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Desperadoes
At age 65, Emmett Dalton, the sole survivor of the infamous Dalton gang makes a living by selling his outrageous adventure stories to Hollywood. Desperadoes details his memories of the murders, bootlegging and thievery he and his posse committed. The grit and excitement of these violent times are expertly evoked by the sharp pen and authentic voice of HarperCollins' bestselling author Ron Hansen.
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1979
105 people are currently reading
1021 people want to read
About the author
Ron Hansen
63 books267 followersRon Hansen is the author of two story collections, two volumes of essays, and nine novels, including most recently The Kid, as well as The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, which was made into an Oscar-nominated film. His novel Atticus was a finalist for the National Book Award. He teaches at Santa Clara University.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
October 23, 2023
Really enjoyed this book the writing is wonderful an engaging. The author captures the voice and setting better than most others who write in this time period. My only issue with the story is the structure it lacks transitions. The story arc is based only on the chronology of the character's life vs one scene dovetailing into the next. Each scene supporting another, handing off to the next.
This structure gives the book an episodic feel instead of being a novel it feels like fictionalized non-fiction--almost a memoir. The scenes are well done and compelling but when the scene ends it dumps the reader out the story. One long string of short stories.
No matter, Hansen can really write. He's one of the best out there and I'll be reading all the rest of his books.
d.
This structure gives the book an episodic feel instead of being a novel it feels like fictionalized non-fiction--almost a memoir. The scenes are well done and compelling but when the scene ends it dumps the reader out the story. One long string of short stories.
No matter, Hansen can really write. He's one of the best out there and I'll be reading all the rest of his books.
d.
June 10, 2014
Author of Hitler’s Niece, Mariette In Ecstasy and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford,Desperadoes is Ron Hansen’s first novel. Narrated by an aging Emmett Dalton – who among other endeavors became a minor Hollywood celebrity in real life after serving time in prison – here is the “story” of the Wild West Dalton Gang. Not quite as famous – or infamous – as the James-Younger Gang, the Daltons still “left their mark” and Hansen does a very good job of blending fact with fiction here.
To use an overused word, this is a “gritty” portrayal of the West in the late 19th Century. The Daltons were a large clan, with a loving mother and a father who was barely paying attention, having trouble keeping the names of his sons straight. Emmett, and his brothers Bob and Grat, first tried their hands as peace officers, and when that didn’t pan out – due to paltry pay - they became outlaws.
The reader lives with the Dalton boys as they rob trains, steal horses and attempt to stay one step ahead of the law. In between heists and while on the lam, Emmett and company attempt to lead as normal lives as possible – getting together for family reunions and falling in love. There is an excellent cast of supporting characters on both sides of the law – Bob’s female interest, Eugenia Moore, is particularly intriguing - dialog and descriptions are excellent; and the author does a great job portraying the adrenaline rush of a “hold-up” and escape along with the much more frequent drudgery of “hiding out”. The gang’s demise in Coffeyville, while attempting to rob two banks simultaneously, is a more than fitting climax to this story.
If historical fiction is your cup of tea – and particularly if you’re a fan of the Wild West – or if you simply just like a good book, you’ll enjoy this very well-written and engaging novel.
To use an overused word, this is a “gritty” portrayal of the West in the late 19th Century. The Daltons were a large clan, with a loving mother and a father who was barely paying attention, having trouble keeping the names of his sons straight. Emmett, and his brothers Bob and Grat, first tried their hands as peace officers, and when that didn’t pan out – due to paltry pay - they became outlaws.
The reader lives with the Dalton boys as they rob trains, steal horses and attempt to stay one step ahead of the law. In between heists and while on the lam, Emmett and company attempt to lead as normal lives as possible – getting together for family reunions and falling in love. There is an excellent cast of supporting characters on both sides of the law – Bob’s female interest, Eugenia Moore, is particularly intriguing - dialog and descriptions are excellent; and the author does a great job portraying the adrenaline rush of a “hold-up” and escape along with the much more frequent drudgery of “hiding out”. The gang’s demise in Coffeyville, while attempting to rob two banks simultaneously, is a more than fitting climax to this story.
If historical fiction is your cup of tea – and particularly if you’re a fan of the Wild West – or if you simply just like a good book, you’ll enjoy this very well-written and engaging novel.
June 26, 2022
The notorious Dalton gang, well known to Kansans, are described in an entertaining novel format. Our author obviously did his homework. The story is well known, the local boys in ill conceived disguises, were massacred in their hometown of Coffeyville KS. I happen to know people there, in this now lazy Kansas town, famous for the demise of the two of the brothers and two accomplices. The story is told many years after the fact by the younger brother that was wounded but went to prison and tells the story of a family of 15 in hardscrabble territories during the sooner movement that would become Oklahoma. After the trail of tears, in the 1890s, the native Americans were relegated to reservations and the lawlessness of outlaws and all sorts of gnarly scofflaws were largely opportunists. Bob Dalton, the brains behind the operations, was a lawman to start with his rough brother Grattan and younger follower Emmet (our storyteller). They quickly realized that federal wages for the dangerous job of capturing federal criminals in the wild territory was hazardous and poor paying (the government paid poorly and were often late). Oklahoma was not yet a state, so the towns had their own lawmen, but the territories were essentially wide open to the wicked. After some easy graft, the Daltons started their crime sprees, cattle rustling at first, then trains, then banks (and random extortion of poorly prepared easterners coming to the territories for their great opportunity). The characters and their jargon were as solid as McCarthy’s Cities of the Plain, but these are immoral men with less goodness in them and a melancholy fatalism in their ruminations.
I chose this book after learning (from the superb Books are Made of Books, Michael Crews) that my favorite author (Cormac McCarthy) used it as a reference when preparing to pen his epic Blood Meridien, where he captured exquisitely the rapaciously wild Glanton gang in the southwest territories in about the same time frame. Where Hansen succeeds is the earthy prose, told from the mind of a not-so-brilliant brother, Emmet, who remembers the wild days when his brothers in hideouts carouse and slum and go out marauding when funds run low. Hansen captures these rough and shady characters with sparkling description, often hilarious and always unique. He has the gift of the old storyteller around the fire, noting with pithy and original dialogue how it really was in barren bends and scrubby red earth. Hansen has that ear for language that all the great authors have and inhabits these men wholly. I love this kind of writing; it reminds me of people I’ve known, and the violence and pain and everyday ailments leave know doubt this man knows his subject. The Dalton boys took advantage of the locals’ hatred of the railroads and the eastern powers, fancying themselves Robin Hood types (though they mainly squandered their money on themselves). They also idolized the James and Younger gangs that went before them (Hansen has wrote a well-known novel about them as well).
The enabling women of the story are also rendered with accuracy, how they clung to the charismatic outlaws. Especially the lady who went by Eugenia Moore, who blended into the towns and did much of the surveillance for the planned robberies. She never got to marry Bob, in fact he and Grat died shockingly young, but corresponded with the jailed Emmet where their letters because the source of a great deal of information.
Here (p. 150) is on of Hansen’s characters “He was a wide and blue-eyed and sober man, bult from the belly up like he should’ve been six-foot-six, but he walked on runty legs that sawed him down to five-foot-five. His sideburns were cut off at the top of his ear; he had a brown mustache that was six inches across his face; he was losing his wispy blond hair.”
The narrator (p. 155) trying to convince his sweetheart his ways are not overly wayward: “’About whether it’s ill-gotten or not, well, you can’t look at it that way. Indians ate the heart of Father Marquette and farmers stole land from the Cherokee; in Mississippi they raped and sold brown women slaves and the Union Army looted Savannah; railroads pushed Chinamen into tunnels with explosives tied to their backs and now train robbers stuff money into grain sacks. The world rocks a little off balance and then it adjusts itself. There’s misery in every human enterprise and whether the outcome is good or evil depends pretty much on who you’re talking to at the time.’”
Hansen shows off his vast historical knowledge of his subject and spare yet rich prose describing a bank in Coffeyville (p. 213) on the fateful day: “Then we followed Bob in a walk around the west side of the Opera House past a short alley that no longer exists, that’s now filled by the Chamber of Commerce office, the side limit of that alley being the rear of the two-story Luther Perkins building which was narrower in front than back because of the angled convergence of the side streets of Walnut and Union, the resulting trapezoid considered as baffling an architectural wonder in the Sunflower State as the Flatiron Building was to New York. It was an 1890 construction, the pride of the town, as fussy and gimcracked as wedding cake, and occupying its front windows and first floor was the C.M. Condon and Company bank.”
I chose this book after learning (from the superb Books are Made of Books, Michael Crews) that my favorite author (Cormac McCarthy) used it as a reference when preparing to pen his epic Blood Meridien, where he captured exquisitely the rapaciously wild Glanton gang in the southwest territories in about the same time frame. Where Hansen succeeds is the earthy prose, told from the mind of a not-so-brilliant brother, Emmet, who remembers the wild days when his brothers in hideouts carouse and slum and go out marauding when funds run low. Hansen captures these rough and shady characters with sparkling description, often hilarious and always unique. He has the gift of the old storyteller around the fire, noting with pithy and original dialogue how it really was in barren bends and scrubby red earth. Hansen has that ear for language that all the great authors have and inhabits these men wholly. I love this kind of writing; it reminds me of people I’ve known, and the violence and pain and everyday ailments leave know doubt this man knows his subject. The Dalton boys took advantage of the locals’ hatred of the railroads and the eastern powers, fancying themselves Robin Hood types (though they mainly squandered their money on themselves). They also idolized the James and Younger gangs that went before them (Hansen has wrote a well-known novel about them as well).
The enabling women of the story are also rendered with accuracy, how they clung to the charismatic outlaws. Especially the lady who went by Eugenia Moore, who blended into the towns and did much of the surveillance for the planned robberies. She never got to marry Bob, in fact he and Grat died shockingly young, but corresponded with the jailed Emmet where their letters because the source of a great deal of information.
Here (p. 150) is on of Hansen’s characters “He was a wide and blue-eyed and sober man, bult from the belly up like he should’ve been six-foot-six, but he walked on runty legs that sawed him down to five-foot-five. His sideburns were cut off at the top of his ear; he had a brown mustache that was six inches across his face; he was losing his wispy blond hair.”
The narrator (p. 155) trying to convince his sweetheart his ways are not overly wayward: “’About whether it’s ill-gotten or not, well, you can’t look at it that way. Indians ate the heart of Father Marquette and farmers stole land from the Cherokee; in Mississippi they raped and sold brown women slaves and the Union Army looted Savannah; railroads pushed Chinamen into tunnels with explosives tied to their backs and now train robbers stuff money into grain sacks. The world rocks a little off balance and then it adjusts itself. There’s misery in every human enterprise and whether the outcome is good or evil depends pretty much on who you’re talking to at the time.’”
Hansen shows off his vast historical knowledge of his subject and spare yet rich prose describing a bank in Coffeyville (p. 213) on the fateful day: “Then we followed Bob in a walk around the west side of the Opera House past a short alley that no longer exists, that’s now filled by the Chamber of Commerce office, the side limit of that alley being the rear of the two-story Luther Perkins building which was narrower in front than back because of the angled convergence of the side streets of Walnut and Union, the resulting trapezoid considered as baffling an architectural wonder in the Sunflower State as the Flatiron Building was to New York. It was an 1890 construction, the pride of the town, as fussy and gimcracked as wedding cake, and occupying its front windows and first floor was the C.M. Condon and Company bank.”
June 17, 2008
Pretty much a standard western. I didn't finish it. It bored the shit out of me.
Read
February 25, 2022Really enjoyed this book.
Great writing !
Love a good Western!
Great writing !
Love a good Western!
June 2, 2018
Hansen’s novel is about the infamous Dalton brothers and their prominence as criminals in the days of the American Wild West. Starting out as lawmen (actually peace officers in Indian territories) it wasn’t long until they started cattle rustling, which in turn became holding up trains, and bank robbery. The story is narrated by the youngest brother, Emmett, at the age of 65 in 1947, and was just a teenager at the time his brothers became legendary.
Hansen’s writing is a mix of fact and fiction, but we don’t get to learn which is which, it would have been good if he had included something in an appendix about this. Although there isn’t quite the romantic mythology of violence created by Hollywood, there is still glamour and renown associated with the brothers. The climax of the brothers’ mayhem is in the town of Coffeyville, Kansas, which they ride into intending to rob both banks. Years later Emmett returns there and meets some survivors, shaking hands with them like it had been some sort of rough rugby match. Hollywood may glamourise the Wild West, but this was a time very different to anything else with its leading criminals household names and almost on pedestals.
The book does read like a collection of Dalton stories though. Few characters remain in the memory other than their leader Bob, and Eugenia Moore, the schoolteacher who planned much of the gang’s activities. The book has some moments of greatness, but the links between them could be stronger.
Hansen’s writing is a mix of fact and fiction, but we don’t get to learn which is which, it would have been good if he had included something in an appendix about this. Although there isn’t quite the romantic mythology of violence created by Hollywood, there is still glamour and renown associated with the brothers. The climax of the brothers’ mayhem is in the town of Coffeyville, Kansas, which they ride into intending to rob both banks. Years later Emmett returns there and meets some survivors, shaking hands with them like it had been some sort of rough rugby match. Hollywood may glamourise the Wild West, but this was a time very different to anything else with its leading criminals household names and almost on pedestals.
I looked down the sidewalk a hundred yards and saw Tom Ayers, the First National Bank’s cashier, jamming cartridges into a government rifle at Isham’s. He had his sleeve garters off. Bobs shot smashed the bone under the cashiers eye and broke out through the back of his skull. It ruined half his face but Tom lived for years afterwards and when he died I sent a sympathy card to his widow. She graciously replied.
The book does read like a collection of Dalton stories though. Few characters remain in the memory other than their leader Bob, and Eugenia Moore, the schoolteacher who planned much of the gang’s activities. The book has some moments of greatness, but the links between them could be stronger.
September 1, 2022
spin a classic western yarn but make it sad as hell and I'll pledge my undying fidelity to you
December 2, 2017
Started last night. Haven't read any Ron Hansen for quite a while. Good writer... This one's pretty entertaining so far. Takes place in the same area as True Grit, and mentions Frank James' later career as a carny attraction. This comes up at the end of True Grit as well.
Moving along as the brothers' criminal career takes off. Violence ensues and is kind of sickening. So many semi-civilized guys with guns. The old west was id unleashed I guess. An issue: there's a taint of inauthenticity here and there that comes up when Emmett describes events and dialogue he could not have experienced himself. The author "explains" this by having Emmett explain that these scenes were relayed to him in letters from various people while he was in prison. Hmmm...
- There's an occasional edge of farce here that was apparently part of the 1940 movie as well.
- Been to Silver City and walked over that arroyo. The far side isn't the red light district anymore. Poorer Hispanic people live there.
- This is the second straight book I've read(or second out of three)to mention Pueblo, Colorado!
Making my way slowly through this as time allows. The parade of mayhem, un-romantic sex and other various depravities continues in Emmett's wry narration. The "issue" of authenticity continues to come up. I'm not sure what the point of it all is. Mr. Hansen is a gifted writer and this is an enjoyable read. The people in this book behave pretty horribly but are NOT far from our own more(?) "civilized" world. Emmett died in his sixties less than ten years before I was born and one of his sisters lived into the 1960's!
- Echoes of The Wild Bunch... betcha the author's seen it!
Finished last night while the Patriots were demolishing the Broncos. No, I don't listen to the radio while I'm reading - seriously reading that is. This is a pretty good book - 3.75* rounds up to 4* - with an appropriately detailed account of the 12 minutes of mayhem and death(8 killed) in Coffeyville. Forty years later Emmett is welcomed back with enthusiasm - the tourist attraction... a money maker for Coffeyville. Weird! Emmett takes pains to portray himself as less of a cold killer as Bob, less brutal and stupid than Grat, and less conniving and crazy than Bill. The survivors write the history! Notes...
- Some of the dialogue seems a bity too modern and hip at times, especially Eugenia's words. She is well portrayed and mysterious.
- Again with the Wild Bunch ending!
- A little tribute to "3:10 to Yuma"...
- The boys were relentlessly brutal, selfish and thieving. Hard to have a lot of sympathy but we're with them so much that we feel some pangs when the go down. Plus, we all know that America loves its banditos.
- Eugenia = Annette Bening in the Grifters! But smarter...
- Another link - Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid...
Moving along as the brothers' criminal career takes off. Violence ensues and is kind of sickening. So many semi-civilized guys with guns. The old west was id unleashed I guess. An issue: there's a taint of inauthenticity here and there that comes up when Emmett describes events and dialogue he could not have experienced himself. The author "explains" this by having Emmett explain that these scenes were relayed to him in letters from various people while he was in prison. Hmmm...
- There's an occasional edge of farce here that was apparently part of the 1940 movie as well.
- Been to Silver City and walked over that arroyo. The far side isn't the red light district anymore. Poorer Hispanic people live there.
- This is the second straight book I've read(or second out of three)to mention Pueblo, Colorado!
Making my way slowly through this as time allows. The parade of mayhem, un-romantic sex and other various depravities continues in Emmett's wry narration. The "issue" of authenticity continues to come up. I'm not sure what the point of it all is. Mr. Hansen is a gifted writer and this is an enjoyable read. The people in this book behave pretty horribly but are NOT far from our own more(?) "civilized" world. Emmett died in his sixties less than ten years before I was born and one of his sisters lived into the 1960's!
- Echoes of The Wild Bunch... betcha the author's seen it!
Finished last night while the Patriots were demolishing the Broncos. No, I don't listen to the radio while I'm reading - seriously reading that is. This is a pretty good book - 3.75* rounds up to 4* - with an appropriately detailed account of the 12 minutes of mayhem and death(8 killed) in Coffeyville. Forty years later Emmett is welcomed back with enthusiasm - the tourist attraction... a money maker for Coffeyville. Weird! Emmett takes pains to portray himself as less of a cold killer as Bob, less brutal and stupid than Grat, and less conniving and crazy than Bill. The survivors write the history! Notes...
- Some of the dialogue seems a bity too modern and hip at times, especially Eugenia's words. She is well portrayed and mysterious.
- Again with the Wild Bunch ending!
- A little tribute to "3:10 to Yuma"...
- The boys were relentlessly brutal, selfish and thieving. Hard to have a lot of sympathy but we're with them so much that we feel some pangs when the go down. Plus, we all know that America loves its banditos.
- Eugenia = Annette Bening in the Grifters! But smarter...
- Another link - Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid...
May 6, 2016
Re-read.
April 17, 2021
Desperadoes is Ron Hansen's first novel, written before The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. I found it interesting that somewhere he said that this novel actually led to his novel of Jesse James; the Dalton Gang themselves were inspired by them even long after their deaths and downfall.
This is an excellent Western and historical fiction novel. Hansen's characters, although based so deeply in fact and true representation of the times, are also so human. Hansen's dialogue is so captivating, the way he describes his characters is so charming even when they're vile. I love the way he writes. I hadn't known anything about the Dalton brothers before I read this, or of Eugenia Moore who organized and helped the Daltons. She was my favorite character, and that is saying something because of how much I enjoyed Hansen's portrayals of Emmett, Bob, Grat, Bill and the other gang members. The truth- what these people faced, how they avoided capture, and what tragedy they brought to innocent people- this was quite a story, beautifully told, ugly and honest and sad.
Desperadoes is going in my top favorite books of the year, right behind The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. I'm not sure which Hansen novel I'll pick up next but I look forward to it.
This is an excellent Western and historical fiction novel. Hansen's characters, although based so deeply in fact and true representation of the times, are also so human. Hansen's dialogue is so captivating, the way he describes his characters is so charming even when they're vile. I love the way he writes. I hadn't known anything about the Dalton brothers before I read this, or of Eugenia Moore who organized and helped the Daltons. She was my favorite character, and that is saying something because of how much I enjoyed Hansen's portrayals of Emmett, Bob, Grat, Bill and the other gang members. The truth- what these people faced, how they avoided capture, and what tragedy they brought to innocent people- this was quite a story, beautifully told, ugly and honest and sad.
Desperadoes is going in my top favorite books of the year, right behind The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. I'm not sure which Hansen novel I'll pick up next but I look forward to it.
September 2, 2020
Dalton Gang, short &sweet
Really liked the book. Emmett does not shy away from anything - giving you the real thing. Surprising how young they were Bob 22, Emmett 20. All their crimes (including homicides) is just a busy month for the drug gangs of today! Grat was the Worst Bank Robber Ever & caused all their deaths. Eugenia was the smart one-All the planning & getting things done. I would love to sit down & have a beer & Bob. He needed money but all he really wanted was Fame. How bad was the Railroad? Wow.
Really liked the book. Emmett does not shy away from anything - giving you the real thing. Surprising how young they were Bob 22, Emmett 20. All their crimes (including homicides) is just a busy month for the drug gangs of today! Grat was the Worst Bank Robber Ever & caused all their deaths. Eugenia was the smart one-All the planning & getting things done. I would love to sit down & have a beer & Bob. He needed money but all he really wanted was Fame. How bad was the Railroad? Wow.
November 30, 2024
Stark. Gritty. Horny. Violent. Funny. Sad. Excellent writing. I want to do crime now…er, I mean, I want to read about crime. Yeah, that’s it.
June 30, 2013
Ron Hansen’s first novel is a vivid fictional reimagining of the exploits of the infamous real-life Dalton gang. It takes the form of a memoir by 65 year old Emmett Dalton, the last surviving member of the gang, who recalls their exploits as train robbers and cold-bloodied murderers, and recounts their last ill-fated raid on two banks in Coffeyville, Kansas. For his part in that raid Emmett served 15 years in prison. On his release he moved to Hollywood, re-invented himself and made his fortune by legitimate means.
The Daltons were amongst the most notorious outlaws of their time, and here we see their heartlessness and mindless cruelty – not to mention occasional stupidity. Hansen shows us the Wild West as it really was, not the romanticised Hollywood version. These were dangerous, bad men in a lawless time, who showed no mercy or compunction about their actions. Hansen’s style is spare and laconic, with some deft touches and very funny one-liners. The action is fast-paced and exciting, but with some gentler and quieter moments, which give a glimpse into the gang’s day-to-day life – as when a couple of them spend the afternoon practising jumping of a roof straight onto their horses. I’d never thought about this being a skill that would have to be practised! Details such as this give an authenticity and realism to the novel, and engage the reader perhaps more than just learning about their criminal exploits.
Comparisons with Larry McMurtry and books such as Lonesome Dove are no doubt inevitable, and I don’t think Hansen achieves McMurtry’s mastery of the genre here. His characterisation lacks the same depth, and thus fails to evoke our empathy, and sometimes it is a little hard to distinguish between the characters. But the combination of Hansen’s extensive and thorough historical research coupled with his novelist’s imagination makes this an absorbing and compelling book, one which I very much enjoyed. I will definitely be reading more of Hansen’s work.
Thanks to Netgalley for introducing me to this book.
The Daltons were amongst the most notorious outlaws of their time, and here we see their heartlessness and mindless cruelty – not to mention occasional stupidity. Hansen shows us the Wild West as it really was, not the romanticised Hollywood version. These were dangerous, bad men in a lawless time, who showed no mercy or compunction about their actions. Hansen’s style is spare and laconic, with some deft touches and very funny one-liners. The action is fast-paced and exciting, but with some gentler and quieter moments, which give a glimpse into the gang’s day-to-day life – as when a couple of them spend the afternoon practising jumping of a roof straight onto their horses. I’d never thought about this being a skill that would have to be practised! Details such as this give an authenticity and realism to the novel, and engage the reader perhaps more than just learning about their criminal exploits.
Comparisons with Larry McMurtry and books such as Lonesome Dove are no doubt inevitable, and I don’t think Hansen achieves McMurtry’s mastery of the genre here. His characterisation lacks the same depth, and thus fails to evoke our empathy, and sometimes it is a little hard to distinguish between the characters. But the combination of Hansen’s extensive and thorough historical research coupled with his novelist’s imagination makes this an absorbing and compelling book, one which I very much enjoyed. I will definitely be reading more of Hansen’s work.
Thanks to Netgalley for introducing me to this book.
April 4, 2015
I've watched "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" countless times now, and the language, the sheer poetry of the narration, made me curious to seek out the man who wrote the book the film was based on. This is my first experience with Hansen, and, while I didn't enjoy this book, I can't say that it was so bad that I'm permanently soured on him.
Hansen, it must be said, is without peer when it comes to having all of the period details, from the food to the slang, down to a science. His back-and-forth dialogue exchanges are also quite a wonder to behold, and his deadpan sense of humor reminds me quite a bit of Cormac McCarthy at his darkest. Hansen is also good at describing gunfights, and assorted mischief, like stagecoach and bank robberies.
The problem, at least for me, was that the story didn't really cohere. I liked the framing device at the beginning, where the aging Dalton gang member describes working in Hollywood, as a sort of admired relic of a bygone frontier era, but once the story gets started, it just meanders here and wanders there. It's so episodic and there aren't many transitions. We're just plopped into one scene and then thrown into another, pell-mell, senselessly.
Others may enjoy the jarring nature of the narrative, but it didn't stack up for me.
December 3, 2008
Ah, if only Ron Hansen had written a dozen novels about the Old West instead of only two! This, his first novel, does not approach the magnificence of The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, but takes a similar tack: examining frontier life through the prism of famous outlaws. As in the later novel Hansen's prose is elegant and poignant, but there is MUCH more emphasis on action here. Problem is: the action scenes (robberies, getaways, killings, raids), are not nearly as interesting as the quiet scenes where not much is going on. Maybe that's just a personal preference, but I think it's also where Hansen's strength as a writer lies. Still, you should read this if you're interested in Westerns (just make sure you read Jesse James, too!)
P.S. I read somewhere that Monte Hellman is planning to direct a film adaptation of this. Fingers crossed!!
P.S. I read somewhere that Monte Hellman is planning to direct a film adaptation of this. Fingers crossed!!
November 6, 2019
Hard times are upon those of us who traffic in literary fiction writing, and it’s been that way for quite a while. Readers don’t seem to trust us when we tell them that literary fiction is more real than real, and they turn to genre fiction, where story rules, or to non-fiction. Part of the mistrust is because of that damnable American postmodernism, which eschews story for cultural views and characterization, which stands in for story.
Ron Hansen is one who apparently read the literary tea leaves long ago and cast his lot - for a while, anyway - with the literary western. Which is where this book has its origin.
The American public has always had a complicated love affair with outlaws. In modern times, there’s been Bonnie and Clyde, Al Capone, Gary Gilmore, and the plethora of serial killers, who are caught or killed, or ‘fess up after a long examination of conscience.
But it’s the Daltons who have been on Hansen’s mind and their escalating crime sprees that turn them not only into bank robbers but unrepentant killers. Their boldness turns them into the most feared robbers of their era, and then their boldness turns into foolhardiness.
Fame goes to their heads, and they decide to rob two banks simultaneously in the town of Coffeyville, Kansas, unaware that scores of lawmen await them. The final shootout depiction is as bloody as the real thing surely was, but Hansen’s gift for detail enlightens in this scene where it fails him in less violent scenarios in his westerns.
Ron Hansen is one who apparently read the literary tea leaves long ago and cast his lot - for a while, anyway - with the literary western. Which is where this book has its origin.
The American public has always had a complicated love affair with outlaws. In modern times, there’s been Bonnie and Clyde, Al Capone, Gary Gilmore, and the plethora of serial killers, who are caught or killed, or ‘fess up after a long examination of conscience.
But it’s the Daltons who have been on Hansen’s mind and their escalating crime sprees that turn them not only into bank robbers but unrepentant killers. Their boldness turns them into the most feared robbers of their era, and then their boldness turns into foolhardiness.
Fame goes to their heads, and they decide to rob two banks simultaneously in the town of Coffeyville, Kansas, unaware that scores of lawmen await them. The final shootout depiction is as bloody as the real thing surely was, but Hansen’s gift for detail enlightens in this scene where it fails him in less violent scenarios in his westerns.
June 3, 2020
Outlaws The Way They Really Were
Presented as a memoir by the last of the Dalton gang, Desperados isn't a tightly plotted novel of outlaws in the old west. Instead, it rambles along from incident to incident until the gang's big climactic shootout while robbing two banks simultaneously in Coffeyville, Kansas. Since the story is told through the eyes of Emmett Dalton, we find out a lot about what he's thinking during the gang's years of robbing trains and banks, but only his conversations with his brothers give us some insight into who they are and why they do what they do. What we do find out is how hard and often downright miserable it was to live in the old west, especially when you were on the run. This book should destroy anyone's romantic ideas of what being a famous desperado was like. One problem I had with the book was the sheer number of different characters who come and go in the course of the story, some sticking around but others just making one appearance. For me the names all seem to run together at a certain point. That said, it's an interesting read that is, I assume, historically accurate in its details. If you're looking for a novel that depicts the life of an outlaw in all its dingy glory, this is about as good as you'll get.
Presented as a memoir by the last of the Dalton gang, Desperados isn't a tightly plotted novel of outlaws in the old west. Instead, it rambles along from incident to incident until the gang's big climactic shootout while robbing two banks simultaneously in Coffeyville, Kansas. Since the story is told through the eyes of Emmett Dalton, we find out a lot about what he's thinking during the gang's years of robbing trains and banks, but only his conversations with his brothers give us some insight into who they are and why they do what they do. What we do find out is how hard and often downright miserable it was to live in the old west, especially when you were on the run. This book should destroy anyone's romantic ideas of what being a famous desperado was like. One problem I had with the book was the sheer number of different characters who come and go in the course of the story, some sticking around but others just making one appearance. For me the names all seem to run together at a certain point. That said, it's an interesting read that is, I assume, historically accurate in its details. If you're looking for a novel that depicts the life of an outlaw in all its dingy glory, this is about as good as you'll get.
February 23, 2025
Truly enjoyed this book. Ron Hansen writes in first person as Emmett Dalton, the youngest of the Dalton brothers. I am sure Emmett Dalton had a tendency to exaggerate, somewhat, when it came to some of the Dalton gang's exploits, but I felt as though all of these crimes could have happened back in the late 1800's. The author is an excellent writer and has a wonderful way with describing the old west, the demeanor of the men and women at that time, the "shootouts" which seemed much more real than how modern westerns are portrayed. The Daltons missed their targets more than hit them. LOL. It was also fascinating how young these men were when committing all this havoc. It was mentioned how they competed with other gangs, i.e. hoping to show up the Jesse James gang. Emmett was a teenager when he began riding with his older brothers. He goes from a young, wild gangster to a successful businessman and Hollywood success. It is definitely worth the read, just to fully grasp how people lived during this time. Emmett died, I believe, in 1937. I would rate this 4.8.
November 22, 2021
Seems like the plain unvarnished truth. Well and authentically written. The characters are presented warts and all. The narrator is Emmet Dalton and his story feels as fresh today as when he lived it 130 years ago. A aimless youth with no real moral compass but also no real evil or violent streak either he just follows his brother Bob into a life of crime. The telling of the story is measured and a style I really like; that is, it is the older Emmett looking back on the events and having a reason to now be telling his story honestly.
June 18, 2018
Shows the American west and midwest as a hotbed of individual freedom and a disdain for anything "big," mostly railroads and banks. Not that these weren't institutions with often an unfair hold over the farmer and smalltownsmen, but the Dalton's seem to live peripatetic banal lives with many of their biggest problems brought on by themselves. The book gives some colorful background but I didn't find it the least bit insightful.
June 9, 2018
A longish fictional memoir of Emmett Dalton, the surviving member of the Dalton gang who worked in the film industry after he served 14 years of a life sentence. The story seems to follow other historical accounts that I have, except I am uncertain whether the details of Eugenia Moore's life and death required some extra fictionalization.
October 5, 2019
I'm sure this book deserves better than a 3; after all, Ron Hansen wrote it. I read it because it's Hansen's first novel and I've loved others of his: Mariette in Ecstasy, Atticus, Exiles. Anyway, Desperadoes is well written, very informative, interesting even, even though the Dalton Brothers are not my cup of tea.
December 23, 2024
Sensitive and Imaginative re-telling of the intimate lives of the Daltons.
Wonderfully written, sensitive, intelligent, and entertaining treatment of what could easily be western lore, but in the capable Hansen hands becomes a real life parable of love and loss. Beautiful storytelling.
Wonderfully written, sensitive, intelligent, and entertaining treatment of what could easily be western lore, but in the capable Hansen hands becomes a real life parable of love and loss. Beautiful storytelling.
July 22, 2018
The Daltons Ride Again...or still.
A novel based on fact, which is frequently stranger than fiction. Told through eyes of Emmet Dalton, it recounts the rise and fall of the legendary Dalton Gang ...warts and all. History buffs and cowboy fans will enjoy this colorful recounting.
A novel based on fact, which is frequently stranger than fiction. Told through eyes of Emmet Dalton, it recounts the rise and fall of the legendary Dalton Gang ...warts and all. History buffs and cowboy fans will enjoy this colorful recounting.
April 18, 2020
Emmett Dalton, the last surviving member of the Dalton gang is living his old age as a successful Hollywood script writer. At the time of celebrating the sale of his memoirs, Emmett reminisces about his days in the gang and their exploits. A fine biography of good boys gone bad.
October 2, 2021
This is a fine historical novel about the Dalton Gang of the Old West, narrated by the gang's last survivor, Frank Dalton. It is a rough tale of a rough place, but it also includes social and personal redemption. A very good and compelling read.
July 2, 2019
A very detailed novel of the old West that seemed to be improved - ironically - by the female character of Eugenia Moore. A fascinating character.
The book itself didn’t hook me as much as I hoped it would
The book itself didn’t hook me as much as I hoped it would
July 6, 2019
I’m not sure why I read this book, but it was interesting from a historical perspective about the Wild West.
May 8, 2020
Good writing. The metaphors and similes are enough by themselves to enjoy reading this book. So why three stars? Westerns just aren't my genre choice.
July 31, 2020
Did not fin. 2 slow
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