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- Sackett Companion: A Personal Guide to the Sackett Novels
- Great Companion Add
- The Sackett Companion - Everything I wanted to know
- Decide which to read, first.
- A must have for any Western lover.
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The Sackett Companion
Louis L'Amour
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0553371029
Release Date: 1992-11-01 |
Book Description
Little did Louis L'Amour realize back in 1960 when he published The Daybreakers, a novel about two brothers who came west after the Civil War, that he had begun creating what would become perhaps North America's most widely followed literary family: the Sacketts. The stories of ten generations of Sackett men and women as they forged westward from tyranny-wracked seventeenth-century England across the American continent have captivated readers for three decades through seventeen novels with nearly forty millions copies in print. The traditions and adventures of this family of rugged individualists who stand indomitably united when any Sackett is in trouble have inspired country songs, a popular television miniseries starring Tom Selleck (as Orrin Sackett) and Sam Elliot (as Tell Sackett), thousands of reader queries--and now, a rare full-length work of non-fiction by the worlds' all-time best-selling frontier novelist.
In a 60 Minutes profile in which he hailed Louis L'Amour as "our professor emeritus of how the West was won," correspondent Morley Safer observed that "his plots may be fiction but the details therein are fact." The Sackett Companion is the author's long-savored opportunity to present the research and probe the factors behind his Sackett fiction--novel by novel--and to elaborate on their real and fictional characters, their geography and locales, and their historical eras in encyclopedia-like detail.
In this book, subtitled A Personal Guide To The Sackett Novels, L'Amour takes us on a guided tour of his imagination to introduce us to the never-before-told sources and inspirations for these stories and the people and places that populate them. He retraces some of his travels in which he has walked the land the Sacketts walk, reliving such personal memories as the street fight he had on a hot dusty morning in New Mexico that ultimately led to the birth of the Sacketts.
Customer Reviews:
Sackett Companion: A Personal Guide to the Sackett Novels.......2007-05-07
Great insights to writer's background and knowledge and and insipriation to all Louis L'Amour Fans. A must for anyone into the writings of Louis L'Amour whiter Sackett novels or other works.
Great Companion Add.......2007-01-11
I'm on the road all the time so I've basically listened to most of the Sackett series on tape or CD. The problem with that compared to reading the book myself is that I miss some of the background details of the series. This book does a great job of filling in the gaps....Even for those who personally read the series. There's more of the back story that's left out of the books for one reason or other......But seeing the family tree that L'Amour made for all the generations is really something you'll want to see if you like the series as much as I do....
The Sackett Companion - Everything I wanted to know.......2006-03-04
I've looked for this book for years, but hadn't found it anywhere. And it was a good price, especially for a new edition.
I know now I should look on Amazon for everything first and save myself time....
The book was a wonderful read all in itself. If you haven't read any of the Sackett stories, you will want to after reading this book. And if you are already a fan, it pulls a lot of the relationships and timelines together, which was Mr. L'Amour's purpose for the book in the first place. But there are things in this book that Mr. L'Amour didn't write about anywhere else, either.
Another bonus in this book, is Mr. L'Amour talks in his own words. His other stories don't have as much of his own personality overlaying the characters (a good thing really, he let his characters have their own personalties), so it was nice to "get to know" Mr. L'Amour a little. He had quite a sense of humor, which he lets out in this book.
I read it in one evening, even though I had to get early for work the next day. It was worth only 4 hours sleep!
One thing Mr. L'Amour talks about in this book are his female characters. All I'll say is, he's right. He does have a lot of female characters: leading ladies, supporting and background roles, good girls, bad girls, and sometimes both. (Please note: those are my descriptions.)
My mother, who is now 80 years old, introduced me to Mr. L'Amour's books when I was a young girl myself. I'm now 47, and still love reading stories like these.
Decide which to read, first........2001-07-24
I read one Sackett novel then this. I liked the family tree and the connections to other (non-Sackett) books. I also appreciated knowing who was in each book, the time period, the place, and a little bit about the plot. I used it to decide which Sackett novel to read next. Also interspersed with everything else is a littl bit about what went into a book, what happened to Mr. L'Amour, and some quoteable quips. A great introduction to the Sackett books and the author.
A must have for any Western lover........1998-12-13
All Sackett novels are good, but this book makes them great. I keep it nearby whenever I'm reading a Sackett novel to get more information on characters. It is also wonderful all by itself, with biographies and poems throughout. Jenny J.
Book Description
Filled with exciting tales of the frontier, the chronicle of the Sackett family is perhaps the crowning achievement of one of our greatest storytellers. In
Treasure Mountain Louis L’Amour delivers a robust story of two brothers searching to learn the fate of their missing father — and finding themselves in a struggle just to stay alive.
Orrin and Tell Sackett had come to exotic New Orleans looking for answers to their father’s disappearance twenty years before. To uncover the truth, the brothers enlisted the aid of a trailwise gypsy and a mysterious voodoo priest as they sought to re-create their father’s last trek.
But Louisiana is a dangerous land, and with one misstep the brothers could disappear in the bayous before they even set foot on the trail that led to whatever legacy their father had left behind ... and a secret worth killing for.
Download Description
Filled with exciting tales of the frontier, the chronicle of the Sackett family is perhaps the crowning achievement of one of our greatest storytellers. In Treasure Mountain Louis L'Amour delivers a robust story of two brothers searching to learn the fate of their missing father -- and finding themselves in a struggle just to stay alive.
Orrin and Tell Sackett had come to exotic New Orleans looking for answers to their father's disappearance twenty years before. To uncover the truth, the brothers enlisted the aid of a trailwise gypsy and a mysterious voodoo priest as they sought to re-create their father's last trek.
But Louisiana is a dangerous land, and with one misstep the brothers could disappear in the bayous before they even set foot on the trail that led to whatever legacy their father had left behind... and a secret worth killing for.
Customer Reviews:
Second best of the series.......2004-03-29
In Treasure Mountain, Orrin and Tell Sackett set off to find their father, who has been missing for twenty years. Their mother is near the end of her life and wants to know if he'll be waiting for her at the end of the road.
During their search, the brothers split up and both run into the Baston family--who are just about as nasty as the Higginses--who seem to have information about their father, but who aren't about to let it be known. Andre is the seemingly more dangerous due to his bulk, but sister Fanny is the more insidious, using her charming ways to lure both Orrin and Tell into trouble.
Eventually Tell finds the daybook left behind by his father that tells that side of the story. This lends a level of suspense to Treasure Mountain that isn't usually present in other Sackett novels. We, as well as Tell, want to know what happened and the knowledge is revealed piece by piece. Due to unforeseen circumstances, Tell has to face the final showdown on his own, which shows both him and us what he is truly made of.
Treasure Mountain is likely the best Sackett novel I have read since Sackett's Land. William Tell Sackett is definitely my favorite Sackett and I look forward to reading more in this later part of the series featuring the brothers.
(Trivia: Flagan and Galloway Sackett from the previous novel in the series, Galloway, also make a short appearance here.)
A Pretty Good Listen.......2003-10-30
With nearly 200 hours we prefer the good stories and insight to the television and so my wife and I look forward to the new tapes as they become available. His writing style leaves us able to recognize landmarks in our southwestern travels.
William Tel is one of my favorite L.L. charactors, so when he travels to Louisiana to find his missing brother Orin the reader is in for a great story. The listener will come to realise that no one messes with "family."
I admittedly perfer the longer books which enable the listener to become more involved with the charactors. None of the books will dissapoint.
Treasure Mountain.......2002-11-13
Treasure Mountain by Louis L'Amour is easily the best western I have ever read. It is a very adventurous story and has much suspense to it. Treasure Mountain is a story about two brothers who set out to search for the reamains of their father. He went on a journey twenty years earlier and never returned. These boys felt it their responsibility to find out what happened to their father.
On their journey to uncover the mystery they have many encounters with different people which causes some problems. In this book it shows the love of a family and how a family works together. It'ds hard to put this book down because you don't want to be left hanging.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves mysteries and suspense. If you want that excitement while reading I would recommend that you read Treasure Mountain by Louis L'Amour. I'm not a big western fan but I absolutely loved this book.
Treasure Mountain.......2000-05-15
This was the first book I've ever read by Louis L'amour and now I am hooked on his novels. This book is totally complete with references to history, a great plot, and humor also. Once you start reading this book, I can guarantee you wont be able to set it down. An all around pleasure to read!
Book Description
This collection gathers eight popular Louis L’Amour stories, performed by a star-studded cast. Willie Nelson reads several, one is read by Charles Dean, and another is fully dramatized by Nelson, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, and the late Waylon Jennings, who together were known as The Highwaymen. The collection includes: Riding for the Brand, The Black Rock Coffin Makers, Dutchman’s Flat, The Nester and the Piute, Mistakes Can Kill You, Four Card Draw, Trail to Pie Town, and Big Medicine.
Customer Reviews:
Louis L'Amour collection.......2007-01-30
It got here within a week and my Dad just about has it worn out already!
Thank you
Louis L'Amour Collection on CD.......2004-01-28
Driving alot, I enjoy listening to the L'Amour stories of the old west while I drive. Much better than the talk shows and trying to get music I like. L'Amour is a great writer, and the stories, especially the short stories, are very well written and easy to get into while driving. Many of the tecno-thrillers are too complicated to listen to, but there are very few of his westerns that I have not enjoyed while driving. This is a nice collection of Louis L'Amour stories read by Jonny Cash and other great personalities.
Book Description
His name was Taggart and he rode with a price on his head through the bloodred canyons of Apache country. Behind him was a ruthless bounty hunter—the deadliest lawman in the West. In front of him was a fortune in gold—and a pretty young woman hell-bent on carrying that fortune to safety. Suddenly Taggart was faced with a choice. He could either keep riding and leave the stubborn lady to fate and the Apaches. Or he could stay and help her make it out alive. But for a man like Taggart the answer was simple. He would stay. Even if it meant cutting off his own escape—even if it meant doubling his chance of death.
Customer Reviews:
"A good Old Fashion Western".......2007-08-25
I had the pleasure of reading the Bantam rack-size edition of this western printed in 1959. It was loaned to us by my Wife's cousin. After reading "Haunted Mesa", I was a little hesitant about reading another Louis L'Amour's stories; I'm very glad I did. This a classic western about a cowboy, Swante Taggart, who is on the run from a bounty hunter and ends up right in the middle of Apache country and is not expecting what he runs into. This story has love and romance, along with gun fights and Indian attacks. Most importantly L'Amour is an artist at painting a picture in your mind of the beautiful mountains ,canyons, and deserts of Arizona.
Salt River basin Arizona.......2005-02-16
Have just finished reading "Taggart" again. As in previous readings, the plot and action hold up very well. This is one of Louis' better westerns, right there with Shalako, Hondo, Radigan, and several others.
As the map in the hardcover edition shows, the action takes place in Arizona, mainly at Rockingstraw Mountain. The central action revolves around placer mining from an alluvial fan, to dangerous extraction farther up a mountain, from a strip of rotten quartz "six feet wide, and cobwebbed with gold." In all Adam Stark is seeking $100,000.00. All of this is interwoven with numerous Apache attacks, tension in a marriage, and Taggart's attempt to evade capture by a bounty hunter. How this all works out, of course, will be known to the reader upon finishing the book.
The author, who died in 1988, was a very experienced writer and some of his books go beyond western fiction, to become just good literature. This book is close to that class of writing. It can be read in a few hours, but the characters Louis L'Amour created in this effort will stay with the reader much longer.
If you haven't read this one, please do so. If you have, do as I've done several times, read it again.
Semper Fi.
Swante.......2002-05-08
I liked this book because the author is good and indians died. I liked the part where Taggart noticed a bush was not where it used to be so he knew it was an indian, so he took aim and when the bush moved again he fired wounding the indian. In my oppinion that was the best part.
Thud and Blunder.......2000-07-14
This reads like it was cobbled together from abouth three different pulp novellas. There's the lost Spanish mine plot, the innocent man on the run plot, and the Apaches out to kill everybody plot. It relies on coincidence and convoluted logic to hold it all together. Still, as a L'Amour western, it is better than 95% of what is out there.
Download Description
Hopalong rode into cattle country just east of the California line looking for his old friend Red Connors. He found Red holed up in a mountain cave with a bullet in his side and a story to tell. The ranchers around Tascotal had been losing their stock, and when Red caught the rustlers in the act, they hunted him down, shot him, and left him for dead. Jack Bolt, a savage, ruthless killer, has brought in a tough band of hardcases to run his operation. And now he's sent them out to take care of the one man who stands in his way: Hopalong Cassidy. But Bolt's about to learn the hard way that if you shoot down a man like Cassidy, you better make sure he never gets up again.
Customer Reviews:
Not his best work by far.......2006-03-08
I can understand why Louis denied writing these books his entire life. They are not anywhere near the quality of this later works. There are times when you can see the brilliance that was to come later in his writing, but for the most part this book doesn't add up. I am a huge Louis L'amour fan and these books should probably have rested in obscurity like Louis wanted.
If you want a truer representation of the kind of greatness that Louis was capable try one of these: The First Fast Draw, Reilly's Luck, Utah Blaine, The Sackett Brand, Comstock Lode, or any number of his later works.
Riders Of High Rock.......2001-11-10
excallant product,reccomend to anyone of almost any age.
If you like action-packed books, this is one you should read.......1999-01-16
If you like Hopalong Cassidy novels, you sure would like this one. It has lots of action and is kind of like a mystery. I really liked it.
Book Description
Son of a feared fighting man, Barnabas Sackett inherited his father's fiery temper, sense of justice and warrior skills. Declared an outlaw in his native England, Barnabas set his daring sights on the opportunities of the New World. The ruthless piracy of the open seas and the unknown dangers of the savage American wilderness lay before him. And so did the thrill of discovery and the chance to establish a bold new future if he survived.
From the Paperback edition.
Download Description
Son of a feared fighting man, Barnabas Sackett inherited his father's fiery temper, sense of justice and warrior skills. Declared an outlaw in his native England, Barnabas set his daring sights on the opportunities of the New World. The ruthless piracy of the open seas and the unknown dangers of the savage American wilderness lay before him. And so did the thrill of discovery and the chance to establish a bold new future if he survived.
Customer Reviews:
I must be missing something.......2006-08-18
I spent a lot of time pondering Sackett's Land, the first in L'amour's famous series about the winning of America. Sackett's Land is the story of Barnabas Sackett, a plucky fen-man (a man from the fascinating culture of the British swamps, long since drained) who journeys to America in the 1590s and explores the Chesapeake Bay. This book has one of the most exciting and well-written opening scenes that I've ever read in my life. I was immediately drawn in to the story of Barnabas and couldn't wait to see what happened to him.
Unfortunately, the book really lost focus after the opening. Written much in the style of a summer movie like Pirates of the Caribbean, it's one action sequence after another, with very little character development and almost no real plot. Even though the book was only 178 pages, I had to flog myself to get through it.
The best parts of Sackett's Land are when L'amour lets his own philosophy and knowledge of history shine through in brilliant little asides. I was amazed to learn about the different ethnic groups that existed in England back then. There's a great scene in which Barnabas and his friends loot an old Roman settlement, which L'amour slyly uses to comment on the ethics of digging up archeological treasures.
At heart the book is all about self-reliance, and I wish L'amour had given himself a driving plot to bring home this point that Barnabas makes so well:
I would not sit waiting for some vague tomorrow, nor for something to happen. One could wait a lifetime, and find nothing at the end of the waiting. I would begin here, I would make something happen.
A fitting beginning to the Sackett saga.......2006-06-25
No matter where you started with the Sackett books, go ahead and read this one now. For fans of L'Amour's work, especially The Walking Drum, you will be pleased.
Sackett's Land is a good and appropriate beginning for the entire saga. It may well stimulate you to read the whole history in order.
The book is important for yet another reason. It's style and depth are a window to what The Walking Drum has in store for you. Sackett's Land hints at what L'Amour was capable of beyond the pulp western market.
When we pick up a Louis L'Amour book of the standard pulp market size, we have a set of expectations. Good and evil will be clearly recognizable. Good will prevail. The story will be enjoyable and just instructive enough to make us feel that we grew from reading the book. Sackett's Land fulfills all these expectations.
Sackett's Land also holds an interesting place in popular literature. It is representation of a specific family (along with fellow travelers through life) and that family's initial transcontinental encounters. As one reads it, one is reminded of Edgar Rice Burroughs's stories of Lord Greystoke. In fact, as I was mentally remarking that Sackett's Land reminded me of Tarzan (books 1 and 2), I turned the page to find our protagonist marooned on the new continent. In this case, the new continent was the North America, not Africa, but the similarity was fun to notice.
Louis L'Amour was a man of his time, and while he could tap into Burrough's storytelling rhythms at times, L'Amour was ever more interested in depicting people as people, and a great respecter of human diversity. I believe descendants today of American Indians and Europeans can read Sackett's Land and enjoy thinking about their own American families.
THE ORIGINAL.......2006-05-26
This is one of his original works and a great story written well before he began recycling his "white hat - black hat, final shootout and gunfight plots." The movie follows the original closely as well.
A slightly different take, the first of the sackett books, set much earlier.......2005-12-30
The nice sense of humour which I enjoyed in L'amour's books - or at least some of them, is apparent in this book. Set in 17th century when Barnabas Sackett was first driven out of England and makes a home in the new land. This is the first of the Sackett's who arrived in America.
America of this early date was not the America of the push to the west, but it is nevertheless a good read, and the standard plot devices are there, the fights and so on. More than anything it is the humour and the great characters which really make this a great read.
My favourite of the L'amour's I have read so far have been the Sackett books, but I also really like Fallon for the same reason. The easy humour which runs through some of them. The least favourite of the reads have been the ones where they are really just western without the wry good humour of the main character. Mojave crossing, a later Sackett book was another excellent good fun read - a bit confusing but funny too - so if you are looking for more good reading to follow this I hope that will give you some idea!
The story of the founder of the Sackett clan.......2004-07-17
Louis L'Amour wrote over a hundred westerns. His best-known series are a set of stories about the Sacketts, a family of tough men and women. Many of the books are about the men coming out west and their adventures. They have integrity and stand up for truth and justice. They don't go looking for trouble, but when it comes to them, they don't back down.
"Sackett's Land" sets the stage for the rest of the stories. It doesn't take place in the west in the late 1800s, but starts in England as Barnabas Sackett has some troubles and heads for the New World in the 1600s. He has great adventures and does great things. There is lots of fighting, but instead of with guns it is more often with swords.
The story starts off quickly with Barnabas finding some old coins and trying to sell them. He encounters the nephew of an earl. The nephew ends up looking foolish; the nephew doesn't like being made a fool of so he decides to kill Barnabas. Barnabas runs, and along the way we are introduced to old England, England in the early 1600s. We meet people of all walks of life. Then the story moves to America and back to England.
This is a fun book. It is easy to read and entertaining. If you haven't read it, it is worth reading. If you have read it, do yourself a favor and read it again.
Book Description
The Lonesome Gods is Louis L'Amour's biggest and most important historical novel to date, a sweeping adventure of the California frontier. Here is the fascinating story of Johannes Verne, a young man left to die by his vengeful grandfather, rescued by outlaws and raised in part by the Indians of the desert. Strengthened by the love of two women -- Miss Nesselrode, whose mysterious past fires her ambitions for the future and Meghan, a willful young beauty -- Verne grows to become a rugged adventurer, a man strong enough to embrace the awesome power of the Palm Springs desert, and bold enough to stake a claim in the bustling world of opportunity that was early-day Los Angeles.
From the Paperback edition.
Download Description
The Lonesome Gods is Louis L'Amour's biggest and most important historical novel to date, a sweeping adventure of the California frontier. Here is the fascinating story of Johannes Verne, a young man left to die by his vengeful grandfather, rescued by outlaws and raised in part by the Indians of the desert.
Strengthened by the love of two women—Miss Nesselrode, whose mysterious past fires her ambitions for the future, and Meghan, a willful young beauty—Verne grows to become a rugged adventurer, a man strong enough to embrace the awesome power of the Palm Springs desert, and bold enough to stake a claim in the bustling world of opportunity that was early-day Los Angeles.
"Riveting reading."
THE NEW YORKER
"This is L'Amour's finest book."
CALIFORNIA MAGAZINE
Customer Reviews:
A spiritual trek through Louis L'Amour's West.......2007-06-18
"The Lonesome Gods is a trek by Johannes Verne across the desert and mountains to Los Angeles, California. We see him first as a child in the desert fending off bandits, Indian attack, and death, with his recently widowed father. The author would not let us pass through the lands unless we no something of the native people's and their ancient history and their history, which is woven into the fabric of the story.
As Johannes Verne grows to manhood, the number of people he can trust grows. There is the older woman who takes him under her guardianship and sends him to school, while teaching him of business. However, Johannes has had a growing list of enemies since his earliest childhood, and these assorted bandits, con-men, and a powerful man of property, all have reasons for wanting Johannes Verne dead.
Johannes Verne grows up fast, experiencing many facets of the American West as he learns to fend for himself in the desert, encountering bullies, and belligerent ne'er-do-wells.
L'Amour will never write a book without parsing out something of his spiritual treasures, like this gem.
"KNOWLEDGE IS AWARENESS, AND TO IT THERE ARE MANY PATHS, NOT ALL OF THEM PAVED WITH LOGIC."-- Louis L'Amour, p. 249, "The Lonesome Gods"
L'Amour never fails to place a romantic interest in his novels, which makes them more fun; but nowhere in his novels does L'Amour ever characterize his heroines as helpless. They may be beautiful and delicate, but always they seem capable of the same swift and decisive violence as the hero, when it is necessary. This makes all of L'Amour's characters likeable.
Exciting Story of the West.......2007-06-04
19th Century California revealed in an entertaining, smartly written tale by a great writer. L'Amour includes all the ingredients of a riveting tale in The Lonesome Gods.
From beginning to end the story is full of action and intrigue with characters that run the gamut from good to evil, simple to mysterious, heroes and villains.
There is nothing disappointing in the novel. The only shortcoming for me is the hint of the ideal in the protagonists. The father and son and heroine seem too good and well-rounded to be true. I think the protagonists fulfill the roles of an ideal man and woman by doing the right things, being independent, strong fighters, and also philosophers and full of wisdom. The one fault in the development of the protagonists is that they are faultless.
Besides this one sliver of criticism, this book offers exceptional, eloquent writing and a superb story.
This book will transport you to the time and place as it captivates and entertains.
Western Classic.......2007-01-21
This book was enjoyable and difficult to put down. Some cool twists.
Long L'Amour Never Boring.......2005-11-23
Just looking at its spine, you can see "The Lonesome Gods" is one of prolific Western author Louis L'Amour's more ambitious works. You could fit three "Guns Of The Timberlands" in its 450 pages, with room for a few "Yondering" short stories. L'Amour chooses a broad canvas for himself, dusty southern California before the Civil War, and creates a hero who makes his way among vaqueros, Cahuillas, and the ghosts of those long gone still lingering amid the cholla and chaparral.
It's not a great book but a good one, pleasant company despite a plot full of wooden dialogue, encyclopedic exposition, and characters that seem to parachute in from other novels. In her review below, Julie Marie Healy notes how the hero, Johannes Verne, is way too self-sufficient to be plausible, and that's true, especially since he's only a teenager by the end.
But L'Amour produces a real page-turner, with a sense of significance and mystical sweep above and beyond the many satisfying action scenes. It's not a slow book at all. L'Amour shows off why he was considered such a fine storyteller; keeping a number of plot plates spinning at once. His masterly ability to write of nature is especially strong here, describing a then-merciless part of the country better known today for hosting the Bob Hope golf tournament.
"In the night that followed, she wondered if he was out on the dark trails of night where owls cruised on silent wings among the dark ranks of the soldier pines, and only the wind for company." Okay, writing that out I can see the man used "night" and "dark" twice in one sentence, but that's a sweet sentence still, and there's more where that came from in "The Lonesome Gods."
I also like the cast of the book, especially the females, who are more complex than you usually get from L'Amour. A lot of Westerns are chock full of anonymous cowpokes who exist only to be either shot down or avenged by the hero. One thing I like a lot about L'Amour is he never populated his books with extras that way. Every player has his or her own story, and while many may be two-dimensional, they have real integrity.
There's a nice moment, lasting about a page, where Verne shoots a minor bad guy waiting to ambush him. As the guy is dying, the two have a conversation, and it becomes clear under other circumstances they might have been friends, except for the bounty on Verne's head.
"Fifty dollars?" asks Verne. "It was not enough."
"Who knows?" the wounded villain manages to utter before dying, "his cheek against the rocks, his eyes staring toward the fire."
"Lonesome Gods" has a lot of eerie moments like that, perhaps a reflection of an aging author wanting to say something about man's mortality and what he leaves behind. The resulting ambition may account for some sloppy moments, but there's uplift as well as entertainment to be found here.
Great historical information, but the characters are lacking.......2005-02-16
I had high expectations from this book because of the author. I was not disappointed in some respects, but in others I feel this book lacked. What I enjoyed were the colorful descriptions and accurate historical information about the early days of Los Angeles and the desert areas surrounding it. I also appreciated the way the Native Americans were portrayed--not as enemies, but as a complex people whose ways of thinking were deep and unique.
However... was it me, or was Johannes a little too perfect? We have in him a man who is strong, wise, mature, intelligent, competent, open-minded beyond his years and time... and the list could go on and on. I had trouble identifying with him throughout the entire book. Aside from some characters, like Miss Nesselrode, I felt the rest of the people populating this book were a little two dimensional. I especially did not like Meghan, who seemed a little too silly for someone like Johannes. Lastly, there were a few infodumps about historical Los Angeles that were a little to textbook for me.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. Some parts had me up embarrassingly late as I read to find out what happened next. I took off one star for the flaws I mentioned above, but I would reccommend this book to anyone.
Average customer rating:
- One of the best! a romance, a mystery and a western all in one
- CLASSIC L'AMOUR TALESMITHING!
- AN OLD SCHOOL WESTERN IN TRUE L'AMOUR FORM
- What Pocket Books Use To Be Like.
- A Great Book !
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Silver Canyon (The Louis L'Amour collection)
Louis L'Amour
Manufacturer: Bantam Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound
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Shalako
ASIN: 055306200X |
Book Description
WesternLarge Print EditionFueled by youth, courage, and quickness with a gun, Matt Brennan rode into Hattans Point ready to live or die at a single challenge. But in one day, Matt became a changed man, for on that day a beautiful woman dared him to live, a powerful landowner set him up for a beating, and a good friend died in his arms. Suddenly, Matt finds himself the owner of Two-Bar Ranch and the odd man out in a vicious range war. He has enemies everywhere. Matt now realizes that the next time he draws his gun, there will be much more than his life at stake . . .
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Louis L'Amour, truly America's favorite storyteller, was the first fiction writer ever to receive the Congressional Gold Medal from the United States Congress in honor of his life's work, and was also awarded the Medal of Freedom. There are more than 265 million copies of his books in print worldwide.?
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews:
One of the best! a romance, a mystery and a western all in one.......2006-01-01
Loved this book, told in the first person this is Matt Brennan who rides into town and into trouble - there are two ranchers who are fighting a smaller third holding who is between them, they want his land and water rights. Within minutes of getting to town both men tell him to join their crew - he refuses both and goes out to see Ball, on the third place - but not before he has fallen in love with the woman of his dreams.
If he is going to set up house he is going to need some assets behind him, he likes Ball, the old man caught between the two ambitious ranchers, and he makes a deal to be a fighting partner for the spread. Between the two of them they think they can make it work.
This is about much more than settling the problems of three men out for power - Brennan has to make peace with them all, but at the same time he has to sort out the huge man, Park, who is the current suitor for Moira (the woman Matt has fallen in love with) but there is also something sinister in Parks past - and in his current dealings. There is also something going on with a crooked lawyer called Booker who seems to be instigating trouble in the background.
Brennan resolves all so that peace can reign in the valley - and its really well done. This is a resolution that I didn't expect but like all of L'amour's books, there are some complex relationships based on loyalty and respect rather than black and white.
CLASSIC L'AMOUR TALESMITHING!.......2004-02-24
When I tell people that I love Louis L'Amour I get some pretty weird looks in return. To my friends I am known to read quite a bit of heavy history and biography and it seems odd to them that, given my normal reading diet, I could find anything good to say about such "light" reading as L'Amour. Still I find L'Amour's talesmithing abilities to be without peer.
L'Amour wrote with a distinctive style and filled his stories with action and intrigue. No, his works are not the extremely violent works that typify modern westerns like UNFORGIVEN or OPEN RANGE. But then L'Amour wrote in a time when such graphic action would not have been readily accepted.
With all this in mind, I loved SILVER CANYON, a tale of vengeance, lies and, as with virtually all of L'Amour's stories, of the good guy winning in the end. The tiny western hamlet of Hattan's Point is a sleepy town until the day that Matt Brennan seems to bring with him a heated, all out war that involves practically everyone in town. Matt makes friends and enemies with equal ease. He also finds the love of his life and is in hot pursuit despite her being the daughter of one of the main combatants in the feud.
Who will win out? Read SILVER CANYON.
THE HORSEMAN
AN OLD SCHOOL WESTERN IN TRUE L'AMOUR FORM.......2004-01-26
When it comes to reading Louis L'Amour the modern western fan is faced with having to take things in context. Remember that L'Amour's works were primarily written in the fifties and sixties and, as a result, have a certain "dignity" about them that no longer applies with the westerns of today, especially those on the big screen.
Take SILVER CANYON for example. There is plenty of action here to be sure but it is painted much more subtly on L'Amour's canvass than, let's say, on those of Larry McMurtry or on Clint Eastwood's or Kevin Costner's movie screens. Frankly L'Amour or his readers would not have tolerated the graphic, raw, often harsh violence of today's western s offerings. It's still there he just expresses it in ways that are less bombastic. For example, instead of saying, "the bullet smashed into my elbow sending blood and bone flying everywhere..." L'Amour offers, "I felt a tug at at my sleeve..." even though it is apparent to the reader that the first version is still what happened.
L'Amour wrote with a clear sense of nostalgia and romance about the west. He was much for the kindred spirit of John Wayne and John Ford than of McMurtry, Eastwood or Costner.
I thoroughly enjoyed SILVER CANYON, a tale of revenge, deceit and, as is the case with all L'Amour tales, of ultimate white-hatted triumph and justice. Matt Brennan rides into the sleepy town of Hattan's Point and awakens the flames of a smoldering range war. He discovers friends, fiends and meets the girl of his dreams. Like all other L'Amour pieces reading SILVER CANYON in the correct mindset is absolutely essential. If you do you'll find another L'Amour western masterpiece.
Douglas McAllister
What Pocket Books Use To Be Like........2004-01-13
This is the first Louis L'Amour book I have read so I can not compare it to any of his other books. This story makes me want to read more L'Amour books. I like a book that can tell a good story in less that 200 pages, I don't want read books by the pound. It reminds me of the old term "pocket book" because they can fit in your back pocket and can be read and enjoyed in a short amount of time. The main characters are likeable and the villians are people that need killing, what more do you want in a Western.
A Great Book !.......2003-07-21
Louis L'Amour wrote many, many westerns and in my opinion this is one of the best of them. The story line is very cohesive and involving. The characters are rich and well developed. As always L'Amour weaves a rich and very detailed landscape, with a lot of attention to details. The plot was intriguing and kept you guessing right up until the end. Just a very, very well written story!
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