The Rifle

Book Review by: Nathanael Cho

          

First Impression

When I first came across this book, I thought it was just about an old gun. But as I was about to stick it back in the book shelf, I noticed that one of my favorite authors, Gary Paulson was the author. This caught my interest, knowing I would not be disappointed if I took a closer look. I decided to read the back cover to get a short summary and it grabbed my attention.

Summary

The Rifle by Gary Paulsen is a very deep and historical book. It follows the story of a gun as the main character and its journey through time. A young gunsmith named Cornish McManus creates a gun, but it wasn't just any gun, it was sweet. Sweet guns could shoot so accurately that the price of a sweet rifle was priceless. A master gunsmith could make only one sweet gun in his life and never any more. One day, Cornish is forced to sell his gun due to getting married and needing money to support his family. From here, the journey of the gun is followed from the late 1600's to modern day. One day the gun is set up on a mantel of a well to do family, and a devastating event takes place.

Theme

This novel is about the history of a gun and its journey through time. The theme of this story is that everything or person has a story behind them that not many people may know. This theme is illustrated throughout the book because the rifle was made by a poor craftsman back in the 1600's and has throughout the many centuries of its existence gains value. Eventually the rifle comes to a young couple and is stored in their attic so it becomes forgotten and when it is retrieved, many people believed that it was just an old gun. These events lead to the ultimate theme of the storage that everything has a history of past that may not be known.

Epiphany

Throughout this book there are many epiphanies that enhance the novel. One example, is when John Byam, the second owner of the rifle realizes that it is sweet. This is an epiphany because John realizes the rifle’s value, he offers a hefty price for it and it impacts the story forever.

Character Development

Throughout the book there is not very much character development due to the fact that the main character is a gun. The development is not mental, but physical. Throughout the many years that the rifle is present, it the oil and greases there to preserve it begin to wear away and slowly erode.

Connections

This book connected me to many things in the outside world. For example, I can connect The Rifle, to the many guns in my grandfather’s house and it makes me curious what the stories behind them are. Also, I can connect this story to the movie Rubber, due to the fact that it follows the story of an inanimate object and what the story behind it is.

Recommendations

I would recommend this book to everyone ages 14 and up. This book is a takes a little more comprehension to understand, but as you follow the story you feel as if you are there documenting every step of the rifle’s journey. This story keeps you wanting more, and is an enjoyable read. Although, the book may seem dull, the journey is filled with action and adventure that will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the whole story.