Genre: Book
Grade: A
Notable People: Jim Harrison
Title: The Ancient Minstrel
Review: Jim Harrison is the undisputed King of the Novella form. From is early efforts with Legends of the Fall through his death a few years ago, he continued to find maybe his greatest strength as a writer in this medium. This volume, written a few years before his death, pretty much sums up all his lifetime writing themes. The first story, set in Montana, is most clearly his own- dealing with his aging and swan song (the ancient minstrel), the second is one of those famous stories, for which he became mush acclaimed, told from a first person woman’s point of view and in the third he brings back one of his infamous UP (Upper Peninsula of northern Michigan) characters- the retired lecherous detective, Sunderson (no first name!) . I absolutely love these stories and have great sorrow that there will be no more. These are perfect for late winters afternoon reading.