The River (novel): Difference between revisions

The River
	First edition
Author	Gary Paulsen
Cover artist	None
Language	English
Series	Brian's Saga
Genre	Novel
Publisher	Delacorte Press
Publication date	June 1991
Publication place	United States
Media type	Print (Hardcover and Paperback)
Pages	130
Preceded by	Hatchet
Followed by	Brian's Winter

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The River, also known as The Return^[1] and Hatchet: The Return,^[2] is a 1991 young adult novel by Gary Paulsen. It is the second installment in the Hatchet series, although Brian's Winter (1996) kicks off an alternative trilogy of sequels to Hatchet that disregard The River from canon.

The 1993 reprint includes a note (copied from Paulsen's handwriting) explaining about the survival aspects of The River that "like all my books it is based on things that happened to me."^[1]

Plot

Brian Robeson, a 13-year-old boy who spent 54 days surviving alone in the Canadian wilderness the previous summer, is hired by the government to again live in the woods and survive using only his wits so the military can learn his survival techniques. Though reluctant at first, Brian eventually agrees. This time, Brian sets out for a remote Canadian location accompanied by Derek Holtzer, a government psychologist.

Though the government stipulated the duo take emergency supplies, Brian insists they abandon everything but a knife and an emergency radio, saying that it would be impossible to eat bugs and sleep in the rain when a tent and prepared food is within reach. During their stay, things take a grim turn when their camp is struck by lightning, which knocks Derek into a coma and destroys the radio. Knowing that Derek will die of dehydration long before anyone finds them, Brian builds a raft in a desperate bid to navigate down the unknown river to Brannock's Trading Post, the nearest inhabited point, for emergency aid. The biggest problem is the trading post is 100 miles (160 km) downriver. Despite rapids, the craft's unwieldiness, exhaustion, and a lack of geographical knowledge, they finally reach the trading post and Derek survives. After the two get back home, Derek buys Brian a canoe named The Raft as a thank you present.

References

^ Paulsen, Gary (1993) [1991]. The River (Trumpet ed.). New York: Dell. p. inside cover. ISBN 0-440-82118-5.

^ "The River". Fantastic Fiction.

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[1] Paulsen, Gary (1993) [1991]. The River (Trumpet ed.). New York: Dell. p. inside cover. ISBN 0-440-82118-5.

[1]

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+{{short description|1991 novel by Gary Paulsen}}
 {{refimprove|date=August 2015}}
 {{Infobox book | <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Novels or Wikipedia:WikiProject_Books -->
   | name           =  The River
@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
   | translator     =
   | image          =  Paulsen - The River Coverart.jpg
-| caption   = First edition
+  | caption        = First edition
   | author         =  [[Gary Paulsen]]
-  | cover_artist   =
+  | cover_artist   = None
   | country        =  [[United States]]
   | language       =  English
@@ Line 22: / Line 22: @@
 }}
-'''''The River''''', also known as '''''The Return'''''{{ref|name}} and '''''Hatchet: The Return'''''{{ref|name}}, is a 1991 [[Young adult literature|young adult]] novel by [[Gary Paulsen]].  It is the second installment in the ''Hatchet'' series, but chronologically the third with ''[[Brian's Winter]]'' serving as an alternative second book.
+'''''The River''''', also known as '''''The Return'''''{{ref|name}} and '''''Hatchet: The Return''''',{{ref|name}} is a 1991 [[Young adult literature|young adult]] novel by [[Gary Paulsen]]. It is the second installment in the ''Hatchet'' series, although ''[[Brian's Winter]]'' (1996) kicks off an alternative trilogy of sequels to ''Hatchet'' that disregard ''The River'' from canon.
+The 1993 reprint includes a note (copied from Paulsen's handwriting) explaining about the survival aspects of ''The River'' that "like all my books it is based on things that happened to me."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Paulsen |first=Gary |title=The River |publisher=Dell |year=1993 |isbn=0-440-82118-5 |edition=Trumpet |location=New York |language=en |page=inside cover |orig-date=1991}}</ref>
 ==Plot==
-Brian Robeson, a 15-year-old boy who spent 54 days surviving alone in the Canadian wilderness the previous summer, is hired by the government to again live in the woods with only two knives and surviving only by his wits, so the military can learn his [[survival skills|survival techniques]]. Though reluctant at first, Brian eventually agrees. This time, Brian sets out for a remote Canadian location accompanied by Derek Holtzer, a government [[psychologist]].
+Brian Robeson, a 13-year-old boy who spent 54 days surviving alone in the Canadian wilderness the previous summer, is hired by the government to again live in the woods and survive using only his wits so the military can learn his [[survival skills|survival techniques]]. Though reluctant at first, Brian eventually agrees. This time, Brian sets out for a remote Canadian location accompanied by Derek Holtzer, a government [[psychologist]].
-Though the government stipulated the duo take emergency supplies, Brian insists they abandon everything but a knife and an emergency [[radio]], saying that it would be impossible to eat bugs and sleep in the rain if a tent and prepared food is within reach. During their stay, things take a grim turn when their camp is struck by lightning, which knocks Derek into a [[coma]] and destroys the radio. Knowing that Derek will die of [[dehydration]] long before anyone finds them, Brian builds a [[raft]] in a desperate bid to navigate down the unknown river to the nearest inhabited point known as Brannock's Trading Post for emergency aid. The biggest problem is the trading post is 100 miles down river. Despite rapids, the craft's unwieldiness, exhaustion, and a lack of geographical knowledge, they finally reach the trading post and Derek survives. After the two get back home, Derek buys Brian a [[canoe]] named ''The Raft'' as a thank you present.
+Though the government stipulated the duo take emergency supplies, Brian insists they abandon everything but a knife and an emergency [[radio]], saying that it would be impossible to eat bugs and sleep in the rain when a tent and prepared food is within reach. During their stay, things take a grim turn when their camp is struck by lightning, which knocks Derek into a [[coma]] and destroys the radio. Knowing that Derek will die of [[dehydration]] long before anyone finds them, Brian builds a [[raft]] in a desperate bid to navigate down the unknown river to Brannock's Trading Post, the nearest inhabited point, for emergency aid. The biggest problem is the trading post is {{convert|100|mi}} downriver. Despite rapids, the craft's unwieldiness, exhaustion, and a lack of geographical knowledge, they finally reach the trading post and Derek survives. After the two get back home, Derek buys Brian a [[canoe]] named ''The Raft'' as a thank you present.
 == References ==
 {{reflist}}
+# {{note|name}} {{cite web |url=http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/p/gary-paulsen/river.htm |title=The River |website=Fantastic Fiction}}
-# {{note|name}} {{cite web
- | author = Gary Paulsen
- | url = http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/p/gary-paulsen/river.htm
- | title = The River
- | publisher =
- | date = February 6, 1976
- | pages = 150
-}}
 {{Portal|Children and Young Adult Literature}}
@@ Line 50: / Line 45: @@
 [[Category:Novels about survival skills]]
 [[Category:Novels set in Canada]]
+[[Category:Novels set in forests]]

v t e Works by Gary Paulsen
Bibliography
Brian's saga	Hatchet The River Brian's Winter Brian's Return Brian's Hunt
Murphy series	Murphy Murphy's Gold Murphy's Herd Murphy's War Murphy's Stand Murphy's Ambush Murphy's Trail
Culpepper Adventures	The Case of the Dirty Bird Dunc's Doll Culpepper's Cannon Dunc Gets Tweaked Dunc's Halloween Dunc Breaks the Record
The Tucket Adventures	Mr. Tucket Call Me Francis Tucket Tucket's Ride Tucket's Gold Tucket's Home
World of Adventure	The Legend of Red Horse Cavern Rodomonte's Revenge Escape from Fire Mountain The Rock Jockeys Hook 'Em Snotty! Danger on Midnight River The Gorgon Slayer Captive! Project - A Perfect World The Treasure of El Patron Skydive! The Seventh Crystal The Creature of Black Water Lake Time Benders Grizzly Thunder Valley Curse of the Ruins Flight of the Hawk
Other novels	Dogsong The Winter Room Canyons The Cookcamp Harris and Me Nightjohn The Car The Tent Sarny The Transall Saga Alida's Song Soldier's Heart The White Fox Chronicles The Glass Cafe Woods Runner The Rifle
Non-fiction	Woodsong Winterdance My Life in Dog Years Guts How Angel Peterson Got His Name Gone to the Woods
Film adaptations	A Cry in the Wild Nightjohn Snow Dogs