thetarantulalounge's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Western stories are horror stories. Desolation. Solitude. The Unknown. Monsters. That’s what they’re always about.
I think that’s why I like them so much – they strip civilization down to a skeleton and then they ask the most basic questions. What kind of person are you, really? What would you do to live? Would you rather survive, or keep your character intact? Can you do both?
This collection of Elmore Leonard’s Western stories was recently on sale as an audiobook, and most of the stories are read by David Strathairn (Godzilla: King of the Monsters), William Atherton (Bio-Dome), and Henry Rollins (The Drew Carey Show). Of course, I smashed that buy button.
I don’t know whether I’d prefer this collection in audio or print form. David Strathairn, Henry Rollins, and William Atherton reading the stories do raise the narration to something like a radio drama, which is a plus. Leonard’s one-liners and pithy observations sound great when read by older actors. But the audiobook doesn’t include all of the stories in the collection. And sometimes I found myself trying to figure out if a character from one story popped up in another one – especially because I know Leonard does that in other work. It would’ve been easier to track things like that in print. Still, listening to my man Henry Rollins read 3:10 to Yuma while I’m driving through Texas – Vince McMahon gif.
So I’ll recommend both. Listen to the stories and track down the collection in print (which has a great cover). There are worse things to spend your money on.
alexsiddall's review
4.0
These are tightly-written stories, psychologically sharp, with telling details and spare dialogue. They are formulaic, and very much from the male viewpoint: the hardbitten, worldly-wise straight-shooting cowboy, who's been waiting for the woman of his dreams and can identify her in an instant. The women are always there to provide motivation and move the plot along with sudden agency. They may be looking for a man to love and support, who will treat them with respect, but they have intelligence and bravery too.
My impression is of Leonard writing to his own clearly-defined formula of what his publishers require, and bringing to that traditional pulp format his distinctive imaginative plotting featuring no-nonsense, decisive characters both male and female.
Lots of glittering short tall tales, best read one or two at a time. Not a disappointment among them.
My impression is of Leonard writing to his own clearly-defined formula of what his publishers require, and bringing to that traditional pulp format his distinctive imaginative plotting featuring no-nonsense, decisive characters both male and female.
Lots of glittering short tall tales, best read one or two at a time. Not a disappointment among them.
mark_lm's review against another edition
4.0
These are all at least pretty good and some are excellent.
cpiemontese's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
bundy23's review against another edition
3.0
Some good stories and some average ones, but that's what you get considering he was paid by the word to write most of them.
One thing I'm now certain of is that, at his best, Elmore Leonard is actually better at Westerns than Crime novels.
One thing I'm now certain of is that, at his best, Elmore Leonard is actually better at Westerns than Crime novels.
doctortdm's review against another edition
4.0
Some very well constructed stories and a few that get all tangled.
aluminumbird's review against another edition
5.0
This is another book that surprised me. My only real exposure to Westerns before this was Louis L'Amour. Unless you count "new western" like Cormac McCarthy.
Maybe I'm just too ignorant of the genre to spot cliches, but these stories struck me as supremely literary. I would recommend this for anyone who likes short stories.
Maybe I'm just too ignorant of the genre to spot cliches, but these stories struck me as supremely literary. I would recommend this for anyone who likes short stories.
luana420's review against another edition
5.0
It took me way too long, but after this and Leonard's debut novel "The Bounty Hunters", I think you can count me as an unabashed fan. I remember reading this while waiting for my car to get fixed, with other people present in the waiting room, and I had to actively suppress saying out loud "Dat's cool!" when something cool happened.
Now, this almost visceral reaction happened about three pages into a story. Let it be a testament to the efficiency of Leonard's writing that I had, in three pages or less, gotten such an affinity for the characters and situation presented that I had to bite my tongue not to embarrass myself in public.
Leonard is no Tolkien (thankfully), but, for a writer who appreciates terseness and getting to the point, he was also surprisingly good at sketching landscapes, an inescapable factor in a good western story. After the first few shorts, I was thoroughly ingrained in the Arizona pecos and mountain ranges.
Another surprisingly positive thing -- especially for shorts mostly published in the 50s -- is how damn progressive Leonard was when it came to race and gender.
A few days ago, I dubbed him the anti-Whedon: everything's funny, but nothing's trying to be.
Now, this almost visceral reaction happened about three pages into a story. Let it be a testament to the efficiency of Leonard's writing that I had, in three pages or less, gotten such an affinity for the characters and situation presented that I had to bite my tongue not to embarrass myself in public.
Leonard is no Tolkien (thankfully), but, for a writer who appreciates terseness and getting to the point, he was also surprisingly good at sketching landscapes, an inescapable factor in a good western story. After the first few shorts, I was thoroughly ingrained in the Arizona pecos and mountain ranges.
Another surprisingly positive thing -- especially for shorts mostly published in the 50s -- is how damn progressive Leonard was when it came to race and gender.
A few days ago, I dubbed him the anti-Whedon: everything's funny, but nothing's trying to be.
neven's review against another edition
4.0
An endlessly enjoyable collection of Leonard's
Western tales, most of them written in the 1950s. With the exception of the very oldest stories - a bit stilted and boyish, maybe - and the last two - a bit cynical and meandering, perhaps - these are pulp entertainment at its best. Leonard is a passionate writer with a great ear, so even though you're reading cowboy adventures, basically, the writing is never even remotely dull or unconvincing. And during its high points, the book is downright morally instructive.
Western tales, most of them written in the 1950s. With the exception of the very oldest stories - a bit stilted and boyish, maybe - and the last two - a bit cynical and meandering, perhaps - these are pulp entertainment at its best. Leonard is a passionate writer with a great ear, so even though you're reading cowboy adventures, basically, the writing is never even remotely dull or unconvincing. And during its high points, the book is downright morally instructive.
jakekilroy's review against another edition
4.0
I could read Elmore Leonard western pulp forever. They're exactly the stories you hope you get from the genre. The brutal landscape, the strong outlaws, the strong Native Americans, the strong calvary. Everything is by a code of the the west. Man respects man because he has to, and those who don't wind up dead. There are cliched dopes or stock character laziness. Every story reads sharp, every story reads neat. It was a swell time.