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Silver Canyon
Book by L'Amour, Louis
167 pages, Library Binding
First published October 1, 1956
335 people are currently reading
857 people want to read
About the author
Louis L'Amour
995 books3,468 followersLouis Dearborn L'Amour was an American novelist and short story writer. His books consisted primarily of Western novels, though he called his work "frontier stories". His most widely known Western fiction works include Last of the Breed, Hondo, Shalako, and the Sackett series. L'Amour also wrote historical fiction (The Walking Drum), science fiction (The Haunted Mesa), non-fiction (Frontier), and poetry and short-story collections. Many of his stories were made into films. His books remain popular and most have gone through multiple printings. At the time of his death, almost all of his 105 existing works (89 novels, 14 short-story collections, and two full-length works of nonfiction) were still in print, and he was "one of the world's most popular writers".
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 160 reviews
May 18, 2023
"I rode down from the high blue hills and across the brush flats into Hattan's Point, a raw bit of sprawling hell scattered hit or miss along the rocky slope of a rust-topped mess. This was a country for a man, a big country to grow in . . . Ah, it's a grand feeling to be young and tough!" -- from page 1
L'Amour's novella Silver Canyon - originally published as Riders of the Dawn in 1952, although neither title really fits and/or is applicable to the plot - was a splendid little Western adventure/drama that demonstrates that said author was already a sure hand at crafting a compact story early in the first decade of his writing career. Gunslinger / former small town marshal 'Matt' Brennan rides into a frontier village circa 1881 to begin a new phase of his life but is abruptly smitten with a young woman named Moira whom he meets at a local cafe. Of course, complications quickly arise because 1.) Moira is the resilient bachelorette daughter of a local hot-tempered power broker, 2.) a ferocious bully unreasonably believes that Moira is already betrothed to him, and 3.) a fierce land war is reaching a boiling point and Brennan is pressured by both feuding factions into choosing a side. All of this happens in just the initial ten pages (!), so the supremely confident yet not exactly cocksure Brennan soon realizes that he is both intrigued by the challenge AND that the only side he will take is his very own. Filled with more Irish surnames (Maclaren, O'Hara, Mulvaney, Canaval, Tharp, et al.) than you can shake your tam o' shanter at, Silver Canyon alternates between some bruising action sequences and a number of effective quieter moments where shrewd Brennan attempts to outfox and outlast his opponents to broker peace in the upstart community and win the heart of Moira.
L'Amour's novella Silver Canyon - originally published as Riders of the Dawn in 1952, although neither title really fits and/or is applicable to the plot - was a splendid little Western adventure/drama that demonstrates that said author was already a sure hand at crafting a compact story early in the first decade of his writing career. Gunslinger / former small town marshal 'Matt' Brennan rides into a frontier village circa 1881 to begin a new phase of his life but is abruptly smitten with a young woman named Moira whom he meets at a local cafe. Of course, complications quickly arise because 1.) Moira is the resilient bachelorette daughter of a local hot-tempered power broker, 2.) a ferocious bully unreasonably believes that Moira is already betrothed to him, and 3.) a fierce land war is reaching a boiling point and Brennan is pressured by both feuding factions into choosing a side. All of this happens in just the initial ten pages (!), so the supremely confident yet not exactly cocksure Brennan soon realizes that he is both intrigued by the challenge AND that the only side he will take is his very own. Filled with more Irish surnames (Maclaren, O'Hara, Mulvaney, Canaval, Tharp, et al.) than you can shake your tam o' shanter at, Silver Canyon alternates between some bruising action sequences and a number of effective quieter moments where shrewd Brennan attempts to outfox and outlast his opponents to broker peace in the upstart community and win the heart of Moira.
February 7, 2018
It took me 36 years to read this book of under 200 pages.
Let me explain...
In 1982 I received a leather bound hardcover copy of Silver Canyon. I read the first few chapters, and when a friend asked to borrow the book, I loaned it to him right then and there. I never got it back. Recently, I started getting interested in reading westerns again, and I thought of this book. I bought the paperback copy and finished reading it on my lunch breaks at work.
And oh, how glad I am that I picked it back up. This book is brimming with gunfights, backstabbing ranch hands and dastardly villains. The mystery kept me guessing till the end.
So, here it is...a review 36 years in the making.
Let me explain...
In 1982 I received a leather bound hardcover copy of Silver Canyon. I read the first few chapters, and when a friend asked to borrow the book, I loaned it to him right then and there. I never got it back. Recently, I started getting interested in reading westerns again, and I thought of this book. I bought the paperback copy and finished reading it on my lunch breaks at work.
And oh, how glad I am that I picked it back up. This book is brimming with gunfights, backstabbing ranch hands and dastardly villains. The mystery kept me guessing till the end.
So, here it is...a review 36 years in the making.
November 7, 2025
I was pulled into the world of this book from the very first paragraph by the very vivid writing style which is exactly the thing that I love. Plus it's in first person too which made it even more vivid. And there's so much packed into this thin book: adventure, gun fights and bloody fist fights, horses and desert scenes with steep canyon trails plus a murder mystery too! Read this and you begin to realize why this author is so very popular. Because he can write!
The story follows the dangerous adventures of Matt Brennan who is a very fast draw with guns. Considered an expert with guns and his name is well known to certain people, he one day spots this young woman named Moira and he decides on the spot he wants her for his wife. And that means he needs a ranch. Unfortunately there is trouble in the town of Hattan's Point. There is a huge feud going on about this one ranch owned by an elderly man and these other big ranchers want it. So Matt decides to get involved. He's not one to shy away from a fight and he has the injuries to prove it too!
I really loved this story. It moves at a really fast pace and there are lots of surprises in here. The added murder mystery and all of the intrigue around it made the story even better. And with so many bad characters in town it's hard to guess which one is the murderer. And can Matt get the girl? I wouldn't call this a romance at all even if Matt is after the girl.
The sounds, sights and smells of the old west are brought to life expertly. It really made me feel that I was there. Here is an example from page 77 of my copy:
There was no sound but that of the horse's hoofs and the creak of the saddle leather. The black brush turned to green, the last stars faded, and the ridges stood out sharp and clear in the morning light. Great boulders lay scattered in the desert beyond the mountain's base, and here there were occasional stretches of sparse grass.
Look at all of that detail! Often specific plants are named too. This writing surely is from someone who has lived a life in that environment and who knows horses because how else would one know that saddles creak? I was totally captivated by this book.
The story follows the dangerous adventures of Matt Brennan who is a very fast draw with guns. Considered an expert with guns and his name is well known to certain people, he one day spots this young woman named Moira and he decides on the spot he wants her for his wife. And that means he needs a ranch. Unfortunately there is trouble in the town of Hattan's Point. There is a huge feud going on about this one ranch owned by an elderly man and these other big ranchers want it. So Matt decides to get involved. He's not one to shy away from a fight and he has the injuries to prove it too!
I really loved this story. It moves at a really fast pace and there are lots of surprises in here. The added murder mystery and all of the intrigue around it made the story even better. And with so many bad characters in town it's hard to guess which one is the murderer. And can Matt get the girl? I wouldn't call this a romance at all even if Matt is after the girl.
The sounds, sights and smells of the old west are brought to life expertly. It really made me feel that I was there. Here is an example from page 77 of my copy:
There was no sound but that of the horse's hoofs and the creak of the saddle leather. The black brush turned to green, the last stars faded, and the ridges stood out sharp and clear in the morning light. Great boulders lay scattered in the desert beyond the mountain's base, and here there were occasional stretches of sparse grass.
Look at all of that detail! Often specific plants are named too. This writing surely is from someone who has lived a life in that environment and who knows horses because how else would one know that saddles creak? I was totally captivated by this book.
October 9, 2025
Louis L’Amour always tells a good story, but Silver Canyon is especially well written and plotted. I love it when his characters “read sign” - it’s a language, an art, and a survival skill rolled into one.
June 24, 2017
What a good book! I read it during The Big Vacation and ended up really enjoying it. The romance annoyed me at first, 'cause it was 'insta-love' on the guy's part, but by the end I was really shipping Matt and Moira. <3 The story was interesting throughout, with some GREAT characters (and excellent villains) and while it wasn't as brilliant as To Tame a Land (and I didn't love Matt as much as Rye), it was still very, very good. One of L'Amour's best, I think.
April 22, 2021
Solid stuff. As always a great story with fun characters, and on top of being a western, there is a murder mystery as well. This book was particularly memorable due to the fact that the main character is repeatedly thrown into the fire and then deals with all his troubles head on.
That being said, it isn’t just a story where the characters shoot their way out of problems. It has a great twist ending (for a western) that I also really enjoyed.
That being said, it isn’t just a story where the characters shoot their way out of problems. It has a great twist ending (for a western) that I also really enjoyed.
January 8, 2025
3 solid stars. I'd like to rate it higher, as it is a sentimental favorite, but the author has done better.
Typical mid-1950s offering from Louis L'Amour. This one was published in 1956.
Louis never was a prose stylist but he sure could tell a good tale. He was prone to repeating things, which could get annoying. However, he knew this setting quite well and was almost poetical in describing the vistas, canyons, mesas of southern Utah.
The book's back cover sets up the story:
"“You’re not wanted in Hattan’s Point,” Matt Brennan was told moments after arriving in town. “There’s trouble here and men are picking sides.” But Matt decided he wasn’t going anywhere. Not until he found out what the dispute was about, and not before he got to know Moira Maclaren. She considered him nothing more than a drifting ranch hand, but Matt was determined to prove her wrong. To do so, he’d have to solve a mystery that was at the center of the growing violence in Hattan’s Point–a secret that could make a man rich . . . or dead. Probably dead."
Well, of course Matt sicks around. And he decides to partner with the man whom the two big ranchers are trying to squeeze out. And, naturally, the lovely Moira is the daughter of one of those two ranchers. L'Amour manages to pack this short book with gun fights, fist fights, cattle drives, and a murder mystery. Our hero gets shot up, beat up, but never gives up.
I enjoyed every page, even while I was rolling my eyes.
I first read this way back in June, 1968 (the 28th, so my ancient book log tells me) and numerous times thereafter. But I hadn't read it in 20-30 years. It held up well.
Typical mid-1950s offering from Louis L'Amour. This one was published in 1956.
Louis never was a prose stylist but he sure could tell a good tale. He was prone to repeating things, which could get annoying. However, he knew this setting quite well and was almost poetical in describing the vistas, canyons, mesas of southern Utah.
The book's back cover sets up the story:
"“You’re not wanted in Hattan’s Point,” Matt Brennan was told moments after arriving in town. “There’s trouble here and men are picking sides.” But Matt decided he wasn’t going anywhere. Not until he found out what the dispute was about, and not before he got to know Moira Maclaren. She considered him nothing more than a drifting ranch hand, but Matt was determined to prove her wrong. To do so, he’d have to solve a mystery that was at the center of the growing violence in Hattan’s Point–a secret that could make a man rich . . . or dead. Probably dead."
Well, of course Matt sicks around. And he decides to partner with the man whom the two big ranchers are trying to squeeze out. And, naturally, the lovely Moira is the daughter of one of those two ranchers. L'Amour manages to pack this short book with gun fights, fist fights, cattle drives, and a murder mystery. Our hero gets shot up, beat up, but never gives up.
I enjoyed every page, even while I was rolling my eyes.
I first read this way back in June, 1968 (the 28th, so my ancient book log tells me) and numerous times thereafter. But I hadn't read it in 20-30 years. It held up well.
November 4, 2025
Not one of his best, too many characters, confusing story, under developed characters.
December 31, 2013
Silver Canyon was my first foray into the world of Louis L'Amour. My husband is a fan and I generally think he has good taste, and the book was slim and looked like an easy enough read. Overall I have to say I enjoyed the book and was glad I read it. L'Amour does a great job of establishing a plot and moving the story along. Normally I don't care much for action scenes but I liked the way he wrote them -- straightforward and concise. They weren't gratuitous and they didn't drag on for pages, which I appreciated. There were a few twists that I didn't see coming that were necessary to the story, and that was enjoyable.
He was less successful with his characterizations. They were juuuust this side of cardboard cut outs. I wouldn't say they were completely lifeless, but there wasn't much depth to any of them. The women in particular are only there as A. the love interest or B. getting their men sammiches. (That sounds like I'm joking but there are only three or four women in the book and this is exactly what they do.) The romantic scenario was kind of forced -- love at first sight and Matt's idea of wooing Moira is telling her how many babies she's going to pop out for him, and amazingly it works! I don't know why she didn't gag and tell him to buzz off. The villains in the story suffered likewise -- they were all obviously nasty and ugly, with small feet or beady eyes.
My husband tells me that Louis L'Amour is more adept at short stories, so I am going to try that next. I liked Silver Canyon but I entirely agree with the reviews that said this is a romance novel for men.
He was less successful with his characterizations. They were juuuust this side of cardboard cut outs. I wouldn't say they were completely lifeless, but there wasn't much depth to any of them. The women in particular are only there as A. the love interest or B. getting their men sammiches. (That sounds like I'm joking but there are only three or four women in the book and this is exactly what they do.) The romantic scenario was kind of forced -- love at first sight and Matt's idea of wooing Moira is telling her how many babies she's going to pop out for him, and amazingly it works! I don't know why she didn't gag and tell him to buzz off. The villains in the story suffered likewise -- they were all obviously nasty and ugly, with small feet or beady eyes.
My husband tells me that Louis L'Amour is more adept at short stories, so I am going to try that next. I liked Silver Canyon but I entirely agree with the reviews that said this is a romance novel for men.
February 15, 2008
This was a hard book to rate because I loved it! but it may have been because it was just what I needed. I haven't really read many books like it - it's a mass produced western that you would probably find in the grocerie store next the romance novels. It's like a dudes version of a romance novel. It was classic.
Given to me by a friend who is definately a westerner and raised that way, these are his favorite books, and I think I liked it more because of it.
It's dangerous, dramatic, and talks about a country that I miss a lot - in a time that maybe I was supposed to be a part of. Loved it.
Given to me by a friend who is definately a westerner and raised that way, these are his favorite books, and I think I liked it more because of it.
It's dangerous, dramatic, and talks about a country that I miss a lot - in a time that maybe I was supposed to be a part of. Loved it.
January 29, 2021
Matt Brennan rode into Hattan's Point looking to move on. As soon as he enters town the leaders of two different sides approach him to hire his gun. Matt is willing to keep going to avoid trouble, but then meets the beautiful Moira Maclaren and decides that he is going to marry her. When Moira's father is killed, Matt is caught square in the middle of a range war.
April 1, 2025
"It was time to leave. Had I attempted to push the acquaintance further I'd have gotten exactly nowhere, but now she would be curious, and there is no trait that women possess more fortunate to men." - Matt Brennan, regarding Moira.
Matt Brennan is a drifting range hand with a reputation for gunplay who stops in a town called Hattan's Point where he is rudely told to move along by some hard characters. There's a range war in play between Run Maclaran's and Jim Pinder's spreads, every cowboy in the area committed to one or the other, and after being propositioned by both sides and declining, Matt decides he's not going anywhere and he's going to cast his lot with the unfortunate rancher holding the land between those two warring factions. He also falls in love at first sight with Maclaran's daughter Moira, deciding they are destined to be married and he confidently lets her know right away.
A faster-paced western adventure than later L'Amour works, "Silver Canyon" (1956) has a large number of characters I had to write down in faction groups, and then needed to add more and more as the war came to Brennan's doorstep and he encountered additional threats and allies, some with hidden motives and some with surprising twists.
Verdict: A fun, easy, classic L'Amour western with a smart hero, love story, and mystery to solve.
Jeff's Rating: 4 / 5 (Very Good)
movie rating if made into a movie: PG
Matt Brennan is a drifting range hand with a reputation for gunplay who stops in a town called Hattan's Point where he is rudely told to move along by some hard characters. There's a range war in play between Run Maclaran's and Jim Pinder's spreads, every cowboy in the area committed to one or the other, and after being propositioned by both sides and declining, Matt decides he's not going anywhere and he's going to cast his lot with the unfortunate rancher holding the land between those two warring factions. He also falls in love at first sight with Maclaran's daughter Moira, deciding they are destined to be married and he confidently lets her know right away.
A faster-paced western adventure than later L'Amour works, "Silver Canyon" (1956) has a large number of characters I had to write down in faction groups, and then needed to add more and more as the war came to Brennan's doorstep and he encountered additional threats and allies, some with hidden motives and some with surprising twists.
Verdict: A fun, easy, classic L'Amour western with a smart hero, love story, and mystery to solve.
Jeff's Rating: 4 / 5 (Very Good)
movie rating if made into a movie: PG
August 10, 2018
I read this for my read harder challenge. Now I know what it means to be a man.
All joking aside, there is a lot of talk about the nature of gender. Strangely there is also a lot of romance in this novel--not only in the mythology of the West/open country/gun slingers life but straight up boy falls in love with girl.
And because he does, he gives up fighting and society is restored. There's a bit of Unforgiven here.
If you care about grammar and correctness, the pulp-y nature of the book will kill you
All joking aside, there is a lot of talk about the nature of gender. Strangely there is also a lot of romance in this novel--not only in the mythology of the West/open country/gun slingers life but straight up boy falls in love with girl.
And because he does, he gives up fighting and society is restored. There's a bit of Unforgiven here.
If you care about grammar and correctness, the pulp-y nature of the book will kill you
October 8, 2021
Aguante Matt Brennan loco
August 20, 2023
“did you ever feel so good the world seemed like your big apple?”
August 12, 2024
I grew up enjoying Zane Gray, which in retrospect is badly dated. Louis Lamour is less dated, but still, starting to show the signs of aging. There was a line about the female love interest looking like a little girl who had just been spanked! But I like reading westerns for the scenery, which reminds me of my years in the Arizona desert.
March 26, 2021
I've always wanted to read a Louis L'Amour western and now I have. Don't need to read any more.
November 25, 2025
this ateeeeeeee
you know it’s gonna be a good book when you’re gagged on page 4
short and sweet western classic; i love when books are just books, the writing was great, the dialogue and comebacks were amazing, i was locked in
you know it’s gonna be a good book when you’re gagged on page 4
short and sweet western classic; i love when books are just books, the writing was great, the dialogue and comebacks were amazing, i was locked in
January 11, 2019
Louis L'Amour creates a pretty terrific range war in Silver Canyon and then he plops his knight-errant, Matt Brennan, squarely in the middle of it. Brennan is young and brash, but like a medieval knight his chivalry marks him as a worthy hero. Fighting fair means he's going to take some knocks because he won't do anything if he can't do it the right way. And since he is fighting for the hand of a beautiful young lady the stakes are raised a bit higher for the reader. Like all romantic literature the tropes are present and yet they don't feel hackneyed here. They feel refreshing. The hero doesn't psychoanalyze himself. He decides what he wants and then he figures out a way to get it.
In addition L'Amour explains to the reader about building campfires and tracking horses and living off the land. It's these kinds of details that the western movies skip over or explain inadequately. Imagining life in these conditions give the armchair cowboy a greater respect for the men who chose this path.
As the book nears its ending there are quite a few problems to resolve and some of them fix themselves conveniently and yet the overall mystery that unravels is clever. I can see myself reading more Louis L'Amour in the coming months.
In addition L'Amour explains to the reader about building campfires and tracking horses and living off the land. It's these kinds of details that the western movies skip over or explain inadequately. Imagining life in these conditions give the armchair cowboy a greater respect for the men who chose this path.
As the book nears its ending there are quite a few problems to resolve and some of them fix themselves conveniently and yet the overall mystery that unravels is clever. I can see myself reading more Louis L'Amour in the coming months.
April 3, 2021
Good story, easy brain candy their starting to read as the same story line gunfighter fall in love,
becomes a cattle man because a rancher left it to him with on his deathbed after being shot by bad hombres who want his water rights and homestead, Hmmm.
becomes a cattle man because a rancher left it to him with on his deathbed after being shot by bad hombres who want his water rights and homestead, Hmmm.
March 31, 2019
A really good story from L’Amour. Matt Brennan is a rambunctious young man with wandering in his blood until he hits the town of Hattan’s Point and sees the girl of his dreams Moira McLaren. He decides right then to put down roots but everyone else is eager to see him go. Moira’s father is a big rancher feuding with two others over water rights and Brennan decides to join the fight in order to end the feud. Along the way, he grows up as different groups continue to try to take advantage of him, scare him off, or put him out of business. This book ends up having a fairly large cast of main characters who are pretty much a mix of good, evil, and neutral, making it hard to remember who’s who even at the end. The Silver Canyon of the title, although featured momentarily at the end, is little touched upon. It’s integral to the story arc, but it almost seems like an “oh, yeah, this too” moment. I wish the green meadow Matt found as he recovered from gunshot wounds had played more importantly into the story of he and Moira. There was such a “Riders of the Purple Sage” feel to the description of that place that I felt sure it would figure into his story with Moira. If you’re a fan of L’Amour and haven’t read this one yet, I highly recommend it. If you haven’t read much or any of his work and want to read something that represents him, you can’t go wrong with this one. The really great thing about this one is that there are a few mysteries Matt has to solve and though bullets and brawn feature heavily in this story, it’s really his brain in the end that gets the job done.
August 3, 2015
"Εκδίκηση", εκδόσεις ΒΙΠΕΡ.
Δέκατο τρίτο γουέστερν του Λουίς Λ'Αμούρ που διαβάζω και αυτό με την σειρά του μου πρόσφερε δράση και όμορφες εικόνες. Ο πρωταγωνιστής και αφηγητής της ιστορίας, Ματ Μπρέναν, ένας περιπλανώμενος καουμπόι, βρίσκεται σε μια πόλη και εκεί θα γνωρίσει τον έρωτα της ζωής του και θα αποφασίσει επιτέλους να στεριώσει σ'ένα μέρος. Όμως πρώτα θα πρέπει να βρει μια άκρη στον πόλεμο που έχει ξεσπάσει στην περιοχή ανάμεσα σε μεγάλους γαιοκτήμονες και να ανακαλύψει κάποια μυστικά που κρύβουν ορισμένοι επικίνδυνοι άνθρωποι. Έτσι, θα αντιμετωπίσει γρήγορους πιστολάδες και άντρες που σε σκοτώνουν με γυμνά χέρια.
Μπορεί να μην πρωτοτυπεί ιδιαίτερα με την ιστορία αυτή ο Λ'Αμούρ, όμως μια η γραφή του με τις εξαιρετικές περιγραφές γεγονότων και τοπίων και μια η δράση και η ενδιαφέρουσα πλοκή, είναι πράγματα που δύσκολα θα αφήσουν ανικανοποίητους τους λάτρεις του είδους και του συγγραφέα. Προσωπικά έμεινα ικανοποιημένος και πέρασα πολύ καλά, ευχαριστήθηκα άλογα, τοπία, πιστολίδι και διαμάχες, όλα δοσμένα με έντονο ρεαλισμό. Εξάλλου, δύσκολα θα βρεθεί βιβλίο του άρχοντα του γουέστερν που θα με απογοητεύσει.
Δέκατο τρίτο γουέστερν του Λουίς Λ'Αμούρ που διαβάζω και αυτό με την σειρά του μου πρόσφερε δράση και όμορφες εικόνες. Ο πρωταγωνιστής και αφηγητής της ιστορίας, Ματ Μπρέναν, ένας περιπλανώμενος καουμπόι, βρίσκεται σε μια πόλη και εκεί θα γνωρίσει τον έρωτα της ζωής του και θα αποφασίσει επιτέλους να στεριώσει σ'ένα μέρος. Όμως πρώτα θα πρέπει να βρει μια άκρη στον πόλεμο που έχει ξεσπάσει στην περιοχή ανάμεσα σε μεγάλους γαιοκτήμονες και να ανακαλύψει κάποια μυστικά που κρύβουν ορισμένοι επικίνδυνοι άνθρωποι. Έτσι, θα αντιμετωπίσει γρήγορους πιστολάδες και άντρες που σε σκοτώνουν με γυμνά χέρια.
Μπορεί να μην πρωτοτυπεί ιδιαίτερα με την ιστορία αυτή ο Λ'Αμούρ, όμως μια η γραφή του με τις εξαιρετικές περιγραφές γεγονότων και τοπίων και μια η δράση και η ενδιαφέρουσα πλοκή, είναι πράγματα που δύσκολα θα αφήσουν ανικανοποίητους τους λάτρεις του είδους και του συγγραφέα. Προσωπικά έμεινα ικανοποιημένος και πέρασα πολύ καλά, ευχαριστήθηκα άλογα, τοπία, πιστολίδι και διαμάχες, όλα δοσμένα με έντονο ρεαλισμό. Εξάλλου, δύσκολα θα βρεθεί βιβλίο του άρχοντα του γουέστερν που θα με απογοητεύσει.
January 5, 2022
The war of the ranches
My late uncle was incredibly intelligent and a voracious traveler, with a strong appreciation for Louis L'Amour books. This is my first L’Amour book I’m reading, and I completely understand why my uncle collected and devoured his books!
Moira is feisty beauty with a strong, good character. Matt is courageous, attentive and a skilled shooter. Morgan Park is… well, he’s Morgan Park. Colourful, diverse characters bring the story to life as we learn about the fight for Two Bar ranch. As I’m reading, the story plays out in my mind’s eye and I can imagine myself wandering through the canyons on the trail of some lawbreaker, the hot sun beating down on my shoulders and the plodding horse hooves making melodies in my mind. A quick and easy read, and a great start to my 2022 Reading Challenge.
My late uncle was incredibly intelligent and a voracious traveler, with a strong appreciation for Louis L'Amour books. This is my first L’Amour book I’m reading, and I completely understand why my uncle collected and devoured his books!
Moira is feisty beauty with a strong, good character. Matt is courageous, attentive and a skilled shooter. Morgan Park is… well, he’s Morgan Park. Colourful, diverse characters bring the story to life as we learn about the fight for Two Bar ranch. As I’m reading, the story plays out in my mind’s eye and I can imagine myself wandering through the canyons on the trail of some lawbreaker, the hot sun beating down on my shoulders and the plodding horse hooves making melodies in my mind. A quick and easy read, and a great start to my 2022 Reading Challenge.
March 16, 2011
Mmm. . . it was ok. I'm not particularly a fan of Westerns, but I wanted to read one to see what I was missing out on. I found it pretty cliche, but then I figured Louis L'Amour probably came up with the original material that everyone else turned into cliches. The fist fights and main plot were enjoyable, the romantic subplot much less so. I guess I find it hard to believe that rootin' tootin' cowboys would fall in love at first site and get all mushy and want to settle down.
March 1, 2024
Mathieu Brennan rides into Hatten’s Point and decides it’s the place where he will settle down after eyeing a pretty girl strolling down the street. He tell’s her they will be married.
Then he finds the town is in the middle of a range war.
Lots of action and mystery in this one. Finished the book in one day.
Then he finds the town is in the middle of a range war.
Lots of action and mystery in this one. Finished the book in one day.
June 4, 2010
Louis L'Amour is the man's Danielle Steele
March 16, 2016
A little hokey-ness with "I gotta live like a man"/"she's my woman" type lines, but overall a fun, exciting read.
December 22, 2023
A great Ripper!!!
June 2, 2024
After chapter 1, I was hooked.
September 5, 2024
I bought this book and several others by Louis L'Amour at Goodwill recently. The smell of the old pages were like a time machine to my childhood. I can't name the countless libraries I sat in reading under flickering fluorescent lights. But I know what they smelled like. Every military base or small town we lived in had a library. Often small, and scantily supplied, but it was there. And they all had books by Louis L'Amour.
His books are simplistic, and sentimental. The sentences are often graceless and blunt. Yet it's clear to me why I loved them as a child. They offered an ordered universe. Good against Evil. Discipline versus Laziness. Man taming the great wild world. They were stories touting the classic version of the American Dream.
I know now, how limited their perspective is. They rarely, or never, speak of Black Americans or Indigenous Americans. The female characters are written with respect, but play limited roles. And yet, does that mean they have no place? I think we would lose something valuable were we to throw them out. Combined with the voices of the many, these stories can retain their place in our collective history. By labeling themselves *a* story and not *the* story of the American west, I can read them with pride still.
Also, I always keep in mind that Louis L'Amour was writing from actual interviews of people he worked with and knew. His autobiography was astounding. Knowing the education he gained through his lived experience makes me respect his perspective all the more.
His books are simplistic, and sentimental. The sentences are often graceless and blunt. Yet it's clear to me why I loved them as a child. They offered an ordered universe. Good against Evil. Discipline versus Laziness. Man taming the great wild world. They were stories touting the classic version of the American Dream.
I know now, how limited their perspective is. They rarely, or never, speak of Black Americans or Indigenous Americans. The female characters are written with respect, but play limited roles. And yet, does that mean they have no place? I think we would lose something valuable were we to throw them out. Combined with the voices of the many, these stories can retain their place in our collective history. By labeling themselves *a* story and not *the* story of the American west, I can read them with pride still.
Also, I always keep in mind that Louis L'Amour was writing from actual interviews of people he worked with and knew. His autobiography was astounding. Knowing the education he gained through his lived experience makes me respect his perspective all the more.
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