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The Loop
Helen Ross, a twenty-nine-year-old biologist, is sent to a sleepy Rocky Mountain ranching town to defend a pack of wolves from those who want to destroy them. For in Hope, Montana, a century ago, the wolf was slaughtered to extinction and though now protected by law as an endangered species, the old hatred runs deep.Alone in this hostile place, bruised by a broken love affair, Helen struggles for self-esteem and survival, embarking on a dangerous alliance with the son of her most ferocious opponent, the brutal and charismatic Buck Calder.Form its heart-stopping first chapter to its devastating climax, The Loop, set in the same vast landscape as The Horse Whisperer, is an epic tale of passion and redemptive love.
561 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1998
189 people are currently reading
4880 people want to read
About the author
Nicholas Evans
157 books1,511 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Nicholas Evans was born and grew up in Worcestershire, England. He studied law at Oxford University, graduating with first class honors, then worked as a journalist for three years on the Evening Chronicle in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. He then moved into televsion, producing films about US politics and the Middle-East for a weekly current affairs programme called Weekend World. It was during this time that he traveled a lot and got to know the United States.
In 1982 he started to produce arts documentaries - about famous writers, painters and film-makers, several of which won international awards (films about David Hockney, Francis Bacon, Patricia Highsmith). In 1983 he made a film about the great British director David Lean (Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago, etc). Lean became a friend and mentor and persuaded Evans to switch from fact to fiction.
For the next ten years, Evans wrote and produced a number of films for television and the cinema. In 1993 he met a blacksmith in the far South-West of England who told him about horse whisperers - people who have the gift of healing traumatized horses. Evans started work on what was to be his first novel.
Published in the fall of 1995, The Horse Whisperer has now sold about fifteen million copies across the world. It has been the number one bestseller in about 20 countries and has been translated into 36 languages. It was also made into a movie, starring, produced and directed by Robert Redford.
The Loop and The Smoke Jumper, Evans's second and third novels, were again an international bestsellers, topping the bestseller lists in many countries. The Smoke Jumper was published in a paperback edition on July 30, 2003. Evans lives in London and Devon, England.
- Nicholas Evans' Website
Nicholas Evans was born and grew up in Worcestershire, England. He studied law at Oxford University, graduating with first class honors, then worked as a journalist for three years on the Evening Chronicle in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. He then moved into televsion, producing films about US politics and the Middle-East for a weekly current affairs programme called Weekend World. It was during this time that he traveled a lot and got to know the United States.
In 1982 he started to produce arts documentaries - about famous writers, painters and film-makers, several of which won international awards (films about David Hockney, Francis Bacon, Patricia Highsmith). In 1983 he made a film about the great British director David Lean (Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago, etc). Lean became a friend and mentor and persuaded Evans to switch from fact to fiction.
For the next ten years, Evans wrote and produced a number of films for television and the cinema. In 1993 he met a blacksmith in the far South-West of England who told him about horse whisperers - people who have the gift of healing traumatized horses. Evans started work on what was to be his first novel.
Published in the fall of 1995, The Horse Whisperer has now sold about fifteen million copies across the world. It has been the number one bestseller in about 20 countries and has been translated into 36 languages. It was also made into a movie, starring, produced and directed by Robert Redford.
The Loop and The Smoke Jumper, Evans's second and third novels, were again an international bestsellers, topping the bestseller lists in many countries. The Smoke Jumper was published in a paperback edition on July 30, 2003. Evans lives in London and Devon, England.
- Nicholas Evans' Website
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 898 reviews
November 17, 2017
Excellent read! very creative,interesting and an enjoyable storyline that was well research in animal up-bringing..a nice book for animal lovers also (paperback!)
May 7, 2009
This has been recommended to me by several friends here on GR, and while I trust their judgment...I still didn't expect to fall in love with this story as quickly as I did. Before the plot gets going, Evans introduces you to a cast of rich and varied characters that are alone worth reading the book for. I was so caught up in their lives that before I knew it I was surrounded by a plot of wolves and intrigue!
The story was so realistic, there was quite a bit of detail of how the wolves live, how the various Wildlife crew members and biologists studied them, and also weaved through the story were stories about how they had been hunted and trapped for over 100 years in Hope, the city in which the story takes place.
I recommend this very highly...it was at times gut-wrenching, beautiful, terrible and heroic. This was my first Evans, but it won't be my last!
The story was so realistic, there was quite a bit of detail of how the wolves live, how the various Wildlife crew members and biologists studied them, and also weaved through the story were stories about how they had been hunted and trapped for over 100 years in Hope, the city in which the story takes place.
I recommend this very highly...it was at times gut-wrenching, beautiful, terrible and heroic. This was my first Evans, but it won't be my last!
June 1, 2022
The loop is a well written novel and at parts I enjoyed it. Bit this went by without creating much emotions for the plot or characters. Might pick someone else by him but I had big hopes for this as it has wolves on the cover.
January 25, 2009
How do you write the review of such a nice book? Perhaps, by not saying too much about it and just letting all its sacred moments regurgitate in your mind.. This one is what I would call a perfect book to follow up on, if the only one of Evans you've read is the Horse Whisperer.
The typical strong start that has been inherent in Nicholas Evans writings since Horse Whisperer (and we all hope he doesn't change that, I love the way he begins) is present in The Loop too. The book never loses its focus and has been kept on a pretty tight leash, never wavering from the intensity that Evans generates initially. In fact, take my word for it, it only gets more complicated and intense; the human relationships and man's animal instincts becoming intertwined and keeping you moving from page to page. Do NOT miss any chance to read it.
The typical strong start that has been inherent in Nicholas Evans writings since Horse Whisperer (and we all hope he doesn't change that, I love the way he begins) is present in The Loop too. The book never loses its focus and has been kept on a pretty tight leash, never wavering from the intensity that Evans generates initially. In fact, take my word for it, it only gets more complicated and intense; the human relationships and man's animal instincts becoming intertwined and keeping you moving from page to page. Do NOT miss any chance to read it.
July 18, 2016
This was the second novel by this author that I've read and I've already added another of his to my TBR pile. If anyone tried to explain to me what this was about, I probably would have thought, "Ah. Not my thing." Then I would have moved on to the next one. But I ended up liking this one a lot. It was well written and had a nice flow.
I liked the characters. They seemed rooted to reality and they were true to themselves. I always like when the things we have been asked to believe about the characters are supported by the details of the story. This was a solid 4 stars for me.
I liked the characters. They seemed rooted to reality and they were true to themselves. I always like when the things we have been asked to believe about the characters are supported by the details of the story. This was a solid 4 stars for me.
June 13, 2015
This book walks the line in an unusual way: the stretches of formulaic drama almost ruined my interest, but the tense action scenes and hints of moral introspection were just enough to keep me turning the pages.
The story unfolds in the town of Hope, Montana. In the nearby wilderness, a pack of reintroduced wolves - part of a government effort to restore wolf populations after they had been hunted to near extinction - are on the hunt. The trouble is, Hope is a community of cattle ranchers, and any threat to their livestock and livelihood is taken dead seriously. Into this fiercely self-sufficient little town comes Helen Ross: a wildlife biologist on a mission to track and protect the wolves, and to keep the locals' growing anger at bay.
A few facts about Helen:
1) She is enchantingly attractive and exerts a magnetic pull on every man she meets.
2) She is wholly unaware of point #1.
3) Her sense of self-worth hinges on her romantic relationships.
Sigh.
Among the locals that Helen meets (and inevitably charms) are the powerful, charismatic, ruthless rancher Buck Calder, and his sensitive son Luke, who suffers from a speech impediment. To the chagrin of his father, Luke cares deeply about nature, including wolves. He sees in wild animals a reflection of himself: creatures struggling to cope with the way that humans run the world, and unable to speak up for themselves. Luke is probably the character that I found most interesting.
Most of the characters, are introduced with several pages of backstory that tend to consist of difficult disappointments and/or sticky romantic entanglements. I found myself having to take in large tracts of information about characters that I didn't particular care about yet - I would rather have had my interest sparked, and then discover more about these people bit by bit. And perhaps some blanks are just better left unfilled. A bigger problem is that the use of so many big, external disasters in their histories - death, disease, betrayal - made it seem that these were the only things the characters were shaped by. Certainly, those big events can sculpt people's lives, but so can less obvious things, and I was left feeling that most people in the book were a little underdeveloped - despite all the time spent showing the hardships they'd been through.
The overarching feeling was of channel-surfing through soap operas, occasionally interspersed with nature documentaries.
However, I can say that when the author wanted to create tension and excitement, he did it very well. There were a bunch of scenes during which the pages flew by. There were also parts of the book (dealing with hunting and trapping) that I personally found too distressing to read carefully, which I ended up having to skim through. Not really a negative or a positive, just a matter of my own sensitivity.
The book did stimulate my interest in the history of human interactions with wolves. While reading the descriptions of the early boom in wolf hunting, the word that came to mind was, simply, genocide. The fact that some people (over the course of generations, or sometimes over the course of a single life) have come to realize that killing off an entire species is a bad idea - and that it's worthwhile trying to do something to remedy it - made me feel a little bit more optimistic about how humans might interact with other species in the future.
Indian folklore had it that the spirits of all America's slaughtered wolves lived on... Awaiting a time when they might safely walk again upon the earth.
The story unfolds in the town of Hope, Montana. In the nearby wilderness, a pack of reintroduced wolves - part of a government effort to restore wolf populations after they had been hunted to near extinction - are on the hunt. The trouble is, Hope is a community of cattle ranchers, and any threat to their livestock and livelihood is taken dead seriously. Into this fiercely self-sufficient little town comes Helen Ross: a wildlife biologist on a mission to track and protect the wolves, and to keep the locals' growing anger at bay.
A few facts about Helen:
1) She is enchantingly attractive and exerts a magnetic pull on every man she meets.
2) She is wholly unaware of point #1.
3) Her sense of self-worth hinges on her romantic relationships.
Sigh.
Among the locals that Helen meets (and inevitably charms) are the powerful, charismatic, ruthless rancher Buck Calder, and his sensitive son Luke, who suffers from a speech impediment. To the chagrin of his father, Luke cares deeply about nature, including wolves. He sees in wild animals a reflection of himself: creatures struggling to cope with the way that humans run the world, and unable to speak up for themselves. Luke is probably the character that I found most interesting.
Most of the characters, are introduced with several pages of backstory that tend to consist of difficult disappointments and/or sticky romantic entanglements. I found myself having to take in large tracts of information about characters that I didn't particular care about yet - I would rather have had my interest sparked, and then discover more about these people bit by bit. And perhaps some blanks are just better left unfilled. A bigger problem is that the use of so many big, external disasters in their histories - death, disease, betrayal - made it seem that these were the only things the characters were shaped by. Certainly, those big events can sculpt people's lives, but so can less obvious things, and I was left feeling that most people in the book were a little underdeveloped - despite all the time spent showing the hardships they'd been through.
The overarching feeling was of channel-surfing through soap operas, occasionally interspersed with nature documentaries.
However, I can say that when the author wanted to create tension and excitement, he did it very well. There were a bunch of scenes during which the pages flew by. There were also parts of the book (dealing with hunting and trapping) that I personally found too distressing to read carefully, which I ended up having to skim through. Not really a negative or a positive, just a matter of my own sensitivity.
The book did stimulate my interest in the history of human interactions with wolves. While reading the descriptions of the early boom in wolf hunting, the word that came to mind was, simply, genocide. The fact that some people (over the course of generations, or sometimes over the course of a single life) have come to realize that killing off an entire species is a bad idea - and that it's worthwhile trying to do something to remedy it - made me feel a little bit more optimistic about how humans might interact with other species in the future.
Indian folklore had it that the spirits of all America's slaughtered wolves lived on... Awaiting a time when they might safely walk again upon the earth.
January 9, 2022
I'm late to the party on Nicholas Evans. He had the mega-hit "Horse Whisperer" in 1995, but I didn't read it at that time. I didn't read anything of his until my wife brought "The Divide" home from the library. It's a masterpiece, and now I'm trying to work my way through his other books. He's really good. He's not a cookie-cutter type author like Clive Cussler or James Patterson, who crank out a couple of books a year. He's carefully putting together epic, brilliant stories. Those take more time. Like "The Divide", this one is based in Montana. (Why is an English guy writing books about this area? I have no idea). Quality is similar. He carefully develops a half dozen characters, and then pushes them around on the chessboard. Very satisfying. My wife tells me his "The Brave" falls short of these two. I will move onto the Horse Whisperer next. I saw the movie, but it's been so long I don't even remember it. And with the amount they have to cut out of these books to squeeze them down into less than two hours, I'm sure there's all kinds of stuff that would have been left out anyway.
October 30, 2022
PLEASE NOTE: ‘The loop’ term is disturbing and cruel.
This was a heartbreaking and powerful story. Fighting for the rights of an animal against the back drop of farmers trying to make a living. Helen the biologist whose expertise is researching the livelihood of local wolves vs Buck Calder (& co) trying to protect their livestock from the wolves. It gets nasty between people, and ugly between people and wolves.
This was a heartbreaking and powerful story. Fighting for the rights of an animal against the back drop of farmers trying to make a living. Helen the biologist whose expertise is researching the livelihood of local wolves vs Buck Calder (& co) trying to protect their livestock from the wolves. It gets nasty between people, and ugly between people and wolves.
October 12, 2024
May be my favorite fiction book of the year. Five stars plus.
Nicholas Evans is the author also of The Horse Whisperer, a wildly popular novel and film. I read his other book The Smoke Jumper and was more or less lukewarm on it in comparison. However, this book was masterfully written on a difficult subject, well balanced, well researched, with suspense and romance thrown in.
I was on the edge of my seat for most of the book, in particular the second half. I even shouted out loud at some of the events, held my breath on others. I love books with well-developed characters that I can fall in love with/or hate; yet, even there Nicholas manages to show both sides of that personality. I truly felt the characters were as real as if I had just returned from visiting them.
When wolves were re-released to Yellowstone, ranchers of Montana were up in arms. The government had the final say however. Yet much rode on the implications of this action in ranching communities.
Highly recommend this book. Sadly I found that Mr. Evans did of a heart attack suddenly at age 72. I am so sad that there will not be more books like this coming from his talented hand.
Nicholas Evans is the author also of The Horse Whisperer, a wildly popular novel and film. I read his other book The Smoke Jumper and was more or less lukewarm on it in comparison. However, this book was masterfully written on a difficult subject, well balanced, well researched, with suspense and romance thrown in.
I was on the edge of my seat for most of the book, in particular the second half. I even shouted out loud at some of the events, held my breath on others. I love books with well-developed characters that I can fall in love with/or hate; yet, even there Nicholas manages to show both sides of that personality. I truly felt the characters were as real as if I had just returned from visiting them.
When wolves were re-released to Yellowstone, ranchers of Montana were up in arms. The government had the final say however. Yet much rode on the implications of this action in ranching communities.
Highly recommend this book. Sadly I found that Mr. Evans did of a heart attack suddenly at age 72. I am so sad that there will not be more books like this coming from his talented hand.
October 8, 2012
What sweet joy Nicholas Evans is after putting myself through most of Jean Auel's "Earth's Children" series. I couldn't help but draw comparisons with The Plains of Passage as I read, although, to be fair, Auel and Evans are writing completely different stories for a different era. Still, there's romance, nature, hunting, and sex here, and Evans handles all with such grace and restraint where Auel will go on for 100 pages telling you how Ayla makes soup, and then another 100 pages with everyone telling her how amazing she is that she can make soup.
Here, Evans has a few asides from the main plot to provide the compelling backstory that explains the book's title, and without doing it for you, he provides the basis for a metaphor that interlocks these characters, whether good or bad. And there are no REAL villains here. There is villainous behavior, but Evans cares, even about people who make decisions that you know he personally doesn't agree with. He doesn't judge his characters. He never does, not even Buck Calder. Even the simplest-seeming among them have a deep complexity that is informed by their circumstances and the dilemma of trying to raise cattle and ensure the safety of their children in a region inhabited by wild wolves.
The wolves themselves are occasionally characters here. Evans describes their breeding, the way they live, the way they hunt and provide for their young, but again, I'm reminded of Auel and the mammoth porn that began Plains of Passage, and I'm thinking, Evans wants us to fall in love with his story in a way that makes sense to how the intelligent human psyche actually works. Less is more. Whereas Auel shows her mammoths peeing and pooping all over each other before sex and describes what it probably smelled and tasted like, then gives you the length and girth of the male mammoth's member, Evans knows that it destroys any rapports he has with his reader to expound like this. I just respect him so much for that.
I wasn't sure I could be moved by The Loop as I had been by The Smoke Jumper. I had thought from the outset that Evans was trying to advocate for some environmentalist platform. I wouldn't hold it against him, but I can't be captivated by a political stance. Fortunately, he doesn't do that. Instead, actually, the ultra-conservative and ultra-liberal alike will be challenged to put politics on hold and just allow Evans to make you feel--for the wolves, for the ranchers (including Buck), for the wolfer, and for Helen Ross, the biologist and heroine of the novel. I was surprised to feel as moved as I did and thankful that I could so easily put my politics aside to be transported. Evans has a way--he just gets me.
SPOILER ALERT (Diana, this especially means you. I'm serious.)
I'm trying to be as vague as possible about the ending, but nevertheless, even hinting at the way the story turns out, however obliquely, requires a stern warning, so there you go. This book brought me to tears by its ending, and I've thought about it, about whether I was just manipulated by a superfluous happy ending or if it had a point beyond just making me insanely happy, and I think it did, which is why I feel confident in giving this five stars. Buck's grief is about hurting his son and tearing his family apart, but I also think there was something in him that grieved for the wolves he'd killed. He realized that he had damaged his own soul. It's not about the wolves but about the part of us that deliberately wants to kill, thinking that it's a noble gesture that will protect the ones we love, but we can become so obsessed that we will deliberately hurt the ones we love in order to do it. The wolves have an instinctual understanding of this delicate balance but we humans, being creatures of free-will, need to learn it, some more than others. I think Buck is grieved because he had to learn it the hard way, and he now finally realizes all that he has lost. He provided for his family, but he was never really present for them. He cheated on his wife, refused to acknowledge his son Luke, and, seeking to protect the cattle that had brought him so much fortune, broke federal laws to kill wolves whom he didn't even know for sure may have been killing his cattle. Evans doesn't spell that out for you, and I'm grateful. I'm glad to arrive at such a conclusion on my own.
Here, Evans has a few asides from the main plot to provide the compelling backstory that explains the book's title, and without doing it for you, he provides the basis for a metaphor that interlocks these characters, whether good or bad. And there are no REAL villains here. There is villainous behavior, but Evans cares, even about people who make decisions that you know he personally doesn't agree with. He doesn't judge his characters. He never does, not even Buck Calder. Even the simplest-seeming among them have a deep complexity that is informed by their circumstances and the dilemma of trying to raise cattle and ensure the safety of their children in a region inhabited by wild wolves.
The wolves themselves are occasionally characters here. Evans describes their breeding, the way they live, the way they hunt and provide for their young, but again, I'm reminded of Auel and the mammoth porn that began Plains of Passage, and I'm thinking, Evans wants us to fall in love with his story in a way that makes sense to how the intelligent human psyche actually works. Less is more. Whereas Auel shows her mammoths peeing and pooping all over each other before sex and describes what it probably smelled and tasted like, then gives you the length and girth of the male mammoth's member, Evans knows that it destroys any rapports he has with his reader to expound like this. I just respect him so much for that.
I wasn't sure I could be moved by The Loop as I had been by The Smoke Jumper. I had thought from the outset that Evans was trying to advocate for some environmentalist platform. I wouldn't hold it against him, but I can't be captivated by a political stance. Fortunately, he doesn't do that. Instead, actually, the ultra-conservative and ultra-liberal alike will be challenged to put politics on hold and just allow Evans to make you feel--for the wolves, for the ranchers (including Buck), for the wolfer, and for Helen Ross, the biologist and heroine of the novel. I was surprised to feel as moved as I did and thankful that I could so easily put my politics aside to be transported. Evans has a way--he just gets me.
SPOILER ALERT (Diana, this especially means you. I'm serious.)
I'm trying to be as vague as possible about the ending, but nevertheless, even hinting at the way the story turns out, however obliquely, requires a stern warning, so there you go. This book brought me to tears by its ending, and I've thought about it, about whether I was just manipulated by a superfluous happy ending or if it had a point beyond just making me insanely happy, and I think it did, which is why I feel confident in giving this five stars. Buck's grief is about hurting his son and tearing his family apart, but I also think there was something in him that grieved for the wolves he'd killed. He realized that he had damaged his own soul. It's not about the wolves but about the part of us that deliberately wants to kill, thinking that it's a noble gesture that will protect the ones we love, but we can become so obsessed that we will deliberately hurt the ones we love in order to do it. The wolves have an instinctual understanding of this delicate balance but we humans, being creatures of free-will, need to learn it, some more than others. I think Buck is grieved because he had to learn it the hard way, and he now finally realizes all that he has lost. He provided for his family, but he was never really present for them. He cheated on his wife, refused to acknowledge his son Luke, and, seeking to protect the cattle that had brought him so much fortune, broke federal laws to kill wolves whom he didn't even know for sure may have been killing his cattle. Evans doesn't spell that out for you, and I'm grateful. I'm glad to arrive at such a conclusion on my own.
October 1, 2016
Ho adorato il modo in cui l’autore intreccia la vita naturale con quella amorosa di Helen. Amo il fatto che Evans si prenda tutto il tempo necessario per costruire la storia. Una storia dove il romance non è predominante e dove, invece, spicca la forza, la bellezza e la vastità di una natura selvaggia e l’incredibile crudeltà dell’uomo.
Personaggio preferito: Luke.
Questo ragazzo timido, balbuziente e disprezzato pure dal suo stesso padre si dimostrerà alla fine il più uomo di tutti.
Adorato da subito! XD
Personaggio preferito: Luke.
Questo ragazzo timido, balbuziente e disprezzato pure dal suo stesso padre si dimostrerà alla fine il più uomo di tutti.
Adorato da subito! XD
April 2, 2009
This is a very emotional book. It gives you the ups and downs of wolves being reintroduced after almost becoming extinct.
Evans does such a great job of giving both sides of the issue that you can easily see why it is such a controversy. His descriptions put you right in the middle of the story, very well done.
Evans does such a great job of giving both sides of the issue that you can easily see why it is such a controversy. His descriptions put you right in the middle of the story, very well done.
November 28, 2009
I loved this book so much I have read it twice. I related to Helen and even to young Luke. I sympathized with him and the abuse he suffers at his dad's hands. I also felt Helen's frustrations with the ranchers and the way they treated her or talked down to her. The look at the lives of wolves in Yellowstone and the tracking process was fascinating. I plan on reading this for a third time.
November 18, 2011
I love all of Evans' novels (well the fiction ones), and this one in particular became a favorite that has lasted through my evolving tastes. I need to do another re-read again....it's been a while even though I must have read this 5 times if I've read it at all. :)
March 19, 2016
Wolves !
But rather desultory follow up of the excellent Horse Whisperer.
It's the Sixth Sense and Donnie Darko effect here, something great by mistake I don't know, but Evans after his first novel spent rest of his career trying to measure up or outdo his debut novel.
September 21, 2024
This was the best book I have read in a long long time. I found it in a second-hand bookstore, and MAN am I happy that I did.
The writing is AMAZING. The storyline is really detailed, and you hear from all the main characters' points of view. Each of their lives is worthy of a book on its own, I believe. Because the book discussed all the characters' lives so thoroughly at the beginning, it made me care that much more about what happened to them. And none of them were perfect. They all had their flaws described. I guess that made them all the more real to me.
Next to the interesting social scene out of which many life lessons can be learned (at least that is my opinion), this book also talks about the history of wolf hunting. The narrative really clearly presents you the conflict between wolf haters and wolf lovers in this world so that you understand both. (And this is still very much applicable today!) You can see the writer did his research really well. Also, when he describes how the wolf biologists do their job, I think he is pretty accurate, which makes it all the more interesting to read.
Also, I honestly love, love, LOVE the ending! (Which I almost never do) It was just so perfect for this story.
This was my first Nicholas Evans book, and I now understand why his books are so beloved. I will soon start reading the horse whisperer, which is already in my bookcase!
The writing is AMAZING. The storyline is really detailed, and you hear from all the main characters' points of view. Each of their lives is worthy of a book on its own, I believe. Because the book discussed all the characters' lives so thoroughly at the beginning, it made me care that much more about what happened to them. And none of them were perfect. They all had their flaws described. I guess that made them all the more real to me.
Next to the interesting social scene out of which many life lessons can be learned (at least that is my opinion), this book also talks about the history of wolf hunting. The narrative really clearly presents you the conflict between wolf haters and wolf lovers in this world so that you understand both. (And this is still very much applicable today!) You can see the writer did his research really well. Also, when he describes how the wolf biologists do their job, I think he is pretty accurate, which makes it all the more interesting to read.
Also, I honestly love, love, LOVE the ending! (Which I almost never do) It was just so perfect for this story.
This was my first Nicholas Evans book, and I now understand why his books are so beloved. I will soon start reading the horse whisperer, which is already in my bookcase!
July 26, 2019
Een boek van de bovenste plank! Spannend en meeslepend van begin tot eind. De komst van een wolvenroedel in de bossen en bergen in de buurt van het stadje Hope in Montana, laat uiteindelijk de ware karakters van de inwoners zien, ten goede of ten kwade. En sommigen leren er wat uit en handelen ernaar, anderen niet. En uiteraard gaat onze sympathie uit naar diegenen die naar hun innerlijke stem luisteren.
Dit boek gaat dus eigenlijk meer over de mensen dan over de wolven, en rafelt hen psychologisch helemaal uit.
Ik het het boek met veel plezier gelezen.
Dit boek gaat dus eigenlijk meer over de mensen dan over de wolven, en rafelt hen psychologisch helemaal uit.
Ik het het boek met veel plezier gelezen.
March 30, 2013
Sparks seems to truly understand small town life and the work involved in ranching. This time, he does for wolves what he did for horses in "The Horse Whisperer." Okay, not really, but he writes a compelling novel with building conflict between the biologists who want to protect the wolves and the ranchers who want them eradicated in order to protect their livestock. There is a long-standing hatred between the cattlemen and the wolves and an incident brings this conflict to a near war. Remember, these ranchers carry rifles in their pickups.
Along the way, we see the flaws in some characters-- Buck Calder, a well-to-do rancher, who is a womanizer, a smoozer, and an outspoken enemy of the wolves. Helen, the biologist brought in to track and monitor the wolves has her pain and struggle with self-worth gradually revealed to the reader. Luke Calder, the young adult son of Buck, who struggles with a stutter and a feeling of guilt over the death of his older brother.
The author deals well with the small town mentality in these farm towns. He seems to understand the work involved in ranching and some of the problems that go along with it-- one section of the novel describes some of the breeding-- some of the switch from Herefords to Black Angus as a breed and the reasons.. how feeding schedule affects calving, etc. Really interesting stuff--
From time to time, the author ranges afar from the action and lounges around in cheap romantic drivel. In other words, there are moments when it is difficult to tell whether the novel is a romance novel with wolves thrown in or the other way around. The romantic stuff is alright, but there are moments when it gets in the way of a good story.
The climax of the novel is a bit anti-climatic, with the author undoing a portion of the climax in the final chapter, trying to wrap it all up in a nice romantic package and trying to offer the reader a happy ending. Trying is indeed a good description... For the final conclusion is bittersweet for me-- having one character learn his lesson and the other characters continuing down a path that seemed built on sappy\puppy love.
Still, it was a pretty good book and I enjoyed it.. the author seemed quite familiar with the elements he threw in, whether it was describing animals, breeds, wolves, trucks, traps, etc. It all seemed like he got the details all right. And that always helps a novel, even if it is just romantic drivel. {grin}
Along the way, we see the flaws in some characters-- Buck Calder, a well-to-do rancher, who is a womanizer, a smoozer, and an outspoken enemy of the wolves. Helen, the biologist brought in to track and monitor the wolves has her pain and struggle with self-worth gradually revealed to the reader. Luke Calder, the young adult son of Buck, who struggles with a stutter and a feeling of guilt over the death of his older brother.
The author deals well with the small town mentality in these farm towns. He seems to understand the work involved in ranching and some of the problems that go along with it-- one section of the novel describes some of the breeding-- some of the switch from Herefords to Black Angus as a breed and the reasons.. how feeding schedule affects calving, etc. Really interesting stuff--
From time to time, the author ranges afar from the action and lounges around in cheap romantic drivel. In other words, there are moments when it is difficult to tell whether the novel is a romance novel with wolves thrown in or the other way around. The romantic stuff is alright, but there are moments when it gets in the way of a good story.
The climax of the novel is a bit anti-climatic, with the author undoing a portion of the climax in the final chapter, trying to wrap it all up in a nice romantic package and trying to offer the reader a happy ending. Trying is indeed a good description... For the final conclusion is bittersweet for me-- having one character learn his lesson and the other characters continuing down a path that seemed built on sappy\puppy love.
Still, it was a pretty good book and I enjoyed it.. the author seemed quite familiar with the elements he threw in, whether it was describing animals, breeds, wolves, trucks, traps, etc. It all seemed like he got the details all right. And that always helps a novel, even if it is just romantic drivel. {grin}
November 7, 2020
Mi sento di consigliarvi di leggere un romanzo datato ma sempre attuale e, a mio giudizio, bellissimo. Si tratta di “Insieme con i lupi”, di Nicholas Evans.
Io abito in una zona di montagna, e non passa giorno (o meglio notte) che non abbia a che fare con questi animali che stanno ripopolando le mie zone e portando scompiglio tra gli allevatori. Ma dopo averlo letto, mi sono fatta un’idea diversa su questo predatore.
In un tranquillo pomeriggio d’estate a Hope, selvaggia cittadina del Montana, un lupo scende a valle uccidendo un vitello e avvicinandosi a un bambino. La popolazione è in allarme, i lupi riaccendono negli animi una cieca paura, antichi odi e un irrefrenabile desiderio di vendetta, anche se ora sono una specie protetta. In questo clima di tensione, arriva da New York una biologa specialista in lupi, Helen Ross, una ragazza insicura e assillata dalla vita, che ha l’incarico di sorvegliare gli animali e proteggerli da coloro che vorrebbero abbatterli. Qui incontra Luke e inizia una difficile storia d’amore che vede nell’ipocrisia della provincia e soprattutto nel padre del ragazzo i maggiori nemici. Un’emozionante storia d’amore, passione e redenzione e una suggestiva esplorazione dei sentimenti, delle ragioni del cuore, sullo sfondo di uno straordinario paesaggio.
(Sadie Jane Baldwin).
Io abito in una zona di montagna, e non passa giorno (o meglio notte) che non abbia a che fare con questi animali che stanno ripopolando le mie zone e portando scompiglio tra gli allevatori. Ma dopo averlo letto, mi sono fatta un’idea diversa su questo predatore.
In un tranquillo pomeriggio d’estate a Hope, selvaggia cittadina del Montana, un lupo scende a valle uccidendo un vitello e avvicinandosi a un bambino. La popolazione è in allarme, i lupi riaccendono negli animi una cieca paura, antichi odi e un irrefrenabile desiderio di vendetta, anche se ora sono una specie protetta. In questo clima di tensione, arriva da New York una biologa specialista in lupi, Helen Ross, una ragazza insicura e assillata dalla vita, che ha l’incarico di sorvegliare gli animali e proteggerli da coloro che vorrebbero abbatterli. Qui incontra Luke e inizia una difficile storia d’amore che vede nell’ipocrisia della provincia e soprattutto nel padre del ragazzo i maggiori nemici. Un’emozionante storia d’amore, passione e redenzione e una suggestiva esplorazione dei sentimenti, delle ragioni del cuore, sullo sfondo di uno straordinario paesaggio.
(Sadie Jane Baldwin).
June 2, 2015
My mother suggested this book to me at a young age. She loved Evan's other book, The Horse Whisperer, and since she knew I love wolves, she had to get me this book. It was one of the best things my mother ever gave me. I still own a copy of it and anytime I don't have a good book to read, I'll always fall back on that one. The story is very solid, the grammar, mechanics, and plot all have sound bases, but that's not why you love a story, that's just what makes you able to love it. I connected with this story very strongly as a young country boy who had acres of woods as his playground. I always loved nature, and had a strong connection with animals. We bred dogs throughout my childhood, and the wolf was the creature that connected my love for dogs to my love for the wild and for nature. While reading The Loop, I was carried away into the setting, I understood the main character's tainted perspective and unwillingness to trust due to my own troubled past. I will want to read this story again because I've lost so many of the details over the years, but I still cling to it with more than fond memories and hold it as a dear piece of my past.
March 4, 2015
من ترجمه این کتاب با نام ((حلقه)) که توسط اقای مهدی قراچه داغی توسط نشر البرز برگردان شده بود را خواندم ...یک رمان دوست داستنی ..کتاب با این جمله شروع میشود ((همه چیز در دنیا به شکل حلقه است)).داستانی زیبا وخواندنی .کلا قصه های امریکایی بسیار مورد پسند من هستند ..نوینده تم داستانش را براساس زندگی گله ای گرگ در جایی به نام ((هوپ))قرار داده ..داستان با روایت از پرسه زدن یک گرگ در یک دامداری اغاز میشود وبعد پیوند هایی با ادمها دارد .کم کم قصه قشنگ وجذاب میشود تا جایی که بعضی وقتها خواننده را غافلگیر میکند ..متاسفانه من تنها همین کتاب را از این نویسنده خواننده ام که بسیار در خاطرم نقش بسته است . برام یقین شده که نویسنده کارش را خوب بلد است ..امروز در جستجوی این کتاب در سایت دیدم که نویسنده کتابهای دیگری هم دارد .اگر از دوستان فرهیخته ام کسی نام ونشان کتابهای ترجمه شده دیگری از این نویسنده را میداند خوشحال میشوم که ان کتاب را ��ه من هم معرفی کند .
January 28, 2016
One of my fav love stories...I think at the time I was 17 when I read it and the boy was 17 and his lover was 29...I love love endings...In my life it will be this way...with careful planning and lots of love...
July 30, 2016
I couldn't get into this book and I so wanted to because I am fascinated by wolves and spent two summers in Yellowstone. The writing was so vivid, but the plot was too slow moving for me. I quit reading it. I know. I'm odd ball reviewer on this one. Maybe I'll try again.
March 8, 2017
After I finished Horse Whisperer, by Nicolas Evans, I read this one. Wolves are being reintroduced in areas next to cattle ranchers and the naturalists butt heads with the cattle barons. Great characters and setting.
December 27, 2020
Es ist wirklich ein schönes Buch!
Sehr harmonisch und authentisch geschrieben.
Sehr harmonisch und authentisch geschrieben.
July 20, 2009
I enjoyed this book but was surprised that I didn't come away with a totally clear picture of what the author believed was the answer to wolf reintroduction. It was very clear at the beginning that the wolf "was thinking" about getting the baby vs. the cattle. And then throughout the book there was sympathy built for the wolves and the biologists because of the rash and selfish way that the ranchers approached everything. But I thought the secret release of the new alpha couple at the end was probably the author's true heart. I didn't agree with that. And I don't agree with not being able to shoot them when they are after the ranchers cattle. However, going after then with vengeance and hate isn't appropriate either..... Then there was the wolfer. His suicide after realizing that the wolves had that spark was interesting. But I'd be differing with that too. They are alive and should be treated with the respect that anything deserves as a creation of God. And that includes killing them humanely when necessary - not clandestinely.
Anyway - it was a good story and I learned a lot about the program and these beautiful animals.
Anyway - it was a good story and I learned a lot about the program and these beautiful animals.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 3, 2023
When there are SO MANY good books to read, I finally decided to let this one go. At about half-way through I was rather disgusted with the stereotypical characters - a whiny, wimpy female agent who lets the "bad guy cowboy" browbeat her; the poor berated son who's a stutterer; and I'm really not sure who the good guy is. Nor do I care at this point. The only redeeming feature I found is a true report of the character and nature of wolves in the wild. There has never been a documented report of a wolf attacking and killing a human. I was pleased to see that reported here. Despite the bad rap and falsehoods dispersed by the ranchers in MT and surrounding states, subsequent to the release of wolves in Yellowstone some years ago. I better understood the arcane nuance and gender stereotypes of the tale when I discovered the publish date of 1998. On to the next read. N
September 18, 2020
This is a book I read literally more than a decade ago. I read it again because I remembered that I had liked it and found that a second read didn't change that opinion. This is not my typical kind of book which made it that much more fun to read it and enjoy it. I won't say anything about the plot so I don't ruin anything but will say that it has romance but also a good story centered around ranchers and public and private environmental interests. It doesn't take long to read and is good for curling up on a rainy day (or soon....a snowy one...bummer!).
July 19, 2009
Fish and Wildlife Service vs. Montana ranchers. Buck Calder vs. his son Luke. Helen Ross vs. herself. And the wolves vs. everybody. These conflicts are the main ones involved in this second novel by the author of "The Horse Whisperer." It is a much more intense book than his first, with an ending that is both shocking and brutal and surprising. The loop of the title is an horrific trap for wolf cubs, but I wonder whether it is also a play on words, for "loup" is French for wolf.
March 22, 2025
Helen Ross is a 29 year old biologist, sent into a hostile place to protect the wolves from those who seek to destroy them. She struggles for survival and for self-esteem, embarking on a love affair with the 18 year old son of her most powerful opponent, brutal and charismatic rancher, Buck Calder.
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