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A Really Big Lunch

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A Really Big Lunch

By: Jim Harrison
Narrated by: Joe Barrett
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New York Times bestselling author Jim Harrison was one of this country’s most beloved writers, a muscular, brilliantly economic stylist with a salty wisdom. He also wrote some of the best essays on food. A Really Big Lunch collects many of his food pieces for the first time—and taps into his larger-than-life appetite with wit and verve.

Jim Harrison’s legendary gourmandise is on full display in this book, from the titular New Yorker piece about a French lunch that went to thirty-seven courses, to pieces from Brick, Playboy, Kermit Lynch Newsletter, and more. A Really Big Lunch is shot through with Harrison’s pointed comments and keen delight in the pleasures of the senses. And, between the lines, the pieces give glimpses of Harrison’s life over the last three decades.

A Really Big Lunch is a literary delight that will satisfy every appetite.

 Food & Wine Gastronomy Social Sciences
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Critic reviews

“Jim Harrison is the Henry Miller of food writing. His passion is infectious.”

(Wall Street Journal)

“A Really Big Lunch…brings him roaring to the page again in all his unapologetic immoderacy, with spicy bon mots and salty language.”

(NPR)

“Harrison’s enthusiastic, funny, and uncompromising views on how to eat, drink, and live well…His writing is bodily, bawdy, sharp.”

(Boston Globe)

“Showcases [Harrison’s] irascible wit and lust for life.”

(Newsday)

“Sage and succulent essays…[with] Harrison’s searing wit and capacious heart.”

(Shelf Awareness (starred review))

“A celebration of eating well and drinking even better as a recipe for the good life.”

(Kirkus Reviews (starred review))

“His gusto sparkles throughout this collection of magazine essays on food.”

(Publishers Weekly)
All stars
Most relevant
Even if you have no idea who Jim was or what else he wrote and are only really interested in food you should read this, it is an absolute delight from page one. Warm, funny, dry and erudite. Just read it.

This book is a gem.

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Apparently, this book has been compiled from articles previously printed in numerous places. This review is written some weeks after completing the audio: Just couldn't put into words how I felt about it. Firstly, until seeing this book freely available to download from the Audible Plus programme, I cannot recall hearing of Jim Harrison. Obviously much admired as a person ('My hero') by Mario Bateli, who wrote an introduction, I found the man seriously underwhelming, unpleasant, self opinionated and, mostly, tedious and unnecessarily crude although there was humour at times.
Could be that the narrator, Joe Barrett, was chosen to give a similar semblance of Jackson's own voice, I don't know, but although his actual performance was good, the result made me dislike the author even more.

At times eloquent and, as previously mentioned, sometimes funny especially in the second half of the book, as well as occasionally intruding a full recipe, the main thing to recommend it is that it is free.

"Everything living ends up as a turd."

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