Legends of the Fall is the story of three brothers, the sons of Colonel William Ludlow. It is set in the rugged, barely settled days in Montana, very early 20th Century. Col. Ludlow is disgusted by the government’s misguided attempts to manage Native Americans. He resigns his commission and retreats to Montana to raise his boys to be strong, independent men like himself. The novel opens as the boys, Alfred the oldest, Tristan, and Samuel, the youngest, set off for Canada to enlist and fight the Germans. The U.S. was not yet in the war.
Alfred and Samuel quickly become officers, but Tristan, not one to follow orders, remains enlisted. He seems to be there to watch over Samuel more than anything. When Samuel is killed in a mustard-gas attack, Tristan goes mad, cutting out Samuel’s heart to send home for burial, and scalping several Germans. Most of the novella is Tristan’s reckless attempt to make sense of it.
And there was the unspoken, unthought, unrehearsed sense that time and distance would reveal to him why Samuel died.
I wanted to like this, but I didn’t. Tristan is the hero. He’s the daring and fearless rogue men want to be, and the dangerous swashbuckler women love. But in truth, he’s a lecher and criminal. He kills numerous men in cold blood, sleeps with his dead brother's former fiancé, and later sleeps with her again when she is married to his older brother.
Hero?
But the writing is vivid and poignant, and the characters are complex and believable. Tristan is undoubtedly a tortured soul, and he loved his brother fiercely. I also liked Harrison’s portrayal of Native Americans, particularly One Stab, Tristan’s Cree companion and mentor.
My rating: 3 ½ out of 5 stars
I read this for the What’s in a Name Challenge 2022, “Season” category.
The title: I speculate that it refers to “the fall” or Adam’s original sin. These characters, not just Tristan, are indeed the children of Adam’s fallen race. Some interpret it differently. In some foreign printings, “fall” is rendered as the equivalent of Autumn.
Film: In some ways, the 1994 film is better than the book, and in others, much worse. The casting/acting is superb, with Brad Pitt as Tristan and Anthony Hopkins as his father. The scenery is majestic, I assume it was filmed in Montana, and the soundtrack is beautiful. But, the romantic idolizing of Tristan is even worse in the film. The book ends a little anti-climactically, while the movie devises a new ending that I thought was much better.
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Good job on the classics you have been reading recently.
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I have yet to read a book by Harrison, even though he was often mentioned by a French TV literary program I often watch. In fact, the previous host recently did a documentary on him. He is his favorite American author.
Have you read and liked other books by him?
This is the only work by Harrison I've read. I didn't hate it, so I'll give him another try.
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