Train Dreams

A Novella

By: Denis Johnson

Narrated by: Will Patton

A New York Times Notable Book for 2011
One of The Economist's 2011 Books of the Year
One of NPR's 10 Best Novels of 2011

From the National Book Award-winning author Denis Johnson (Tree of Smoke) comes Train Dreams, an epic in miniature, and one of Johnson's most evocative works of fiction.

Suffused with the history and landscapes of the American West—its otherworldly flora and fauna, its rugged loggers and bridge builders—this extraordinary novella poignantly captures the disappearance of a distinctly American way of life.

It tells the story of Robert Grainer, a day laborer in the American West at the start of the twentieth century—an ordinary man in extraordinary times. Buffeted by the loss of his family, Grainer struggles to make sense of this strange new world. As his story unfolds, we witness both his shocking personal defeats and the radical changes that transform America in his lifetime.

©2002 Denis Johnson (P)2011 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“[A] severely lovely tale . . . The visionary, miraculous element in Johnson's deceptively tough realism makes beautiful appearances in this book... I started reading ‘Train Dreams' with hoarded suspicion, and gradually gave it all away, in admiration of the story's unaffected tact and honesty . . .” —James Wood, The New Yorker

“Johnson beautifully conveys what he calls ‘the steadying loneliness' of most of Grainier's life, the ordinary adventures of a simple man whose people are, we hear, ‘the hard people of the northwestern mountains,' and toward the end even convinces us of his character's inquisitive and perhaps even deeper nature than we might first have imagined. Grainier ‘lived more than eighty years, well into the 1960s,' we learn. Most people who read this beautifully made word-engraving on the page will find him living on.” —Alan Cheuse, NPR

“Johnson captures the feeling of the woods and the small towns built around mining, logging and the new railroads. Indians and Chinese laborers also play significant roles . . . The writing is spare and frequently beautiful; Johnson's backwoods dialogue and tall tales are often hilarious; and he graces us with such wonderful words as ‘pulchritude' and ‘confabulation'--it's a shame we don't hear them much anymore.” —Stephen K. Tollefson, San Francisco Chronicle

Well written well read.

Combo of gritty story and Will Patton’s voice is moving. Sit by a fire and listen to this one. You won’t be disappointed.

amazingly raw!

it is nothing short of raw unabashed reality. an amazing and quite frankly a must read!

Lyrical

Is there anything you would change about this book?

No, it's beautifully written. It's one of those books that you know each and every sentence was worked and reward then editied repeatedly. Not a word was not placed in the exact perfect place.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Each character is a deep as a well, no matter how little their part in the book for how it is written. It would be hard to choose just one.

What about Will Patton’s performance did you like?

Excellent - Perfection

Could you see Train Dreams being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Yes, this could be a movie - with the use of wolves and their popularity - a progressive movie.

Any additional comments?

My biggest complain was the value of this book. It's quite short - to be honest, if you read to occupy your mind while you are performing a mindless task, such as driving or handwork, though this book is lovely to listen to with an interesting story - it is a short story and, in my opinion, should be much cheaper than it was.

A short dull book

For the money - this book is way too short.
It's poetic with lot's of great images being painted with words, but there's not enough dialogue. I feel let down because I've enjoyed some of his other books. Oh well...

Spokane International

Yes, this is a book to read (or listen to). Three times now in the last couple of days to fully catch all the words - it's short. The lyrical quality resonates with images of the early 1900's in the North West. Haunting. You too may dream, hopefully of good things, maybe of the Spokane International, or of other creatures.

short and beautiful

beautiful narration of beautifully descriptive writing. one man's life- a life so far from what we live today

Great novella

Beautiful writing and excellent clear narration. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to anyone.

Awsome! This is a must...

If you could sum up Train Dreams in three words, what would they be?

Very well written.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Train Dreams?

Its hard to pick just one. The description of what happened to his wife and the dying man by the river.

What does Will Patton bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

You could hear the sound of the character's life style and station.

If you could take any character from Train Dreams out to dinner, who would it be and why?

The main character.

Any additional comments?

This book should have won a Nobel Prize. I loved the story and characters. The whole book just pulled you in. Beautiful writing!

a sensory experience

Trains pass through the backgrounds and incidents of the protagonist's life, making the reader increasingly compassionate to him. A good story well told.

So Much Story Packed in to a Novella

Will Patton's narration was absolutely perfect for this book. It was mesmerizing and added so much to the experience! An amazing performance.

Train Dreams follows the life of Robert Grainier, an uneducated journeyman laborer living in Northern Idaho from the 1880s to the 1960s. As a young man, Robert worked on crews constructing railroad trestles and as he got older he settled in to less strenuous work. Each chapter touches on notable experiences in Robert's life. He had a hard life, raw and gritty, and he experienced his share of loss and sadness. The writing is fantastic and not a word is wasted. Johnson paints the Idaho setting perfectly.

Some of the characters Robert runs across deserve their own novella, namely Arn Peeples the crazy logger and Peterson, the guy who was shot by his own dog. Kind of.

When you are done listening you'll be surprised that the author crammed this much story in to two hours and twenty minutes. This is an absolute classic. It will stay with you. I will listen again. Ten stars.