A Stretch on the River

by Richard Bissell
Category: "Fiction - General"
Pages:252
Year of Publication:1950
Date Added:10/27/2023
Date Read:10/20/2025
Notes:Semi-autobiographical novel about a trip on a riverboat taking eight barges of coal from St. Louis, MO to St. Paul, MN. Told from the perspective of a deckhand named Bill who joined the crew when he was rejected by the Navy during WWII for bad eyesight. He talks of meeting girls, pining for his best girl in St. Paul, working the boat, the towns they visit and pass, and his crew mates—including Shorty, who falls overboard and drowns.
My Rating: 7

Reviews for A Stretch on the River

Review - A Stretch on the River

Almost stream of consciousness, with dialogue, dreams, observations, even a chapter written from the perspective of Shorty as he was drowning. Weird, but it kept my interest.

Reviewed by Roger on 2025-10-21 05:40:05

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