The Beast God Forgot to Invent

A new collection of novellas from the author of Legends of the Fall explores the line between civilization and the "wild men." 65,000 first printing. $75,000 ad/promo. First serial, Men's Journal.

Poet, essayist and novelist Harrison (Dalva, etc.) has long been acclaimed for his portrayal of human appetitesAsexual, artisticAand his descriptions of Michigan's wilderness. In this collection of three witty novellas, he dissects two high-strung, slightly lecherous intellectuals, men who cannot tear themselves away from their books or work, who drink and gourmandize to blunt the sense of waste that taints their silver years. Harrison treats these characters with empathy but, as always, he contrasts them unfavorably to more instinctual, thus happier, men. The title novella, which begins slowly but is the most affecting of the trio, is narrated by Norman Arnz, a wealthy 67-year-old book dealer who lives in a cabin in northern Michigan. Norman's peaceful retirement is disturbed when his friendship with a virile, brain-damaged man exacerbates the feeling that he has lived his life too timidly. Similarly, the protagonist of "I Forgot to Go to Spain" is a 55-year-old pulp biographer who has left behind the romantic ideals of his graduate school days and gone on to earn millions compiling the sort of books that "fairly litter bookstores, newsstands [and] novelty counters at airports." When he recognizes that compulsive work habits have deprived him of his dreams, he hopelessly tries to reignite an old flame (only to find she prefers her gardener). Sandwiched between these two novellas comes "Westward Ho," finally starring a man who is content in his own skin: Brown Dog, an easygoing woodsman who has appeared in two of Harrison's previous tales. This time the Native American from Michigan brings "real emotion" to Hollywood when he maneuvers his way among movie insiders in order to recover a stolen bear rug. Throughout the volume, Harrison's intricate symbolism and scathing observations of urban foibles, his sly humor and vibrant language remind readers that he is one of our most talented chroniclers of the masculine psyche, intellectual or not. (Oct.)
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Like his other fiction, Harrison's fourth volume of novellas takes hold of you through the sweetly intoxicating influence and power of his narrative voices, from which strong characterizations flow. As usual, he blends nature with culture, more often than not folding the latter into the former in subtle ways that show us that no matter how hard we try we just can't divorce ourselves from the big picture. The title novella, set in Michigan, takes the form of a written report to a coroner in which a wealthy 67-year-old man--a cultured and savvy narrator who has vacationed in Michigan's Upper Peninsula since childhood--describes events leading to the drowning of his younger friend, Joe. Joe, himself, had been a successful businessman until a car accident and ensuing brain damage had outwardly "enfeebled" him, though in reality turned him more primal. The narrative is far more than a report, as Joe's actions prompt the narrator to examine his own life and his philosophy toward life. In "Westward Ho," a Native American (from Michigan) tracks a double-dealing friend to L.A. to recover his stolen bearskin, which holds sentimental clan value. Brown Dog's adventures in Lotus Land are helped along by characters who are as jaded, eccentric, and cynical as any you're likely to come across this side of Nathanael West. "I Forgot to Go to Spain" is a return to the first-person narrator, which Harrison employs so well. This time the protagonist is a middle-aged writer of knockoff biographies that have made him a lot of money but also sidetracked him from literature--and a trip to an idealized Spain that he had dreamed of since college. It's familiar theme is rescued by a glib narrator unafraid to reveal the contradictions and errors of his thinking, and whose leap into the past (reminiscences and a reunion with an ex-wife) clears a bold path for his future. The novella has reemerged over the past few years, and these tales prove that Jim Harrison is a master of the genre. Frank Caso
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In much of his work, Harrison (Legends of the Fall, Farmer) mines the territory of masculinity, showing how his heroes either thrive because of it or succumb to it. The three novellas that make up this book are no different, only updated to transplant his world-weary men from their usual countrified digs to the big city. In "Westward Ho," a Michigan Indian tracks his stolen bearskin to Los Angeles, where he not only finds the thief but also prostitutes, crazy Hollywood types, and expensive bottled waters. (A nod is given to author Sherman Alexie.) In "I Forgot To Go to Spain," a disenchanted biographer jumpstarts his life after a reunion with his first wife (of nine days) is less than heartening. Such brief descriptions cannot convey the leisurely pace of these tales, which seem determined to embody the aimlessness of their protagonists. In fact, the title story, about a clan trying to rein in their impulsive, brain-damaged friend, meanders too much for its own good. Even so, Harrison fans will appreciate the effort, and new readers might find this lighter, less solemn work a good introduction to Harrison's writing. For larger libraries.
-DMarc Kloszewski, Indiana Free Lib., PA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.