The Laugh of the Water Nymph And Other River Stories

by Doug Ammons

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• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0976158000
• ISBN13: 9780976158004
• Release Date: January 2004
• Publisher: Water Nymph Press
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 1.62 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.8" x 0.8" x 6.8"
• Age Range: 14 years and up

Customer Reviews

Far more than the usual adventure narrative

Doug Ammons' book, The Laugh of the Water Nymph, is anything but the usual adventure narrative. It is a collection of good stories, well-written, often hilarious, sometimes touching, always fun to read. As might be expected, many are narratives drawn from his experiences in the 1980s and `90s on the far edge of kayaking in such places as Agua Azul in Yucatan and the Stikine Canyon in British Columbia. Mixed among the adventure accounts are essays and some fiction. Although the focus is kayaking, Ammons shows awareness throughout that there is more to life than paddling down steep mountain canyons in small boats, fun though that may be. Ammons' account of being busted running the forbidden Yellowstone Canyon is a farcical tale about the collision of exuberant kayakers with intransigent bureaucrats. It has a posse of a dozen or more rangers pursuing rogue kayakers through the canyon on foot and by helicopter. The good guys win in this tale, more or less, but Ammons recognizes that the bad guys are not totally bad either, just doing their job with logic that's hard to follow. It reminded me, though, of why many people prefer to avoid the national parks. "Revenge of the Killer Radical Extremes" is another very funny piece satirizing the cult and culture of extreme sports. It called to mind some of the stories by Donald Barthelme and others that I used to enjoy in the New Yorker, back when the New Yorker published things that actually made me laugh out loud (a long time ago, but that's another story). Interspersed among the adventure narratives appear stories about people like Nara, the Nepalese porter, and Ammon's friend John Foss who died on a river in Peru. These well-drawn portraits give the book some balance. They help distance the reader from a simple chase after fun and adventure. Ammons' yearlong diary recounting the death of his father is a touching but balanced piece about things that matter, to use Ammons' phrase. The low point of the book is a piece that ridicules the commercialization of whitewater kayaking and mourns the loss or dilution of the true and genuine. The store manager and salespeople in this story may deserve some ridicule, most people do, but in the end the story comes off as both uncharitable and unrealistic. If we want good stuff, somebody has to sell it. It is hard to reconcile the harsh view of this story with the very humane, balanced tone Ammons strikes elsewhere in this book. That small criticism aside, Laugh of the Water Nymph is a wonderful book. Whether you fancy yourself flying down some impossible pitch upon the medium of your choice or prefer your adventures on the couch in front of the tube, it's a good read. I liked it, and I think others will too.

A life full of kayaking

I am not much of a paddler myself. But I am enough of a paddler to fully appreciate the dimension of some of the stories told in this book. There are some great kayaking adventures to be found, and they are told in a way that made it clear to me that Doug Ammons is completely aware of the depth and the profound nature of the experiences. This becomes all the more apparent in those lighter, somewhat fictional stories about those whose view of their sport is maybe not as grounded as Doug's. What impressed me most about this book, though, were not the big epics and near death experiences also found in this book, but the understanding that all this outstanding paddling is embedded in a very full life as a father of five, as a son, a friend, as a professional. It became apparent to me that Doug's paddeling achievements cannot be viewed without all the other activities in his life, as well as his life as it shines through the pages isn't complete without the paddeling. In this, he is an inspiration to me, and I am genuinely thankful for this book. And if that were not enough, there are some poetic gems hidden in this book as well, like the story that gave this book it's title, and my personal favorite, the simple description of floating soap bubbles into the misty dawn air along a river. Moments like these are what keeps us returning to the river again and again.

Adventure writing at its best

In this collection of short stories, Doug Ammons takes the reader through his twenty years on the forefront of expedition paddling. If you are not familiar with him, Doug began paddling in the early 80s with many of the early big water paddling legends, like Rob Lesser and Bob McDougal. He has since pioneered a number of big descents, including the first self-supported descent and a solo descent of the Grand Canyon of the Stikine in British Columbia. The book is a series of short stories that begins with his days as a new kayaker learning the ropes from those he looked up to, and ending with the year of his last big expedition, the Triple Crown. In between, there's some great fiction, giving Ammons a chance to have some fun and comment on the state of the sport in general. The stories in this book come together very nicely in this layout, complete with a corresponding set of color photos from his experiences. Rather than feeling like a set of unrelated stories, this feels like one flowing narrative of a man's experiences with the sport. Anyone who knows Doug would agree that he is a complex individual, and that sense certainly comes through in his stories. He displays a unique ability to write about the whitewater experience, describing in great detail the feeling of dropping into a huge rapid, or the satisfaction of paddling out of a deep, dark canyon. This is more than just a hair-raising, thrill-ride kayaking story, though. It's a thoughtful examination of the sport and the people who are involved with it. If you are involved in adventure sports long enough, you realize it's not just about the adrenaline and the excitement, but it also has a lot to do with friendship, camaraderie and accomplishment. This book is a reminder of what makes kayaking more than just a weekend hobby and why it is so meaningful to so many of us.

Doug Ammons "The Laugh of the Water Nymph"

It's a shame there are no pictures; as the pictures in this book tell so much. I discovered that Patagonia used the cover picture to advertise there products, the pictures are that good. This is a book about extremes; and the beauty of the world and the music of the river. One mans attempts to conquer that which most would never even think of attempting to conquer. This is the entertainment of a smart, hardworking man that needs to push the limits. Stories told take on a life of their own and see the events that happen in unexpected and entertaining ways.

Celebrate the Human Spirit

A celebration of the human spirit from a kayaker's drenched perspective! Whether on a river, in a cave, or with a critically ill loved one the reader is drawn into Ammons' kayak. Feel the power of rapids, plunge into whirlpools, laugh, cry. With illuminating detail, captivating storytelling, and exquisite photography Ammons inspires the reader to explore the untapped possibilities that lay within ourselves, our personal relationships, and the world in which we live.