By Katie Magee
If you know John Evans, Lemuria’s owner, then you know that he is a huge fan and friend of Jim Harrison. A few months back, John mentioned that he was planning on re-reading Harrison’s stuff. I had not read any, so I asked if I could tag along on his little literary adventure. John obliged and the first leg of our trip was The English Major, a novel Harrison published in 2008. This book is the story of a retired English teacher-turned-farmer, Cliff, whose wife, Vivian, decides she is going to leave him for someone else.
Cliff, having become increasingly disappointed in the names of the states and names of the state birds in the United States, decides this is a perfect time to travel around the entire country and rename both of these things. With him, he carries a puzzle of the fifty states and as he leaves each state he tosses the puzzle piece in a place of his choice.
Somewhere about Montana, Cliff and an old student of his, Marybelle, decide they should meet up. This meeting leads to Marybelle traveling with Cliff for a little while. Marybelle is an extremely estranged woman with an unhealthy obsession with her cellphone and a fictional son that she speaks of as if he is real. Cliff’s trip is supposed to help him figure out his next step in life, figure out what to do with the rest of his time, but Marybelle very much hinders his soul search.
Besides Marybelle, we spend a good but of time with Cliff’s friend AD (Alcoholic Doctor) who he goes on a fishing trip with in Montana. Along the way, we also meet Cliff and Vivian’s son, Robert, who is a big shot in San Francisco. To me, the most interesting visiting characters you get to know are Bert and his girlfriend Sandra. Bert owns a snake farm and Sandra is an ex-meth addict who sometimes shoots coyotes out of the upstairs window.
Cliff, eventually returning back to Michigan where he started his journey, seems to have come to terms with his new life. I so thoroughly enjoyed traveling around the states with Cliff and meeting the various interesting people he has shared his life with. If you are like me and you haven’t read any Harrison, this book is a wonderful introduction to Jim’s world. If you are like John and you have read all the Harrison that is out there…twice, pick up this one for a third time.
Comments are closed.