Synopsis
For the first time, the author of such classics as "Legends of the Fall" has put pen to paper to write about his own life--a life that is the root of his wonderful fiction, and which he captures with a riveting directness and a delightful, peculiar music.
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Review
Rarely does one encounter a memoir so filled with the details of a life lived. Loosely divided into chapters, Off to the Side is somewhat rambling: whether recalling bits of his past as a depressed child, manual labourer, Hollywood screenwriter, aspiring poet, novelist, or alcoholic husband, Jim Harrison pauses to analyse these moments--the cause and effect--and the choices that have made him who he is.
Harrison's opinions and conclusions occasionally remain obscure ("nearly everything you hear about Mexicans in the great north is utterly untrue")--but, to the benefit of readers, Harrison is never at a loss for ideas.
The solace Harrison finds in the natural world is most compelling, and it could be said he, too, shares Frost's "lover's quarrel with the world." After losing an eye at an early age and sinking into melancholy, Harrison's father advised that "curiosity will get you through hard times when nothing else will. Your curiosity had to be strong enough to lift you out of your self-sunken mud bath, the violent mixture of hormones, injuries, melancholy, and dreams of a future you not only couldn't touch but could scarcely see." These words were not lost on Harrison. With "no expertise outside of [his] own imagination" Harrison plays to his strengths in Off to the Side by setting down the events, experiences, thoughts and feelings that have shaped his very literate, very American life. --Michael Ferch, Amazon.com
Review
"This fine memoir is a worthy capstone to a fascinating career."
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Off to the Side : A Memoir
Seller: Better World Books, Mishawaka, IN, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Very Good. Former library copy. Pages intact with possible writing/highlighting. Binding strong with minor wear. Dust jackets/supplements may not be included. Includes library markings. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good. Seller Inventory # 50092572-6