Legends of the Fall

Rating:
Summary: Good Book, Better Movie
Review: Face it people, the film is and always will be better than the book. With that said, let me say that this is truly a masterfully written and well thought out novel. It takes you deep into the heart of man ... his pros and his cons. 4/5

Rating:
Summary: Raw and Magnetic!
Review: I read the few novellas contained in this book after having seen the epic movie LEGENDS OF THE FALL. In fact, I read it because of the movie. I should now recommend - although historically I do not - reading the (relatively) short book before viewing the movie. I am not knocking the movie by any means - but this book was a most excellent read! It hit the core of human passion - the darkness and light of it - with a raw and eloquent energy as I'd never even sought before!

There are two other novellas in the book - and one of them, REVENGE, has also been portrayed on the screen! Jim Harrison writes with as masculine, rough, and relentless a style as any writer I've ever read. I recommend this book of novellas wholeheartedly - it gives the core of emotion wrought from the human path without any need for the melodramatic twists contrived from Hollywood.

This work of writing makes no apologies. And ah - so boldly and truthfully its vision proclaims - it does not need to!

Rating:
Summary: Five stars for Mr. Harrison(not Pitt)
Review: I read this book years before the movie back in 1980. It's is a raw and rough but the point is the thread of humanity runs deep and in unexpected ways. You live your life and make your decisions in your own way, looking for trouble or not; you can never be sure what you might find. You don't however expect to find skinny, pink lipped, pain in the rear Brad Pitt. What absurd casting in an otherwise fine film. This is about as bad as Rock Hudson in "Farewell to Arms"! The casting for Legends should have found someone who could have actually seemed troubled by the unexpected and tragic events of life. Mr. Pitt gazing off unfocused may be wondering if his car will be properly washed at the end of the days shooting. A much better pick for the character would have been Steve McQueen but unfortunatly he was dead at the time. Avoid the casting problem and read the book.

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic!
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed all three novellas, particularly the Man Who Gave up His Name. Jim Harrison's writing through out this book is fantastic and very original. I highly recommend this book. It should be noted that this book is NOT the movie, and attempts to compare or critique the book by comparison with the movie is pointless. The movie was based on only one of the stories, and only bits of the story for that matter.

Rating:
Summary: Better the second time around
Review: Initially upon reading Harrison's novella, I was disappointed since I wanted so much for it to completely parallel the movie. However, after picking up the story for a second time, my opinions have altered. I found Harrison's straightforward writing to be completely appropriate and rather distinctive. I discovered new depth to several characters who were slighted in the movie. The read was enjoyable and the story is so very memorable.

Rating:
Summary: Legends of the Fall
Review: Jim Harrison's, Legends of the Fall retains morose and depressive ideals, depicting human nature in all of its negative aspects. The setup of the novel is nothing like the film's sequence in that, the movie only shows a portion of the third and last novella, which also shares the title of the book. There are two additional novellas enveloped in the novel itself, "Revenge" and "The Man who gave Up His Name." All of the novellas relate to the common theme that once a human commits a wrongdoing they head down a long decline of morals, this theme also manifests the title. Harrison repeatedly refers to love as being wonderful and sustaining, but that it creates many more problems. Due to specific tendencies of the book, it is not recommended for everyone.

To read these novellas, the reader needs plenty of patience and a dictionary nearby, because Harrison tends to use a higher logic than a casual read. He drags sentences out into long descriptive paragraphs that sometimes go on for pages and has an extensive vocabulary. Although the paragraphs are lengthened by the author's superfluous description, the words are utilized so the descriptions create vivid images of characters and settings in the reader's imagination. This novel would also not be recommended for optimistic readers because the novel's nature would make reading and comprehending even more difficult. Younger, immature readers are also advised to avoid this novel for sexual references and casual drug use. Regarding the fact that there are some good points throughout the novellas, there is absolutely no humor or extended periods of joy in the lives of the characters. If you are prepared for an emotional depressant and have a large amount of time on your hands, this is the book for you.

Rating:
Summary: Good Story, interesting style
Review: Like most of the people I know who read this book, I picked it up after seeing the movie. While I enjoyed both in their own right, they are so different that going from one to the other adds nothing to either.

While the movie's most notable qualities are a breath of story and an epic scope, the book is beautiful for its economy of words and distant style. Written in the third person, as opposed to the film's heavy handed first person, the perspective is all knowing, yet reveals few details. The author brings the characters to life to some degree, but what is amazing is that they are interesting given their one dimensionality. The story, short as it is, contains much less of the deep intertwined relations of the movie, but I believe that makes it much improved over the screen version.

While everyone focuses on the title story, the other two that are included are also enjoyable. As a read, each of the stories is quite quick and complete. If you are taking a trip in several staggered stints, this is a good book to take along and pass the time.

Rating:
Summary: Good Story, interesting style
Review: Like most of the people I know who read this book, I picked it up after seeing the movie. While I enjoyed both in their own right, they are so different that going from one to the other adds nothing to either.

While the movie's most notable qualities are a breath of story and an epic scope, the book is beautiful for its economy of words and distant style. Written in the third person, as opposed to the film's heavy handed first person, the perspective is all knowing, yet reveals few details. The author brings the characters to life to some degree, but what is amazing is that they are interesting given their one dimensionality. The story, short as it is, contains much less of the deep intertwined relations of the movie, but I believe that makes it much improved over the screen version.

While everyone focuses on the title story, the other two that are included are also enjoyable. As a read, each of the stories is quite quick and complete. If you are taking a trip in several staggered stints, this is a good book to take along and pass the time.

Rating:
Summary: Found the Book Disappointing!
Review: Sorry, but I liked the movie much better than the book. I like for my "women" characters to be as clearly defined as the men, and I like a sensitivity in understanding of women that Larry McMurtry has shown in his work. I consider Larry McMurtry, as a male author, to have an uncanny insight into the nature of women.
This is an okay story, although gloomy. Perhaps male readers will be more appreciative. There are poetic narrative moments, but not enough to compensate.
Evelyn Horan - teacher/counselor/author
Jeannie, A Texas Frontier Girl Books One - Three

Rating:
Summary: Interesting book
Review: The book is interesting in that two of the three novellas in it have been made into movies, Revenge, and Legends of the Fall.

I'll go on record saying that although I enjoyed the movie, I thought the book was better, although it's not really that long a book. Still, even in a work this short, there are depths that can't really be explored in a 2-hour movie, so if you liked the movie, I would strongly recommend you read the book.

Harrison has a direct but poetic style, and his male characters are well-drawn and believable. The women don't have much of a role in his books, but I don't mind that really. Harrison is a writer about old-fashioned masculine virtues and ideals of the sort that perhaps don't exist in our society anymore. But if you want equally well-developed women characters, you'll need to look elsewhere.