Read Millard's *River of Doubt* some years ago, and found the account Roosevelt's expedition to map an undiscovered South America river absolutely riveting. However, I can't say I found this imagined tale of a supernatural encounter along the way to be nearly as interesting.

Though billed as a sort of cryptozoological adventure story, this is more accurately a psychological exploration of Roosevelt's son Kermit. In this version, Kermit's a self-loathing introvert flirting with depression and perhaps a genetic tendency towards madness, inherited from his Uncle Edmond, the black sheep of the Roosevelt family. All this certainly rings as true - can you imagine being son of a man like TR, surrounded by a host of exceptional offspring? I can only imagine how overwhelming that must have been for someone whose nature was diametrically opposed.

As deprivations mount (unceasing physical toil, hunger, parasitism, rain, malaria, etc.), the Roosevelts become involved in a hunt for a terrifying "beast" - a thing with an appetite so voracious, all it leaves behind is are a series of skin-suits. But is the beast some kind of horrifying as-yet-unidentified species, a supernatural entity ... or perhaps a metaphor for the pschological despair that Kermit is experiencing?

I'm on the fence about Bayard's literary style. As someone with a graduate degree in English, I appreciate literary flair, and Bayard definitely knows how to leverage literary devices like symbolism and metaphor. However, I can't escape the feeling that despite all the literary furbelows, this isn't as deep as Bayard would have us believe. The symbols and metaphors are fairly transparent, and Kermit, despite being given the opportunity to examine himself entirely stripped of social/cultural/emotional artifice (how many people get that chance?) doesn't end up learning anything from his experience, which feels like a missed opportunity. Feel like Bayard is shooting for "we are all capable of evil; it's love that civilizes us" but lets himself get distracted by juicy gothic horror he's created. ( )

From the publisher's description, I assumed (or misassumed) that this book was a cryptid horror. Rather, it is a literary fiction with a tinge of horror. 'Roosevelt's Beast' follows the tendentious relationship between Theodor Roosevelt and his son Kermit. Set against the backdrop of actual events, Bayard initiates a tale of an estranged father and son haunted by a darkness which finally wrecks Kermit's life during their journey of exploration across the Amazon River.

Irrespective of the way 'Roosevelt's Beast' is commercialized, it is somewhat of a thrilling read. However, the downsides are that:

(a) Bayard tries too hard to lend an antique sense to the narrative by incorporating excessive archaic terms within.

(b) Kermit is more or less only ever provided any literary depth by being juxtaposed against his father and we never see him as an individual.

Good read if you are looking for something short; otherwise its current run-of-the-mill fiction. ( )

Wow. When I decided to read this book there were competing forces at work. On the one hand, I have read four of his previous books and loved every one of them, but on the other hand I am not generally a fan of adventurer fiction (if you will) and often find the entire Teddy Roosevelt mythos to be overdone and boring (Nats racing Presidents notwithstanding). I am happy to report that the first hand one, easily. This was a book that worked on a number of levels, it was a fast paced thriller, a wonderful character study of Kermit Roosevelt (and of Teddy also), and a fascinating psychological novel. I am certain that I didn't "get" all that the book has to offer (and I won't try to talk too much about what happens as I DESPISE spoilers in any form), but I was enchanted by all aspects of it. The language is rich and evocative, the story taut and interesting, and it has something to say about the human condition.

Highly recommended! ( )

Rather uneven in terms of pacing. Not one of Baynard's best. ( )

A literary reimagining of Teddy and Kermit Roosevelt's 1914 Amazon expedition exploring the River of Doubt (Rio da Duvida). The exploration actually occurred (and I will read the historical account, River of Doubt, soon), but in this version Teddy and Kermit are kidnapped by a theretofore unknown tribe, and must track and kill an unknown beast that is terrorizing the tribe before the tribe will release them. Most of the novel is told from the pov of Kermit, who is full of self-doubt, and has difficulty living up to what he thinks are the expectations of his larger-than-life father. Parts of the novel are hallucinatory, and at times the novel verges on a novel of the supernatural. So on the whole, while the book was interesting, I'm expecting to like the factual account better. ( )