Today's mail included a letter from a retired surveyor in Missouri promoting a book of historical fiction with the main character being a land surveyor. All I know at present is what was contained within the letter. I pass it along to you to make your own determination.
"Greetings, fellow Surveyor!
My name is Gerald Ray Harris (Mo. Lic. 2355, inactive). After nearly fifty years, I've retired from the business of surveying and have become an author. In many years of reading, I've hardly seen any mention of a surveyor in any work of fiction. So I thought it was time.
The main character of my new book, The Wreck of the James Monroe, is a land surveyor in Independence, Missouri. The Wreck is historical fiction, based on the unexplained disappearance of a steamboat traveling up the murderous Missouri River in 1821.
I'm certain you will relate to Henry, whose long experience gives him a practical outlook on the world."
He notes you can find the book on Amazon or at www. wildrosepublishing.com
For some fun reading by another author/surveyor check out Patrick Naville's works...
Another good one is "Nimrod", I believe it is available at the University of Washington book store. Not so much about a surveyor as disputes over old claim lines and MURDER!
Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country. Typing class 9th grade!
Holy Cow, post: 345768, member: 50 wrote: Today's mail included a letter from a retired surveyor in Missouri promoting a book of historical fiction with the main character being a land surveyor. All I know at present is what was contained within the letter. I pass it along to you to make your own determination.
"Greetings, fellow Surveyor! ... I've hardly seen any mention of a surveyor in any work of fiction. So I thought it was time.
I hope Mr. Harris is successful. I have about a half of the manuscript that chronicles my attempt at the same thing. It's a difficult challenge. When I write I try to consider my target reader. It's probably my downfall as an author.
If you put in too much "surveying" reference you lose the average reader, if you don't put in enough you're just another Louie L'amour wannabe. I'd like to check it out and see if he was successful.
I just bought it. $3.99 for the kindle version on Amazon. I got the free sample first and it seemed o.k. so I sprung for it.
It's a good story, fun to read with a good balance, I think, so you know the guy is really a surveyor but not so much that that other folks would get bored of stupified.
Paden, man, I want to read your manuscript. I'll bet a lot of us do.
Don
I meant bored or stupified, of course.
Don
O.K., this book is really pretty good, having read some more. I mean, he's not Herman Melville (thank God, I did suffer through Moby Dick but was happy in the end. It was a lot like hitting yourself in the head with a hammer. It felt so good when I stopped.) I digress. This book is nice, relaxing and fun. I recommend it.
And I will stop responding endlessly to my own post ala Keith W. Who I miss sometimes, not often.
Don
Don Blameuser, post: 345916, member: 30 wrote: ..he's not Herman Melville (thank God, I did suffer through Moby Dick but was happy in the end. It was a lot like hitting yourself in the head with a hammer. It felt so good when I stopped.)
Melville's heart was in the right place..his vocabulary was stuck in the last century. The reason they made a movie out of his story was because they HAD to for anybody to be able to understand the story! 😉
Actually it wasn't all that bad. Not quite as bad as Silas Marner...or some of the other literature I was required to read as a child. I remember a lot of kids wouldn't read the chapters the teachers assigned for homework. For some reason I always read them. Before class I would give the guys the "real world low down" on the chapter we were suppose to read so they could answer the questions on the quiz.
Oh crap, he just went south 1320' and set a corner!
Still a good story, but what the....
Don
Well Keith, err Don, if you recommend it I'm taking the great financial leap and spend $3.99!
You also recommended "Go Down Together" which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Have a great Thanksgiving!
I could never get into books I was ÛÏrequiredÛ to read in High School, particularly ÛÏOf Human BondageÛ, still donÛªt understand that book maybe I should read it again for fun.
When I was in school I read (outside of the curriculum) Salinger, Vonnegut, Orwell and Huxley to name a few. I was quite a sci-fi nut also. When my mother passed away in 2008 I found my box of paperback literature in the attic. I donated an entire set of 60's vintage Ian Fleming's James Bond novels to my nephew. He seems to think they're worth some money.
Two (of many) required books I remember loathing were The Scarlet Letter and Grapes of Wrath. Both of which were movies at that time. Too bad we didn't have Netflix back then. I could have saved myself a lot of trouble.
Ha...you guys reminded me of my high school days. My highschool english class had several real intelligent guys. They protested reading the same old books we had read since junior high. The teacher agreed to let us read books we voted on. That's when I first read "A Clockwork Orange". When those same intellectual guys did their book report, I learned more about those books than I ever would have figured out on my own.
Holy Cow, post: 345768, member: 50 wrote: Today's mail included a letter from a retired surveyor in Missouri promoting a book of historical fiction with the main character being a land surveyor. All I know at present is what was contained within the letter. I pass it along to you to make your own determination.
A good friend gave me a copy of this book a few days ago and I'm about half way through it. It's a pretty good book so far, and very relatable. I think most of the people on this board would like it. Everyone should check it out - Maybe Mr. Harris will be able to afford to survey a few more years!