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Legends of the Fall Kindle Edition
Jim Harrison’s critically acclaimed novella “Legends of the Fall”—which was made into the film of the same name—is an epic tale of three brothers fighting for justice in a world gone mad. Moving from the expansive landscape of early twentieth-century Montana to the blood-drenched battlefields of World War I Europe, Harrison explores the desperate actions of which men are capable when their lives or aspirations are threatened.
Also including the novellas “Revenge” and “The Man Who Gave Up His Name,” Legends of the Fall confirms Jim Harrison’s reputation as a writer who “stands high among the writers of his generation. This book is rich, alive, and shatteringly visceral. A triumph” (New Yorker).
“I can’t begin to do justice to the nuances of character and honest complexities of plot in this work. The writing is precise and careful—and sings withal.” —Raymond Carver, Washington Post Book World
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherGrove Press
- Publication dateDecember 20, 2013
- File size3087 KB
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From the Publisher
Customer Reviews |
4.8 out of 5 stars
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Price | $14.70$14.70 | $11.99$11.99 | $16.26$16.26 | $13.87$13.87 | $14.48$14.48 |
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“I can’t begin to do justice to the nuances of character and honest complexities of plot in this work. The writing is precise and careful—and sings withal.” —Raymond Carver, Washington Post Book World
“Jim Harrison stands high among the writers of his generation. This book is rich, alive, and shatteringly visceral. A triumph.” —New Yorker
“Legends of the Fall signaled that Jim Harrison was a writer who had the goods.” —Jane Ciabattari, Los Angeles Times
“An epic in under a hundred pages about twentieth-century western American life.” —Alan Cheuse, NPR
“A shatteringly tragic story . . . Harrison tells it brilliantly.” —National Review
“So much American legend is packed into these brief pages that Jim Harrison must be admired as an almost sacred writer.” —Chicago Sun-Times
“Compelling . . . beyond question the work of a gifted and accomplished writer.” —Washington Post
“Three novellas both poetic and mythic.” —Gary Frank, San Francisco Review of Books
“Fast pace, enormous narrative power . . . Legends of the Fall stays firmly in the unputdownable class.” —Daily Telegraph
About the Author
Product details
- ASIN : B00HEPESCU
- Publisher : Grove Press (December 20, 2013)
- Publication date : December 20, 2013
- Language : English
- File size : 3087 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 234 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: #135,201 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
Jim Harrison (1937 - 2016), one of America's most versatile and celebrated writers, was the author of over thirty books of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction--including Legends of the Fall, the acclaimed trilogy of novellas, and The Shape of the Journey: New and Collected Poems. His books have been translated into two dozen languages, and in 2007 he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters. With a fondness for open space and anonymous thickets, he divided his time between Montana and southern Arizona.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book engaging and enjoyable. They praise the narrative as exquisite, rich in detail, and enjoyable. Readers praise the writing quality as marvelous, impeccable, and talented. The stories are thought-provoking and memorable, satisfying curiosity and enticing more curiosity. The characters are described as interesting, unique, and human. Overall, customers describe the stories as heartbreaking and touching, revealing the fragility of the human spirit.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the book engaging and enjoyable. They describe it as a three-part series of novellas, each set in different time periods. The book holds their interest with its well-crafted words and thought-provoking plot.
"An incredible series of three novellas, Legends of the Fall is a masterpiece of writing about the American male experience...." Read more
"...the unexpected violence* this novella caught my interest and I enjoyed reading it...." Read more
"...two other stories included in this version that I also found well worth the read." Read more
"...Granted, the ending was unique, very human, and well worth the read. &#..." Read more
Customers enjoy the engaging narrative with vivid details of the land. They find the plot and writing compelling, with an epic story about three brothers and their family ranch. The stories feature adventures, love, loyalty, and thought-provoking themes.
"...all the more enjoyable, uncovering little nuggets of verbal and narrative pleasure around every corner...." Read more
"There are three novellas in this book. The first, Revenge, tells of a man having an illicit love affair with the wife of a Mexican drug dealer...." Read more
"...Adventures abound, love is found and lost, loyalties challenged, and the Great War fought, leaving each character's life changed forever...." Read more
"...Character descriptions are excellent and the philosophical discourse throughout is very thought provoking...." Read more
Customers praise the writing quality. They find the sentences impeccable and the narrative rich with vivid details. The author's style is described as lyrical and different from other works. Readers appreciate the thought-provoking opening sentences and narrative style.
"...This was a beautiful book that is well written and well approached, and all seem to have the same themes of modern male frustration under the guise..." Read more
"...It's beautifully written. Harrison is a master storyteller, and I recommend it highly...." Read more
"...These are three tough stories that are just so well written...." Read more
"...but this is certainly just one of the books off the shelf of his best writing." Read more
Customers find the book engaging and memorable. They appreciate the unique charm and the way it keeps their interest. Readers find the theme relevant and incisive, with a great look at the past.
"...This was a beautiful book that is well written and well approached, and all seem to have the same themes of modern male frustration under the guise..." Read more
"...Although this character is interesting and unique, you never see her interior...." Read more
"Takes you away in the most beautiful yet sad way in the life of tragically but noble characters, eras and complexities...." Read more
"...a major literary triumph, but they're far more entertaining and interesting than most of the stuff that more contemporary writers are offering these..." Read more
Customers enjoy the character development. They find the character interesting and unique, though they never see her inner workings. The acting and visual effects are praised. The ending is described as human and well worth reading.
"...Character descriptions are excellent and the philosophical discourse throughout is very thought provoking...." Read more
"...That's fine for particular characters, but imho it weakens Writing, whose project is a portrayal of the human condition...." Read more
"...in the most beautiful yet sad way in the life of tragically but noble characters, eras and complexities...." Read more
"...I found them fascinating in their portrayal not just of the internal workings of their protagonists but of the settings, each quite different, but..." Read more
Customers find the story moving and emotional. They say it's well-crafted and a joy to read. Readers mention the flaws in the human spirit are revealed, making them heroic. The book is described as an expertly crafted and entertaining read.
"...little to tell of happiness — happiness is only itself, placid, emotionally dormant, a state adopted with a light heart but nagging brain . . .”..." Read more
"...The author lets us see the emotional depth of these men and their choices based on their strong personal beliefs...." Read more
"...the novella the collection takes its name from, is the stronger of the three stories, but all are written with incredibly lyrical language and a..." Read more
"...Heart moving and exciting stories!" Read more
Customers praise the author as a talented writer and artist. They describe him as a worthy herald of Hemingway's legacy, a classic literature, and a national treasure.
"...the sex goddess--perfect, worship-worthy, reticent, and mysterious. Also appears in two of three novellas...." Read more
"Tremendous writing, engaging story lines. At times, Hemingway-esque. I was unaware how good a writer Harrison was...." Read more
"...Jim Harrison is so very talented. Quite an author and also quite an artist which I didn't realize until recently. You will enjoy reading Harrison." Read more
"...Jim Harrison is definitely one of America’s greatest authors!" Read more
Customers have different views on the pacing of the book. Some find it well-written and engaging, with nicely developed characters and explanations. Others find it confusing, hard to follow, and lacking in clarity.
"...although Harrison sometimes trips over himself and lapses into incomprehensible musings...." Read more
"...This was a beautiful book that is well written and well approached, and all seem to have the same themes of modern male frustration under the guise..." Read more
"...of stories which is okay I guess except I started reading it and it made no sense...." Read more
"This is a great introduction to the mind of the talented Jim Harrison. Three stories, two of them became feature films that I have seen many times...." Read more
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2015An incredible series of three novellas, Legends of the Fall is a masterpiece of writing about the American male experience. I made my way to this book as it is on my one of my “list of top books” that I am making my way through. I also want to note that I have not seen the film yet.
This was a beautiful book that is well written and well approached, and all seem to have the same themes of modern male frustration under the guise of three distinct stories. While they are all nowhere in scope to my daily experience, I found myself engaged in the romantic elements of the tales while at the same time understanding clearly that this book is not about what it is about, but is about all of us navigating our desires, our violence, and our responsibilities to others in our life.
There were some impeccable sentences in this, many times leading me to gasp, reread, highlight, and share them with someone sitting next to me, and I look forward to revisiting it in the future as well as purchasing a copy of it for several of my friends that I immediately thought about as I read. I immediately thought of Hemingway as I read, as some of the writing rambled in gorgeous jagged directions while having short clauses. The first two pieces spoke to me a great deal more than the final title piece, however the impact of all of them aroused me to analyze my own life and examine myself in the scope of the men within its pages.
I was frankly surprised at the piece, as I did not know what to expect - this made the surprise that I had read a modern masterpiece of creative fiction all the more enjoyable, uncovering little nuggets of verbal and narrative pleasure around every corner. One story is about a man who will do anything to secure his future with a lover that he has absolutely no business with, regardless of the danger involved. The second was a piece about an average man, and navigating a recent divorce as a sexually and socially active human being. The third, about three brothers, war, adventure, and moving on. All three spoke to my experience as an American man, and regardless of the somewhat fantastic turns the pieces take, all reflect the experience as an avatar of the real thing almost perfectly.
This book was an absolute wonder.
- Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2020There are three novellas in this book. The first, Revenge, tells of a man having an illicit love affair with the wife of a Mexican drug dealer. They are caught. He is beaten almost to death and saved by strangers. She is disfigured, then first sent to a whorehouse and later to a nunnery to hide her away. The man searches for her in vain, finally locating her but too late, as she is almost dead from misery. In the end, both this man and the drug dealer lose her to death. She is buried under a tree at the nunnery. Despite the unexpected violence* this novella caught my interest and I enjoyed reading it. The second, The Man Who Gave Up His Name, follows a man of some means who has lived a successful but unsatisfactory life. One summer a few years after a divorce and move to Boston, he spends a month in a summer home with his daughter and through cooking and dance, heals from lost love and begins to look forward to the future. He becomes convinced to move forward he must give up everything and as he moves to do this, he is also pulled into a blackmail scheme which endangers him and his family. He gets out of this, though in doing a man dies at his hand. Giving up everything he is last seen in an out of the way place in Florida cooking for a restaurant and dancing in the evening, content at last with his life. This novella gave me much to think about and I can recommend reading it without reservation. The third and final novella, Legends of the Fall, follows a family in Montana over a generation. The three sons are sent off to war in Europe, the youngest soon returning dead, the oldest injured. The middle son, a wanderer, loses his mind for a while and eventually joins his grandfather who is a sea merchant, learning the trade. As in any saga, there is death and marriage and birth, and in the end, none seem to escape unscathed. There is much more to it than this of course, but I was not particularly thrilled with it and it did not draw me in as the other two did. This, however, is the one apparently made into a movie, which perhaps I will seek out and watch.
*I had never read Jim Harrison before but picked this up at the recommendation of the Andrew Luck Book Club #ALBookClub.
- Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2022I loved the 1994 movie Legends of the Fall, and I thought the casting of Brad Pitt and Aidan Quinn as brothers brilliant, but I had never read Jim Harrison's novella that the film is based upon. I recently picked it up when it was a featured deal on BookBub, and I loved it. It's beautifully written. Harrison is a master storyteller, and I recommend it highly. You'll be swept away to a bygone era and find yourself lost in the complicated relationships of a family that call the rugged landscape of Montana home. Adventures abound, love is found and lost, loyalties challenged, and the Great War fought, leaving each character's life changed forever. There are two other stories included in this version that I also found well worth the read.
- Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2024I recently saw a documentary about Jimmy Buffet and his friends Jim Harrison and Thomas McGuaine. I had read stuff by McGuaine but not Harrison. These are three tough stories that are just so well written. Character descriptions are excellent and the philosophical discourse throughout is very thought provoking. May re-read them again just to see what I missed.
- Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2024Jim Harrison, man! If you like his writing you’ll like most of it. Different people will have different favorites, but this is certainly just one of the books off the shelf of his best writing.
Top reviews from other countries
- Amazon CustomerReviewed in Canada on January 15, 2025
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant work
The movie was garbage in comparison.
- Mr Gareth John CraddockReviewed in the United Kingdom on July 16, 2022
5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't put down
Super entertaining. If you haven't read anything for a while, or are finding it hard to pick up a book, then hit these...
- niklaas van poortvlietReviewed in Germany on October 17, 2021
5.0 out of 5 stars it's a wonderful experience reading anything by old Jim!
Reading Jim Harrison, for me, is like hiking up a mountain, at first you may be tired, you may stumble, you may think the destination is out of sight, but once you find your rhythm, it flows, you're muscles loosen, you fell the nature, breath in the fresh air and venture forth with pure joy and enlightenment. Jim's way of writing and his ability to put thoughts onto page are incredible, and the more I read, the higher the mountain is I want to climb.
- Alain LEVEQUEReviewed in France on April 23, 2016
4.0 out of 5 stars A great book.
A great book in every respect and a nice change from the " railway station" literature i have just read (girl on the train) .I think Tim Harrison will be my author "de chevet" for a good while!
- Amazon CustomerReviewed in Australia on May 4, 2016
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
So much better than the movie!