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The Rifle
A treasured rifle passed down through generations is the cause of a tragic accident in this timely tale. With subtle mastery and precision, this tough, thought-provoking novel challenges the idea that firearms don't become instruments of destruction and murder until they are placed in human hands.
Each book includes a reader's guide.
Each book includes a reader's guide.
108 pages, Paperback
First published October 31, 1995
115 people are currently reading
966 people want to read
About the author
Gary Paulsen
390 books3,834 followersGary James Paulsen was an American writer of children's and young adult fiction, best known for coming-of-age stories about the wilderness. He was the author of more than 200 books and wrote more than 200 magazine articles and short stories, and several plays, all primarily for teenagers. He won the Margaret Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 1997 for his lifetime contribution in writing for teens.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 353 reviews
August 28, 2013
Alternative title: How I Lost My Respect for Gary Paulsen.
Gary Paulsen uses his usual gift of prose in this short novel, but the book is more a political rant than a novel. In fact, given the sheer ridiculousness of the book's central premise, it's hard to see it as anything close to a well-crafted story.
After painting a beautiful introduction to an amazing rifle, a several-page rant that stereotypes gun owners, Paulsen concludes with an ending so ridiculously impossible that my wife had to pry my jaw off the floor.
**Spoiler Alert**
According to Paulsen, the rifle was left loaded for over 200 years, spending much of the time in a humid attic. Somehow, he postulates, the bear fat managed to keep the black powder charge in the barrel perfectly preserved. Also, in 200 years, no one checks to see if it is loaded... Best of all, after years of such perfect preservation, a single spark from a fireplace manages to get into the barrel and ignite the charge. When the gun fires, it goes through two windows and, with a perfect shot, kills the kid who would have cured cancer. Following the ending is a reader chat page: "Do you still think guns don't kill people?"
Really? For those unfamiliar with black powder, leaving a charge in for a single year leads to incredible amounts of rust. Humidity will destroy a charge. Oh, and bear fat still works as a water barrier after 200 years? Wow.
Icing on the cake: the cover shows a left-handed rifle from a time when there were practically no left-handed rifles...
Disappointment.
Gary Paulsen uses his usual gift of prose in this short novel, but the book is more a political rant than a novel. In fact, given the sheer ridiculousness of the book's central premise, it's hard to see it as anything close to a well-crafted story.
After painting a beautiful introduction to an amazing rifle, a several-page rant that stereotypes gun owners, Paulsen concludes with an ending so ridiculously impossible that my wife had to pry my jaw off the floor.
**Spoiler Alert**
According to Paulsen, the rifle was left loaded for over 200 years, spending much of the time in a humid attic. Somehow, he postulates, the bear fat managed to keep the black powder charge in the barrel perfectly preserved. Also, in 200 years, no one checks to see if it is loaded... Best of all, after years of such perfect preservation, a single spark from a fireplace manages to get into the barrel and ignite the charge. When the gun fires, it goes through two windows and, with a perfect shot, kills the kid who would have cured cancer. Following the ending is a reader chat page: "Do you still think guns don't kill people?"
Really? For those unfamiliar with black powder, leaving a charge in for a single year leads to incredible amounts of rust. Humidity will destroy a charge. Oh, and bear fat still works as a water barrier after 200 years? Wow.
Icing on the cake: the cover shows a left-handed rifle from a time when there were practically no left-handed rifles...
Disappointment.
May 28, 2009
I liked the story but the message was trying to counter the argument that guns don't kill people, people kill people by relating a series of events that happened because of the negligence of people. It would be comparable to saying that cars kill people by cited a case where somebody was killed by a car that was parked on a hill, with no e-brake on, tires pointing straight, and it got bumped and started rolling down the hill when no one was in it.
April 2, 2011
What could have been an interesting look at the life of an object built during the American Revolution, becomes muddled by a severely bias political message. The brush Paulsen uses to paint those who actually believe in the rights guaranteed by the Constitution is so broad, it's naive at best and purposely meant to indoctrinate at worst. The first fifty or so pages are very well-written and concisely explain what life would have been like in 1776. I possibly could have overlooked the unbelievable ending if he hadn't dedicated several pages before to a rabbit-trail rant about a basically unrelated "right-winger" who briefly owns the rifle. That made it obvious I wasn't supposed to take the outcome as just a horrific accident.
December 3, 2022
When I was in middle school my librarian introduced me to Gary Paulsen by way of Hatchet. I really liked it and read several of his other books, so when I saw this book on the rack at Goodwill I snagged it and couldn’t wait to read it. But, while Hatchet was a good book, in this book it is quite obvious that Paulsen has an ax to grind (pun intended).
In order to process through my disappointment with this book, I have decided to outline it here for you in general terms.
In order to process through my disappointment with this book, I have decided to outline it here for you in general terms.
January 19, 2023
This is not an anti-gun story; it's a warning about not properly caring or understanding tools.
Paulsen tells the story of a Rifle, how it was lovingly made and cared for. Its shot is "sweet" and it comes into the possession of Revolutionary War soldier who uses this rifle to kill British officers. Sadly, as in so much of war the soldier, John Byam, dies not from combat, but from dysentery. The gun's history then becomes lost in its twisting tale of ownership. With the loss of history, the practical care and understanding of the gun are also lost. Its value has changed from that of tool, a weapon, to that of a decorative piece, placed alongside a velvet painting of Elvis: careless and tasteless.
Paulsen's point, and one that seems to gone over many heads, is that when something is treated with care and respect, it is a useful tool. When it morphs into a gaudy symbol of machismo and/or freedom, it becomes tacky, and more importantly dangerous.
Paulsen tells the story of a Rifle, how it was lovingly made and cared for. Its shot is "sweet" and it comes into the possession of Revolutionary War soldier who uses this rifle to kill British officers. Sadly, as in so much of war the soldier, John Byam, dies not from combat, but from dysentery. The gun's history then becomes lost in its twisting tale of ownership. With the loss of history, the practical care and understanding of the gun are also lost. Its value has changed from that of tool, a weapon, to that of a decorative piece, placed alongside a velvet painting of Elvis: careless and tasteless.
Paulsen's point, and one that seems to gone over many heads, is that when something is treated with care and respect, it is a useful tool. When it morphs into a gaudy symbol of machismo and/or freedom, it becomes tacky, and more importantly dangerous.
April 15, 2010
This book, The Rifle, was not a very entertaining one at all. It is broken up into
three parts. The first is known as The Weapon, the second is called The Boy, and the finale is called The Joining.
The book starts with a man named Cornish making a perfect rifle, which is both beautiful and shoots perfectly. He then sells it to a man named John Bryam who uses into become a legendary revolutionary war character. After Bryam dies the rifle is passed down through many protagonist, however none of them know it’s loaded. Unfortunately, it eventually misfires and kills a young boy.
I think the worst part of this book is that the author, Gary Paulsen, spends the first twenty pages of the book talking about Cornish making the rifle. This wasn’t the only time Paulsen spent too much time explaining something in the book. He gives several rants about things that aren’t even relevant to the book. For example he spends an entire part of the book talking about a character who isn’t even relevant until the end.
I think this book wants to deliver the message that guns are evil. The whole point of the book was to show how guns can harm people no matter how old they are. I don’t exactly think that guns are evil, so that may have added to my dislike of the book.
Even when I don’t like a book there’s usually some part of it I do enjoy, that happened with this book. At the beginning of the book John Bryam sees a man being hanged and John immediately shoots the british officer who’s sentencing the man to death.
Though this book was bad people who agree that guns are evil may enjoy this book. People who enjoy sad ending or cliff hanger endings might like it, the book ends with “Tilson (the owner of the gun at the end of the story) read an article in a gun magazine entitled ‘Don’t shun that old smoke pole,‘ about shooting with black powder and he has been thinking seriously about getting some black powder and balls and maybe loading the rifle. Just to see how it shoots. And in the meantime the rifle sits in the gun cabinet. Waiting.” pg. 105
three parts. The first is known as The Weapon, the second is called The Boy, and the finale is called The Joining.
The book starts with a man named Cornish making a perfect rifle, which is both beautiful and shoots perfectly. He then sells it to a man named John Bryam who uses into become a legendary revolutionary war character. After Bryam dies the rifle is passed down through many protagonist, however none of them know it’s loaded. Unfortunately, it eventually misfires and kills a young boy.
I think the worst part of this book is that the author, Gary Paulsen, spends the first twenty pages of the book talking about Cornish making the rifle. This wasn’t the only time Paulsen spent too much time explaining something in the book. He gives several rants about things that aren’t even relevant to the book. For example he spends an entire part of the book talking about a character who isn’t even relevant until the end.
I think this book wants to deliver the message that guns are evil. The whole point of the book was to show how guns can harm people no matter how old they are. I don’t exactly think that guns are evil, so that may have added to my dislike of the book.
Even when I don’t like a book there’s usually some part of it I do enjoy, that happened with this book. At the beginning of the book John Bryam sees a man being hanged and John immediately shoots the british officer who’s sentencing the man to death.
Though this book was bad people who agree that guns are evil may enjoy this book. People who enjoy sad ending or cliff hanger endings might like it, the book ends with “Tilson (the owner of the gun at the end of the story) read an article in a gun magazine entitled ‘Don’t shun that old smoke pole,‘ about shooting with black powder and he has been thinking seriously about getting some black powder and balls and maybe loading the rifle. Just to see how it shoots. And in the meantime the rifle sits in the gun cabinet. Waiting.” pg. 105
January 3, 2011
I was so excited to buy and read this book. The first half of this book is terrific, then it becomes boring and problematic in the middle, and concludes with a poorly-written, politically-motivated, unbelievable, tragic ending. Do not waste your time on this book. It's so disappointing. I never thought I would hate a Gary Paulsen book, but this is one for the trash bin.
April 17, 2009
Could have been a good book until the author used every stereotype known to man to describe people who go to gun shows. Went downhill after that.
January 1, 2022
Sad.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 28, 2012
I've read this book probably about five, maybe six times over the years, and I've browsed it more times than I can count. I first read it when I was in middle-school, and recently I was gifted it by a friend, whereupon I read it twice more in the span of a few days. This book has a long history for me, and over the years it has come to mean much more.
I won't bother with a summary, because it seems as if every other review of this book has at least a paragraph dedicated to summarizing it. In short: the novel is about a rifle and a boy, and it's still just as heart-wrenchingly beautiful and sad as the first time I read it.
One of the gripes many people have with this book is that it's short and it's fast. The pages are small and the text is large, but somehow that only adds to the experience of reading it. Unlike so many books nowadays it's easy to get into and easy to finish, and a lot of people mistake this to mean that The Rifle is a simple book, meant for children. I would (and do!) argue vigorously against this. It might be small, but I haven't read a work of Paulsen's that doesn't deal with themes adults need to address as much as children.
If you're reading in broad strokes, then the novel is about gun safety, the value of history and well-honed craft, and the brief, sharp tragedy of chance. But the beauty of the book is in the details. It's short and compact but there is some kind of well-built strength in every sentence, every paragraph. It's as if Paulsen took the same care in assembling this book that Cornish McManaus, the gunsmith who built The Rifle, did in assembling his masterpiece. His visual detail, though spare, is all well-applied; he's a master of letting the reader fill in the gaps, although this assumes that the reader is of a certain background and will have those experiences to draw on. He builds characters in mere paragraphs, fleshes them out in a couple of pages. And he is capable of making you care about those characters, if you let yourself. Yes, there are stereotypes, but I'm willing to let them pass without comment—some stereotypes do have a basis in reality. And though the true beauty of this book is that it is all equally beautiful, my personal favorite section has to be The Boy.
Nowhere have I grown to grow to care about characters so quickly. The boy is never even named, never described beyond a sketch, and grows up through a period of fewer than fifteen pages from the age of one month to adolescence—but I know him, I feel for him, and (though I won't spoil the book by saying what happens) I was brought low by the ending. Paulsen does such an amazing job guiding the reader through the boy's interests, his struggles, his friends—his pets—that in only those few pages I came to care more than I have for many characters in other, much longer novels.
Much of my appreciation for this book is newly-found, I'll admit. It's only now that I've done some growing up that I can really see everything that Paulsen was getting at, and when I was the same age as this boy I wasn't as inclined to think of his character as memorable or even significant. But now that I'm older and I can look back with some time between me and him, I can see just how masterful Paulsen was in writing the way he did, and I can't say this strongly enough: read this book. You may regret it, you may not like it, or it may just not be for you—but if it is, and if you like it, then it just might become as significant for you as it was for me.
I won't bother with a summary, because it seems as if every other review of this book has at least a paragraph dedicated to summarizing it. In short: the novel is about a rifle and a boy, and it's still just as heart-wrenchingly beautiful and sad as the first time I read it.
One of the gripes many people have with this book is that it's short and it's fast. The pages are small and the text is large, but somehow that only adds to the experience of reading it. Unlike so many books nowadays it's easy to get into and easy to finish, and a lot of people mistake this to mean that The Rifle is a simple book, meant for children. I would (and do!) argue vigorously against this. It might be small, but I haven't read a work of Paulsen's that doesn't deal with themes adults need to address as much as children.
If you're reading in broad strokes, then the novel is about gun safety, the value of history and well-honed craft, and the brief, sharp tragedy of chance. But the beauty of the book is in the details. It's short and compact but there is some kind of well-built strength in every sentence, every paragraph. It's as if Paulsen took the same care in assembling this book that Cornish McManaus, the gunsmith who built The Rifle, did in assembling his masterpiece. His visual detail, though spare, is all well-applied; he's a master of letting the reader fill in the gaps, although this assumes that the reader is of a certain background and will have those experiences to draw on. He builds characters in mere paragraphs, fleshes them out in a couple of pages. And he is capable of making you care about those characters, if you let yourself. Yes, there are stereotypes, but I'm willing to let them pass without comment—some stereotypes do have a basis in reality. And though the true beauty of this book is that it is all equally beautiful, my personal favorite section has to be The Boy.
Nowhere have I grown to grow to care about characters so quickly. The boy is never even named, never described beyond a sketch, and grows up through a period of fewer than fifteen pages from the age of one month to adolescence—but I know him, I feel for him, and (though I won't spoil the book by saying what happens) I was brought low by the ending. Paulsen does such an amazing job guiding the reader through the boy's interests, his struggles, his friends—his pets—that in only those few pages I came to care more than I have for many characters in other, much longer novels.
Much of my appreciation for this book is newly-found, I'll admit. It's only now that I've done some growing up that I can really see everything that Paulsen was getting at, and when I was the same age as this boy I wasn't as inclined to think of his character as memorable or even significant. But now that I'm older and I can look back with some time between me and him, I can see just how masterful Paulsen was in writing the way he did, and I can't say this strongly enough: read this book. You may regret it, you may not like it, or it may just not be for you—but if it is, and if you like it, then it just might become as significant for you as it was for me.
April 17, 2011
A (very) thinly disguised anti-gun screed aimed at children. Starts out OK but very quickly descends into typical anti-gun polemics and stereotypes. The entire story is a contrivance to show that the phrase "guns don't kill people, people kill people" is not true. In the story, a flintlock rifle remains loaded for a few hundred years and finally discharges "all by itself" as it hangs above a modern fireplace. Needless to say, the ball travels into the neighbor's house killing a child who's decorating the family Christmas tree.
I'm unclear why the cover image shows a left-handed flintlock; the story certainly never mentions this peculiarity of the rifle. Other firearms details are accurate.
I'm unclear why the cover image shows a left-handed flintlock; the story certainly never mentions this peculiarity of the rifle. Other firearms details are accurate.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 24, 2022
You'll hate it most likely if you're a 2nd-amendment freedom fighter, and you'll hate it if you think all of Paulsen's books should or will be like Hatchet. But like The Tent, you'll be blown away by what he can do in so few words. It's a memorable read, that's for sure.
The book starts out with a very dull and overly detailed description of a man's craft as he creates the perfect rifle. It was boring, yeah, but I stuck with it and was a bit amazed by it all. I worry that he'll lose kids here, but I think every word was necessary to the story. Stick with it.
The book starts out with a very dull and overly detailed description of a man's craft as he creates the perfect rifle. It was boring, yeah, but I stuck with it and was a bit amazed by it all. I worry that he'll lose kids here, but I think every word was necessary to the story. Stick with it.
January 21, 2013
This was a spectacular book. To think that a old-fashioned "sweet" (that is a term used in this book for basically calling a gun epic) flintlock pistol could have a story amazes me. Is your kid obsessed with guns? Tell him/her to read this book so they can understand how deadly and corrupt a gun is. From guns to now and the first, they all revolve around on thing: killing people. The only minor flaw in Gary Paulsen's books is the details. When your read the first chapter it will be way over your head unless your a gun expert. After that though it definitely is worth your time to read.
April 14, 2019
Dear students,
I love your love for Gary Paulsen books and I promise to read the entire Hatchet series soon! However, I have no idea what Paulsen was thinking when writing this book for you. To begin, the first 30 pages go into painfully boring details about how to make a rifle, with explanations and vocabulary I doubt many would understand (I certainly didn't). While I enjoyed the middle section, in which the Revolutionary War was discussed, the ending of this short novel was absolutely terrible and sad and hard to read! Students, Paulsen got it so so wrong with this one for you.
Sincerely,
Your 7th grade ELA teacher
I love your love for Gary Paulsen books and I promise to read the entire Hatchet series soon! However, I have no idea what Paulsen was thinking when writing this book for you. To begin, the first 30 pages go into painfully boring details about how to make a rifle, with explanations and vocabulary I doubt many would understand (I certainly didn't). While I enjoyed the middle section, in which the Revolutionary War was discussed, the ending of this short novel was absolutely terrible and sad and hard to read! Students, Paulsen got it so so wrong with this one for you.
Sincerely,
Your 7th grade ELA teacher
September 24, 2015
The purpose of this book is to imply that guns kill people. Paulsen believes that guns kill people rather than the notion “guns don’t kill people, people kill people”. The subject of the book is the rifle, which is made in the 1700s and is passed down until the 1990s, which the book was written in. The audience is aimed towards people of all ages, and it will contradict, match, or even influence others’ opinions. Paulsen tells the story in a third person omniscient point of view.
The theme is that guns kill people. Near the end of the book, quote: “A half dozen of them caught a heat eddy and swung inward toward the mantle. Of the six sparks, four of them merely bounced off the wall and fell into the mantle to die there. Two of them got further caught in the heat eddies from the candle flame, and...one swung in and skipped harmlessly off the barrel of the rifle. The last spark...slid off the pan and speared directly into the touch hole of the rifle, where it touched the sharp edge of a granule of black powder. Then, the spark moved the tiniest part of a distance...and found a cleaner, sharper edge of the powder. It ignited...and that led to other grains of powder and then still more...in effect setting the entire charge in the rifle into an instantaneous explosion” (94-95). This quote solidifies Paulsen’s opinion that guns kill people, rather than people killing people. The rifle has been in existence for over two centuries, and Paulsen painstakingly describes every major event that the rifle was used in, and also what it caused.
This book was told in a narration which described the rifle and what it was involved in throughout its lifespan. It also was a description of the American Civil War for the first half of the book until the rifle was stowed away in an attic and forgotten for many years. It also hinted, like mentioned earlier, at the notion that guns kill people.
In my opinion, the book was a great, detailed read about something as simple as a rifle, which is more complex in reality to an experienced gunsmith or enthusiast. Also, the way Paulsen took time and dedication to describe every event in fine detail showed true dedication to the book. The only thing I disliked was that the story dragged on in some parts and was somewhat uneventful at times, but I was willing to give it a chance, and it was worth it.
The theme is that guns kill people. Near the end of the book, quote: “A half dozen of them caught a heat eddy and swung inward toward the mantle. Of the six sparks, four of them merely bounced off the wall and fell into the mantle to die there. Two of them got further caught in the heat eddies from the candle flame, and...one swung in and skipped harmlessly off the barrel of the rifle. The last spark...slid off the pan and speared directly into the touch hole of the rifle, where it touched the sharp edge of a granule of black powder. Then, the spark moved the tiniest part of a distance...and found a cleaner, sharper edge of the powder. It ignited...and that led to other grains of powder and then still more...in effect setting the entire charge in the rifle into an instantaneous explosion” (94-95). This quote solidifies Paulsen’s opinion that guns kill people, rather than people killing people. The rifle has been in existence for over two centuries, and Paulsen painstakingly describes every major event that the rifle was used in, and also what it caused.
This book was told in a narration which described the rifle and what it was involved in throughout its lifespan. It also was a description of the American Civil War for the first half of the book until the rifle was stowed away in an attic and forgotten for many years. It also hinted, like mentioned earlier, at the notion that guns kill people.
In my opinion, the book was a great, detailed read about something as simple as a rifle, which is more complex in reality to an experienced gunsmith or enthusiast. Also, the way Paulsen took time and dedication to describe every event in fine detail showed true dedication to the book. The only thing I disliked was that the story dragged on in some parts and was somewhat uneventful at times, but I was willing to give it a chance, and it was worth it.
June 2, 2008
The Rifle is an amazing book about a rifle built with the most extraordinary amount of care in 1768 by a Gunsmith who goes by the name of Cornish McManus. At the time, the majority of guns wouldn't fire very accurately- but this gone was different. This rifle was so accurate- in fact- that it was the weapon of choice for John Bryam- a legendary sharpshooter from the American Revolution. Overtime the gun was passed from person to person, until it eventually came into the hands of a person residing in the present day. Even though the gun passed through so many people, not one person out of the hundreds who held it checked to see if the gun was loaded. But a very unlucky family would soon find out.
The Rifle is one of my all time favorite books, among others that Gary Paulsen has written. This book will make you take a second look at everything that passes through your hands and you will see the potential of things that you previously saw as worthless.
The Rifle is one of my all time favorite books, among others that Gary Paulsen has written. This book will make you take a second look at everything that passes through your hands and you will see the potential of things that you previously saw as worthless.
March 23, 2010
I read the Rifle by Gary Paulsen. It was a book that had a lot of action. This is because it’s a book about the revolutionary war. Obviously a war book would have action. In this book this person named Cornish McManus made a really good rifle. It had a .30 caliber tube so it was 40 inches long, he used the best steel. It was really accurate and it was deadly. It soon gets sold to this person named John Byam which goes into war with the rifle. When he was finished with it, he passed it down many generations until it reached a boy named Harv. He then made a bad mistake with the rifle since he did not know how to use it lead to death and he does not know what to do.
He tried to hide what he had done and he hid the rifle away where no one can find it. He always blamed himself for what he had done.
He tried to hide what he had done and he hid the rifle away where no one can find it. He always blamed himself for what he had done.
July 5, 2008
This book started out as an interesting look at how the gun was constructed and the people who owned it, but right at the end, it turned into a rant about the dangers of guns. I felt like I had been lured into an anti-gun MLM presentation with promises of a fascinating story and got sold a case of stuff I didn't need instead. If I want to read an anti-gun book, I'll get one -- don't try to sneak it in on me. The first part is fascinating, but skip that last chapter if you don't want the slap in the face I felt it delivered.
September 2, 2010
I was expecting a historical novel, what I got was a LONG first section talking about how the gun was made in excruciating detail, followed by BAD poorly research history where the author hop skips over the interesting part (the guns part in the revolutionary war) in about 4 pages, and than fast forwards to the modern period to 'teach a lesson' about how guns are bad and they kill people.
February 18, 2022
Good story, questionable message
I read this book when I was young, really enjoyed the story and purchased it yesterday for old times sake.
Unfortunately, now I can't help but see it as a book that plants the "gun nut" idea and a fear of firearms into the heads of children. For that, a loss of a star. It's a shame, I really enjoyed the story up until Byam died.
I read this book when I was young, really enjoyed the story and purchased it yesterday for old times sake.
Unfortunately, now I can't help but see it as a book that plants the "gun nut" idea and a fear of firearms into the heads of children. For that, a loss of a star. It's a shame, I really enjoyed the story up until Byam died.
August 17, 2018
Personal Response
When I started to read this book, I was automatically interested in it. It talked about how the rifle was made and how “sweet” it was. I like weapons and facts about them. This book taught me how to be careful with a rifle made back in the day. It was a very good book. It told the story about a super deadly rifle in the Revolutionary War.
Plot
A man named Cornish Mcmanus started his own business in making guns. He worked with a man named John Waynewright, and he taught Cornish on how to make a rifle. Rifles were guns with a long barrel that had a spiral in the barrel. This was made to make guns more accurate. Regular black powder guns had a smooth barrel and the ball would shoot wherever it wanted. Cornish only did basic jobs on guns when he opened his shop. He would repair and replace guns. One day, he received wooden planks from a carpenter named Davis. In the middle of the pile, there was a piece of wood that was very rare. Cornish got excited about the piece of wood and started to draw different gun stocks. He worked a lot on the gun during the evening. He made the sweetest rifle of its time. The rifle was so accurate that he shot three balls into the same hole. He sold the gun to a trapper. The trapper enlisted in the Army and became the deadliest sharp shooter in the Revolutionary War. The trapper died and an old lady took the rifle for her sons in the army. Her sons ended up dying before she could give them the rifle. She was so sad about it and decided to hide the rifle in her attic. Hundreds of years later the rifle was found in the attic and people thought it was just a piece of junk. A man got the rifle in exchange for a car fix. He hung the rifle on top of his fireplace. The guy poked at his fire causing sparks to fly. The rifle has been loaded for over a hundred years, and finally it shot killing a little boy in the neighbor’s house.
Characterization
This book had really no main character. It told different stories of different people who owned the rifle. Cornish was the first owner and made the rifle. He felt proud of making the rifle. Whenever a man would come in to get his rifle fixed, he would always admire the rifle that was hung on the wall. Cornish was hesitant on selling the rifle. He decided to sell the rifle, so he could use the money to start a family. Byam was the next owner and he felt very proud of the rifle he owned. He enlisted in the army and became the deadliest sharp shooter in the Revolutionary War. He then died of a disease. The rifle was later handed down to an old woman, but she just stored it in her attic. The year was 1993 and the rifle was found again in the attic. A man got ahold of the rifle and set it on top of his fireplace. Once again the man felt proud of the rifle he owned. He knew the value of the rifle. A tragic accident happened on Christmas, and the rifle shot the load that was in there for over a hundred years, which ended up killing a 14 year old kid. The man who owned the rifle last felt very angry and blamed himself for what happened. Eventually, he threw the rifle off a bridge into a lake where a fisherman fished out the rifle, and he keeps it in a case in his house.
Recommendation
I recommend this book to any gender ages 14 and up. The vocabulary in this book may be a bit challenging for young readers. Most of the history in this book has already been taught at this age, so it makes it easier for readers at this age to understand. Even though the characters are men, women would also enjoy this book, because some women enjoy hunting. It tells an amazing story on how a rifle from the Revolutionary War still worked a hundred years later. I also recommend this book to gun owners to show them that even if they think a weapon is not loaded, it is still not a toy. This book teaches safety of a gun, responsibility, and the history of gun making.
When I started to read this book, I was automatically interested in it. It talked about how the rifle was made and how “sweet” it was. I like weapons and facts about them. This book taught me how to be careful with a rifle made back in the day. It was a very good book. It told the story about a super deadly rifle in the Revolutionary War.
Plot
A man named Cornish Mcmanus started his own business in making guns. He worked with a man named John Waynewright, and he taught Cornish on how to make a rifle. Rifles were guns with a long barrel that had a spiral in the barrel. This was made to make guns more accurate. Regular black powder guns had a smooth barrel and the ball would shoot wherever it wanted. Cornish only did basic jobs on guns when he opened his shop. He would repair and replace guns. One day, he received wooden planks from a carpenter named Davis. In the middle of the pile, there was a piece of wood that was very rare. Cornish got excited about the piece of wood and started to draw different gun stocks. He worked a lot on the gun during the evening. He made the sweetest rifle of its time. The rifle was so accurate that he shot three balls into the same hole. He sold the gun to a trapper. The trapper enlisted in the Army and became the deadliest sharp shooter in the Revolutionary War. The trapper died and an old lady took the rifle for her sons in the army. Her sons ended up dying before she could give them the rifle. She was so sad about it and decided to hide the rifle in her attic. Hundreds of years later the rifle was found in the attic and people thought it was just a piece of junk. A man got the rifle in exchange for a car fix. He hung the rifle on top of his fireplace. The guy poked at his fire causing sparks to fly. The rifle has been loaded for over a hundred years, and finally it shot killing a little boy in the neighbor’s house.
Characterization
This book had really no main character. It told different stories of different people who owned the rifle. Cornish was the first owner and made the rifle. He felt proud of making the rifle. Whenever a man would come in to get his rifle fixed, he would always admire the rifle that was hung on the wall. Cornish was hesitant on selling the rifle. He decided to sell the rifle, so he could use the money to start a family. Byam was the next owner and he felt very proud of the rifle he owned. He enlisted in the army and became the deadliest sharp shooter in the Revolutionary War. He then died of a disease. The rifle was later handed down to an old woman, but she just stored it in her attic. The year was 1993 and the rifle was found again in the attic. A man got ahold of the rifle and set it on top of his fireplace. Once again the man felt proud of the rifle he owned. He knew the value of the rifle. A tragic accident happened on Christmas, and the rifle shot the load that was in there for over a hundred years, which ended up killing a 14 year old kid. The man who owned the rifle last felt very angry and blamed himself for what happened. Eventually, he threw the rifle off a bridge into a lake where a fisherman fished out the rifle, and he keeps it in a case in his house.
Recommendation
I recommend this book to any gender ages 14 and up. The vocabulary in this book may be a bit challenging for young readers. Most of the history in this book has already been taught at this age, so it makes it easier for readers at this age to understand. Even though the characters are men, women would also enjoy this book, because some women enjoy hunting. It tells an amazing story on how a rifle from the Revolutionary War still worked a hundred years later. I also recommend this book to gun owners to show them that even if they think a weapon is not loaded, it is still not a toy. This book teaches safety of a gun, responsibility, and the history of gun making.
Read
November 8, 2017I thought this book was great the characters that were in it were amazing. The changing in the mood was really great. At first when I was reading this book I wasn't really understanding it but then once I got more into it I got it. The out come of the whole book was great because there was a ton of action and mood changing in it. I recommend that you read this book if you like guns and war and action.
August 18, 2023
Horrid! Concept was good- tell the tales of people who have encountered a rifle made with meticulous care hundreds of years ago and the history intertwined with that. Instead, we get a political rant about guns being all bad and killing people with almost impossible like situations. Dumb.
January 22, 2018
Well-told and interesting, but sad.
January 9, 2023
Oldest kiddo wanted me to read it after he did. Could have been great- without the obvious political slant.
November 18, 2022
I had to read this for school. Surprising! It wasn't too bad. This book is slow in the beginning but towards the end it actually gets good.
December 8, 2022
This book is about a guy in 1768 named Cornish McManus had made a rifle witch was the best had ever seen which had the best accuracy that he knew he would never make another gun ever like it. He was going to keep the gun until his new wife came along and he knew he had to sell it. The person who bought became a legend with the gun and he was killing people and officers like crazy. The gun was the passed on and it kept getting passed on and in all of this time no one checked to see if the gun was loaded. It was loaded and it didn't end well.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 11, 2018
A very short novel that traces the history of a pre-Revolutionary War rifle, and all the hands it passes through until it lands in the present and causes a tragedy. The story begs the question: do guns kill people, or do people kill people? This book sets the stage for some interesting class discussion if used in the school setting.
February 1, 2017
What the?!
I had seen this book a few years ago and apparently only skimmed the back--something about the story of a rifle being passed down through generations. I thought that sounded interesting...you could get the rifle involved in all sorts of interesting historical events. It was a short Gary Paulsen book, so I thought it might be perfect for reluctant readers to get into historical fiction.
And the beginning (Part 1: The Weapon) is definitely that, with the gun's first owner beyond the gunsmith being a backwoodsman turned Revolutionary War soldier with superior rifle technology to the British. The first 20+ pages about crafting and loading the rifle dragged a little, although it was kind of interesting at the same time. Someone into guns or hand crafting would probably love it. The next bit about that first owner in the war was fun and the longest part of the book. Then...
I have to spoil this like crazy in order to really discuss it, so be warned.
I had seen this book a few years ago and apparently only skimmed the back--something about the story of a rifle being passed down through generations. I thought that sounded interesting...you could get the rifle involved in all sorts of interesting historical events. It was a short Gary Paulsen book, so I thought it might be perfect for reluctant readers to get into historical fiction.
And the beginning (Part 1: The Weapon) is definitely that, with the gun's first owner beyond the gunsmith being a backwoodsman turned Revolutionary War soldier with superior rifle technology to the British. The first 20+ pages about crafting and loading the rifle dragged a little, although it was kind of interesting at the same time. Someone into guns or hand crafting would probably love it. The next bit about that first owner in the war was fun and the longest part of the book. Then...
I have to spoil this like crazy in order to really discuss it, so be warned.
November 9, 2018
This book was very very good I love all history even if it is bad or good history or epic history.This book has family and fortune involved.And one of the funniest things in the book is nobody ever looked to see if it was loaded util it shot its final shot through a mans head.This book brought me joy until the end this book was so good it stuck to the tittle and talked manly of the rifle, this book gave good detail,also this book gives true facts like how the us army always aimed for the generals for a long time until we saw our wrong, it describes the gun the bullet how america lacked money and people did as well but over all I request that every body read this book and it is a quick read as well.
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