Something to Be Desired

If there's ever been a better picture painted of life in Livingston, Montana, I haven't read it. The town is the real life Deadrock of course, and what makes it unique is the memorable characters who inhabit the place. The hilariously flawed Lucien doesn't let bad fortune, family estrangement, or loss of love get him down. That's a mighty handy quality to have in a place like Deadrock. McGuane's novels are unique regardless of the decade he wrote them. The 1980's in this case. Who wouldn't like to inherit a ranch up the Shields Valley by default? And then turn it into another roadside attraction? Locals are doing that right now only with oil and gas wells. At least Lucien didn't inherit the land. He won it fair and square by opportunism and endurance. Sometimes you have to outlast 'em and then make hay. Important aspects of the human condition are crystal clear and humorously drawn.