the book to any page and read a random sentence, and you'll see just what I mean. This is a masterpiece of Western literature (pun intended). It's a great read from start to finish.
-
Deeply Original Prose
What a fascinating book. I was struck most by the originality of Davis's writing -- his wit comes through like sunlight in the shady depths of this bildungsroman (coming-of-age novel). Clay Calvert is a naïve but well-intentioned ranch hand who finds himself in hot water after trying to please the only two people who have any influence over him -- his boss and the ranch cook. Things go badly for him and he flees, and his sojourn across the rugged country of frontier Oregon forms the thread of the book. A stop-and-start romance develops between him and a young female wrangler named Luce. I must say that Davis's digressions--and frequent they were--added almost as much to the story as the central plot. The author spins yarn after yarn about everything from camp followers to elk hunting, and he does so with the style of a witty hillbilly raconteur. I give it four instead of five stars because, as much as I was highly entertained by the meanderings and digressions, they did start to wear on me toward the end.
-
A superb read for anyone
Although the story is focused on the Rogue River area in Oregon, anyone interested in the early pioneer days or the early days of gold mining will find this an excellent read.
-
Mediocre Pulitzer Prize winner.
Kind of hard to wade through, and I'm not sure why this won the Pulitzer Prize. I enjoyed the book, and am glad I read it, but this was not a "wow" story.
-
Narrative History of Oregon
"Honey in the Horn" has been an interesting read, however the narrative is written with lots of old terms and expressions from early days in the Oregon Territory. Descriptions of the areas are deep and well done. Characters are described in detail as are their thought processes. My feelings for Clay, the main character, went deep toward the end of the book. I would recommend this book for those interested in early Northwest history.
Related Literary Awards
- Pulitzer Prize Edition 20 (1936) ・Winner