Recommended reading for Westerns?

[TheIT]

I'm not very familar with the Western genre other than from movies and TV, but all the activity in this forum has gotten me intrigued. What books would you recommend to someone looking for a good introduction to Westerns?

Thanks in advance!

[Cav Guy]

Depends on your tastes, really. For a more traditional Western (see my earlier post for some discussion about the distinctions), try just about anything by Louis L'Amour. Matt Braun also writes some fairly traditional Westerns. The Virginian is a must if you want to see the roots of the genre. For more historical stuff, Terry Johnston is good, but he tends to be a bit gory for some.

Richard Wheeler turns a good phrase, and for the more literary bent, Lonesome Dove is a must. Joseph West's Gunsmoke series isn't bad, but it doesn't stick to the TV series in some areas. It's also more traditional. Elmore Leonard wrote some good Westerns as well, though they're a bit more gritty than traditional.

[Ol' Fashioned Girl]

I agree on Lonesome Dove... but don't despair during the first 100 pages. He almost lost me there. By the end of the book (roughly a thousand pages!) I was mad that there weren't another thousand to go.

However, there's a caveat there: I did NOT like the sequel 'Streets of Laredo'.

[dpaterso]

Article, "Best Westerns of the 20th Century"
http://www.westernwriters.org/best_westerns.htm

Zane Grey is among the listed authors, see the thread further down this forum. His style might feel a tad dated but I was in no way allergic to Riders Of The Purple Sage which had its moments, and sure did paint purty pictures.

-Derek

[alleycat]

A few of my favorite are Monte Walsh by Jack Schaefer, and a couple of the books by A.B. Guthrie (The Way West won the Pulitzer Prize), but Cav Guy is right, it does depend on your own tastes.

[Puma]

And, for a bit of a different perspective, try The Luck of Roaring Camp by Bret Harte, Some of the Mark Twain shorts (Jumping Frog of Calaveras County), and Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. These would be considered fringe of the genre. Puma

[Cav Guy]

Actually if you want to get a good feel for the dialog of the times, Twain is a perfect source. So is the short fiction of Charles Russell and Frederick Remington. Owen Wister has the same thing going for him. They may not be considered Westerns by today's yardstick, but in historical source terms they are primary-type sources and contain some good information.

[alleycat]

Twain's Roughing It is worth reading just for the stories of his adventures during the silver mining boom.

[Cav Guy]

/pokes Festus with a boot/

You got any suggestions about authors to read for TheIT?

[JeanneTGC]

O. Henry's The Heart of the West and the Gentle Grafter are also great. (Of course, anything by O. Henry is great in my book.) Through most of his books (I have the full collection) he has some stories set in the West thrown in, as well.

I disagree with OFG about Lonesome Dove, but I know I'm in the minority. ;) If a book bores me to tears for 3 pages I am not reading the rest of it, no matter who wrote it (yes, I'm also talking about the Lord of the Rings, too, LOL).

[Festus]

Well, I am at a lost to add to the list. I guess Louis L'Amour is my favorite of them all (Don't spit, Cav!) I have all of his books I could get my hands on. Zane Grey and Mark Twain, Max Brand are all good, too.

There are some I don't care for, Lonearm or whatever is just Porn disguised as a western, I don't have time nor desire to read such as that nor for the ones that are a glory to primarily killing, with no real backstory or feel for the times.

Festus

[blacbird]

The Ox-Bow Incident, by Walter Van Tilburg Clark. Not just a great western, simply one of the finest American novels of the 20th Century.

caw

[Mr. Jinx]

My favorite is currently Ralph Cotton. I have read several of his books but I particulary liked Guns of Wolf Valley.

[veinglory]

True Grit by Charles Portis

[kristin724]

Shane! I also love Nevada, and I agree with others suggestions of more Zane Grey and Louis L'Amour. I got a lot of westerns from my dad's kid collection from the fifties. I've since rebuilt my LAL collection by hitting the bag sales at thrift shops. I bought 30 L'Amour books for $3!

Truthfully there are a lot of cardboard dime westerns out there, not unlike the b western overkill back in the day. STill, yo ucan find quite a selection second hand at an affordable price. Then you will be able to pick and choose who you like.

I've always been tempted to read The Searchers, but I don't want the book to tamper my love of the film. Shepard of the Hills, however, I think is a better book than a movie.

Glad I finally made it into the westerns thread!

K

[Jamesaritchie]

Louis L'Amour is also my favorite, and by a wide margin. But I also like Zane Grey and Max Brand. If you don't mind e-books, you can read a big bunch of Zane Grey and Max Brand online for free.

[Festus]

James and Kristin and blacbird (anyone I may have missed):

Welcome to our group! We're mighty glad to have you here!!!!

[dpaterso]

I'm just saying, the Zane Grey books available on Project Gutenberg were mentioned in an earlier thread (http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=55838). The quick link is: http://www.gutenberg.org/browse/authors/g#a212

Here's the quick link to Max Brand's books:

Brand, Max, 1892-1944
http://www.gutenberg.org/browse/authors/b#a743

-Derek