Monday
Aug152011
Paul MacLean in Helena
Monday, August 15, 2011 at 12:00AM 
The true story of Paul MacLean's life differs somewhat from the one that appeared in his brother's book, A River Runs Through It. An article that appeared in the Helena Independent Record back in 2000 chronicles the true story of Paul MacLean's life and death.
Reader Comments (9)
.... the cute one what got beat to death in the movie was actually a way bigger asshole then he was made out to be in the movie?
NOOOOOOOO WAAAAAAAAAAY.
To be fair, he was made out to be an asshole in the book.
and the guy in that picture is a major league asshole. No wonder he got beat to death. Probably by a bunch o boy scouts doing everybody a favor. Its called the asshole elimination merit badge.
Drinks, smokes, fights and fly fishes. Would have loved to fish with that guy.
To be fair, Maclean never purported that "A River Runs Through It" was non-fiction, the book is one story drawn from many.
According to critics, one of the greatest works of American literature. Worth reading before commenting on it.
I find it interesting the MacLeans or Macleans had sisters. No mention of that in the book. I'm with Hillary on this one, would love to have fished with him...
I know this article is rather old to be commenting on, but the idea that the Maclean family had five sisters, unmentioned in the book or movie, intrigued me. I checked the census records for 1910, 1920, and 1930. No other children were listed, nor was Clara (Norman's and Paul's mother) listed as having ever had given birth to more than two children, according to the 1910 Census. Just a small factual error that piqued my curiosity.
I think the author misread the Rev. John Maclean's obituary. Five sisters are mentioned in it, but they appear to be sisters of the Reverend Maclean, living in Boston.
I think "I Know an Asshole..."s take on what happened in that alley in Chicago in 1938 is the closest we'll ever get to what happened to Paul Maclean. It is also hilarious! There is so much conjecture running rampant by people who have apparently not read the book or anything else about the Macleans, it is disgusting. Five sisters...Paul also went to Dartmouth...Paul was killed in Helena...yadayadayada.