Dalva (Picador Books) [Import] [Paperback]

Jim Harrison (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Picador; New Ed edition (March 9, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0330307886
• ISBN-13: 978-0330307888
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Richly compelling, 4-1/2 stars, October 7, 2002

By 

Charlotte Vale-Allen (CT USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dalva (Contemporary Classics (Washington Square Press)) (Paperback)

A writer friend recommended Jim Harrison's books to me, Dalva in particular, and I think I must now send my friend a substantial gift.

Dalva is not only a remarkably authentic portrait of a most unique woman (along with her equally unique mother and sister), it is also a book that offers insights into ranching life (Nebraska), the slaughter of the Native American population (the Sioux, in this instance) and a family history that is absolutely fascinating.

The one section (relatively brief) I found not particularly compelling is the one narrated by Michael, the alcoholic professor friend and sometime lover of Dalva who has been given permission to write a chronicle of the Northridge family--incorporating the journals kept by Dalva's great grandfather that begin inside the infamous Andersonville prison. Michael's manic self-indulgence and lack of restraint are, without doubt, faithful to alcoholic behavior but this segment of the book lacks the drive and fascination that are inherent through the rest of the novel. Drunks, even gifted ones, get terribly tedious very quickly.

Altogether this is a sweeping novel that contains not only intriguing personal histories but also offers visions of the land--be it Nebraska or the Dakotas or Arizona--that are so complete as to feel tangible.
Highly recommended.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great character development and consummate plotting, November 12, 1999

By 

Will (Stevens Point, Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dalva (Contemporary Classics (Washington Square Press)) (Paperback)

It's a few months since I read Dalva, but it has stuck with me. This story is romantic & touching with lots of sympathetic characters who grow and change during the book. The way the different timelines are woven together, and the way the core "problem" of the story is slowly & carefully revealed bespeak great skill by the author. I agree with those who say Dalva is not a realistic portrait of a woman. She is in many ways the fantasy ideal of a lot of men: strong, honest, loyal, self-assured, rich, sexually free. I suspect Harrison is in love with her, and for plenty of good reasons. Harrison is one of my favorite authors, and this is the best of his that I've read.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a book i re-read once a year, November 22, 2000

By 

"audiogrrl" (louisville, ky) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dalva (Contemporary Classics (Washington Square Press)) (Paperback)

i just wanted to weigh in against the all-girl gangs of jim harrison haters. this is a lovely, funny, deeply moving novel, and, like some of the other women reviewers who have posted here, i find harrison's female characters (not just dalva) completely believeable and quite admirable. if you enjoy this book, i would heartily recommend your listening to the unabridged audiobook version available from recorded books, inc.