Spilt Pea Soup Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 I've been reading Westerns lately and come across some truly great novels in this underappreciated, waning in popularity genre. Blood Meridian and The Border Trilogy by Cormac McCarthy are some of my favorite books and stand as some of the best American literature ever, in any genre. The Sisters Brothers more recently has really captivated me. This is a Quentin Tarantino / Coen Brothers-esque dark comedy set in 19th Century California following two brothers that are assassins for hire. A very fun read. Highly recommended. Does anyone else have good suggestions in this genre? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ser Kafka Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 I absolutely loved The Sisters Brothers. Definitely one of my favourite books. Gruesome in parts and had me in stitches in others. Soon after t reading it I went ahead and bought Ablutions, but haven't started it yet. Butcher's Crossing is a very good Western. Hell, it's very good in its own right. Not a Western in the traditional sense, meaning it's pretty thin on the ground with regards to action, but that's not what it's about. Great descriptive writing and and even better character development. Been told many times to read True Grit. It comes with very high praise from my brother, who isn't the biggest Western fan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astromech Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spilt Pea Soup Posted August 5, 2015 Author Share Posted August 5, 2015 I adore Lonesome Dove. It's more "genre" than the other suggestions here, but that's often what I'm looking for. I definitely want to read Butcher's Crossing, when I have the attention span for it. I love slow prose, landscape detail, descriptions of work. Thanks for the suggestion! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Tyrion I Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 "Little Big Man" Thomas Berger (also a film of the same name). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howdyphillip Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 The Sacketts series by Louis L'Amour was one of my favorite stories as I was growing up. There are around 20 books, but they are all fairly short and easy reads. I personally feel like the conversation about Westerns in literature usually begins and ends with L'Amour with a heavy sprinkling of McMurtry in between. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Writhen Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 High Plains Drifter is true alpha. After that, The Good, The Bad and the Ugly is awesome, and True Grit remake. Honorable mention Pale Rider and The Outlaw Josey Wales... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Relic Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 has anyone ever stayed in a decent best Western? at best they are uninspiring, at woest they are roach infested shit holes. ugh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Tyrion I Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 "Once upon a time in the West" "Eldorado" my favorite Western Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry of the Lawn Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry yup. BM is awesome too but I think Lonesome Dove is the ultimate Western. Eta: McCarthy's Border trilogy is pretty great too. Only thing that I will gripe about with Lonesome Dove is [spoiler] the excessive raping as charachterization during the kidnap section [/spoiler]. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free Northman Reborn Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 Anything by Louis Lamour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spockydog Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 If we're including fantasy westerns, I nominate these two: Red Country by Joe Abercrombie. The Incorruptibles by John Hornor Jacobs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkynJay Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 If we're including fantasy westerns, I nominate these two: Red Country by Joe Abercrombie. The Incorruptibles by John Hornor Jacobs. And Half-Made World by Gilman. But seriously the answer is Lonesome Dove. I also remember enjoying Comstock Lode from L'Amore as his most enjoyable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Writhen Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 Yeah I forgot OUATITW. Absolute masterpiece... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterbound Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 Six Gun Tarot by RS Belcher. And Unforgiven if we're talking movies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spilt Pea Soup Posted August 5, 2015 Author Share Posted August 5, 2015 has anyone ever stayed in a decent best Western? at best they are uninspiring, at woest they are roach infested shit holes. ugh I stayed in one in Mammoth Lakes, CA that was spick and span, indoor pool, and cost.....$180/night!!! You get what you pay for I suppose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilbur Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 High Plains Drifter is true alpha. After that, The Good, The Bad and the Ugly is awesome, and True Grit remake. Honorable mention Pale Rider and The Outlaw Josey Wales... As good as High Plains Drifter is, I would rank The Good, The Bad and The Ugly above it because the score by Morricone is so outstanding and the fact that it points so clearly to the Civil War as the fountainhead of the unmitigated violence that is inherent to our Western history. Example: The Ecstasy of Gold: https://youtu.be/1-rHdSWZLpQ Once Upon a Time in the West is another one that is fundamental to the genre, as well as The Wild Bunch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astromech Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 If we're including films, I would also add High Noon, 3:10 to Yuma, Open Range and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid to some of the movies mentioned in this thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maarsen Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 Flashman And The Redskins Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iskaral Pust Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 These recs seems to have drifted to movies pretty quickly. For books, I also really enjoyed Blood Meridian and The Sisters Brothers. Red Country is technically fantasy, but it's basically a western novel and the story is a mix of The Seekers and HBO's Deadwood. Kind of similar in tone and feel to The Sisters Brothers. Louis L'amour is very good but generally lightweight and a quick read; definitely genre fiction. I didn't enjoy McMurty's True Grit as much because the narration and perspective felt childish and limited. Sometimes an unaware narrator can still allow the reader to see a deeper story and it works very well, but that one just did not work as well for me. Lonesome Dove was better from the same author. I was not much impressed by Little Big Man either, just a slapdash sequencing to allow the character to participate in several historical events. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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