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Quote by Norman Maclean

Work

A River Runs Through It and Other Stories, Twenty-fifth Anniversary Edition

This anniversary edition of the short story collection features a curated selection of narratives that delve into the complexities of human relationships and the natural world. The stories are known for their lyrical prose and profound insights into the human condition. more

Author

Norman Maclean
Norman Maclean

Norman Maclean was an American author known for his works 'A River Runs Through It' and 'Young Men and Fire'. His writing is characterized by its deep insights into nature and human emotions. more

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“Can we afford clean water? Can we afford rivers and lakes and streams and oceans which continue to make possible life on this planet? Can we afford life itself? Those questions were never asked as we destroyed the waters of our nation, and they deserve no answers as we finally move to restore and renew them. These questions answer themselves.”

“It's hard to see a river all at once, especially in the mountains. Down on the plains, rivers run in their course as straightforward as time, channeled toward the sea. But up in the headwaters, a river isn't a point where you stand. In the beginnings of the river, you teeter on the edge of a hundred tiny watersheds where one drop of water is always tipping the balance from one stream to another. History changes with each tiny event, shaping an outcome that we can only fully grasp in hindsight. And that view changes as we move farther downstream.”

“To drown a river beneath its own impounded water, by damming, is to kill what it was and to settle for something else. When the damming happens without good reason . . . then it's a tragedy of diminishment for the whole planet, a loss of one more wild thing, leaving Earth just a little flatter and tamer and simpler and uglier than before.”