Category: Stu’s Reviews

Genre: Novel

Grade: A
Notable People: Jim Harrison
Title: Brown Dog

Review –OK- I am a serial reader…can’t stay away from the writers I like and as I’ve said before, I believe jim Harrison to be our greatest American living writer. He happens to also be the absolute master of the novella form- a disappearing art. Harrison at one time was viewed as the second coming of Hemingway with his folksy, macho, great north woods, man against nature style…but he softened considerably over the years and has written a series of novels from the first person feminine- which really blew away his critics. Twenty year ago- he introduced the world to Brown Dog (BD)- a some % Ashkinabe Indian in Michigan’s UP- who is a man living by wits alone. Some see him as a n’er do well, others a modern version of Huck Finn. Some may be put off by his sexual encounters (he describes his lack of concentration and getting trouble as a “pussy trance”)- but he is quite lovable and in his own way, quite the pure American philosopher. So after 20 plus years- Harrison has assembled all his BD novellas into one chronological book offering and updated it with a new one. These are fascinating in that they are sequential- but each one also can stand alone- as he recaps all the previous works subtly in each one. I laughed, I cried, I decided to move to the UP and have my own trance. Love this stuff.

Genre: Novel

Grade: B (but a good B)
Notable People: Sandra Brown
Title: Unspeakable

Review –full disclosure- this is somewhat of a trashy read. When I travel- I get tired of lugging big hardcovers- so I recently went searching in our inherited library for books our benefactress, Karen, left behind. Well- she had interesting taste. This is a mystery novel that takes place in south Texas and is kind of formulaic- but quite entertaining nonetheless. I can’t say it is very well written- but it sure kept my attention. So- it has a deaf femme fatale character, a Marlboro man with unclear motives, an eighty- year old sheriff who is being forced to retire before he is able to resolve his issues with a thirty year old murder, two of the most sociopathic brothers to grace the written page, an insatiable slut, and a massive halfwit killer who is only deterred from torturing people by available popsicles…what’s not to like? It builds to a massive climax (not one you would have a smoke after) that is reminiscent of the end of a John Wayne movie. So it’s all in all not too great- but I really liked it. Take it to the beach and lie in a chaise lounge…you’ll love the deaf woman.

Genre: Novel

Grade: A-
Notable People: Ivan Doig
Title: The Sea Runners

Review –I’ve really enjoyed Doig’s work over the last year. This one is a departure from his usual Montana frontier stories. Takes place in mid-19th century Alaska- called New Archangel, which is true and it was a Russian Territory at the time (Sitka area). I guess Sara Palin was right after all and the Commies did walk across the Bering strait. At the time, it was common practice for the Russians to take indentured servants from Sweden for 7-10 years and make them slaves there more or less. This is the story of four Swedes escape adventure and small canoe paddle down the wild Pacific coast all the way to the freedom of Astoria Oregon. Exceptionally well written in a Hemmingway- Melville- esque man against nature style. Short book- fascinating read.