Deliverance (1970) (edit title/settings)

• Rated 5 stars

“Very thoughtful and exciting story with a lot of suspense and terrifying moments. The story works beyond just being a good psychological thriller as well... it reminded me in the first 100 pages or so of Algernon Blackwood's story "The Willows", with the beautiful description of the natural landscape, and a steadily building undercurrent of dread beneath the peaceful setting, the knowledge that something awful is about to happen. The tension explodes into supernatural happenings in that book, but in Deliverance the survival story is much more realistic. The psychology of the characters is also wonderfully done, the four men each represent a familiar male personality (aggressive/alpha - Lewis, passive/everyman - Ed, creative/sensitive - Drew, suburban/corporate - Bobby) and it makes the story so meaningful as everything unravels for them. I haven't read James Dickey's poetry but he brings great beauty to very ugly themes. Looking forward to reading more of his someday.”

• Rated 5 stars

“Whenever I sign in at a trail head register (and I'm hiking alone, as I generally do) I always write that there are two or three people in my party rather than just one - because if those hillbillies had any idea that Lewis was wandering around out there with a bow and arrow they would have never even started with that nasty business of theirs.”

• Rated 4 stars

“One of those books which will stay with you forever. I can remember reading this book in the prestine wilderness of the Sierras, which made it very eerie since the setting of Deliverance is the pristine wilderness of Georgia.

Dickey does a wonderful job of creating an atmosphere which makes the book downright spooky and he is also able to build characters in a way that their actions do not seem out of character.

I wonder how this book stands the test of time, I'm sure some of the things would not seem so shocking as they did at the time I read it.”

• Rated 0 stars

“Como leer Gallegos en inglés”

• Rated 4 stars

“Good book. The film is an accurate rendering.”

• Rated 4 stars

“Surprisingly well-written: not at all the typical adventure novel I expected.”

• Rated 4 stars

“Powerfully breathtaking and suspenseful once they are on the river... loses one star for the prologue being a testosterone-laden diatribe of male mid-life crisis”

• Rated 5 stars

“after reading article in NY Times about the 40th anniversary of Deliverance, decided to read it. Positively gripping story, and still resonates 40 years later. Lost a little steam in the middle, but well worth it.”

• Rated 5 stars

“Exciting, frightening, and enlightening. Not bad for a poet's first novel! I was inspired to read it, not because of the movie, but because friends in Georgia took me to Carter's Lake, the actual site of the dammed river the story was based on.”

• Rated 5 stars

“All you can say about 'Deliverance' is WOW! My parents belonged to Book-of-the-Month Club in the 70's. This edition was on the shelf and I was intrigued by the eye on the cover. My mother refused to allow me to read this book! No explanation - just NO! Finally read while I was in college. Suffice to say - Mom knew what she was talking about!”