Seriously, you've never read a Western before? I was a huge Louis L'Amour and Zane Grey fan when I was about 10. In fact, I know I've already read this book- probably multiple times! It will be fun to revisit.
I am remembering why I liked this book (women in unusual positions- landowners, for example), but am also remembering why I stopped reading Zane Grey (corny). :-)
I was picturing Lassiter more like a young Clint Eastwood, actually.
I finished last night- Ken went to bed early and there was nothing on television.
Overall, I thought it was a fun read. There was action and plot, although, as I mention in my prior post, it was pretty corny. Especially the love scenes. Do you think it was always corny or that people actually talked about love that way? Very different from love scenes in today's novels!
Descriptions of scenery are also very different in today's sceneries. I enjoy the description segments because it helps me image the setting and action. I've been to these types of areas in Utah (my uncle lives outside Salt Lake City) and so it was very easy for me to picture it. Do you like those sections too, or did you get bored?
I was very unhappy with the end of Chapter XVII and that is the reason, as I recall, why I got rid of this book in the first place. I hate it when that happens (trying not to spoil anything). I also guessed (or remembered, since I read it when I was a kid) about the revelations in Chapter XXI. Did you figure that out in advance?
Anyway, not a bad choice, Angie. I hope you enjoyed your first Western. They aren't all this corny! :-)
Joy- Hmm, a beautiful, passionate woman (although a Mormon) reminds you of me on Murder Mystery night? I'll take that as a compliment! :-) And you know, I can almost see Ken's character as Lassiter!
I guess I'm about halfway through now, and.. meh, s'ok.
I don't particularly enjoy descriptions of scenery in any book, but I consider it a necessary evil. Generally I read enough to get a good mind's eye and then skim the rest.
I'm also not enjoying Grey's choppy writing style; there seem to be a lot of short, fragmented sentences.
The plot, on the other hand, is very engaging, I'm very curious to find out where Bess came from, whatever happened to Milly, figure out Lassiter's story and get Jane married off (maybe).
I also thoroughly enjoy how everyone says "hoss" for horse.
Now that Joy mentions it, Jane does remind me of Melissa's character too! Since y'all are not coming home for Christmas 2009, we'll have to plan another murder night for Christmas 2010. I'm really thinking we should do something based in NY/NJ - the accents would be great.
Seriously?! from Chapter 11: "Out of the mother longing that swelled her breast she divined the child hunger in Lassiter."
Chapter 13: "When they got back to camp the afternoon was closing, and it was exceedingly sultry.
.. The afternoon was hot. No. .. The afternoon was humid. No. .. The afternoon was muggy. No. Sultry! .. The afternoon was sultry! No. .. The afternoon was exceedingly sultry. Yeah, that's it.
I finished last week, but am just sitting to collect my thoughts.
** SPOILERS! **
Overall I liked it. Good plot, plenty of action, definite problems, resolutions, a good story arch.
It really left me wanting an epilogue though. Just let me know that a year later everyone is still doing ok. I did have an issue with the characters from the very last seen of the book. They aren't married, and give the lady's religious views, are they then doomed to an eternity of sexless cohabitation? Or are we to assume that in killing the persuers she has forever shed the yoke of religion?
There was a part near the middle where Bern was said to not want Bess to see how much he enjoyed her laughter - that bothered me as well.
I was very disturbed when Wrangle died. Ugh! The description of the sounds was just awful!
The love scenes were OH SO CORNY. But isn't that what makes a Western a Western? Big macho men and mostly helpless women desperately clinging to each other in the dusty outposts? =)
Not ALL westerns are this corny, but Zane Grey is particularly corny when it comes to love scenes. (How many times can we write corny in one discussion?) I seem to recall Louis L'Amour was a little better, though now I'll have to reread one of his books just to see if I am remembering correctly.
Jane seems to ditch her religion completely at the end. I also find that rather unbelievable. If she was so committed to her religion in the beginning, could she really have such an abrupt turn around in that length of time? Probably not without some serious emotional and spiritual repercussions down the road. But, maybe great, sinful, gun-fighter sex helps her move on with her life.
A NY/NJ murder mystery sounds great. Can we be pimps and whores and drug dealers for it? That could be a fun change. (I would add alcoholics but that really wouldn't be that big of a change for us). :-)
Well I read one western in high school and now one more. I think that is a good quota for one's life.
Overall, it was OK, not great. The story was good but I think it lacked continuity. I didn't like how the horses were referred to as pets and Jane's racers but yet they are stolen and returned, Jane is not too worried and then she gives them away. What? I also didn't like how Wrangle was just left to fend for himself while Venters is enjoying Surprise Valley. I would think he should go check on him once in a while. And I didn't like how Little Fay talked so much like a baby but yet asked "adult" questions. And I'm sorry Melissa at the end, I didn't think of you as Jane at all. Jane seemed pretty wimpy to me as far as her love life goes. Who does she love? She DOESN'T KNOW! I thought the best developed character with the most meat was the stone. ROLL the STONE!
My favorite line was from Chapter 3, "seein' as you're considerable worked up". Did he mean fricky frick? Jane confirms this in Chapter 15 "Oh Bern, you WILD man!".
15 comments:
I'm starting the book today; I hope we like Westerns (I have never read one before).
Seriously, you've never read a Western before? I was a huge Louis L'Amour and Zane Grey fan when I was about 10. In fact, I know I've already read this book- probably multiple times! It will be fun to revisit.
Okay, starting today....
I suck, I am so behind. I just ordered the book today.
I'm on Chapter 7 - so far ok. My favorite line has been Jane, in chapter 1:
"Oh! Don't whip him! It would be dastardly!"
Such language!
Lassiter for me is shaping up to walk and talk just like John Wayne.
I am remembering why I liked this book (women in unusual positions- landowners, for example), but am also remembering why I stopped reading Zane Grey (corny). :-)
I was picturing Lassiter more like a young Clint Eastwood, actually.
I finished last night- Ken went to bed early and there was nothing on television.
Overall, I thought it was a fun read. There was action and plot, although, as I mention in my prior post, it was pretty corny. Especially the love scenes. Do you think it was always corny or that people actually talked about love that way? Very different from love scenes in today's novels!
Descriptions of scenery are also very different in today's sceneries. I enjoy the description segments because it helps me image the setting and action. I've been to these types of areas in Utah (my uncle lives outside Salt Lake City) and so it was very easy for me to picture it. Do you like those sections too, or did you get bored?
I was very unhappy with the end of Chapter XVII and that is the reason, as I recall, why I got rid of this book in the first place. I hate it when that happens (trying not to spoil anything). I also guessed (or remembered, since I read it when I was a kid) about the revelations in Chapter XXI. Did you figure that out in advance?
Anyway, not a bad choice, Angie. I hope you enjoyed your first Western. They aren't all this corny! :-)
I haven't decided on Lassiter yet but Jane (I apologize Melissa) reminds me of you on "murder mystery" night.
Joy- Hmm, a beautiful, passionate woman (although a Mormon) reminds you of me on Murder Mystery night? I'll take that as a compliment! :-) And you know, I can almost see Ken's character as Lassiter!
I guess I'm about halfway through now, and.. meh, s'ok.
I don't particularly enjoy descriptions of scenery in any book, but I consider it a necessary evil. Generally I read enough to get a good mind's eye and then skim the rest.
I'm also not enjoying Grey's choppy writing style; there seem to be a lot of short, fragmented sentences.
The plot, on the other hand, is very engaging, I'm very curious to find out where Bess came from, whatever happened to Milly, figure out Lassiter's story and get Jane married off (maybe).
I also thoroughly enjoy how everyone says "hoss" for horse.
Now that Joy mentions it, Jane does remind me of Melissa's character too! Since y'all are not coming home for Christmas 2009, we'll have to plan another murder night for Christmas 2010. I'm really thinking we should do something based in NY/NJ - the accents would be great.
A few more quotes that I enjoy:
Seriously?! from Chapter 11:
"Out of the mother longing that swelled her breast she divined the child hunger in Lassiter."
Chapter 13:
"When they got back to camp the afternoon was closing, and it was exceedingly sultry.
.. The afternoon was hot. No.
.. The afternoon was humid. No.
.. The afternoon was muggy. No.
Sultry! .. The afternoon was sultry! No.
.. The afternoon was exceedingly sultry. Yeah, that's it.
I am half way through and I didn't know they grew so much corn in Utah - corny, corny, corny.
I finished last week, but am just sitting to collect my thoughts.
** SPOILERS! **
Overall I liked it. Good plot, plenty of action, definite problems, resolutions, a good story arch.
It really left me wanting an epilogue though. Just let me know that a year later everyone is still doing ok. I did have an issue with the characters from the very last seen of the book. They aren't married, and give the lady's religious views, are they then doomed to an eternity of sexless cohabitation? Or are we to assume that in killing the persuers she has forever shed the yoke of religion?
There was a part near the middle where Bern was said to not want Bess to see how much he enjoyed her laughter - that bothered me as well.
I was very disturbed when Wrangle died. Ugh! The description of the sounds was just awful!
The love scenes were OH SO CORNY. But isn't that what makes a Western a Western? Big macho men and mostly helpless women desperately clinging to each other in the dusty outposts? =)
Not ALL westerns are this corny, but Zane Grey is particularly corny when it comes to love scenes. (How many times can we write corny in one discussion?) I seem to recall Louis L'Amour was a little better, though now I'll have to reread one of his books just to see if I am remembering correctly.
Jane seems to ditch her religion completely at the end. I also find that rather unbelievable. If she was so committed to her religion in the beginning, could she really have such an abrupt turn around in that length of time? Probably not without some serious emotional and spiritual repercussions down the road. But, maybe great, sinful, gun-fighter sex helps her move on with her life.
A NY/NJ murder mystery sounds great. Can we be pimps and whores and drug dealers for it? That could be a fun change. (I would add alcoholics but that really wouldn't be that big of a change for us). :-)
Well I read one western in high school and now one more. I think that is a good quota for one's life.
Overall, it was OK, not great. The story was good but I think it lacked continuity. I didn't like how the horses were referred to as pets and Jane's racers but yet they are stolen and returned, Jane is not too worried and then she gives them away. What? I also didn't like how Wrangle was just left to fend for himself while Venters is enjoying Surprise Valley. I would think he should go check on him once in a while. And I didn't like how Little Fay talked so much like a baby but yet asked "adult" questions. And I'm sorry Melissa at the end, I didn't think of you as Jane at all. Jane seemed pretty wimpy to me as far as her love life goes. Who does she love? She DOESN'T KNOW! I thought the best developed character with the most meat was the stone. ROLL the STONE!
My favorite line was from Chapter 3, "seein' as you're considerable worked up". Did he mean fricky frick? Jane confirms this in Chapter 15 "Oh Bern, you WILD man!".
Post a Comment