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miklosha's review against another edition
5.0
I suspect that many people saw the Brad Pitt/Casey Affleck film first, then read the book, as I did. I found the movie to be excellent and appreciated the tragic nature of it. Much like the film, the author takes his time with the Assassination of Jesse James. For Hansen, the death may be the climax but it certainly is not the focus. Instead, the fawning relationship between a young Bob Ford and an enigmatic Jesse James waxes and wanes, to the point where it is difficult to tell if it's a love or hate friendship. After the death, the story continues, documenting the slow decay of the other characters, ending with Bob Ford, living off borrowed time and simultaneously holding onto and shirking his past deed.
Like I said, the author takes his time writing this story and the pace can be construed as tedious. I appreciated this cinematic quality but am sympathetic to such a criticism. The overall story is tragic, melancholic even, as there are no winners in this story. To maximize the experience, read & watch the story, and if you're lucky, the tone and atmosphere will more than make up for the pace.
Like I said, the author takes his time writing this story and the pace can be construed as tedious. I appreciated this cinematic quality but am sympathetic to such a criticism. The overall story is tragic, melancholic even, as there are no winners in this story. To maximize the experience, read & watch the story, and if you're lucky, the tone and atmosphere will more than make up for the pace.
julieacf's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
mo7189's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
5.0
cmaldo's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Forgot about this place! Currently bored at work so I figured now's as good a time as any to write this.
This book is fascinating. Hard to find any info about Ron Hansen's writing process or research, but from what I understand, it's historically accurate aside from the conversations between the characters. This makes the overall structure tough to process since these events didn't happen in a traditional storytelling form. Hansen leans into this by making the book very contemplative and loose. We'll be introduced to a person and - in a brief, throwaway sentence - get a summary of what the rest of their life looks like and how the main subjects of the book effected that. Very stream-of-conscious.
I saw the movie twice before reading this book, so I have no clue how this reads to someone who hasn't seen it, but the movie takes these contemplative aspect and dials it up a lot. Lots of nuance in the looks and silences between the characters. That really helped inform my reading of the book and more-or-less prepared me for what to expect.
I was actually drawn to read it when I learned that the voice-over narration from the movie was lifted straight from the book. It's very poetic and abstract at times, and I was intrigued. It really was my bread and butter to be honest. The sentences this guy crafts are really interesting, beautiful, and often silly. It helped add to that stream-of-conscious free flow of ideas.
Now, for the main subjects of the book: Jesse James and Robert Ford. The amount of depth that is poured into every character - but especially these two - is astounding. So many nuances in their words and actions. With these two men as a vessel, Hansen thoroughly explores celebrity, American individualism, greed, and struggles with mental health and self-identity.
As the book itself notes, Jesse James was as popular as the Sphinx of Egypt during this time. So many legends were created about him, many of which were hyperbolic if not outright false (as Robert Ford discovered himself). Hansen sheds them of their legendary status and paints a complicated portrait of two men trying to make sense of their place in this world. However, even with this empathetic look into who they were, it never shies away from the truly nasty aspects of their personality and actions.
Was Robert Ford a coward? At times I think he was, but more so I believe he was naive. He bought into the Jesse James legend, thinking it was something he could attain. In reality, not even Jesse lived up to his legend. They were just two men.
With my deep dive into the movie and this book, Jesse James and Robert Ford have occupied a lot of real estate in my mind for the past eight-ish months. I'm not sure why I feel so attached to the American West - aside from the obvious - but this journey has been very rewarding!
This book is fascinating. Hard to find any info about Ron Hansen's writing process or research, but from what I understand, it's historically accurate aside from the conversations between the characters. This makes the overall structure tough to process since these events didn't happen in a traditional storytelling form. Hansen leans into this by making the book very contemplative and loose. We'll be introduced to a person and - in a brief, throwaway sentence - get a summary of what the rest of their life looks like and how the main subjects of the book effected that. Very stream-of-conscious.
I saw the movie twice before reading this book, so I have no clue how this reads to someone who hasn't seen it, but the movie takes these contemplative aspect and dials it up a lot. Lots of nuance in the looks and silences between the characters. That really helped inform my reading of the book and more-or-less prepared me for what to expect.
I was actually drawn to read it when I learned that the voice-over narration from the movie was lifted straight from the book. It's very poetic and abstract at times, and I was intrigued. It really was my bread and butter to be honest. The sentences this guy crafts are really interesting, beautiful, and often silly. It helped add to that stream-of-conscious free flow of ideas.
Now, for the main subjects of the book: Jesse James and Robert Ford. The amount of depth that is poured into every character - but especially these two - is astounding. So many nuances in their words and actions. With these two men as a vessel, Hansen thoroughly explores celebrity, American individualism, greed, and struggles with mental health and self-identity.
As the book itself notes, Jesse James was as popular as the Sphinx of Egypt during this time. So many legends were created about him, many of which were hyperbolic if not outright false (as Robert Ford discovered himself). Hansen sheds them of their legendary status and paints a complicated portrait of two men trying to make sense of their place in this world. However, even with this empathetic look into who they were, it never shies away from the truly nasty aspects of their personality and actions.
Was Robert Ford a coward? At times I think he was, but more so I believe he was naive. He bought into the Jesse James legend, thinking it was something he could attain. In reality, not even Jesse lived up to his legend. They were just two men.
With my deep dive into the movie and this book, Jesse James and Robert Ford have occupied a lot of real estate in my mind for the past eight-ish months. I'm not sure why I feel so attached to the American West - aside from the obvious - but this journey has been very rewarding!
jwmcoaching's review against another edition
3.0
I saw the film version when it first came out and bought the book soon after. It took me until now to read it, but I'm mainly glad I did.
This is a good book that I feel like should have been even better. The events behind the plot are so fascinating that this really should have been quite the page turner. Hansen is a talented writer and is like a cinematic painter in many of his descriptions; he almost could be a literary cousin to Terrence Malick. It's a no brainer why this was adapted for the big screen.
I think that Hansen runs into problems with two things: his writing style is almost too flowery and ornate at times and he also straddles the line between fact and fiction a bit too much. Ostensibly, all of the dialogue in this (or at least most of it) is fictionalized guesswork. Hansen juxtaposes this with numerous dates and locations that sometime slow down the poetic nature of the narrative.
The other fascinating thing about the narrative itself is that for as intriguing of a character that Jesse James is made out to be, the most compelling part of the plot is AFTER he's dead, when Hansen elaborates on the life that Robert Ford led, post-assassination. I almost feel like the book would have been even more entertaining if the assassination of James had been moved more to the middle of the novel, with as much space given to the aftermath of James' death as to the lead up.
This is a good book that I feel like should have been even better. The events behind the plot are so fascinating that this really should have been quite the page turner. Hansen is a talented writer and is like a cinematic painter in many of his descriptions; he almost could be a literary cousin to Terrence Malick. It's a no brainer why this was adapted for the big screen.
I think that Hansen runs into problems with two things: his writing style is almost too flowery and ornate at times and he also straddles the line between fact and fiction a bit too much. Ostensibly, all of the dialogue in this (or at least most of it) is fictionalized guesswork. Hansen juxtaposes this with numerous dates and locations that sometime slow down the poetic nature of the narrative.
The other fascinating thing about the narrative itself is that for as intriguing of a character that Jesse James is made out to be, the most compelling part of the plot is AFTER he's dead, when Hansen elaborates on the life that Robert Ford led, post-assassination. I almost feel like the book would have been even more entertaining if the assassination of James had been moved more to the middle of the novel, with as much space given to the aftermath of James' death as to the lead up.
starfish422's review against another edition
4.0
I am nothing less than blown away by the level of detail Ron Hansen included in every paragraph, every page and every scene of this book. From the first pages when he starts by describing Jesse, to the final lines that end as abruptly as Bob's life, everything is rich with detail.
I rate it four star only because as I began Part 3 it started to feel long. That latter portion seemed to take a while to get through. Otherwise, a very interesting book on Jesse's life as well as Bob's.
I rate it four star only because as I began Part 3 it started to feel long. That latter portion seemed to take a while to get through. Otherwise, a very interesting book on Jesse's life as well as Bob's.
jsslwy's review against another edition
3.0
Truthfully I screwed this book over because I tried to read it in tandem with watching the movie and was alternating and it was surprisingly not confusing but I def got a mid experience from both. Im glad I did it though bc it was wild.
silverthane's review against another edition
4.0
A very good story written about that infamous outlaw Jesse James. The film based on these writings which is of the same title starring Brad Pitt was excellent and this book is also entertaining and gripping.
After reading this book my opinion of Jesse James is much the same; he was a murderous criminal who deserved to be brought to justice. The manner of his death is unpleasant but it is not Jesse himself I felt sorry for but his family. He was shot dead in his own home not far from his wife and children by Robert Ford, a member of his gang.
The most interesting aspect of the story for me is not Jesse himself but his assassin. Robert Ford led a sad life where nobody really liked him or respected him, he hero-worshipped Jesse before he realised that his hero was little more than a cold-blooded violent killer and a thief he then decided to increase his own fame by killing Jesse and claiming the reward for himself.
Ford was afraid of Jesse, who had become increasingly paranoid and distrustful of even close associates. Jesse was a light sleeper and always kept his pistols with him even when asleep or in the bath. Ford did not wish to confront Jesse in person to kill him as he knew Jesse would almost certainly kill him first (being a more skilled and experienced gunfighter) It is hard to tell if Jesse knew Ford planned to kill him. In the film it is certainly suggested he did but I suppose we will never know the truth.
Ford was assasinated himself some years after killing Jesse, poetic justice I suppose but Ford never committed the atrosities that Jesse did so its arguable. I suppose it is a classic example of the anicent saying "He who lives by the sword, dies by the sword"
A thrilling read, I recommend it highly
After reading this book my opinion of Jesse James is much the same; he was a murderous criminal who deserved to be brought to justice. The manner of his death is unpleasant but it is not Jesse himself I felt sorry for but his family. He was shot dead in his own home not far from his wife and children by Robert Ford, a member of his gang.
The most interesting aspect of the story for me is not Jesse himself but his assassin. Robert Ford led a sad life where nobody really liked him or respected him, he hero-worshipped Jesse before he realised that his hero was little more than a cold-blooded violent killer and a thief he then decided to increase his own fame by killing Jesse and claiming the reward for himself.
Ford was afraid of Jesse, who had become increasingly paranoid and distrustful of even close associates. Jesse was a light sleeper and always kept his pistols with him even when asleep or in the bath. Ford did not wish to confront Jesse in person to kill him as he knew Jesse would almost certainly kill him first (being a more skilled and experienced gunfighter) It is hard to tell if Jesse knew Ford planned to kill him. In the film it is certainly suggested he did but I suppose we will never know the truth.
Ford was assasinated himself some years after killing Jesse, poetic justice I suppose but Ford never committed the atrosities that Jesse did so its arguable. I suppose it is a classic example of the anicent saying "He who lives by the sword, dies by the sword"
A thrilling read, I recommend it highly
ethancf's review against another edition
4.0
Read for Tiny Book Club, the Glenview Library Podcast.
Brilliantly researched, wonderfully immersive, and delightfully subversive. Westerns are, for me at least, primarily about the aesthetic appeal, and Hansen's detailed writing is as immersive as it gets. The genre subversions are made all the more excellent by being submerged in this world and the book, while dense and slow, flies by. If you're looking for a Western with action and gunfights, you're in the wrong place; Hansen's focus is the literary, his narrative is more concerned with character than movement.
Brilliantly researched, wonderfully immersive, and delightfully subversive. Westerns are, for me at least, primarily about the aesthetic appeal, and Hansen's detailed writing is as immersive as it gets. The genre subversions are made all the more excellent by being submerged in this world and the book, while dense and slow, flies by. If you're looking for a Western with action and gunfights, you're in the wrong place; Hansen's focus is the literary, his narrative is more concerned with character than movement.