Wolf False Memoir

I had always head good things about Jim Harrison's writing and thought that it would be a good time to read something by him since he recently died. I was wondering where to start, Legends of the Fall seemed to obvious. Then I came across this article by a NY Times book critic I respect, Dwight Gardner. He lists the following as his personal favorites: "Wolf" (1971), “A Good Day to Die” (1973), “Farmer” (1976) and “Warlock” (1981). I decided I would start with the earliest on the list and if I liked it I would read the others in order. And when I saw that the quote preceding the text was from Julio Cortazar's Hopscotch, I figured I was in good hands-and I was. It is an atypical novel in that there is very little plot. The narrator is camping in the forests of Michigan hoping to come across the illusive wolf while he re-lives the last decade or so of his life which includes flashbacks to the locations of his wanderings such as Boston, the West, New York City, before coming Home. There is no theme or method to his wanderings, dissipation (drinking and smoking pot), meetings with various people as well as his interactions with women. Strangely it reminded me of the novels (despite the Henry Miller-like randiness of macho affectation throughout) of Renata Adler, which are also atypical novels with musing about modern life. Both are almost aphoristic in their musings as well. Needless to say, I expect this is the first of many Harrison novels that I will read.