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A review by lisadee
The English Major by Jim Harrison
4.0
Cliff is 60, and after 38 years of marriage he is divorced, lost his farm which is his livlihood, and identitiy since leaving the teaching profession. Oh, and to add insult his dog has died. Well, from such dire straits there must be only one way to go from there...up. Cliff sets out on a journey both literally and figuratively using a puzzle of the United States to guide him. The story follows him as he rambles along with his thoughts being as random and far reaching as his path.
It's almost as if it is a coming of age novel, but the age is 60 and the events of a lifetime have happened already, and the challenge at this point is to come to grips with how life has turned out.
The best things about the book are 1) the bookish memories of Cliff's life spent appreciating literature,the literary figures he read and taught as a English/history teacher. 2)It is readable and relatable for a wide reading audience. Quotes used in the book such as "Never lose your place in the world" could be taken as sound advice no matter your age.
Without giving anything away; I came away from the book feeling good about the reading it having watched Cliff deal with his life.
It's almost as if it is a coming of age novel, but the age is 60 and the events of a lifetime have happened already, and the challenge at this point is to come to grips with how life has turned out.
The best things about the book are 1) the bookish memories of Cliff's life spent appreciating literature,the literary figures he read and taught as a English/history teacher. 2)It is readable and relatable for a wide reading audience. Quotes used in the book such as "Never lose your place in the world" could be taken as sound advice no matter your age.
Without giving anything away; I came away from the book feeling good about the reading it having watched Cliff deal with his life.