Westerns (literary genre)

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

For when I just want to read for entertainment and not have to worry about thinking too much, I like genre fiction, sci-fi and fantasy, mostly. But I've always wanted to read Westerns, too. I've always liked the old west--horses, guns, Indians, etc. I love the genre in film, but haven't gotten into it in literature.

So, does anyone have some suggestions for a few books? I have read McCarthy's Blood Meridian, but that's not exactly what I'm looking for--it's not exactly a book one doesn't have to think about while reading. I always like asking here rather than other places because I know that, even though it's genre fiction, whatever is recommended here will most likely be well-written and a cut above the usual junk.

[rootinghog]

I've heard that Warlock by Oakley Hall is a gem.

[dfloyd]

James Fenimore Cooper. These novels, while not about the far west, have a lot of action and indians: Last of the Mohicans, The Deerslayer, The Pathfinder, the Prarie, and The Pioneers. Not only will you not be wasting your eyes on inferior genre novels, you'll be reading acknowledged classics.

The movie adaptations for the Lonesome Dove series: Dead Man's Walk, Comanche Moon, and Lonesome Dove, are excellent also. Again, movies are not as hard on your eyes as reading.

Audio books for genre novels are good also. I have listened to hundreds of books while driving, both classics and genre. Right now I am listenening to Hardy's Far from the Madding crowd, but I have also listened to mysteries by Agatha Christie, P. D. James, Michael Connolly, and many others Try the novels of Zane Grey for westerns.

[Calidore]

James Fenimore Cooper. These novels, while not about the far west, have a lot of action and indians: Last of the Mohicans, The Deerslayer, The Pathfinder, the Prarie, and The Pioneers. Not only will you not be wasting your eyes on inferior genre novels, you'll be reading acknowledged classics.

He didn't ask for inferior genre novels; he asked for superior ones. To that end, Mutatis, how about starting with the Western Writers of America's list of the best western novels of the 20th century.

http://www.listsofbests.com/list/91336-best-western-novels-of-the-20th-century

As for Cooper, Mark Twain had a something to say about him:

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/3172/3172-h/3172-h.htm

I've been unable to get through much of Cooper, because the writing is simply awful, at least by modern standards, in addition to Twain's 19th century standards. They are acknowledged classics, yes, but I think more so because they're Important than because they're Good. Gutenberg does have all of them, so while you're there, Mutatis, scan through them for yourself and see what you think.

[Lokasenna]

It's not a genre I'm in any way familiar with, but one of my friends frequently sings the praises of Charles Portis's True Grit.

[The Comedian]

There are many entertaining and well-written western novels.

I'd first suggest that you read Lonesome Dove; it's a marvelous novel -- expertly written, vibrant & multidimensional characters. . .and loads of great western genre-stuff too!

Other novels that come to mind are Shane (more of a novella). This novel really started the prototype of the Western gunslinger with a heart. There was a famous film based on the novel too, but the novel is a worthy read.

If you want to move away from the pure cowboy stuff: Willa Cather's novels are great, My Antonia and O' Pioneers more about pioneering families (and less on cowboys and Indians).

More genre stuff: you might check out the novels of A.B. Guthrie Jr. His novels The Big Sky and The Way West are well written, but a notch below the others that I've listed, and entertaining.

Hope this helps!

C

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

Awesome. Thanks a lot for the suggestions everyone; I'll definitely be doing some browsing on Amazon.

[Alexander III]

On a more serious note, Mutis, bring peter back !

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

Who am I to argue with popular demand?

[Bill 42]

You might want to consider The Virginian by Owen Wister.

[JBI]

The genre is virtually the same across countries, though within different traditions - Japanese Samurai novels, Chinese Wuxia novels, Sir Walter Scott, etc. The main point is the new "pastoral" setting, a variant paradise, as a present backdrop for a romance (as in period style) story. The actual particulars are not relevant - As one of my professors pointed out, there were tons of Romances about Koreans moving into Manchuria written at the tern of the 20th century. The idea of moving and expanding - of pushing a boundary - all tied in with a coming of age - whether it be the landscape or the characters - is the western. In a sense Child Harold is a Western, as is Onegin.

As for the real westerns as we see them - well, none of them make sense without the landscape - the landscape is everything. It is one of those genres where setting is the most dominant part of the story (in contrast to plot or character development).

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

Well, I love Kung Fu and samurai swords, too, so if you have any recommendations involving those, JBI, I'd love to hear them.

[togre]

I feel terrible that Zane Grey and Louis L'Amour haven't been mentioned. I've read some of Grey, and they are solid. I haven't read much of L'Amour.

[ladderandbucket]

Butcher's Crossing by John Williams

[MystyrMystyry]

You want literature, but some of the later Clint Eastwood westerns were great (really all of the spaghetti trilogy - the first based on Yojimbo - ending in Good Bad and Ugly, and High Plains Drifter -> Pale Rider).

Also The Magnificent Seven (as above a reworking of The Seven Samurai - actually I saw a quirky sci fi version with Robert Vaughn too), The Wild Bunch, and probably type in 'best Westerns of all time' - though a lot of them aren't ;)

[MystyrMystyry]

You want literature, but some of the later Clint Eastwood westerns were great (really all of the spaghetti trilogy - the first based on Yojimbo - ending in Good Bad and Ugly, and High Plains Drifter -> Pale Rider).

Also The Magnificent Seven (as above a reworking of The Seven Samurai - actually I saw a quirky sci fi version with Robert Vaughn too), The Wild Bunch, and probably type in 'best Westerns of all time' - though a lot of them aren't ;)

[Mutatis-Mutandis]

You want literature, but some of the later Clint Eastwood westerns were great (really all of the spaghetti trilogy - the first based on Yojimbo - ending in Good Bad and Ugly, and High Plains Drifter -> Pale Rider).

Also The Magnificent Seven (as above a reworking of The Seven Samurai - actually I saw a quirky sci fi version with Robert Vaughn too), The Wild Bunch, and probably type in 'best Westerns of all time' - though a lot of them aren't ;)

I love the spaghetti westerns. Clint rules. Even though it's not a Western by pure definition, I love The Outlaw Josey Whales (spelling may be off, there), but Unforgiven is probably my all time favorite. What an ending. I really wish the genre would get rebooted. There have been a few good ones over the past years, Open Range the first that comes to mind. I also really like The Quick and the Dead, which kind of lovingly pokes fun at the Western genre.

[togre]

For me Firefly helped me understand the "good bad guy" theme that runs through many westerns and the links they often have to the Civil War and its fallout. That and Firefly is simply awesome.

[ennison]

In our local library there are several shelves of well-read westerns. Lot of guys especially of a certain vintage seem to enjoy these - particularly the cliched dross. No one mentioned The Searchers or Buffalo Soldiers. I enjoyed Butcher's Crossing and Carrington as well.

[sandy14]

The Tall Stranger by Louis L'Amour will be a good start with his books.

Blood on the Rio Grande by Leslie Scott

Also take a look at David Gemmel's Wolf in Shadow (UK) /The Jerusalem Man (US) - it is a western rewritten as a fantasy series. David Gemmel had written a western, but his publisher told him westerns weren't popular. so, the book was rewritten with a fantasy backdrop. I remember enjoying it.

[lock67ca]

Any of Elmore Leonard's westerns are worth a read, especially Hombre and Valdez is Coming. Can also recommend Mary Doria Russell's novels Doc and Epitath, which deal with Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp. Any of Ron Hansen's westerns. The Sisters Brothers is quite good.

[bounty]

I feel terrible that Zane Grey and Louis L'Amour haven't been mentioned. I've read some of Grey, and they are solid. I haven't read much of L'Amour.

if anyones still out there reading this thread---I was thinking the same thing and was glad to see togre post this. I concur. grey's my favorite, l'amour is enjoyable too, and ive liked every max brand book ive read too.

[hellsapoppin]

A Man Called Paladin [1964] by Frank G Robertson



Paladin was one of my favorite tv characters ~ a bon vivant, lady's man, gourmet, a connoisseur of good food, spirits, music & art, world traveler, hunter (he killed a man killing tiger in Asia), a decorated war veteran and hero during the Civil War, and former boxer. He has some knowledge of the Chinese language and his confidant was Chinese-American. Very professional in his work as investigator and detective. I always admired the way he quoted Shakespeare or some other renowned scholar.

The novel tells us more about him and gives us his actual name (prefer not to spoil so I won't give it to you here).

I have a copy of this novel from McFadden Books which is one you can readily carry in your book and read as you ride the subway or bus to work.


https://i.pinimg.com/736x/66/31/b0/6631b00039473dec1e705b691fae25ff.jpg

[hellsapoppin]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=uXs1MF-OgzQ


Have Gun Will Travel reads the card of a man.
A knight without armor in a savage land.

His fast gun for hire heeds the calling wind.
A soldier of fortune is the man called Paladin.

Paladin, Paladin
Where do you roam?
Paladin, Paladin,
Far, far from home.

He travels on to where ever he must
a chess knight of silver is his badge of trust
There are campfire legends that the plainsmen spin
of the man with the gun
of the man called paladin

Paladin, Paladin
Where do you roam?
Paladin, Paladin,
Far, far from home.
Far, far from home.
Far, far from home.

[bounty]

westerns are interesting in my life---I use them as a sort of default "go to" when I don't know what else I might like to read. I do the same thing with star trek books. its not necessarily that I want to read a western, its that I more or less know im going to end up liking what I read if I pick one.

I have a 50 movie pack of westerns on dvd that I picked up at a yard sale---full of actors whose names I recognize, but I don't recognize any of the titles, let alone have seen any of them.

have gun will travel was a little before my time and i don't remember seeing re-runs of it, so im not familiar with it. I grew up with a fair amount of bonanza, the rifleman, gunsmoke and the wild wild west. and lots of john wayne movies, and clint eastwood ones too.

the title makes me wonder if influenced the creators of the equalizer. or that its just a common enough trope that has recurring appeal; most everyone likes rough justice.

[hellsapoppin]

have gun will travel was a little before my time and i don't remember seeing re-runs of it, so im not familiar with it. I grew up with a fair amount of bonanza, the rifleman, gunsmoke and the wild wild west. and lots of john wayne movies, and clint eastwood ones too.


Most cowboy/western shows were what they used to call "action" shows where the highlight was a big fight at the end of the show. HGWT did often have a fight at the end, but the story was more about principle ~ that the world is unjust but Paladin was willing to set it all right. He preferred not to fight. But if forced to do so he would. And fight fiercely if he had to.

Paladin was a multi faceted Renaissance man - truly one of a kind. Sadly, TV has not produced such an interesting character like that in a long while. I strongly recommend watching some episodes on YouTube or nostalgia TV.

[Sancho]

I think by the 70s the cop shows had pretty much subsumed the cowboy shows. Both genres more or less followed the same formula. Movies too. The man with no name became Dirty Harry. I watched a few episodes of Gun Smoke as a kid, but it was my dad’s show. I liked Kung Fu. Caine would try to avoid a fight, but we all knew in the end he was going to wind up kicking somebody’s a**. That’s all we wanted to see. And then the next day we’d try out Caine’s moves at recess. Strip mall karate businesses boomed. Rex Kwon Do too. I have some nunchuck skills.