Jim Harrison dead: 'Legends of the Fall' author dies aged 78

His work has been compared to that of William Faulkner and Ernest Hemingway

Author Jim Harrison in interview (YouTube )

Jim Harrison, the author of Legends of the Fall, has died aged 78, his publisher has confirmed.

The American writer, born in 1937, was known for his poetry, fiction, reviews, essays about the outdoors, and food writing.

A spokeswoman from Harrison's publisher, Grove Atlantic, revealed the author had died at his home in Patagonia, Arizona on Saturday.

The cause of death remains unknown.

Harrison completed more than 30 book over his lifetime and his work has been compared to that of William Faulkner and Ernest Hemingway.

His historical saga Legends of the Fall, originally published in 1979, was adapted into an Academy Award nominated film staring Brad Pitt and Anthony Hopkins.

He was a keen hunter and fisherman who often spent time in a cabin he owned near his hometown of Michigan.

Harrison was also a Hollywood scriptwriter who was close friends with Jack Nicholson, Sir Sean Connery and Warren Beatty, among others.

Additional reporting by Associated Press