Western Books

[dave jenkins]

I've always thought that Cumbow's chapter on Morricone is the best thing about the book.

[Groggy]

Most of those seem pretty obvious to me, except your point about the immersion in water.

[dave jenkins]

Most of those seem pretty obvious to me, except your point about the immersion in water.

I think it's actually Cumbow's point.

[Groggy]

Potayto, tomahto...

[titoli]

After an introduction in which Hughes deal with some (the usual ones) major movie made before Stagecoach, 27 movies are dealt with individually. The author gives some background information concentrating on locations and other trivia, never venturing in the kind of criticism which strives to bring attention to itself and not the movie in object. This makes me give a sufficient evaluation of the book anyway, but I can't give it more because for the fan the book has little to offer. It can only be a good introduction for the absolute neophyte. Let's also add that I do not have the impression that Hughes has a more than superficial knowledge of 50's movies. 6\10

[titoli]

This is much better than the former. Though there are minor (but how cannot Hughes have realized that italian titles require capital letters only for the first word unless they are proper names?) and major mistakes (Stefanelli - like Lorenzon - made his first westerns in late '50's; Eastwood didn't come back to the USA after the shooting with a copy of Fistful; etc.) it is an interesting reading, full of perceptive (though sometime debatable) interpretations  and lots of infos. Hughes didn't watch as many italian westerns as me or some other member of this forum, but he did a lot of research.  8\10

[SilenceSWDB]

I have this one. Very nice book  .

[titoli]

Not such a great collection, although it includes some rare and good stories like Vigilante by DeRosso and I.O.U. - One Bullet by Ryerson Johnson. Hopalong Cassidy Sits In has been anthologized elsewhere but it probably has the best poker game in western fiction. The Leonard's story is good also but widely available nowadays. 6\10

[titoli]

Any german contributor read this?

[stanton]

Yeah, a pretty good book. More analytical than Frayling, a perfect complement to it. Very comprehensive.

[titoli]

Thanx, I'll buy it first chance.

[titoli]

The Western Hall of Fame: An Anthology of Classic Western Stories Selected by the Western Writers of America
(1984) Edited by Martin H Greenberg and Bill Pronzini

This anthology of short stories is absolutely top notch as to quality, but I give it "only" an 8\10 for the following reasons:

1) The editors did not make a great job of adequately  presenting the stories and their authors. There is just a short introduction explaining as the stories were selected and giving two-three lines as to their authors background.

2) Some of the stories can hardly be considered as "western". And only a few of the stories are "action" stories. This point is debatable, but I think a western yarn must have some thrilling action.

[titoli]

Matheson combines some western lore  (Lincoln County war, Earp etc.) in the guise of an autobiographical journal of a top gunfighter. The best part comes when the protagonist life starts to crumble for various reasons. Not up to the author's horror masterpieces, but very entertaining. 8\10

[Scalp hunter]

Anyone know of any good novels, i was looking for a good, violent, western novel and all i could come up with is blood meridian, but its not my taste. Ive read lots of leonard and l'amour, and i've heard the Edge books are fun......crap, but fun. Any suggestions?

[cigar joe]

Check out McCarthy's Border Trilogy, they take place in the 1930's-1940's but once the action crosses into Mexico they practically go back in time 50 years and are like any other Western and very good.

McCabe by Edmund Naughton