A Good Day to Die

By Jim Harrison

Book Overview

"Mr. Harrison's perceptions are jagged and cutting . . . a remarkably well-plotted story."--Christopher Lehmann-Haupt, The New York Times

The New York Times bestselling author of thirty-nine books of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry--including Legends of the Fall, Dalva, and Returning to Earth--Jim Harrison was one of our most beloved and acclaimed writers, adored by both readers and critics. His novel A Good Day to Die centers on an unlikely trio: a poet with a tendency to lapse into beatific reveries of superb fishing in cold, fast streams; a Vietnam vet consumed by uppers, downers, and violence; and a girl who loved only one of them--at first. With plans conceived during the madness of one long drunken night, the three of them leave Florida, driving west to buy a case of dynamite, determined to save the Grand Canyon from a dam they believe is about to be built. A Good Day to Die is an unrelenting tour de force, and a dark exploration of what it means to live beyond the pale in contemporary America. Returning Harrison fans will be ecstatic to find this in print once again, and for new readers, this work serves as the perfect introduction to Harrison's remarkable insight, storytelling, and evocation of the natural world.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0802128882
• ISBN13: 9780802128881
• Release Date: March 2019
• Publisher: Grove Press
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.4" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Love and death in the West

This is Jim Harrison's second novel, and a big improvement over his first (WOLF). The narrator, a drifter still married after six years but no longer living with his wife, encounters Tim (a Vietnam vet with a mean streak and strung out on drugs and booze most of the time) and his girlfriend Sylvia. The narrator becomes obsessed with Sylvia, though she keeps him at a distance out of mixed up loyalty to Tim (though he doesn't love or want her anymore, and she knows it). They concoct a plan to blow up a dam in the West, and the novel traces their actions in fulfilling this plan while contrasting the unrequited love interest the narrator has for Sylvia. Both plans are basically a disaster (Tim blows himself up along with the dam), and that's the irony in the story. Harrison makes these not very appealing characters interesting and worth watching as they proceed down their self-made road of doom. (That's where he failed in his first novel.) The narrative moves along to its conclusion powerfully, and we get swept up in it effortlessly. Harrison has great narrative skill; portraying these particular self-destructive anti-heroes locks the book into a specific time frame, however, that I hope he breaks out of in the future.

The book that ruined my life

This is an incredible book that drove me into a writing career. Jim Harrison has the rare ability to write about people, not heroes or monsters. You leave this book feeling the story may be exaggerated, but that these people were real. Stumbling upon this book in high school opened my eyes to the joys of character-driven stories. It's a bad road trip, but one you'll be glad you took.

A great introduction to Harrison.

If you have never read Harrison, this is a great place to start. An entertaining read and fine introduction to the humor, wit, and insight of one of our most engaging authors. You'll hear Harrison's voice for weeks after finishing this book. And you'll want to read more.