The Ancient Minstrel: Novellas

Description

"Among the most indelible American novelists of the last hundred years . . . [Harrison] remains at the height of his powers." -Dwight Garner, The New York Times on The River Swimmer New York Times bestselling author Jim Harrison is one of our most beloved and acclaimed writers, adored by both readers and critics. In The Ancient Minstrel, Harrison delivers three novellas that highlight his 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 spars with his estranged wife, with whom he still shares a home, weathers the slings and arrows of literary success, and tries to cope with the sow he buys on a whim and the unplanned litter of piglets that follow soon after. In Eggs, a Montana woman reminisces about staying in London with her grandparents, and collecting eggs at their country house. Years later, having never had a child, she attempts to do so. And in The Case of the Howling Buddhas, retired Detective Sunderson-a recurring character from Harrison's New York Times bestseller The Great Leader and The Big Seven-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, incisive, and endlessly entertaining, with moments of both profound wisdom and sublime humor, The Ancient Minstrel is an exceptional reminder of why Jim Harrison is one of the most cherished and important writers at work today.

Jim Harrison is the author of thirty-seven previous books of poetry, nonfiction, and fiction, including Legends of the Fall, The Road Home, Returning to Earth, and The English Major. A member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and winner of a Guggenheim Fellowship, he has had work published in twenty-seven languages. Harrison lives in Montana and Arizona.

Praise for The Ancient Minstrel: A National Bestseller An Amazon Best Book of the Month/Literature & Fiction "No one writes more persuasively about the natural world, the ways of animals both wild and domestic, rural roughneck mores, hunting and fishing ... A writer still independent, fierce and feral. The wisdom of age hasn't harmed him a bit."--David Gates, The New York Times Book Review "His tales possess the hypnotic grace and momentum of a long-distance, freestyle swimmer, pages cleaving away like armstrokes ... At the heart of all beats the essential Jim Harrison: big lives and full fare, start to finish; and at the book's conclusion one hates to see that end."--Rick Bass, Boston Globe "A fine story. All three of these novellas traverse Harrison's familiar turf: the human relation to nature, how we live in it and consume it, how we believe we can rise above our natural urges and how often that makes us fools, and how nature's mortal effects on humans always win in the end."--Colette Bancroft, Tampa Bay Times "Harrison, who proved himself master of the novella with works like Legends of the Fall, serves up a trio full of his trademark humor and insight."--Paul S. Makishima, Boston Globe ("23 of the most anticipated books of 2016") "Jim Harrison's novellas are always on point ... Written with the skill and tradition of one of the Midwest's best. The man is legend."--Book Riot ("Our Most Anticipated Reads of 2016") "Jim Harrison's prose is gorgeous, illuminating. The simple language slides into your head but resonates there because of its subtle and efficient arrangement ... Some of his grand, sweeping sentences, in the style of Chekhov or Flaubert, contain entire stories."--The Arts Fuse "Contagious vitality ... Celebratory and compassionate explorations of the pleasures and pains that come with being alive on this rich earth ... [Harrison] was the real healer, able to transmit his mind's singularly heartening perception of the world through the medium of his poetry and prose."--The Millions "An ascended master of the form returns to the novella ... [Harrison] writes with his customary rough grace and bodhisattva wisdom, whether comically treating sexual improprieties or reflecting deeply on the meaning of life ... Grand entertainments all and a pleasure."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "Harrison at his best ... Beautiful ... Harrison ... clearly retained use of his lyrical powers until the very end ... The quality of work he's left us is unassailable."--Missoula Independent "Harrison still has one of the most companionable voices in American letters."--Publishers Weekly "One of our Grand Old Writers, Harrison has a way with novellas ... and these pieces are classic."--Library Journal "A blend of humor (much of it bawdy), sex (ditto) and observations on the human condition that verge on the profound. When reading Mr. Harrison, it's not uncommon to guffaw one minute and go all transcendental the next."--The Washington Times "Full of grace and humor ... A fitting marker for Harrison's lifework."--New West