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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
Beautiful writing but two measly words, “male gaze” kept me from really enjoying this book. I stoped at page 29. I just can’t.
Content Warnings
Male Gaze
Final (probably) update below!
Conrad promises me that the book is good, despite the movie.
[update] I read the title story, one of three in the book, and gave it two stars.
[update] Conrad won't let me rate the book without having read all three stories in it, so here I go. Actual substantive review to follow, hopefully.
[update] The first story, "Revenge," is worth 3.5-4 stars.
[update] I have been absolved of finishing this!
Conrad promises me that the book is good, despite the movie.
[update] I read the title story, one of three in the book, and gave it two stars.
[update] Conrad won't let me rate the book without having read all three stories in it, so here I go. Actual substantive review to follow, hopefully.
[update] The first story, "Revenge," is worth 3.5-4 stars.
[update] I have been absolved of finishing this!
Absolutely love Jim Harrison's writing. The three stories here take the reader on completely different journeys. I loved this collection!
Three novellas in one collection, each very distinct and unconnected from the others. “Revenge” was excellent, reminding me of the fever-dream beauty of James Lee Burke's writing, and the stark no-nonsense violence of Thomas Perry, though obviously predating both those writers. “The Man Who Gave Up His Name” was less successful, I thought, being more inward-looking and self-absorbed, though quite entertaining and more thoughtful than it seems at first glance. The title novella, “Legends of the Fall”, was again excellent, remarkably epic despite its length. Overall, two 5-stars and a 3-star, makes for a 4-1/3 average, though I'm not sure that's a fair way to look at it. Beautiful writing, sharp dialog, richly-observed settings, sometimes-brutal action, and a deep sense of mastery.
Macho melodrama. Novellas they're called, but they read more like potted or condensed novels. I prefer a little more breathing space in my narratives.
A little bizarre, but each story somehow sucks you in. I found myself NEEDING to know what happened in each, while simultaneously wondering why I cared. Definitely a strange book.
Jim Harrison has long held a prominent place on my shelf of great American writers. I love his affirmative and highly spiritual vision of nature’s place in humanity’s consciousness, and I love the wild beauty of his descriptive prose. One of the things he does best is portraying the thoughts and feelings of his characters: what some writers call “interiority.”
To read the rest of this review, click here: http://bit.ly/1a40Il4
Thoughts and feedback welcome!
To read the rest of this review, click here: http://bit.ly/1a40Il4
Thoughts and feedback welcome!
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
thoroughly engaging trio of stories from a master storyteller.
Jim Harrison is a master of word pictures. His omniscient narrators tell each story with such precise, picturesque lanuage that we are transported instantly into each scene. Without using excess words, he tells epic tales full of characters who are alive and full of passion. His stories are vivid and thrilling, with the most fantastical events becoming believable. No one who appreciates great literature needs me to recommend any of Jim Harrison's works, they speak for themselves far better than I ever could.