The Ancient Minstrel: Novellas
The Ancient Minstrel: Novellas book cover

The Ancient Minstrel: Novellas

Paperback – March 14, 2017

Price
$12.75
Format
Paperback
Pages
272
Publisher
Grove Press
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-0802126344
Dimensions
5.4 x 0.9 x 8.2 inches
Weight
9.6 ounces

Description

Jim Harrison (19372016) was the "New York Times"-bestselling author of thirty-nine books of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry, including "Legends of the Fall," "Dalva," and "Returning to Earth." A member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and winner of a National Endowment for the Arts grant, his work was published in twenty-seven languages."

Features & Highlights

  • A
  • New York Times
  • bestseller,
  • The Ancient Minstrel
  • is a stunning collection of novellas that highlight Jim Harrison’s phenomenal range as a writer, shot through with his trademark wit and keen insight into the human condition. Harrison has tremendous fun with his own reputation in the title novella, about an aging writer in Montana who indulges his lifelong dream of raising pigs, struggles to write the “big novel” he’s rashly promised his editor, and attempts to rekindle the long marriage that has sustained him. In
  • Eggs
  • , a Montana woman recalls a life spent collecting eggs—at her grandparents’ farm in Montana and near Dorset, England, where she ends up during World War II. Eggs of a different sort preoccupy her when, unmarried but undeterred, she decides to try to have a baby. And in
  • The Case of the Howling Buddhas
  • , retired Detective Sunderson is hired as a private investigator to look into a bizarre cult that achieves satori by howling along with howler monkeys at the zoo. Fresh and entertaining, with moments of both profound wisdom and sublime humor,
  • The Ancient Minstrel
  • is an exceptional reminder of why Harrison was one of our most beloved and critically acclaimed writers.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
30%
(92)
★★★★
25%
(76)
★★★
15%
(46)
★★
7%
(21)
23%
(70)

Most Helpful Reviews

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For Jim Harrison fans

I read these stories after Jim Harrison, a favorite of mine, had passed away. Since I knew there would be nothing left of his to read after I finished it, I took my time and savored every word. "Eggs" seemed to me to be quintessential Jim Harrison, reminiscent of his novel Dalva which was the book that convinced me he was a serious writer. The Sunderson stories have received some criticism, but I liked them because his detective didn't secretly possess a. "heart of gold" like the iconic private eyes he was satirizing. The ending was unsettling, but I suppose now makes sense. In the third story one didn't know where autobiography left off and fiction began, but that has always been part of the charm of his writing.
2 people found this helpful
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2 outta 3 ain’t bad...

Very much liked the quasi-autobiographical poke at himself...eggs was a very well done piece...and the third novels, I really didn’t care for the subject matter. As always, it’s Harrison...and having read most of his works, I have to say Returning to Earth was my favorite (novel)...