Brown Dog: Novellas

Authentic, raw, funny at times but always full of humanity, Jim Harrison acquired a life-long fan with my reading of the first Brown Dog novella. The title character is one of my all-time favorite fictional people (friends in Grand Marais, near where Harrison wrote in a little cabin in the woods of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, say while he is a composite character, he is largely based off a local who frequented the Dunes Saloon where Harrison's legendary drinking, storytelling, and other activities often loomed as large as his fiction. One by one I consumed the pages of all his books like a wildfire burning from cover to cover. I was ecstatic when a new Brown Dog story would emerge. I don't think I've ever been more excited about a book coming out than when he assimilated all the previous "chapters" in a single volume and then culminated it with a final story to finish the saga. The phrase "a man's man", could equally and justly be applied to Jim Harrison and his protagonist. He has left us a legacy of rare, wonderful, and truly great American literature.

Jim Harrison’s “Brown Dog” is a collection of his six novellas about the title character. I have read all the preceding stories about Brown Dog, and save one, enjoyed them thoroughly. Having all novellas together in chronological order is a convenience for fans of Harrison’s Brown Dog, and the opportunity for those who have not yet been introduced to Harrison to have all said novellas beneath one roof.Enjoying Jim Harrison, metaphorically, is like enjoying a glass of good whiskey. Not everyone enjoys whiskey, nor will everyone enjoy Harrison’s style. Brown Dog may not be the most “enlightened” character one will ever read about, but in his simplistic life, one can only go along for the roller coaster ride of the seeming calamity that appears to encompass his very being. Brown Dog lives to fish, drink, and chase women, but if one reads between the lines, his life is not one obsessed with fishing, drinking and womanizing. Something else much deeper materializes and Harrison makes this available to the reader through his prose. Other than Tom McGuane, I have not found an author in their league, with the knack for taking me from my world, and putting me within the parameters of their story, and in the world of their characters.The last novella ties the loose ends of Brown Dog’s life together. As a collection, the world of Brown Dog is filled with ribaldry, tragic-comic characters, and a propensity for getting himself into situations that might prove to be a train wreck for most folks. Yet, within the simplicity of where Brown Dog finds contentedness in life allows him to come out on top, even though it seems he takes two steps backward for every step forward. Not for everyone’s taste, but for those who relish Harrison’s style, and the of-the-earth characters whom he creates, a rich and compelling collection of stories to be savored.

The first three Brown Dog stories were fun and truly unique, and BD a likable and underestimated protagonist. The stories that followed "Westward Ho" just get more and more meaningless and repetitive, until the last, which was actually painful for me to read.

If only he were still alive (died in 2016) so I could contact him to let him know how magnificent his stories are. I only found this author after I saw the ending credits of the movie "Legends of the Fall", which he wrote. Jim Harrison was a prolific author and very interested in the rights of Native Americans, of which I am one. Ojibwa tribe. Get to know this author and you will be hooked.

This book really pulls you in and keeps you wanting more. Harrison's insights and anecdotes are brought to life through BD.. his is a world where the important things are brought to the forefront. Family, nature, love (in all of its forms) and food

To be a good writer, you must entertain. In the case of this book, which is a collection of his novellas, it certainly fits the bill. I can burn through a book in a day, but there are some to be read at a more leisurely pace. This is one, like Hanta Yo, or Bless me, Ultima, this should be read slowly so as to digest the material. It is the single most hilarious book I have ever read. James Crumley comes to mind, this is a man's book, and I'm sure I will re-read it again before summers' over.

Brown Dog is a great character of American literature and I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed a long drive as much as I did listening to this expert narration. Pace is excellent, pauses for comic or dramatic delivery are perfect ... it’s a luxury being in the hands of such professionals.

Brown Dog’s narrative voice is what kept me turning the pages. I love his character. Some people would label him passive aggressive but he knows who he is and makes choices that he can live with later - rather than what someone else may think is the “right” choice.

Love these stories. Only one new one here which I assume was intended to go into the river swimmer which ended up being a collection of two stories rather than his usual 3. Harrison is one of the best writers in the US now, a master of language. Good to have these stories grouped together. There is a melancholic humour to these stories which draw you in.

My husband discovered Jim Harrison's writing during lockdown - and now I'm on a mission to collect his entire works.

But not dissimilar, as pleasures go, to Winnie the Pooh. Odd as that may sound when you read the blurb. Got me through lockdown. Wish there were more.

A wonderful collection of novellas. Even if you have read the individual stories in collections over the years it was a joy to read them all together. There is also a new BD novella printed for the first time in this collection. It is worth the price of the book for that story alone.

thank you