What do you think?
Rate this book
Far as the Eye Can See
Bobby Hale is a Union veteran several times over. After the war, he sets his sights on California, but only makes it to Montana. As he stumbles around the West, from the Wyoming Territory to the Black Hills of the Dakotas, he finds meaning in the people he meets-settlers and native people-and the violent history he both participates in and witnesses. Far as the Eye Can See is the story of life in a place where every minute is an engagement in a kind of war of survival, and how two people-a white man and a mixed-race woman-in the midst of such majesty and violence can manage to find a pathway to their own humanity.
Robert Bausch is the distinguished author of a body of work that is lively and varied, but linked by a thoughtfully complicated masculinity and an uncommon empathy. The unique voice of Bobby Hale manages to evoke both Cormac McCarthy and Mark Twain, guiding readers into Indian country and the Plains Wars in a manner both historically true and contemporarily relevant, as thoughts of race and war occupy the national psyche.
Robert Bausch is the distinguished author of a body of work that is lively and varied, but linked by a thoughtfully complicated masculinity and an uncommon empathy. The unique voice of Bobby Hale manages to evoke both Cormac McCarthy and Mark Twain, guiding readers into Indian country and the Plains Wars in a manner both historically true and contemporarily relevant, as thoughts of race and war occupy the national psyche.
321 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 4, 2014
80 people are currently reading
1572 people want to read
About the author
Robert Bausch
14 books34 followersRobert Bausch was a college professor and novelist in Virginia.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 134 reviews
August 29, 2014
Bobby Hale. Who would have thought a character with no real plan would sneak up and capture my attention so very much?
Bobby has deserted the army several times. It's just not his cup of tea. He decides to head out west. He plans on a destination of California but Bobby tends to ramble around. He takes up with a wagon train for awhile and then when they decide to stay he goes off with a Native American friend for several years of trapping. That sounds boring doesn't it?
It's not.
This author does an amazing job of bringing this time to life. I was fully prepared to not like this book. My mind was changed very quickly once I got into the book. The descriptions of the land, the people and even the food sweep you into this book.
Bobby becomes a favorite character of mine as this book goes along. I hate to give too much of the book away, because I want people to read it.
This period in our history is one that always breaks my heart when I think about it. The book handles the conflict well between the whites and Native Americans. It shows the good and bad on both sides. However, this book doesn't fit in the typical western book genre. So if you are like me and don't really care much for that type of book you can give this one a go and still be very happy.
I received an arc copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Bobby has deserted the army several times. It's just not his cup of tea. He decides to head out west. He plans on a destination of California but Bobby tends to ramble around. He takes up with a wagon train for awhile and then when they decide to stay he goes off with a Native American friend for several years of trapping. That sounds boring doesn't it?
It's not.
This author does an amazing job of bringing this time to life. I was fully prepared to not like this book. My mind was changed very quickly once I got into the book. The descriptions of the land, the people and even the food sweep you into this book.
Bobby becomes a favorite character of mine as this book goes along. I hate to give too much of the book away, because I want people to read it.
This period in our history is one that always breaks my heart when I think about it. The book handles the conflict well between the whites and Native Americans. It shows the good and bad on both sides. However, this book doesn't fit in the typical western book genre. So if you are like me and don't really care much for that type of book you can give this one a go and still be very happy.
I received an arc copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 14, 2014
Bobby Hale was a Union soldier many times over. Joining under different names to get the joining bonus, though he does end of participating in two horrendous battles. Wanting to make it to California, circumstances and misfortunes see him get only so far and no further.
What a fascinating character he turns out to be, a somewhat of a reluctant hero after a few missteps. This is a time when settlers are moving west, to Oregon and California, a time of great Indian hostilities and the armies attempt to corral all Indians into one confined space. A time when gold has been discovered in the Black Hills and many want to go and become rich. Renegade generals and Indian scouts attempting to solve the Indian problem, as they see it.
I became deeply invested in the history of this time and all the characters surrounding Bobby. It was interesting to see how all these characters helped Bobby gown as a person and become a survivor. When he inadvertently shoots a young half Indian girl who is running from her Indian husband, his life changes again. Trying to get back to the fort and safety he ends up witnessing the Battle of Big Horn.
A fascinating read of the old west with a very likable narrator telling us his story.
ARC from NetGalley.
What a fascinating character he turns out to be, a somewhat of a reluctant hero after a few missteps. This is a time when settlers are moving west, to Oregon and California, a time of great Indian hostilities and the armies attempt to corral all Indians into one confined space. A time when gold has been discovered in the Black Hills and many want to go and become rich. Renegade generals and Indian scouts attempting to solve the Indian problem, as they see it.
I became deeply invested in the history of this time and all the characters surrounding Bobby. It was interesting to see how all these characters helped Bobby gown as a person and become a survivor. When he inadvertently shoots a young half Indian girl who is running from her Indian husband, his life changes again. Trying to get back to the fort and safety he ends up witnessing the Battle of Big Horn.
A fascinating read of the old west with a very likable narrator telling us his story.
ARC from NetGalley.
July 16, 2016
Robert Bausch's Far as the Eye Can See is weak historical fiction. It is larded with historical inaccuracies, as well as a noteworthy deafness for mid-nineteenth century American language and vocabulary. The phony vernacular in the novel's beginning, which recedes as the story progresses, is particularly off-putting. Bausch left few clichés of the Western genre untouched – the cruel white man, the noble savage, the callous government and so on. One Star is all it rated with me. My recommendation: don't bother.
March 8, 2019
Far As The Eye Can See by Robert Bausch tells the story of a man named Bobby Hale as he travels across and around the west after the Civil War. Hale is a sort of work in progress while becoming a Jack of all trades frontiersman and through his journeys, he becomes employed in different ways which include that as an escort for wagon trains, a frontier guide and scout for the Calvary.
The novel is written in a lyrical, truncated old-timey style that reads as a blending of the writing styles of Cormac McCarthy and Larry McMurtry.
As the novel moves forward, Bobby Hale grows in wisdom and skill along with the unfolding story and through his encounters with a wide variety of interesting characters.
Far As The Eye Can See is one of those novels, that if done correctly, will make an excellent film, both visually and story-wise.
The novel is written in a lyrical, truncated old-timey style that reads as a blending of the writing styles of Cormac McCarthy and Larry McMurtry.
As the novel moves forward, Bobby Hale grows in wisdom and skill along with the unfolding story and through his encounters with a wide variety of interesting characters.
Far As The Eye Can See is one of those novels, that if done correctly, will make an excellent film, both visually and story-wise.
September 13, 2015
Robert Bausch’s first person narrated “Far as the Eye Can See” is the best historical novel that I have read this year. It is instructive about hostile relations between Native American tribes and whites (and, especially, the U.S. Army) in the West during the 1870s, it is character driven with important romantic elements, it is an adventure story -- I was to the very end of the novel concerned about the protagonist’s fate -- and it is philosophical.
Bausch’s protagonist is a twenty-nine year old man that calls himself Bobby Hale. We are told that much of Hale’s childhood was devoid of affection. His mother died of cholera when he was nine. His father abandoned him immediately thereafter. He was raised in Philadelphia by a spinster aunt, who “never once looked upon me with anything but impatience and disparagement.” During the Civil War he joined the Union army seven times to collect enlistment bounties: each time joining, collecting his bonus, deserting, moving to a different Northern city, changing his name and enlisting. Near the War’s end, not able to desert, he experienced fierce combat. “I seen men dropping next to me in rows like something cut down by a thresher in a wheat field.” After the War he stayed in the Richmond, Virginia, area for four years working menial jobs but dreaming vaguely of living a free life in the Far West “where land was there for any fellow with the nerve to stake it out and call it his.” Eventually, he bought a horse, a 32-cartridge repeating carbine, and other essential equipment and accompanied a wagon train out of St. Louis headed for Oregon. All of this is important for us to know prior to the first major event that Hale narrates.
“Far as the Eye Can See” opens with a prologue. Hale has done something not yet revealed that has caused him to abandon his job of scout for the army, whose mission is to find and collect all of the Indian tribes in the Yellowstone River area and move them to specific areas near specified forts. The act that Hale has committed has him believing that both soldiers and Indians have good reason to track and kill him. Traveling hastily toward Bozeman, Montana, he discovers that he is being followed. Hiding behind an outcropping of large boulders, he sees what appears to be an Indian crawling through underbrush seemingly intent on attacking him unawares. He wounds the Indian and discovers the person is a young woman. The shot has ripped a shallow tear across her abdomen. She tells him that she is a half breed, has escaped from a Sioux village, and is fearful that her Indian husband is tracking her to kill her. Hale treats her wound and they leave, together, determined to find a distant sanctuary.
The novel now backtracks to Hale’s experiences prior to his meeting “Ink,” the half-Indian, half-white woman. We read of Hale’s adventures of being a part of the wagon train headed out of St. Louis. We meet several white characters possessing varying degrees of bad character. (They reappear later in the novel) We meet also two individuals who will influence positively Hale’s evolving character. One is Theo, the wagon train leader, wise of the shortcomings of mankind, of life on the trail, and of Indian values and behavior. The other is Big Tree, Theo’s wagon master, a six and a half foot massive Crow. Both men believe that when Indians and white men interact more often than not it is the white man who is the savage.
Theo, Hale, Big Tree, and several other members of the train ride out ahead of the wagons. Indians suddenly appear. Surrounded by a party of galloping, yipping Sioux braves, not understanding that individual braves are taking “coup” – touching the tops of white men’s heads with the tips of their lances not to kill but to enhance their reputation for courage and to make good medicine – Hale shoots one of them. Theo is disgusted. He must now prepare the wagon train for certain attack. He tells Hale, “But the truth is, we went into Indian country and murdered a brave. That’s what we done. There ain’t no other way to look at it.” Big Tree’s assessment of whites, expressed after a later incident, is “Wasichus [white men] kill for gladness.”
Theo stops the wagon train at Bozeman and nearby Fort Ellis to wait out the winter. Deciding to reside permanently in Bozeman, he urges Hale to lead the train to Oregon in the spring. Hale refuses to take the responsibility. Theo then recommends that Hale accompany Big Tree on a winter hunting, trapping expedition through the wild lands of the eastern Rocky Mountains. Hale and Big Tree do this for seven years. What Hale learns about Indian life from Big Tree and from his experiences is the second major section of the novel.
When Big Tree and Hale eventually part, Hale returns to Bozeman. In route, he overtakes a wagon owned by two white women whose husbands, missing for more than a year, are presumed to be dead. He helps them reach Bozeman. During this third major section of the novel we observe an evolving relationship between Hale and one of the women that tests Hale’s reluctance to make commitments. Hale eventually promises to escort the two women to Oregon in the spring. He chooses in the meantime to scout for the army because it will provide him an income and warm shelter when he is not on the trail. Hale witnesses firsthand the intractable thinking of the officer class regarding “the Indian problem.” We experience the incident that causes Hale to flee and, eventually, to wound the half-breed girl called Ink. The final section of the novel depicts the dangers he faces and the extent to which he is willing to accept the obligations he feels he must honor regarding the women in Bozeman and Ink’s safety and future.
What interested me most in the novel was Hale’s journey toward commitment to others. Because of his experiences, he has, justifiably, a harsh opinion of mankind. At one point in the novel, he and other wagon train members witness a bald eagle seize a puppy and carry it to its nest. The puppy, observing the humans below, wages its tail, then whimpers, then commences to howl. The train moves on. We do not need to be told the puppy’s fate. Hale comments: “I couldn’t help but think that maybe we’re all a little bit like that dog. We occupy our little space of earth and wait for the damn bird to strike.”
There is so much viciousness that he witnesses, so much stupidity, so much hatred. Life daily is “strife and struggle.” Awaking each morning, he must “look for trouble again.” He wants to believe that there is goodness for him, goodness for any man. Thinking of the two women that he had left in Bozeman, he muses: “It’s a tragic kind of world we find ourselves in, all the time looking for some way to have what we want, hoping for nothing but a reason to hope.” And, “we don’t know all the time what is taken away and what is given. Sometimes we know what we have been given only when it’s been lost.” In the novel’s final chapter he reflects that people talk of living in peace, of not wanting to go to war, of not wanting to kill or be killed. But these, he decides, are just words. “We’re all lying to ourselves and everybody else. … Something way down inside of me feels like it’s dripping and damp and completely evil. I know I am a animal that can talk and there ain’t nothing that will ever save me or no one else.” But, like every human, he has innate needs. Not like every human being he can be empathetic. Ink recognizes his goodness. The final five pages of the novel reveal whether or not he is strong enough to utilize it and whether or not the malevolence of others will eliminate the opportunity.
Bausch’s protagonist is a twenty-nine year old man that calls himself Bobby Hale. We are told that much of Hale’s childhood was devoid of affection. His mother died of cholera when he was nine. His father abandoned him immediately thereafter. He was raised in Philadelphia by a spinster aunt, who “never once looked upon me with anything but impatience and disparagement.” During the Civil War he joined the Union army seven times to collect enlistment bounties: each time joining, collecting his bonus, deserting, moving to a different Northern city, changing his name and enlisting. Near the War’s end, not able to desert, he experienced fierce combat. “I seen men dropping next to me in rows like something cut down by a thresher in a wheat field.” After the War he stayed in the Richmond, Virginia, area for four years working menial jobs but dreaming vaguely of living a free life in the Far West “where land was there for any fellow with the nerve to stake it out and call it his.” Eventually, he bought a horse, a 32-cartridge repeating carbine, and other essential equipment and accompanied a wagon train out of St. Louis headed for Oregon. All of this is important for us to know prior to the first major event that Hale narrates.
“Far as the Eye Can See” opens with a prologue. Hale has done something not yet revealed that has caused him to abandon his job of scout for the army, whose mission is to find and collect all of the Indian tribes in the Yellowstone River area and move them to specific areas near specified forts. The act that Hale has committed has him believing that both soldiers and Indians have good reason to track and kill him. Traveling hastily toward Bozeman, Montana, he discovers that he is being followed. Hiding behind an outcropping of large boulders, he sees what appears to be an Indian crawling through underbrush seemingly intent on attacking him unawares. He wounds the Indian and discovers the person is a young woman. The shot has ripped a shallow tear across her abdomen. She tells him that she is a half breed, has escaped from a Sioux village, and is fearful that her Indian husband is tracking her to kill her. Hale treats her wound and they leave, together, determined to find a distant sanctuary.
The novel now backtracks to Hale’s experiences prior to his meeting “Ink,” the half-Indian, half-white woman. We read of Hale’s adventures of being a part of the wagon train headed out of St. Louis. We meet several white characters possessing varying degrees of bad character. (They reappear later in the novel) We meet also two individuals who will influence positively Hale’s evolving character. One is Theo, the wagon train leader, wise of the shortcomings of mankind, of life on the trail, and of Indian values and behavior. The other is Big Tree, Theo’s wagon master, a six and a half foot massive Crow. Both men believe that when Indians and white men interact more often than not it is the white man who is the savage.
Theo, Hale, Big Tree, and several other members of the train ride out ahead of the wagons. Indians suddenly appear. Surrounded by a party of galloping, yipping Sioux braves, not understanding that individual braves are taking “coup” – touching the tops of white men’s heads with the tips of their lances not to kill but to enhance their reputation for courage and to make good medicine – Hale shoots one of them. Theo is disgusted. He must now prepare the wagon train for certain attack. He tells Hale, “But the truth is, we went into Indian country and murdered a brave. That’s what we done. There ain’t no other way to look at it.” Big Tree’s assessment of whites, expressed after a later incident, is “Wasichus [white men] kill for gladness.”
Theo stops the wagon train at Bozeman and nearby Fort Ellis to wait out the winter. Deciding to reside permanently in Bozeman, he urges Hale to lead the train to Oregon in the spring. Hale refuses to take the responsibility. Theo then recommends that Hale accompany Big Tree on a winter hunting, trapping expedition through the wild lands of the eastern Rocky Mountains. Hale and Big Tree do this for seven years. What Hale learns about Indian life from Big Tree and from his experiences is the second major section of the novel.
When Big Tree and Hale eventually part, Hale returns to Bozeman. In route, he overtakes a wagon owned by two white women whose husbands, missing for more than a year, are presumed to be dead. He helps them reach Bozeman. During this third major section of the novel we observe an evolving relationship between Hale and one of the women that tests Hale’s reluctance to make commitments. Hale eventually promises to escort the two women to Oregon in the spring. He chooses in the meantime to scout for the army because it will provide him an income and warm shelter when he is not on the trail. Hale witnesses firsthand the intractable thinking of the officer class regarding “the Indian problem.” We experience the incident that causes Hale to flee and, eventually, to wound the half-breed girl called Ink. The final section of the novel depicts the dangers he faces and the extent to which he is willing to accept the obligations he feels he must honor regarding the women in Bozeman and Ink’s safety and future.
What interested me most in the novel was Hale’s journey toward commitment to others. Because of his experiences, he has, justifiably, a harsh opinion of mankind. At one point in the novel, he and other wagon train members witness a bald eagle seize a puppy and carry it to its nest. The puppy, observing the humans below, wages its tail, then whimpers, then commences to howl. The train moves on. We do not need to be told the puppy’s fate. Hale comments: “I couldn’t help but think that maybe we’re all a little bit like that dog. We occupy our little space of earth and wait for the damn bird to strike.”
There is so much viciousness that he witnesses, so much stupidity, so much hatred. Life daily is “strife and struggle.” Awaking each morning, he must “look for trouble again.” He wants to believe that there is goodness for him, goodness for any man. Thinking of the two women that he had left in Bozeman, he muses: “It’s a tragic kind of world we find ourselves in, all the time looking for some way to have what we want, hoping for nothing but a reason to hope.” And, “we don’t know all the time what is taken away and what is given. Sometimes we know what we have been given only when it’s been lost.” In the novel’s final chapter he reflects that people talk of living in peace, of not wanting to go to war, of not wanting to kill or be killed. But these, he decides, are just words. “We’re all lying to ourselves and everybody else. … Something way down inside of me feels like it’s dripping and damp and completely evil. I know I am a animal that can talk and there ain’t nothing that will ever save me or no one else.” But, like every human, he has innate needs. Not like every human being he can be empathetic. Ink recognizes his goodness. The final five pages of the novel reveal whether or not he is strong enough to utilize it and whether or not the malevolence of others will eliminate the opportunity.
October 10, 2014
You never get to really know anyone else in this novel very much because they seem to come and go through Bobby Hale's travels or maybe it's Bobby who is coming and going through their lives. There are Native Americans from various tribes, militia men, wagon trains with settlers, gold diggers and more. I had a hard time getting into this at first, even though I liked the writing. There are some beautiful descriptive passages. Here is just one of them:
“You notice the sky out here. And land so far in front and next to you and behind you – as far as the eye can see. Hills and ravines, mountains and long empty prairies, forests that give way to long, deeply green fields of wild grass. Rivers that run down between draws and meet at the tip of the great divides of land; rocks that seem to reach all the way to the sky. You can feel so alone, though."
But then at some point I found myself invested in Bobby Hale's journey but it was not just the journey in this wild, wide open country, it was his journey to find himself. It's the time right after the civil war and Bobby Hale has been in and out of the union army a number of times. You might say he's a deserter but he'll tell you that he actually fought in some major battles. Without family or ties, he decides to make his way across the country to California.
Along the way there is more violence and death than I wanted to read about, but yet it feels as if the author got the history right as Bobby moved from place to place with a slew of characters that in many ways shape the man that Bobby Hale becomes. He's young and yes flawed, but somehow figures out the right thing to do. 3 stars - maybe 3.5 now that I have thought about it a while, I liked Bobby Hale.
I did not previously know of this author and have discovered that he had written several other novels that I plan to check out.
Thanks to Bloomsbury USA and NetGalley.
“You notice the sky out here. And land so far in front and next to you and behind you – as far as the eye can see. Hills and ravines, mountains and long empty prairies, forests that give way to long, deeply green fields of wild grass. Rivers that run down between draws and meet at the tip of the great divides of land; rocks that seem to reach all the way to the sky. You can feel so alone, though."
But then at some point I found myself invested in Bobby Hale's journey but it was not just the journey in this wild, wide open country, it was his journey to find himself. It's the time right after the civil war and Bobby Hale has been in and out of the union army a number of times. You might say he's a deserter but he'll tell you that he actually fought in some major battles. Without family or ties, he decides to make his way across the country to California.
Along the way there is more violence and death than I wanted to read about, but yet it feels as if the author got the history right as Bobby moved from place to place with a slew of characters that in many ways shape the man that Bobby Hale becomes. He's young and yes flawed, but somehow figures out the right thing to do. 3 stars - maybe 3.5 now that I have thought about it a while, I liked Bobby Hale.
I did not previously know of this author and have discovered that he had written several other novels that I plan to check out.
Thanks to Bloomsbury USA and NetGalley.
August 26, 2014
Book Review by: Sharon Powers.
NOTE: If you would like to view the book review in its entirety with all the graphics I have added, check it out on my blog, Sharon's Love of Books, at: http://sharonsloveofbooks.blogspot.com/
A man stands in the midst of boulders and peers out across the terrain. His eye follows the trail stretching out before him, out across the landscape for as far as his eye can see. The vast spaces meet distant mountains, rolling clouds of purples and blues fading into the distance so far that it is difficult to see where the land begins and the sky ends.
Trying to stay cool in the meager shade of the boulder, sweat soaks his shirt as he considers his lame horse standing next to him. He sees someone far down the path moving in his direction. Whether Indian or soldier, he knows they spell trouble for him. He waits as the other approaches and realizes the fellow is either hiding or sneaking up on him.
He pulls out his carbine and climbs the boulder, scouring the landscape, trying to spot the guy. Finally, he sees him wiggling his way among the bushes towards his position. It's an Indian. Carefully, he takes aim and fires.
We've all heard descriptions of the wide open spaces of the west. Colors so incredible and spaces so vast that it dwarfed all life. Our protagonist in the book, Far As The Eye Can See, feels the wonder of the panorama before him all the while trying to protect himself from the Indian that approaches. But, before we continue with our protagonist, Bobby Hale, let's take a quick look at the synopsis of the book.
SHORT BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Bobby Hale tells us he has enlisted as a Union soldier...quite a number of times, collecting enlistment bonuses each time. Of course, each time with a different name. At the end of the Civil War he sets out towards California. Joining a small wagon train he gets as far as Montana. Hale traps for a while, meandering from Montana to Wyoming Territory, and over to the Black Hills of the Dakotas.
He meets settlers on the wagon train, making friends and gaining the acquaintance of some who will be future enemies. Hale is a mountain man for a while, riding with an Indian who becomes his friend. He works as a trapper and hires himself out as a scout to the soldiers at a fort, and he kills Indians. He witnesses and is a part of the violence of the West, both killing and struggling to survive. But in the end, what Hale searches for is a place in the wide-open spaces--a place to live in peace.
Far as the Eye Can See is not only Bobby Hale's story, it is the story about a place in time. A place for which life must fight if it is to be kept. A place where two people, a white Civil War vet- eran and a mixed-race woman, seek to find the path to their own humanity. Bobby Hale leads the reader (almost like our own personal scout) through his time in Indian country and among battles of the Plains Wars; he leads us to where life is an obsession over race and survival.
FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE--WHAT I THINK ABOUT THIS BOOK:
FIRST: Robert Bausch's writing style is eminently readable. Sentences are simple, but not overly plain--no complex structures either, but just an easy-going, straight-forward style that suits the story. Dialog is realistic and not overblown.
Nor do we have, here, as I've seen in other western or regional novels, language that is "corrup- ted" in order to give it a unique flavor [i.e. "'nuf said!" (enough said) or "cum un" (come on)]. The writing style evokes an easy-going gait of a horse walking, or perhaps the steady rolling of wagon wheels. I did NOT say boring. Bausch's style literally evokes the wide-open country and pacing of life in the wild places.
SECOND: Everything Bausch does with this novel fills the pages with realism and an authentic life, bringing the people, places, and time into a believable reality. Even before I got to the author's notes at the end of the book, where Bausch tells us about his efforts at constructing a realistic and authentic period, it was clear that he knew what he was about as he wrote this novel.
The smells jump off the page, the sounds of battle rang in my ears, the cold of the mountain winters permeated my bones, sweat dripping into the eyes, and skin, baked by the heat of a summer sun. Bausch's detailing of the Evans Repeating Rifle and how it loads is beautiful. Even colloquialisms are well-done; for example, how Bobby Hale asks Ink if she speaks "American," and Ink tells him she speaks "English."
THIRD: and for me, the most important part of the book is the major premise of the book and its accompanying themes. Robert Bausch tells a vibrant story about the progress of the way west (in the locations I listed, above) from the time of the Civil War. It is a huge story about not only the migration of peoples from the East, but the complex interaction of the relationships among Indians, Settlers, trappers and traders, local militia, and the Government's agents (Soldiers, scouts, Indian Agents etc.).
Connected to this third point, is the story of how far, as the title implies, the eye can see. Looking at the title literally, Far as the Eye Can See, simply means that in viewing the expanse of sky and land it seems to go on forever. Here, it also means the kind of seeing we do with our inner eyes--how we perceive the world and other people and situations. Some- times our own vested interests cause us to wear blinders that limit our vision. Consequently, our limited vision may cause us to make harsh judgments of other people based on their skin color or culture. Bobby Hale, for example, thought he saw an Indian brave, but who did he really shoot? Well...not an Indian brave.
The early vignette of Bobby Hale shooting the Indian makes for a wonderful metaphor for the blindness of the collective racial and cultural stereotyping of the Indian nations by a bur- geoning, mostly white, Amer- ican people. The people of this time could only--as far as their eyes could see--view the Indian as a savage. The beauty of Bausch's book is that he doesn't fall into making the white man or the Indian heroes or villains--he creates his characters simply to be "human beings," fraught with failings as well as strengths.
What Robert Bausch does, here, in dealing with the clash of the two disparate cultures, is quite elegant. He uses this clash to show us people, not caricatures. Bobby Hale is not the hero we hoped he would be in the opening pages of the book. Bobby Hale looks to survive.
Even though Hale defrauded the U.S. Government and killed Indians, it turns out his best friend is Big Tree, an Indian. And when he was really needed by (two unnamed) characters he chose to help them, and in doing so was the hero we longed for earlier in the book. Robert Bausch's writing of Hale (and others) into existence as complex characters doesn't leave the story muddled. We get believable, characters in a realistic setting acting exactly the way real human beings act--making poor decisions in one setting and heroic ones in another. Just beautiful.
MY RECOMMENDATIONS AND RATING FOR THIS BOOK:
The genre, western, is generally considered acceptable for all reading audiences. However, taken individually, some westerns should not be read by the young or those people sensitive to violence. Such is the case with Far as the Eye Can See. Bausch does a great job keeping swearing out of the book, as he does with explicit sex scenes. A brutal rape occurs in the book, but it is not explicitly shown, only the results.
Likewise, violence is also in the book, and for a few occasions, quite graphically; this includes some scenes of torture or descriptions of the results of torture or murder. That having been said, I would wholeheartedly approve of mature adults reading this book; the violence contained is not gratuitous, but is incorporated into the story, contributing to it as an integral and necessary part of the whole.
For all the reasons I gave you, above, I rate this book 5 stars out of 5. It is a wonderful read that I enjoyed, immensely. I would recommend this book to the appropriate audience. Today, for the book, Far as the Eye Can See, I'm using 5 cups of coffee, in lieu of stars, in honor of the campfire coffee the characters drank.
Thank you for joining me, today, as we got an advance look at a wonderful new western novel by Robert Bausch. Due to be released November 4, 2014, you should preorder your copy, now. Please join me next week as I will be reviewing for you Esther Ehrlich's debut novel, Nest. This children's novel looks promising, and I can hardly wait to review it for you. So, until next week when we get to find out about, Nest, read something pleasurable for yourself--have a little fun. God bless you, and take care, my friends.
Until next time...
...many happy pages of reading!
Sharon.
NOTE: If you would like to view the book review in its entirety with all the graphics I have added, check it out on my blog, Sharon's Love of Books, at: http://sharonsloveofbooks.blogspot.com/
A man stands in the midst of boulders and peers out across the terrain. His eye follows the trail stretching out before him, out across the landscape for as far as his eye can see. The vast spaces meet distant mountains, rolling clouds of purples and blues fading into the distance so far that it is difficult to see where the land begins and the sky ends.
Trying to stay cool in the meager shade of the boulder, sweat soaks his shirt as he considers his lame horse standing next to him. He sees someone far down the path moving in his direction. Whether Indian or soldier, he knows they spell trouble for him. He waits as the other approaches and realizes the fellow is either hiding or sneaking up on him.
He pulls out his carbine and climbs the boulder, scouring the landscape, trying to spot the guy. Finally, he sees him wiggling his way among the bushes towards his position. It's an Indian. Carefully, he takes aim and fires.
We've all heard descriptions of the wide open spaces of the west. Colors so incredible and spaces so vast that it dwarfed all life. Our protagonist in the book, Far As The Eye Can See, feels the wonder of the panorama before him all the while trying to protect himself from the Indian that approaches. But, before we continue with our protagonist, Bobby Hale, let's take a quick look at the synopsis of the book.
SHORT BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Bobby Hale tells us he has enlisted as a Union soldier...quite a number of times, collecting enlistment bonuses each time. Of course, each time with a different name. At the end of the Civil War he sets out towards California. Joining a small wagon train he gets as far as Montana. Hale traps for a while, meandering from Montana to Wyoming Territory, and over to the Black Hills of the Dakotas.
He meets settlers on the wagon train, making friends and gaining the acquaintance of some who will be future enemies. Hale is a mountain man for a while, riding with an Indian who becomes his friend. He works as a trapper and hires himself out as a scout to the soldiers at a fort, and he kills Indians. He witnesses and is a part of the violence of the West, both killing and struggling to survive. But in the end, what Hale searches for is a place in the wide-open spaces--a place to live in peace.
Far as the Eye Can See is not only Bobby Hale's story, it is the story about a place in time. A place for which life must fight if it is to be kept. A place where two people, a white Civil War vet- eran and a mixed-race woman, seek to find the path to their own humanity. Bobby Hale leads the reader (almost like our own personal scout) through his time in Indian country and among battles of the Plains Wars; he leads us to where life is an obsession over race and survival.
FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE--WHAT I THINK ABOUT THIS BOOK:
FIRST: Robert Bausch's writing style is eminently readable. Sentences are simple, but not overly plain--no complex structures either, but just an easy-going, straight-forward style that suits the story. Dialog is realistic and not overblown.
Nor do we have, here, as I've seen in other western or regional novels, language that is "corrup- ted" in order to give it a unique flavor [i.e. "'nuf said!" (enough said) or "cum un" (come on)]. The writing style evokes an easy-going gait of a horse walking, or perhaps the steady rolling of wagon wheels. I did NOT say boring. Bausch's style literally evokes the wide-open country and pacing of life in the wild places.
SECOND: Everything Bausch does with this novel fills the pages with realism and an authentic life, bringing the people, places, and time into a believable reality. Even before I got to the author's notes at the end of the book, where Bausch tells us about his efforts at constructing a realistic and authentic period, it was clear that he knew what he was about as he wrote this novel.
The smells jump off the page, the sounds of battle rang in my ears, the cold of the mountain winters permeated my bones, sweat dripping into the eyes, and skin, baked by the heat of a summer sun. Bausch's detailing of the Evans Repeating Rifle and how it loads is beautiful. Even colloquialisms are well-done; for example, how Bobby Hale asks Ink if she speaks "American," and Ink tells him she speaks "English."
THIRD: and for me, the most important part of the book is the major premise of the book and its accompanying themes. Robert Bausch tells a vibrant story about the progress of the way west (in the locations I listed, above) from the time of the Civil War. It is a huge story about not only the migration of peoples from the East, but the complex interaction of the relationships among Indians, Settlers, trappers and traders, local militia, and the Government's agents (Soldiers, scouts, Indian Agents etc.).
Connected to this third point, is the story of how far, as the title implies, the eye can see. Looking at the title literally, Far as the Eye Can See, simply means that in viewing the expanse of sky and land it seems to go on forever. Here, it also means the kind of seeing we do with our inner eyes--how we perceive the world and other people and situations. Some- times our own vested interests cause us to wear blinders that limit our vision. Consequently, our limited vision may cause us to make harsh judgments of other people based on their skin color or culture. Bobby Hale, for example, thought he saw an Indian brave, but who did he really shoot? Well...not an Indian brave.
The early vignette of Bobby Hale shooting the Indian makes for a wonderful metaphor for the blindness of the collective racial and cultural stereotyping of the Indian nations by a bur- geoning, mostly white, Amer- ican people. The people of this time could only--as far as their eyes could see--view the Indian as a savage. The beauty of Bausch's book is that he doesn't fall into making the white man or the Indian heroes or villains--he creates his characters simply to be "human beings," fraught with failings as well as strengths.
What Robert Bausch does, here, in dealing with the clash of the two disparate cultures, is quite elegant. He uses this clash to show us people, not caricatures. Bobby Hale is not the hero we hoped he would be in the opening pages of the book. Bobby Hale looks to survive.
Even though Hale defrauded the U.S. Government and killed Indians, it turns out his best friend is Big Tree, an Indian. And when he was really needed by (two unnamed) characters he chose to help them, and in doing so was the hero we longed for earlier in the book. Robert Bausch's writing of Hale (and others) into existence as complex characters doesn't leave the story muddled. We get believable, characters in a realistic setting acting exactly the way real human beings act--making poor decisions in one setting and heroic ones in another. Just beautiful.
MY RECOMMENDATIONS AND RATING FOR THIS BOOK:
The genre, western, is generally considered acceptable for all reading audiences. However, taken individually, some westerns should not be read by the young or those people sensitive to violence. Such is the case with Far as the Eye Can See. Bausch does a great job keeping swearing out of the book, as he does with explicit sex scenes. A brutal rape occurs in the book, but it is not explicitly shown, only the results.
Likewise, violence is also in the book, and for a few occasions, quite graphically; this includes some scenes of torture or descriptions of the results of torture or murder. That having been said, I would wholeheartedly approve of mature adults reading this book; the violence contained is not gratuitous, but is incorporated into the story, contributing to it as an integral and necessary part of the whole.
For all the reasons I gave you, above, I rate this book 5 stars out of 5. It is a wonderful read that I enjoyed, immensely. I would recommend this book to the appropriate audience. Today, for the book, Far as the Eye Can See, I'm using 5 cups of coffee, in lieu of stars, in honor of the campfire coffee the characters drank.
Thank you for joining me, today, as we got an advance look at a wonderful new western novel by Robert Bausch. Due to be released November 4, 2014, you should preorder your copy, now. Please join me next week as I will be reviewing for you Esther Ehrlich's debut novel, Nest. This children's novel looks promising, and I can hardly wait to review it for you. So, until next week when we get to find out about, Nest, read something pleasurable for yourself--have a little fun. God bless you, and take care, my friends.
Until next time...
...many happy pages of reading!
Sharon.
January 22, 2015
I decided to make it a point to read a lot of different books this year, from genres that I have never delved into before. That brought me to this book, FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE. A western... but before you pass on reading this review any further, let me say, it's much more than a "shoot'em up cowboy" romp.
This is a story set in the last half of the 1800's, when the west was wild and a very dangerous place to roam. Bobby Hale is an ex vet of the Union and several wars and decides that he wants to take off from Virginia so he sets his sites on California. Armed with two guns and his trusty horse, Cricket, Bobby runs into all kinds of characters along the way, learning about America and himself as he roams wherever the adventures take him. The story, while fictional, weaves some real history into it along the way, like The Battle of Little Bighorn.
I was so impressed with this book! The descriptions of the old time west were spectacular and the interactions that Bobby has on his journey, from army generals to an array of Indians, really speaks volumes about human nature, and the human condition as a wide spectrum of soft compassion to heartless violence is met on his journeys through this book. Bobby is a roamer, a content drifter looking for something that even he isn't quite sure of and we as readers are along for the ride.
The prose of this book is written in the language of the time, from the first person narrative of the central character of Bobby, so there are plenty of "we's" were there should "were's", along with enough "hisself's" and "ain't's" to send an English teacher into reprimanding fits. It's perfect for the book and adds to the authenticity.
If you're in for a book that is set in the past, but still relevant for the current times in its themes of race, war, and human compassion , FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE is the perfect book to read! I give this book a 5/5!
This is a story set in the last half of the 1800's, when the west was wild and a very dangerous place to roam. Bobby Hale is an ex vet of the Union and several wars and decides that he wants to take off from Virginia so he sets his sites on California. Armed with two guns and his trusty horse, Cricket, Bobby runs into all kinds of characters along the way, learning about America and himself as he roams wherever the adventures take him. The story, while fictional, weaves some real history into it along the way, like The Battle of Little Bighorn.
I was so impressed with this book! The descriptions of the old time west were spectacular and the interactions that Bobby has on his journey, from army generals to an array of Indians, really speaks volumes about human nature, and the human condition as a wide spectrum of soft compassion to heartless violence is met on his journeys through this book. Bobby is a roamer, a content drifter looking for something that even he isn't quite sure of and we as readers are along for the ride.
The prose of this book is written in the language of the time, from the first person narrative of the central character of Bobby, so there are plenty of "we's" were there should "were's", along with enough "hisself's" and "ain't's" to send an English teacher into reprimanding fits. It's perfect for the book and adds to the authenticity.
If you're in for a book that is set in the past, but still relevant for the current times in its themes of race, war, and human compassion , FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE is the perfect book to read! I give this book a 5/5!
January 2, 2016
I never thought I would live to see myself starting to enjoy westerns. My mother was an avid western lover and Zane Grey was her favorite author, I feel like I am following her footsteps especially after reading this book. The start was intriguing and I immediately was drawn in but I wondered if I would lose interest because the storyline left the original premise and suddenly we took a huge leap back into the main character's past which span several years. I found myself getting deeply involved in the storyline and I had to trust that the original story would be revisited and I was correct.
I loved the fact that the author did his research and brought the historical events to life. The violence from both sides was appalling and yet the sadness of the plight and demise of the way of life of the Native American was highlighted, at least it was for me. Aside from the sadness and violence, I enjoyed the human touch in the book.
I loved the fact that the author did his research and brought the historical events to life. The violence from both sides was appalling and yet the sadness of the plight and demise of the way of life of the Native American was highlighted, at least it was for me. Aside from the sadness and violence, I enjoyed the human touch in the book.
March 8, 2024
I found this Western particularly engaging due to its morally ambiguous characters traveling through Bausch's vivid depiction of the western territories and plains.
December 3, 2014
Written in the first person, and narrated by Civil War veteran Bobby Hale in a charming and authentic vernacular, "Far as the Eye Can See," is a rip-snorter of an oater. In this world, someone is always out to kill you, kindness is not necessarily rewarded, love comes hard, the Indian wars rage, and in the face of it all it's hard to stay human. Bobby Hale maintains his humanity even as all the forces conspire.
Over the years I've grown quite fond of the Western genre, actually, since Lonesome Dove and Larry McMurtry's noble attempt to de-mythologize the old west. Of course what he really did was re-mythologize the old west, and "Far as the Eye Can See," falls right into that category. That's fine. Only Cormac McCarthy really drives stakes into the myths, and his ultra-violent, extraordinarily written worlds are best taken in small doses. This book, though brutal enough, is not brutal in the extreme, and is filled with characters lovable and despicable who are doing their best to get somewhere, and stay alive. It's a fine read.
Over the years I've grown quite fond of the Western genre, actually, since Lonesome Dove and Larry McMurtry's noble attempt to de-mythologize the old west. Of course what he really did was re-mythologize the old west, and "Far as the Eye Can See," falls right into that category. That's fine. Only Cormac McCarthy really drives stakes into the myths, and his ultra-violent, extraordinarily written worlds are best taken in small doses. This book, though brutal enough, is not brutal in the extreme, and is filled with characters lovable and despicable who are doing their best to get somewhere, and stay alive. It's a fine read.
June 30, 2023
Folks called it the big West. It's big, all right, but what they forget is once you get near it, you realize how small you are. Small and unimportant.
Told in an old-timey, traditional Western style, Far as the Eye Can See is a peaceful and beautiful piece of fiction that works as much as nature writing as it does a Western epic. The striking way the land is captured, the way this huge, open expanse is so lovingly rendered onto these pages is nothing short of breathtaking. Here you'll feel every lonesome ride through the plains, you'll see mountains so tall their peaks can't be visualized, You'll watch in awe at the storms that carve up the night sky. It's simply marvelous.
Though its style is traditional, this is not your typical shoot em up Western. Of course there's all the violence, viciousness and senseless death that one would expect from a novel set during this time period, however, this book is a tranquil walk through what just happens to be some very treacherous terrain. During our time with this tale, we encounter several characters, but they serve mostly as vignettes, people who phase in and out of the life of Bobby Hale. Really, this is his story, he's the hero here, albeit a very reluctant one.
Conflicts rage throughout this novel, but never once do they overshadow the trails and tribulations of Bobby's existence. They almost take a back seat, blending into the scenery of his life. I think that's part of what makes this book so great, it's the perfect balance between calmness and calamity.
You notice the sky out here. And land so far in front and next to you and behind you - as far as the eye can see. Hills and ravines, mountains and long empty prairies; forests that give way to long, deeply green fields of wild grass. Rivers that run down between draws and meet at the tip of great divides of land; rocks that seem to reach all the way to the sky.
Told in an old-timey, traditional Western style, Far as the Eye Can See is a peaceful and beautiful piece of fiction that works as much as nature writing as it does a Western epic. The striking way the land is captured, the way this huge, open expanse is so lovingly rendered onto these pages is nothing short of breathtaking. Here you'll feel every lonesome ride through the plains, you'll see mountains so tall their peaks can't be visualized, You'll watch in awe at the storms that carve up the night sky. It's simply marvelous.
When you're heading West, into this country, you don't get a sense of its size because you don't know where it ends. It's open and wide, of course, but you got this notion of finding the other side of it. Once you been here, and the years pass, you get used to it - to spaces surrounded by blue mountains that pile so high, you can't believe a man can walk in them.
Though its style is traditional, this is not your typical shoot em up Western. Of course there's all the violence, viciousness and senseless death that one would expect from a novel set during this time period, however, this book is a tranquil walk through what just happens to be some very treacherous terrain. During our time with this tale, we encounter several characters, but they serve mostly as vignettes, people who phase in and out of the life of Bobby Hale. Really, this is his story, he's the hero here, albeit a very reluctant one.
Conflicts rage throughout this novel, but never once do they overshadow the trails and tribulations of Bobby's existence. They almost take a back seat, blending into the scenery of his life. I think that's part of what makes this book so great, it's the perfect balance between calmness and calamity.
You notice the sky out here. And land so far in front and next to you and behind you - as far as the eye can see. Hills and ravines, mountains and long empty prairies; forests that give way to long, deeply green fields of wild grass. Rivers that run down between draws and meet at the tip of great divides of land; rocks that seem to reach all the way to the sky.
December 13, 2022
This is an interesting book that worked for me on many levels. The information it conveyed about the northern plains in the 19th century and the so-called Indian Wars was fascinating in both its detail and the nuanced view of the clash of cultures. Bausch uses a naïve narrator and protagonist to tell the story, a young civil war veteran whose values are hard to pin down but who makes a sincere effort to find them as he tumbles through the world in the years immediately following the war as he aimlessly drifts west through the Montana and Wyoming territories. His encounters are highly personal and his reactions idiosyncratic but the author uses them to explore universal themes, and manages it without dwelling too much on brutality (though there is plenty of that) or romanticizing either the settlers or the members of the various Indian tribes he and we encounter. Likewise with the portrayal of the soldiers, whose guns give them authority that their lack of integrity, purpose or organization can't help but corrupt, leading to the tragedy we all know about.
Our hero stumbles through it all while falling in and out of relationships with women and men, gradually firming up his values and sense of self until he reaches something approaching manhood by the end. Along the way he and we learn how to live off the land, and those details are among the ones I found most fascinating, along with the cultural insights about the different groups. What begin for him as alliances of convenience turn into ever deeper relationships of friendship, romance and commitment that gradually shape his character. He stumbles inexorably toward the confrontation at Little Big Horn, through a series of smaller massacres which he manages to survive, but other than that destiny the author keeps us in suspense until the very last pages. I found it to be an exciting and fascinating story. Highly recommended.
Our hero stumbles through it all while falling in and out of relationships with women and men, gradually firming up his values and sense of self until he reaches something approaching manhood by the end. Along the way he and we learn how to live off the land, and those details are among the ones I found most fascinating, along with the cultural insights about the different groups. What begin for him as alliances of convenience turn into ever deeper relationships of friendship, romance and commitment that gradually shape his character. He stumbles inexorably toward the confrontation at Little Big Horn, through a series of smaller massacres which he manages to survive, but other than that destiny the author keeps us in suspense until the very last pages. I found it to be an exciting and fascinating story. Highly recommended.
December 24, 2018
This was different than I thought it would be after reading the review - not in a bad way though. I think I thought it was going to be a sort of Annie Dillard type of story but it turned out to be more of a Robert Olmsted type. (I love both.)
I liked the way Bausch didn’t romanticize either the white peoples’ westward migration or the native Americans.
If anyone reads this book, I hope they will take the time to read the “acknowledgements” at the end. In fact, even if you don’t read the book the acknowledgements pages are well worth reading!
I liked the way Bausch didn’t romanticize either the white peoples’ westward migration or the native Americans.
If anyone reads this book, I hope they will take the time to read the “acknowledgements” at the end. In fact, even if you don’t read the book the acknowledgements pages are well worth reading!
April 19, 2018
This is a compelling, suspenseful historical novel. On one level it is an adventure story: will the hero survive. On another, it is a haunting story of the injustice the USA perpetuated on Native Americans and on another, a nostalgia for the western wilderness.
July 16, 2023
Weak 3 stars for me. Just didn't do it for me
August 29, 2016
Sharply evocative of time and place, Bausch's novel Far As the Eye Can See is a treat and in some ways an education as well. Bausch's fictional tale, set during the Grant Administration in the USA around the time of Custer's last stand, draws on considerable research with regard to the Crow, Cheyenne, Nez Perce and other American Indian tribes. He uses story to drive home his message, which is that neither Caucasian nor indigenous people were either entirely good or entirely in the right, and that the conflict between the two was inevitable.
I only agree with part of that last bit, but I really enjoyed his story. Thank you to Net Galley and Bloomsbury Publishing for allowing me an advance glimpse via an ARC.
Bobby Hale is a deserter from the US army some seven times over. During the latter part of the American Civil War, he took the cash bounty for signing on, went to fight, and left the first chance he got. By using a wide variety of names he was able to do so repeatedly, but he was nevertheless roped into participating in some terrible battle. Were he real, and were he alive today, we'd say he has PTSD.
And there you have it! I always know an author has done a strong job developing their character when I find myself giving out diagnoses. It's just as well that the character is indeed fictional, since my medical credentials don't exist either.
Hale is headed west, away from cities and civilization. The idea of holding down a job and answering to a supervisor is anathema to him. The classic (but not stereotypical) mountain man, he is willing to sleep in freezing temperatures out of doors when necessary, climb steep cliffs and slog through ravines, all in the name of independence. But even out west, he inevitably runs into other humans from time to time, and not being completely antisocial, he makes friends, makes enemies, and falls in love. Twice. He finds himself having to make difficult choices a number of times. At other times, he is forced into action before he can really examine his options.
Here we check in with what I call the "ick meter". Every reader has an independent threshold for bloodshed, human body parts, and other gore. Given that this is a soldier's story, renegade or not, we would expect to find some of it here. I would not have cared to see Bausch add any more of it than he did; however, my own sense is that there was nothing added that was gratuitous or overdrawn. If you can't stand reading war stories, you probably already know that by now, in which case, I wonder why you are still with me here.
Another noteworthy detail has to do with his use of place. When he describes the approach to the Rocky Mountains from the eastern part of the USA, I can see those blue mountains and all that sky, because I have driven across the USA a few times, and I have vacationed in Montana and Wyoming. Bobby Hale covers a tremendous amount of ground. If you are somewhat familiar with location in regard to the Black Hills, the Northern (inside the US) Rockies, and the Great Plains, you will probably enjoy the book more than if you don't have a clue. I think if I were starting from scratch, I might have become confused, because he puts on a lot of miles without pausing to lay out which state lines he is crossing. Actually having been to at least one of these places, even if only to drive through it and notice the difference in elevation, climate, etc. will increase your appreciation and understanding.
As for me, I found it very satisfying. It's a great read to have ready to hand beside a snug bedside. When Hale froze in the mountains and froze again on the plains, I burrowed deeper into the blankets and found myself even more content than when I began.
A great story for late fall and winter reading in a toasty nest.
I only agree with part of that last bit, but I really enjoyed his story. Thank you to Net Galley and Bloomsbury Publishing for allowing me an advance glimpse via an ARC.
Bobby Hale is a deserter from the US army some seven times over. During the latter part of the American Civil War, he took the cash bounty for signing on, went to fight, and left the first chance he got. By using a wide variety of names he was able to do so repeatedly, but he was nevertheless roped into participating in some terrible battle. Were he real, and were he alive today, we'd say he has PTSD.
And there you have it! I always know an author has done a strong job developing their character when I find myself giving out diagnoses. It's just as well that the character is indeed fictional, since my medical credentials don't exist either.
Hale is headed west, away from cities and civilization. The idea of holding down a job and answering to a supervisor is anathema to him. The classic (but not stereotypical) mountain man, he is willing to sleep in freezing temperatures out of doors when necessary, climb steep cliffs and slog through ravines, all in the name of independence. But even out west, he inevitably runs into other humans from time to time, and not being completely antisocial, he makes friends, makes enemies, and falls in love. Twice. He finds himself having to make difficult choices a number of times. At other times, he is forced into action before he can really examine his options.
Here we check in with what I call the "ick meter". Every reader has an independent threshold for bloodshed, human body parts, and other gore. Given that this is a soldier's story, renegade or not, we would expect to find some of it here. I would not have cared to see Bausch add any more of it than he did; however, my own sense is that there was nothing added that was gratuitous or overdrawn. If you can't stand reading war stories, you probably already know that by now, in which case, I wonder why you are still with me here.
Another noteworthy detail has to do with his use of place. When he describes the approach to the Rocky Mountains from the eastern part of the USA, I can see those blue mountains and all that sky, because I have driven across the USA a few times, and I have vacationed in Montana and Wyoming. Bobby Hale covers a tremendous amount of ground. If you are somewhat familiar with location in regard to the Black Hills, the Northern (inside the US) Rockies, and the Great Plains, you will probably enjoy the book more than if you don't have a clue. I think if I were starting from scratch, I might have become confused, because he puts on a lot of miles without pausing to lay out which state lines he is crossing. Actually having been to at least one of these places, even if only to drive through it and notice the difference in elevation, climate, etc. will increase your appreciation and understanding.
As for me, I found it very satisfying. It's a great read to have ready to hand beside a snug bedside. When Hale froze in the mountains and froze again on the plains, I burrowed deeper into the blankets and found myself even more content than when I began.
A great story for late fall and winter reading in a toasty nest.
November 21, 2014
For some reason, my mom was always adamant that I know as much as I could of Native American history. Maybe because I grew up in California (with frequent visits to Oregon). Or maybe because she thought it was a sad story of a proud people bludgeoned into submission, a story she could identify with for her own reasons. At any rate, at one point in my life, I knew quite a bit about Native Americans. But though their history was always interesting to me, as I grew older, other subjects interested me more, and I didn't think on the topic too much after a while.
So it was an interesting experience coming to a book like Far As the Eye Can See a few decades past childhood. I suddenly remembered much of what I had learned as a kid--though I was also surprised to learn a few more facts in the course of reading this book. I ended up really appreciating how Bausch was able to construct a very detailed but fair view of the Native Americans overall--nothing cliche or romanticized, just straightforward and honest--and it helped me put what I already knew in better context.
Truthfully, I wasn't particularly wowed by the characters in Far As the Eye Can See. I liked them, I suppose, but I never felt close to them. I never felt like I knew them, their real thoughts, or their deeper motivations. Most of these people experienced a lot of hardship but didn't seem to have the time or energy to process what they were experiencing--just living one day to the next, and hoping to live another day after that. So while I understood why Bausch portrayed these characters as he did, but I still felt a bit disappointed by it.
However, there is no denying that Bausch did an exceptional job of creating physical and historical context. In fact, I think the characters actually took a backseat to the general atmosphere of the time period. When I finished the book, I felt closer to the Wild West than to even Bobby Hale: the turmoil; the unrest; the nagging itch to fight, expand, and explore--and the hopeless exasperation of more than a few people (Native American and white alike) to be left alone for heaven's sake. When Bausch described the wide open skies and unbearably cold winter where the sun gave no heat and the coziness of an "Injun's" teepee, I felt like I was right there experiencing it all. I think ultimately this is where the book excels: in painting a very specific, clear picture of a beautiful but dangerous country in a period of transition.
So while the story could be a bit slow at parts, and while the characters weren't as developed as I would have liked, I was more than happy to let myself be swept through these pages if only for the opportunity to experience Bausch's version of the Wild West.
So it was an interesting experience coming to a book like Far As the Eye Can See a few decades past childhood. I suddenly remembered much of what I had learned as a kid--though I was also surprised to learn a few more facts in the course of reading this book. I ended up really appreciating how Bausch was able to construct a very detailed but fair view of the Native Americans overall--nothing cliche or romanticized, just straightforward and honest--and it helped me put what I already knew in better context.
Truthfully, I wasn't particularly wowed by the characters in Far As the Eye Can See. I liked them, I suppose, but I never felt close to them. I never felt like I knew them, their real thoughts, or their deeper motivations. Most of these people experienced a lot of hardship but didn't seem to have the time or energy to process what they were experiencing--just living one day to the next, and hoping to live another day after that. So while I understood why Bausch portrayed these characters as he did, but I still felt a bit disappointed by it.
However, there is no denying that Bausch did an exceptional job of creating physical and historical context. In fact, I think the characters actually took a backseat to the general atmosphere of the time period. When I finished the book, I felt closer to the Wild West than to even Bobby Hale: the turmoil; the unrest; the nagging itch to fight, expand, and explore--and the hopeless exasperation of more than a few people (Native American and white alike) to be left alone for heaven's sake. When Bausch described the wide open skies and unbearably cold winter where the sun gave no heat and the coziness of an "Injun's" teepee, I felt like I was right there experiencing it all. I think ultimately this is where the book excels: in painting a very specific, clear picture of a beautiful but dangerous country in a period of transition.
So while the story could be a bit slow at parts, and while the characters weren't as developed as I would have liked, I was more than happy to let myself be swept through these pages if only for the opportunity to experience Bausch's version of the Wild West.
December 22, 2015
There are times when I read outside of my comfort zone and it goes horribly wrong, but then there times that it goes incredibly well and makes it worth my while. Far As the Eye Can See by Robert Bausch was one of the times it was well worth it and I may have to reconsider my feelings about westerns. Although this may not be a western in the traditional sense of the genre’s definition, the book takes place in the midwest during a time of struggle and follows a man throughout his journey, both physically and emotionally.
At its core, Far As the Eye Can See is the story of Bobby Hale, a former Union soldier who was known for gaming the system but is too sincere to be considered a conman. After the war, he heads west (as many did at the time) in an effort to live a better life, only to be left wandering the middle of the country and learning about himself in the process. He is both friend and foe to the Native Americans he encounters – at times he is tracking them in order to round them up or kill them, while at other times he finds safety with them. It’s the story of a man who wants to do right by the very culture he is out to destroy, his coming to terms with his own past, and charting a new path for his future.
I usually have trouble with narrations that are written in any given dialect, but the southern dialect of Bobby Hale didn’t bother me in the least. Bausch writes him in such a way that his naivety is charming rather than annoying and while I had trouble with some of his actions, I found myself rooting for him, nonetheless. There’s a bit of romance, a good bit of action, and a lot of history rolled into this book, but the end result is story that’s impossible to put down and a protagonist you want to overcome the odds stacked against him. With each person he encounters along his way, Hale learns something new about himself, which lends a redeeming quality that I wasn’t expecting.
For the full review, visit The Book Wheel.
At its core, Far As the Eye Can See is the story of Bobby Hale, a former Union soldier who was known for gaming the system but is too sincere to be considered a conman. After the war, he heads west (as many did at the time) in an effort to live a better life, only to be left wandering the middle of the country and learning about himself in the process. He is both friend and foe to the Native Americans he encounters – at times he is tracking them in order to round them up or kill them, while at other times he finds safety with them. It’s the story of a man who wants to do right by the very culture he is out to destroy, his coming to terms with his own past, and charting a new path for his future.
I usually have trouble with narrations that are written in any given dialect, but the southern dialect of Bobby Hale didn’t bother me in the least. Bausch writes him in such a way that his naivety is charming rather than annoying and while I had trouble with some of his actions, I found myself rooting for him, nonetheless. There’s a bit of romance, a good bit of action, and a lot of history rolled into this book, but the end result is story that’s impossible to put down and a protagonist you want to overcome the odds stacked against him. With each person he encounters along his way, Hale learns something new about himself, which lends a redeeming quality that I wasn’t expecting.
For the full review, visit The Book Wheel.
June 21, 2022
I wrote the following Facebook post on the page of Robert Bausch, who taught me college English at Northern Virginia Community College almost 40 years ago. I was taking preliminary courses at the community college level before enrolling in George Mason University's nursing program.
Mr. Bausch, a budding author at the time, has gone on to become a highly respected author and winner of several writing awards. Despite his successful career as an author, he still continues to teach at the local level. He made a big impression on me at that time and gave me confidence in my very rudimentary writing skills.
@ Robert Bausch: "I just finished reading Far as the Eye Can See. I loved it. You made Bobby McHale very real through the use of his first person narrative. I had never given much thought to the idea of the lone traveler, wandering that vast territory and fending for himself. The details of his ordeal to find his next meal, cook it, and find shelter served as an eye-opener to one who just has to run to the nearest Safeway. The loneliness and isolation must have been intense. Your notes in Acknowledgements about the lives of the Plains Indians and the Europeans who came to fulfill their destiny of conquering the West made me very sad. This is from one of your students....to one of my favorite teachers."
I received a reply informing me that he is writing a sequel to this lovely book. I eagerly look foward to its publication.
LikeShow more reactionsCommentShare
Mr. Bausch, a budding author at the time, has gone on to become a highly respected author and winner of several writing awards. Despite his successful career as an author, he still continues to teach at the local level. He made a big impression on me at that time and gave me confidence in my very rudimentary writing skills.
@ Robert Bausch: "I just finished reading Far as the Eye Can See. I loved it. You made Bobby McHale very real through the use of his first person narrative. I had never given much thought to the idea of the lone traveler, wandering that vast territory and fending for himself. The details of his ordeal to find his next meal, cook it, and find shelter served as an eye-opener to one who just has to run to the nearest Safeway. The loneliness and isolation must have been intense. Your notes in Acknowledgements about the lives of the Plains Indians and the Europeans who came to fulfill their destiny of conquering the West made me very sad. This is from one of your students....to one of my favorite teachers."
I received a reply informing me that he is writing a sequel to this lovely book. I eagerly look foward to its publication.
LikeShow more reactionsCommentShare
December 6, 2018
I very much enjoy Westerns, and I particularly enjoy ones which subvert the genre to some extent. And this one does so very cleverly and effectively. It’s the story of Bobby Hale, who is definitely not your typical Western hero. He spent the Civil War enrolling in the Union Army and then absconding, making some profit on each occasion, and has now, after the conflict, decided to start a new life in California. But events conspire against him, and his adventures multiply in spite of himself. Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota. Wagon trains and Manifest Destiny. Buffalo, Native Americans, outlaws, guns. All the tropes are there but Bobby himself avoids all stereotypes and his trajectory remains constantly unpredictable. The story starts simply enough, but becomes increasingly morally complex as the months and years pass, and I found myself becoming more and more invested in Bobby’s life. What makes him so endearing is that he is, in fact, at heart, an honest well-meaning guy who tries to do the right thing. Even if that means using his gun in typical Western fashion. It’s a sprawling narrative, which felt authentic and historically accurate, and I enjoyed it more and more as my reading went on.
August 19, 2015
Heart-breakingly beautiful story about the wild wild west in the 1870s but told from the point of view of an unlikely progressive going by the name of Bobby Hale. Bobby may be an opportunist, but his heart is in the right place; he doesn't go in for religion or politics, but he will honor and respect whom and whatever he deems worthy - whether that be the so-called enemy, his usurper, or a tribal form of parenting by adoption.
Robert Bausch describes the natural vistas of the American West with such eloquent grace and detail, reading this was like taking it all in on horseback. I learned a lot about First Nation people, for example that "Sioux" means "enemy," and that the Sioux call themselves Lakota or Dakota (or Uncpapas, Miniconjous, et al). Bausch forces the reader to witness repeated incidents where innocent Indians were killed by whites (as bystanders, trade negotiators, or even white flag holding members of a surrender party), I couldn't help but compare it to modern day Americans DWB and facing police brutality. And it was with particular relish that I read his version of the historical Battle of Little Bighorn.
Robert Bausch describes the natural vistas of the American West with such eloquent grace and detail, reading this was like taking it all in on horseback. I learned a lot about First Nation people, for example that "Sioux" means "enemy," and that the Sioux call themselves Lakota or Dakota (or Uncpapas, Miniconjous, et al). Bausch forces the reader to witness repeated incidents where innocent Indians were killed by whites (as bystanders, trade negotiators, or even white flag holding members of a surrender party), I couldn't help but compare it to modern day Americans DWB and facing police brutality. And it was with particular relish that I read his version of the historical Battle of Little Bighorn.
October 13, 2014
Robert Bausch gives us a novel that sprawls across the west, covering from a few years after the Civil War until the Custer massacre in 1876.
We follow young Bobby Hale, a Virginian and a veteran, that headed west to find out what lay out there. Hale is not his real name, just the latest.
The story covers Hale's time with a wagon train, his five year partnership with the Crow Big Tree where he learns trapping and how to live to hooking up with a pair of women, sisters, headed west. He serves as scout sent out looking for Indians, hooks up with Ink, the young half breed Nez Perce woman, shooting her then nursing her back to health, and finally ending up stuck in the middle of the Big Horn battle.
Told in the first person, author Robert Bausch is consistent in his depiction of Hale as a man with little formal education, his use of the wrong tense quite regular, his unfamiliarity with how to deal with common things, and his quick reaction, oftentimes wrong.
Quite enjoyed this one.
We follow young Bobby Hale, a Virginian and a veteran, that headed west to find out what lay out there. Hale is not his real name, just the latest.
The story covers Hale's time with a wagon train, his five year partnership with the Crow Big Tree where he learns trapping and how to live to hooking up with a pair of women, sisters, headed west. He serves as scout sent out looking for Indians, hooks up with Ink, the young half breed Nez Perce woman, shooting her then nursing her back to health, and finally ending up stuck in the middle of the Big Horn battle.
Told in the first person, author Robert Bausch is consistent in his depiction of Hale as a man with little formal education, his use of the wrong tense quite regular, his unfamiliarity with how to deal with common things, and his quick reaction, oftentimes wrong.
Quite enjoyed this one.
January 9, 2016
For the first three quarters of this colorful novel of the American West, I was completely immersed. The book is set in the years leading up to Custer’s defeat at Little Bighorn, and it tells a vivid and gripping story. The reluctant hero is good company. He interacts with many sympathetic and/or interesting characters. Bausch creates a fully realized novelistic landscape that comes alive in rare and impressive ways.
Far As the Eye Can See was the one book that I’d brought on a long trip to Tierra del Fuego and Patagonia, and I’d expected it to last me the whole time. But early in the trip, I started flying through it. I really didn’t want to put it down—and I only did so in order to savor it and make it last.
Unfortunately, at a specific point around three quarters of the way through the book, Bausch made an unfortunate choice having to do with the mode of narration. Read the rest of my review here: http://bit.ly/1ZTtRbu
Far As the Eye Can See was the one book that I’d brought on a long trip to Tierra del Fuego and Patagonia, and I’d expected it to last me the whole time. But early in the trip, I started flying through it. I really didn’t want to put it down—and I only did so in order to savor it and make it last.
Unfortunately, at a specific point around three quarters of the way through the book, Bausch made an unfortunate choice having to do with the mode of narration. Read the rest of my review here: http://bit.ly/1ZTtRbu
November 2, 2015
Four or five stars, I was kinda torn, but in the end I plumped for five - there's nothing I'd change about this book. It's a compelling, gripping read, one I couldn't wait to pick up again every time I had to put it down. The central character is strongly drawn, makes for a strong narrative voice, and what scant knowledge I have of the period suggests that the book as a whole is convincingly authentic. A damned good yarn with plenty to say about the human condition - what's not to love?
December 31, 2014
I read this in two sittings. I became immersed in the scenery and events of the west in the 1870's. It was like watching an HD video in my mind.
June 27, 2016
A pretty good and fast paced story about a Union Civil War veteran and deserter, who heads out west after the Civil War. Plenty of adventures and characters, good and who are bent on doing evil.
April 13, 2020
I guess I would call Robert Bausch's "Far as the Eye Can See" an agreeable book. There was nothing I thoroughly disliked, but as I reached the end I was left shrugging my shoulders, indifferent. The book starts on a high note. The prose is both lively and lyrical as the protagonist/narrator, Bobby Hale, describes watching a rider approach on the high plains and taking a pot shot at him, only to hit him and afterward discover he's a she, a young half-white/half-Indian woman. It's a wise choice for Bausch to start his story this way, grabbing the reader's attention. Who is the woman? What's she doing here? And why was Hale so quick to shoot? In time, these questions will be answered, but Bausch has to jump back in time to do so. Readers learn that Bobby Hale didn't start out as Bobby Hale. He was in the Civil War but changed his name to earn multiple recruitment bonuses. Afterwards he wandered West. As Bausch assumes Hale's persona, the prose shifts, becoming more like down-home saloon-speech. I was left wondering why the author chose this (self-admittedly) semi-literate person as his narrator. Why not tell the story in the third-person? I didn't find Hale's first-person account overly convincing. Anyway, he comes West knowing nothing but manages to befriend a man guiding wagon trains back and forth to California. (By the way, in the vastness of the West, it's curious that Hale keeps running into the same five people.) He then sets up as a trapper with an Indian partner, marries an Indian himself, loses her, ends up in Bozeman as an army guide, becomes betrothed to a woman from Boston, living in a wagon with her and her sister, when the story comes full circle to his shooting of the young woman. By this point, Hale is running from both the cavalry and the Indians and the half-Indian girl, Ink, is running from her husband. They take up together, making the long trek back to Bozeman, where they accumulate some horses and a young Indian boy in the process. Oh, this is 1876, so Bobby Hale also witnesses the decimation of Custer's troops at the Battle of Little Bighorn. He's sort of an unwitting Zelig. He also ends up shooting a number of men, owing more to the accuracy of his rifle than to his aim. He doesn't like killing, but it's kill or be killed. Bausch has a tendency to "educate" the reader about native customs and frontier norms. Hale doesn't seem to know what he wants in life. He sort-of likes women. In a time and place where men far outnumber women, it's amazing how this clumsy red-haired protagonist tends to accumulate them. The story is likely accurate to the time period: there were moments of tension, violence, gun fights, but much more of "Far as the Eye Can See" is spent in transit, by horse, getting from one place to another. The characters spend a lot of the book hunting for game, eating beans, etc. If you liked the game "Oregon Trail," then you may love this story.
September 10, 2020
Bausch explains a few things in his acknowledgements at the back of the Bloomsbury Circus edition I read. One of those things is why he thinks the clash between the Indians and the European settlers was unavoidable, both culturally and psychologically.
He touches on all the clichés, someone wrote. Still, when it comes to this period in history, and taking the fundamental cultural and psychological differences of the Europeans and the Indians into the equation, I am sure that most clichés are accurate and should be touched.
They are clichés for a reason. In general, the white man has proven to be a cruel and merciless invader, regardless of the location. And, in general, the Indians were peaceful and willing to share the vastness of the land and its natural resources.
Though it took me a little time to develop an interest in Bobby Hale, Bausch managed to build a subtle story around Bobby's development. It is a hard life that he lives, and survival often depends on your skills as well as whether you are prepared to defend yourself and your loved ones.
Bausch shows us that first appearances cannot always be trusted upon. In fact, more often than not they are the opposite of what you'd expect. An Indian brave that rides towards you yipping and yelling may not be after your life. A smiling traveler met along the path may not be trustworthy after all.
It is a confusing world Bobby lives in. You can tell that he tries to do good, but has no real clue as to what that entails exactly. He has little to no role models in his life to give him guidance.
You can also tell he hasn't had much education or a loving and guiding upbringing. He has to figure it out as he goes along, in a dangerous world full of uncertainty and cruelty. During his journey, we get to see him grow into the man he wants to be.
I gave the book a solid four stars. The deduction of one star is earned because I think that Bausch's narrative wasn't as captive as it could have been. He also cut some corners where I think he shouldn't have. Anyway, five stars are reserved for near-perfect books (in my opinion) as 'All the pretty horses' by Cormac McCarthy. Though Bausch's book was a very good read, McCarthy he is not.
He touches on all the clichés, someone wrote. Still, when it comes to this period in history, and taking the fundamental cultural and psychological differences of the Europeans and the Indians into the equation, I am sure that most clichés are accurate and should be touched.
They are clichés for a reason. In general, the white man has proven to be a cruel and merciless invader, regardless of the location. And, in general, the Indians were peaceful and willing to share the vastness of the land and its natural resources.
Though it took me a little time to develop an interest in Bobby Hale, Bausch managed to build a subtle story around Bobby's development. It is a hard life that he lives, and survival often depends on your skills as well as whether you are prepared to defend yourself and your loved ones.
Bausch shows us that first appearances cannot always be trusted upon. In fact, more often than not they are the opposite of what you'd expect. An Indian brave that rides towards you yipping and yelling may not be after your life. A smiling traveler met along the path may not be trustworthy after all.
It is a confusing world Bobby lives in. You can tell that he tries to do good, but has no real clue as to what that entails exactly. He has little to no role models in his life to give him guidance.
You can also tell he hasn't had much education or a loving and guiding upbringing. He has to figure it out as he goes along, in a dangerous world full of uncertainty and cruelty. During his journey, we get to see him grow into the man he wants to be.
I gave the book a solid four stars. The deduction of one star is earned because I think that Bausch's narrative wasn't as captive as it could have been. He also cut some corners where I think he shouldn't have. Anyway, five stars are reserved for near-perfect books (in my opinion) as 'All the pretty horses' by Cormac McCarthy. Though Bausch's book was a very good read, McCarthy he is not.
November 7, 2017
A simple, meandering novel which takes you on one mans journey through western America in the 1870's. There isn't much plot to speak of and the story gets dry and slow at times but I also can't imagine cutting anything because it all serves the purpose of connecting the reader to Bobby Hale. I thought Bobby to be a somewhat lacklustre character until the last 100 or so pages when I realised how truly invested I was in his story. I wanted him to survive, to get a happy ending with Ink and Little Fox. And while I'm not fond of first person narration I thoroughly enjoyed its use here. Bobby isn't a hero or a villain and his inner thoughts as he tried to rationalise what he has done and seen was truly heartbreaking.
I imagine a better understanding of this period in American history could have helped paint a picture of what Hale was living through but all I had was Bausch's words. Ultimately, all I knew is what Bobby knew and that's that life for him and others like him was bleak, violent, corrupting, and quick. Seeing everything through his eyes meant the reader only saw snapshots of history with no bigger picture. This is brought home in the last paragraph when (**spoilers**) Bobby, in 1876, talks of going to Nez Perce and hopefully getting a happy life with Ink and Little Fox. As it turns out (learnt through the authors note and some googling) war hits the Nez Perce in 1877. I wonder if perhaps Bausch finished the novel this way in hope of writing a follow up or if he wanted to add one last moment of tension to clued in readers.
I imagine a better understanding of this period in American history could have helped paint a picture of what Hale was living through but all I had was Bausch's words. Ultimately, all I knew is what Bobby knew and that's that life for him and others like him was bleak, violent, corrupting, and quick. Seeing everything through his eyes meant the reader only saw snapshots of history with no bigger picture. This is brought home in the last paragraph when (**spoilers**) Bobby, in 1876, talks of going to Nez Perce and hopefully getting a happy life with Ink and Little Fox. As it turns out (learnt through the authors note and some googling) war hits the Nez Perce in 1877. I wonder if perhaps Bausch finished the novel this way in hope of writing a follow up or if he wanted to add one last moment of tension to clued in readers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 134 reviews