Book Review: “Jubilee Hitchhiker,” a Biography of Richard Brautigan

John Leland reviews the new giant biography of Richard Brautigan by William Hjortsberg. “Begun in 1991, it consumed nearly as many years as Brautigan’s literary career and has yielded by rough estimate about twice as many words. Brautigan wrote stories as short as one sentence; Hjortsberg dedicates paragraph after paragraph to the sights he showed Brautigan during a trip to New York.”

Leland concludes that despite its 852 pages and $42.50 price tag, Hjortsberg’s work doesn’t provide the depth of insight Brautigan’s life and writing deserve.