The River Swimmer

November 19, 2012
The two novellas that constitute Harrison’s fine new collection are, as usual, quite different in scope and content. “The Land of Unlikeness” features Clive, 60 and divorced for two decades (“the starkest rupture in his life”), taking advantage of a forced three-month leave from his professorship at an Ivy League college in New York to care for his octogenarian mother, now watching birds on the family farm in northern Michigan. His younger sister, Margaret, who is embarking on a month-long European vacation, informs Clive that his old high school flame Laurette is back in town. Clive reflects on his rift with his alienated daughter, Sabrina, while he rekindles his artist’s ambitions despite his thwarted early career as a painter. As Clive relates his rustic origins through frequent, wistful reminisces, he has a “crotch painting experience” with Laurette, who remains the “overwhelming love of his life.” Margaret’s return home from Europe coincides with Sabrina’s visit for a friendly family reunion. The short title novella, a tall tale set in northern Michigan, finds 17-year-old Thad Love, a swimming prodigy, after getting injured in a fight with his girlfriend’s father, improbably swimming over 100 miles to Chicago, where he meets a new girl who takes him to France, where Thad is more seriously injured swimming the Loire river. Harrison’s (Legends of the Fall) novellas are each striking in their own ways, rich and satisfying.

April 15, 2013

In each of these two novellas, a man endeavors to find his way in life when the path seems unclear. "The Land of Unlikeness" tells the story of a 60-year-old failed artist who still can't seem to find himself a position as a college art history instructor. Only when he returns home to visit and care for his elderly mother does he begin to rekindle the joy he used to feel when painting. In "Water Baby," a farm boy is inexplicably drawn to the water. Following an abusive act directed at him, he swims across Lake Michigan to Chicago; returning home after another tragic accident, he is once again drawn into the river to follow the magical creatures he sees there. Traber Burns narrates these tales in a pleasant, unobtrusive manner that suits Harrison's lyrical and compelling writing. VERDICT Harrison's fans will find this a captivating listening experience, and those unfamiliar with his writings but who enjoy well-written novellas will also be pleased with this audiobook.--Gloria Maxwell, Metropolitan Community Coll., Kansas City, MO

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