The Pistol

by James Jones

As bombs begin to fall on Pearl Harbor, nineteen-year-old PFC Richard Mask is wearing a pistol, a .45 caliber automatic that makes him feel connected to the army of the Wild West and Custer's Cavalry. In the chaos of his first days and weeks of the war, as Mask and his company move from Schofield Barracks to the beaches of Oahu, then to a remote mountain pass, a struggle over the pistol dominates this novella's action, providing the pathos and savagery of the story.

Genres: Fiction, War, Historical Fiction, Novels, Military Fiction

158 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1960

About the author

James Jones was an American novelist best known for his explorations of World War II and its aftermath. His debut novel, From Here to Eternity (1951), won the National Book Award and was adapted into an Academy Award-winning film. The novel, along with The Thin Red Line (1962) and Whistle (published posthumously in 1978), formed his acclaimed war trilogy, drawing from his personal experiences in the military.
Born and raised in Robinson, Illinois, Jones enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1939 and served in the 25th Infantry Division. He was stationed at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii, where he witnessed the attack on Pearl Harbor, and later fought in the Battle of Guadalcanal, where he was wounded. His military service deeply influenced his writing, shaping his unflinching portrayals of soldiers and war.
Following his discharge, Jones pursued writing and became involved with the Handy Writers' Colony in Illinois, a project led by his former mentor and lover, Lowney Handy. His second novel, Some Came Running (1957), was adapted into a film starring Frank Sinatra and Shirley MacLaine. Over the years, he experimented with different literary styles but remained committed to exploring themes of war, masculinity, and the American experience.
Jones later moved to France with his wife, actress Gloria Mosolino, before settling in the United States. He also worked as a journalist covering the Vietnam War and wrote several non-fiction works, including Viet Journal (1974). His final novel, Whistle, was completed based on his notes after his death. In later years, his daughter Kaylie Jones helped revive interest in his work, including publishing an uncensored edition of From Here to Eternity.
Jones passed away from congestive heart failure in 1977, leaving behind a body of work that remains influential in American war literature.

Reviews

[Vassa]

Not my kind of book at all, so dnf’d at 10%. It’s too bland and has nothing to grip my attention.

[Magda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quite... pathetic, sorry to say. While it had some interesting details, in passing, about soldiers in World War II stationed on Oahu, the overall theme was a soldier’s theft of an Army pistol, and his ensuing fight to keep it and to manipulate his mind to believe that he did not steal it.
If I were to choose a title for this book, it would be « The Lies That We Tell Ourselves ».
As to the writing, it was fine, but nothing remarkable or spectacular or even very engaging. Perhaps for someone who was 19 years old, like the protagonist, it would interest more.

[Edward Champion · Rating 3 out of 5]

James Jones took an unfair critical drubbing for SOME CAME RUNNING and, perhaps with his tail between his knees, followed it up with this taut and uncharacteristically short novel. Maybe he had something to prove. But it reads as self-parody. The entire novel is basically soldiers (with Mast at the forefront) saying "Where did you get that pistol? You can't have that pistol. Maybe I should have that pistol." Etcetera. While it's interesting to see Jones stumble around to figure out what voice of his will land with a fickle public (and, of course, we'd get the excellent novel THE THIN RED LINE from all this), this particular "novel" feels surprisingly slight from the vantage point of 2023.

[Ted · Rating 2 out of 5]

A stodgy, boring, and monotonous read.

[Don Diego · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pistol becomes more of a coveted talisman than a weapon, in this story. As in James Jones's Thin Red Line, accounts of soldiers' lives and concerns ring of authenticity.

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this novel in the late 1960's. The story takes place in wartime Hawaii. The book starts just before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Richard Mast is assigned a pistol. After the confusion of the attack the pistol is not properly returned. The rest of the novel deals with Richard's obsession with the pistol. It has an interesting ending.

[Richard Fellinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

James Jones was a master at capturing the human condition, especially of soldiers, and this is a fabulous little book about our fear of the unknown and the things we will do because of it. Well worth the read, especially considering that it's a novella of just 158 pages.

[Paul Clayton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll add more later. A fantastic story from a master.

[Frank · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was ok, but tedious. Ho Hum.