Jim Harrison Summary

Critical Essay by Hayden Carruth [A couple of years ago] Letters to Yesinin, a minor masterpiece, was hardly noticed; it was minor because its mood was so thoroughly bleak that probably it could appea... Read more

Critical Essay by Keith Opdahl It's as though William Butler Yeats had written a scenario for Sam Peckinpah. Or as though James Dickey had done a Western—though Dickey wraps the violence... Read more

Bourjaily is an American novelist and critic. In the following review of Legends of the Fall, he notes the effective manner in which Harrison establishes "credibility" in creating a sens... Read more

Below, Rozen offers a mixed review of The Woman Lit by Fireflies. Jim Harrison writes like a tough guy with a soft heart. His novels and short stories are about men and women living, as best they can,... Read more

Agee is an American novelist and critic. In the following essay, he offers a laudatory review of Julip, in particular commending the characterization and narrative voice in the three novellas. More th... Read more

Keith Opdahl is an American critic and author. In the following review of Legends of the Fall, he praises stylistic aspects of Harrison's novellas but challenges his depiction of the plight of ... Read more

In the following laudatory review, Grinnell provides a thematic analysis of Legends of the Fall. Jim Harrison writes with that clear precision of an experienced hunter who, with a razor sharp knife, c... Read more

In the following interview, Harrison discusses his writing career and the major themes and characters of his work. Though he spent brief periods in New York and Boston during his restless youth and th... Read more

Freeman is an American novelist and critic. In the following essay, she provides a positive assessment of The Woman Lit by Fireflies. Having now published six novels, seven books of poetry and two col... Read more

In the following review, Scannell finds Legends of the Fall to be a horribly written book. “Legends of the Fall” is the title-story of a volume containing three novellas by Jim Harrison ... Read more

In the following review, Harrison analyzes the prevalent themes of sex, wildlife, nature, and escapism in Julip. The novella is an unfashionable and indeterminate form: is it a short novel or a long s... Read more

In the following review, Locklin praises Harrison's collection of novellas Julip, giving special praise to the novella entitled “The Beige Dolorosa.” I loved the movie version of ... Read more

In the following review, Oser describes his mixed feelings about Harrison's The Shape of the Journey: New and Collected Poems. While he admires Harrison's wit and “warts and all&#... Read more

In the following review, Treadwell mentions that although Warlock is somewhat lacking in plot, it is ambitious and is salvaged by Harrison's incredible wit. Warlock is a comic novel which rests... Read more

In the following review, Drabelle expresses disappointment in Sundog, asserting that Harrison's new style of story telling lacks the honesty of his earlier style. At about midpoint in his new n... Read more

In the following favorable review of Dalva, Kakutani compliments Harrison's narrative abilities. Nearly a decade ago, Jim Harrison wrote “Legends of the Fall,” a fluently orchestr... Read more

In the following interview, Smith delves into Harrison's past to discuss his published works and screenplays. Though he spent brief periods in New York and Boston during his restless youth and ... Read more