The Revenant, Funke - B +

                                                This is one of those infrequent novels with a sub-title: A Novel Of Revenge. Before Hugh Glass tries to find his tormentor, John Fitzgerald, he must first recover from the bear attack. The bear tore him apart and it's pretty hard to believe anyone could survive. In a historical note at the end of  the book, Funke points out that this is essentially a true story; that Glass was badly mauled and left to die by his two colleagues. The first half of the book is the story of his crawl/walk back to a fort on the Grand River.  Although remarkably adept as an outdoorsman, it is a band of Sioux, impressed with his scars and wounds, that helps him back to a small outpost, where he is re-armed, clothed and supplied for his journey to find Fitzgerald and Bridger. When Glass catches up with his old outfit, he decides to let Bridger off the hook because of his age. He is sent to Ft. Atkinson in Nebraska to deliver a message to the fur company in St. Louis. He is the only survivor of a band of four who lose their horses to Indians and whose buffalo boats capsize in rapids. He finds Fitgerald has enlisted in the army and Glass' accusations of theft and abandonment necessitate a court martial. A modest measure of justice is extracted and Glass moves on. The historical note states that Hugh Glass was killed by Indians at the junction of the Yellowstone and Big Horn rivers a decade later. This book is one helluva short, fun read.