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Book Review of Legends of the Fall

Legends of the Fall
Legends of the Fall
Author: Jim Harrison
Genre: Literature & Fiction
Book Type: Audio Cassette
reviewed on + 377 more book reviews


Synopsis
A collection of three separate novellas. "Legends of the Fall" is a family saga relating the fortunes of three brothers growing up in Montana together shortly after the turn of the century. "Revenge" is the account of a Vietnam veteran's attempt to avenge himself on his lover's husband, who nearly killed them when he learned of their affair. In "The Man Who Gave Up His Name," a retired businessman attempts to bring a drug dealer to justice.


Size
Height: 7.3 in.
Width: 4.5 in.
Thickness: 0.8 in.
Weight: 4.8 oz.


Industry reviews
"Three novellas both poetic and mythic. The title story ranges from the stark beauty of Montana to the blood-drenched battlefields of World War I France."
San Francisco Review of Books - Gary Frank

"It is in 'The Man Who Gave Up His Name' that Mr. Harrison comes closest to combining the traditional economy of the novella with the more comprehensive narrative that works so well for him in the title story."
New York Times Book Review - Vance Bourjaily (06/17/1979)

"In a sense these three novellas are fairy tales intended for educated middleclass males; they are also would-be literary equivalents of violent but poetic films such as those directed by Sam Peckinpah."
Library Journal - James B. Hemesath (05/15/1979)

"In the hands of Jim Harrison, these fantasies are so open we can indeed see what we are or what we dream. At the very least, such clumsy plots and vacant characters, such ill-conceived self-pity and anger, such male posturing and fearful fantasies would find expression in precise language."
Nation - Keith Opdahl (07/07/1979)

"Violent, compelling...beyond question the work of a gifted and accomplished writer."
Paz

"Harrison stands high among the writers of his generation."
Paz

"Harrison at the height of his powers....He does honor to the old art of storytelling."
Paz

"Set in the heart of America, his stories move with random power and reach, in the manner of Melville and Faulkner."
Paz