Sometimes a Great Notion Study Guide

This innovative novel tells the multi-generational story of the Stampers, a lumber family in Oregon. Throughout the novel, tension-filled relationships within the family are echoed by the relationship the family has with a nearby town and its citizens, most of whom harbor generations-old resentments of the Stampers. More important than the novel's substance, however, is its style. Narrative voice and perspective shifts frequently between time periods and between characters, creating the thematically-relevant sense that there is no core truth, only interpretations of events. (read more)