A Really Big Lunch

By: Jim Harrison, Mario Batali - introduction

Narrated by: Joe Barrett

Jim Harrison's legendary gourmandise is on full display in A Really Big Lunch. From the titular New Yorker piece about a French lunch that went to 37 courses to pieces from Brick, Playboy, Kermit Lynch's newsletter, and others; from the relationship between hunter and prey to the obscure language of wine reviews, A Really Big Lunch is shot through with Harrison's pointed aperçus 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.

©2017 Jim Harrison (P)2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Only to be savored with a bottle of Fine Wine

A fun and amazing compilation of Memorable Recipes complemented with Nuggets of Wisdom by one of my favorite Poets and Storytellers.

While the raspy narration may have approximated Harrison’s own tone and attitude I found it grating particularly during the reading of Lists of favorite chefs and recipe ingredients.

Four Stars for the Wisdom,
Three for the Narration.
****/***

Thank you Jim Harrison . . . RIP . . .

What a wonderful collection of marvelous essays about so much more than food - about life, living, mortality, sensuality, satisfaction and much more, all described with humor - to be published so soon after this great American writer's passing. The Reader's voice and manner of reading Jim Harrison's words very much resulted in a mental image of Jim Harrison, himself, reading his own words.

If you love Jim's books on food.

I'm a fan of Jim Harrison's food books and this one doesn't disappoint. I simply love his take on food, while I would never be able to eat the way he describes himself as eating, I am anamored by his lust and zeal for life and food. I also enjoy his sense of underlying humor. He subtle and if you aren't paying attention you can miss it. The audio is also fantastic. The narration is so close to Jim's voice, it's almost like having him read it to you.

Nice

Would you consider the audio edition of A Really Big Lunch to be better than the print version?

Awesome book, expressions are really good

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

Awesome book, expressions are really good

What does Joe Barrett bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Awesome book, expressions are really good

What’s the most interesting tidbit you’ve picked up from this book?

Awesome book, expressions are really good

Any additional comments?

Awesome book, expressions are really good

Well written, easy listen

This is a collection of articles where Harrison recaps the meals he's had. It's akin to a sports writer covering the games. You probably don't need to read them -- they're not that important -- but if you do, you'll find them entertaining. There are only so many ways one can write about food, so it's impossible for him not to repeat himself now and again. I'm not sure how many times he tells us he's buddies with Mario Batali. (By the way, Batali, who wrote the introduction, is a surprisingly good writer.) Harrison seems to have an encyclopedic knowledge of food and wine, so if you're in the food industry, this is probably a must listen. The narrator imitates Harrison's gravelly voice and while it's good, I don't think it was necessary.

A lot of fun

If you enjoy food, wine, great story-telling, and (to borrow a phrase from the author) “living vividly”, you will enjoy this book. I certainly did.

Brutal to get through-It was our book club choice

It is practically unfathomable that this author wrote the novella “Legends of the Fall” an notable piece of writing and a poet great movie. This book is like watching someone slowly kill themselves. Don’t waste you money or credit. Ahhhhh! My head literally hurts.

Memorable narration

Fun collection of food journalism that is an ode to gluttony. Definitely over the top, and a good reminder how shallow gluttony can be. The voice of the narrator is even more in character than Harrison’s own voice (as seen on Bourdain’s No Reservations, season 5). Astounding that this guy managed to write a bunch of serious novels and poetry while also drinking so much (though I haven’t read any of those).

Meh.

Would you listen to A Really Big Lunch again? Why?

No. I quit halfway. It turned into a chore to listen; it got boring. I officially lost interest when he listed the French wines they drank. This went on for several minutes.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Nope. The story reminded me of Grandpa Simpson, who would weave in and out of anecdotes without segues. This was folksy and cute for a while, but it grew tiresome.

Any additional comments?

The narrator sounded like Wilford Brimley. On one level, this works because that's probably close to what Harrison himself sounded like. However, I am still recoiling over the line, "We talked about sex." Shudder. Not ageism; I would not have retched if Robert Redford had read that line, and he's 148 years old.