Blab! 9

by Johnston McCulley

Old California, in a bygone era of sprawling haciendas and haughty caballeros, suffers beneath the whip-lash of oppression. Missions are pillaged, native peasants are abused, and innocent men and women are persecuted by the corrupt governor and his army.But a champion of freedom rides the highways. His identity hidden behind a mask, the laughing outlaw Zorro defies the tyrant's might. A deadly marksman and a demon swordsman, his flashing blade leaves behind . . .First published in 1919, The Mark of Zorro has inspired countless films and television adventures. Now read how the legend began.

Genres: Fiction, Pulp, Adventure, Historical Fiction

300 pages, Paperback

Published August 1, 1997

About the author

Johnston McCulley (February 2, 1883 – November 23, 1958) was the author of hundreds of stories, fifty novels, numerous screenplays for film and television, and the creator of the character Zorro.

Many of his novels and stories were written under the pseudonyms Harrington Strong, Raley Brien, George Drayne, Monica Morton, Rowena Raley, Frederic Phelps, Walter Pierson, and John Mack Stone, among others.

McCulley started as a police reporter for The Police Gazette and served as an Army public affairs officer during World War I. An amateur history buff, he went on to a career in pulp magazines and screenplays, often using a Southern California backdrop for his stories.

Aside from Zorro, McCulley created many other pulp characters, including Black Star, The Spider, The Mongoose, and Thubway Tham. Many of McCulley's characters — The Green Ghost, The Thunderbolt, and The Crimson Clown — were inspirations for the masked heroes that have appeared in popular culture from McCulley's time to the present day.

Born in Ottawa, Illinois, and raised in Chillicothe, Illinois, he died in 1958 in Los Angeles, California, aged 75. -wikipedia

Reviews

[Leo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do appreciate this book for funding the exciting Zorro character that I loved to watch movies about as a kid. Though i didn't quite enjoy the book as much. But vaugly remember that Isabel Allende has written a book about Zorro so might try this one someday, if I hadn't already. My memory isn't the best

[Thom Swennes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Johnston McCulley created a super-hero that inspired a generation. In his novel The Curse of Capistrano McCulley introduced the world to Zorro. I remember watching Guy Williams portraying the masked swordsman as he fought injustice in Spanish California. I must admit that the film character outshined the original in this book but I could still see the inspirational base. In The Curse of Capistrano, Don Diego de la Vega is portrayed as a lazy eunuch uninterested in exerting any physical action and Zorro as his complete opposite. The differences were designed to keep his identity hidden but I felt that it accomplished the complete opposite. This first Zorro story was published in 1919 and soon inspired others. I liked the film and television versions more than the original written manuscript. I can’t honestly recommend it to anyone but it is the inspiration for greater things.

[Elina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dope as hell! 😭💕
Loved it...

[William Hahn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always wanted to truly read the classics that everyone knows so well in other forms, and Zorro was an early entry on my list. For the first tale in the Zorro series I can say with confidence: totally worth it!
I bought an early transcribed copy "Zorro and Six Tales" by Johnston McCulley and very much enjoyed the headliner. It's a romp, filled with action and light on introspection, and both the similarities and the differences are interesting to action and heroic fiction fans as well as authors like myself. I blogged about Zorro as part of the theme of secret identity (he was one of the first such characters in history) and folks might like to think about that as well. A very worthwhile read that whizzed by faster than a masked man on horseback.

http://independentbookworm.com/2013/0...

[Velislav · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite cheesy in every single aspect, but still quite enjoyable.

I am pretty sure the "big reveal" shouldn't be a surprise to anybody even if they don't know anything about Zorro.

Really enjoyed the setting of old spanish California and even learned a little about it.

Imagining the story being printed in a weekly magazine I would say it's the equivalent of the spanish Telenovelas.

[Scripturiently Swag The Dragon-Hearted · Rating 4 out of 5]

He brings such a joy to telling the story it makes it so enjoyable to read, like how Tolstoy brought joy to War and Peace. Old fashioned ideas though about masculinity, indigenous people, and women (though Señorita Lolita was still a very exciting heroine).

[Jonathan Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic adventure in the tradition of Dumas. Great read.

[Jefe · Rating 3 out of 5]

That's right, I read the original. It was in some ways cool to see how Isabelle Allende re-imagined the original.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books that feeds the inner 10 year old. Great swashbuckling adventure and just plain fun!

[Vincent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice

[Anna Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

A slow start but picked up my interest quickly.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic. An imaginative, exciting and romantic story. Even better than the series or movies that came from it (as good as they are).

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

The exciting, swashbuckling story of Zorro. The original Zorro before the movie. A fun read about his exploits in California back when it belonged to Mexico.

[Zach Milford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Swashbuckling fun

[Febe Allyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Geestig en spannend geschreven. Het originele verhaal waarop films en series zijn gebaseerd. Een aanrader!