Rounders 3

by Max Evans

First published in 1960, the best selling novel The Rounders was immediately recognized as a rollicking classic of western fiction. The story of Dusty Jones and Wrangler Lewis, the "stove-up" cowboys whose luck is consistently bad, inspired a popular movie starring Glenn Ford and Henry Fonda, and a television series.

In this edition of Rounders 3, all three of Evans’s classic Rounders tales are here, The Rounders, The Great Wedding, and The Orange County Cowboys, accompanied by the wonderfully authentic drawings of cowboy artist Grem Lee.

In The Rounders, Dusty meets a roan named Old Fooler, a horse whose hooves should be cloven, he’s so mean-spirited. When Dusty’s not trying to send Old Fooler back to the devil, he is nursing the wounds, both physical and emotional, inflicted by the evil horse. In The Great Wedding, Dusty arranges to marry off his buddy, Wrangler, to a rich woman in Santa Fe, so they can all live happily ever after. High society in the Hi Lo Country will never be the same after a brush with these two rowdy range riders. And in the final, Spur Award-winning Novella The Orange County Cowboys, modern times catch up with Wrangler and Dusty when their boss, Jim Ed Love, plans to sell his ranch, their only home, to a Japanese investor.

After reading this classic collection of western stories and characters you’ll never look at cowboys or the West in the same way again. Illustrated with Grem Lee’s wonderfully detailed sketches of cowboys, this volume should be on the bookshelf of every lover of authentic works of the American West.

Genres: Westerns

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1990

Reviews

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A rude and touching story of two bronco busters. I was impressed for its realistic portrayal of modern cowboying and for its humor. It's a very serious work, described by the author as a "tragicomedy". Great read for a good laugh with some serious thinking –just a good funny cowpoke yarn!

[Tina Maxwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my Grandparents books. It is excellent reading about a couple cowboys in New Mexico and a place called Hines Corners and Hi-Lo.
These 3 are stories have all the feelers, mostly funny but very enjoyable to read

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s pretty rare that a book can make me laugh out loud several times and at the same time—with a turn of a phrase—be so poignant about the life of a cowboy. The scenic (landscape) descriptions are well-crafted. It’s no wonder The Rounders was made into a movie that’s just as classic as the book. Loved the narration by Brian Keith! This recording contains two other Max Evans stories about The Rounders (Dusty & Wrangler) that are not told in the movie. Glad to have this one in my library.

[Cws]

W Eva

[Rodney Haydon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I heard that a blu-ray release of a movie called The Rounders was due out later this year, a movie I had not seen, but has a great reputation. I found out it was based on a story by Max Evans, an author I have not heard of or read before. The premise sounded right up my alley, so I checked this book out of the library, and oh, I am so glad I did.
Finding out that Max Evans is a Western Writers of America award winning author should have told me all I needed to know about whether or not I would like this book. I did more than like it, I laughed out loud, and I really enjoyed spending time with Wrangler and Dusty.
I really enjoy stories that speak of the tail end of the Cowboy Way of Life, such as those wonderful ones from Elmer Kelton, and I put this book in the same vein.
I've just added a new author to my list of Western writers.