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Black Jack
The raucous beginning of Brand's Western is traditional: A gunfighter is shot dead in the street. However, when spinster Elizabeth Cornish takes his baby to raise and wagers with her brother that blood will not "will out"--that Jack's son will not be a murderer--a fascinating story of nature versus nurture emerges.
220 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1922
86 people are currently reading
165 people want to read
About the author
Max Brand
1,821 books134 followersFrederick Schiller Faust (see also Frederick Faust), aka Frank Austin, George Owen Baxter, Walter C. Butler, George Challis, Evin Evan, Evan Evans, Frederick Faust, John Frederick, Frederick Frost, David Manning, Peter Henry Morland, Lee Bolt, Peter Dawson, Martin Dexter, Dennis Lawson, M.B., Hugh Owen, Nicholas Silver
Max Brand, one of America's most popular and prolific novelists and author of such enduring works as Destry Rides Again and the Doctor Kildare stories, died on the Italian front in 1944.
Max Brand, one of America's most popular and prolific novelists and author of such enduring works as Destry Rides Again and the Doctor Kildare stories, died on the Italian front in 1944.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
August 29, 2023
Aug 29, 1210pm ~~ Whenever I get close to the end of a reading project I tend to focus on it more than usual, and this is happening now that I am almost to the end of my Max Brand project. I have only five titles left to read so I will just have a mini marathon: first the two at Project Gutenberg and then the three print books.
Meanwhile back to the current book, Black Jack, which was originally published in 1922. It starts off with a bang when brother and sister Vance and Elizabeth Cornish are in town on ranch business and witness the killing of the notorious outlaw known as Black Jack. Vance knows about him, and after Elizabeth learns that the man left behind a motherless baby, she insists on getting that baby for herself and bringing him up 'properly' as an experiment in nature versus nurture.
The brother says the bad blood will show eventually, and they make a bet. If she can keep Baby honest for 25 years she wins, if not Vance wins.
By the second chapter we have jumped ahead in time 24 years and we learn a lot about former baby Terry and how he was raised. But we also see what a sneaky Pete old Vance is and how he tries to influence the terms of the bet. So who will win the battle for the character of Black Jack's son, the devil or the angel?
Good story, with some of what I have come to recognize as typical Brand elements, but of course that is to be expected and can be comforting. I liked the coming of age elements to this tale, I always like stories that show a person becoming who they are meant to be, no matter if the new self is good or bad.
Meanwhile back to the current book, Black Jack, which was originally published in 1922. It starts off with a bang when brother and sister Vance and Elizabeth Cornish are in town on ranch business and witness the killing of the notorious outlaw known as Black Jack. Vance knows about him, and after Elizabeth learns that the man left behind a motherless baby, she insists on getting that baby for herself and bringing him up 'properly' as an experiment in nature versus nurture.
The brother says the bad blood will show eventually, and they make a bet. If she can keep Baby honest for 25 years she wins, if not Vance wins.
By the second chapter we have jumped ahead in time 24 years and we learn a lot about former baby Terry and how he was raised. But we also see what a sneaky Pete old Vance is and how he tries to influence the terms of the bet. So who will win the battle for the character of Black Jack's son, the devil or the angel?
Good story, with some of what I have come to recognize as typical Brand elements, but of course that is to be expected and can be comforting. I liked the coming of age elements to this tale, I always like stories that show a person becoming who they are meant to be, no matter if the new self is good or bad.
October 31, 2015
Black Jack is a grand western adventure story told by a masterful story teller Max Brand. I shall give a more detailed review tomorrow.
Enjoy and Be Blessed.
Diamond
Enjoy and Be Blessed.
Diamond
January 7, 2013
Blood may be thicker than water but this doesn't always protect it from the mortal sin of greed. Elizabeth Cornish takes an orphaned baby under her wing and vows to her brother Vince that she would make a good and decent man out of this boy with an outlaw father. For twenty-four years, Terry Colby thought he was the last surviving member of a great and noble southern family. Vince Cornish, out of fear of losing the vast wealth his sister had acquired to Terry, he thought up and executed a plan to undermine the sister/boy relationship. The question of inherent good and/or evil plays a pivotal role in this story. I enjoyed the story as a whole but found some of the scenes absurdly naïve (but this was a general trend of the times). This is far from a nail-biting drama but rather a refreshing look at an age old story. I can’t honestly recommend this book to everyone but for the few that love the written word for love of it literal application it is well worth the reading time.
July 1, 2015
Listened to the audiobook. I liked it. Didn't realize it was so old (I don't have the summaries available to review while I'm driving) and the old-fashioned formal style was a bit agonizing. (e.g. The face of Terry.... He grabbed the arm of Elizabeth....) I kept revising the sentences in my head as I listened. But when Igot to the end and heard the publication date it made that style acceptable.
The story was iconic and had me going. (Another drawback to audiobooks is that with my setup it is impossible to tell how much story there is to go.) I kept thinking maybe Terry was going to end up going bad. I would have liked to hear how Vance got his, but then again I could just imagine his fate.
I really liked Kate. I imagine she was quite a character for 1920s fiction - I thought she was a fine modern strong woman. And Elizabeth was pretty kick-ass, too.
Overall a thought-provoking tale of nature vs. nurture.
The story was iconic and had me going. (Another drawback to audiobooks is that with my setup it is impossible to tell how much story there is to go.) I kept thinking maybe Terry was going to end up going bad. I would have liked to hear how Vance got his, but then again I could just imagine his fate.
I really liked Kate. I imagine she was quite a character for 1920s fiction - I thought she was a fine modern strong woman. And Elizabeth was pretty kick-ass, too.
Overall a thought-provoking tale of nature vs. nurture.
December 27, 2017
This book annoyed me; it was so different from any Max Brand book I had read before. In the first three chapters, I almost put the book aside, because the story seemed obvious, but it turned out that I was wrong, and the book took some twists and turns I hadn't expected, but it kept leading me back to my initial assessment. Then the antagonist was so bad and deceitful, I could find nothing positive in his character—he was that rotten. Then I felt that a well-deserved denouement was missing in the end.
The protagonist was so good and so intent on being good that I didn't feel the empathy I normally have for Brand's heroes.
The story was interesting and well told, and, although I found it somewhat unsettling to read, I couldn't put it down.
The protagonist was so good and so intent on being good that I didn't feel the empathy I normally have for Brand's heroes.
The story was interesting and well told, and, although I found it somewhat unsettling to read, I couldn't put it down.
May 29, 2020
A classic by one of the Masters
I found this book and couldn't put it down. The old western novels were the best. Max Brand knew how to tell a story, twist and turns when you thought the story was going one way it folded.back on itself to another avenue. Even though there was intrigue there was a sense of right always right. This is one you need to read.
I found this book and couldn't put it down. The old western novels were the best. Max Brand knew how to tell a story, twist and turns when you thought the story was going one way it folded.back on itself to another avenue. Even though there was intrigue there was a sense of right always right. This is one you need to read.
January 31, 2021
Wonderful reading
A classic western novel with hero, herons, and villains, it is very will written with a classic story line and a great conclusion. I would recommend to all western fans. Enjoy reading 2021
A classic western novel with hero, herons, and villains, it is very will written with a classic story line and a great conclusion. I would recommend to all western fans. Enjoy reading 2021
February 4, 2015
As always, an excellent Western by Max Brand. It was a bit slow in the beginning, but then it picked up. The subject in this book is a bit different and the hero of the book is almost going bad.
September 28, 2017
Pulp western, moves along quickly. Yep, there is a bad guy to hate throughout the book. Ending wasn't a surprise, but how it got there was different.
July 19, 2025
Birth or upbringing? Nature vs nurture? Natural good or natural evil, which of the two swim inevitably to the surface? What if a man's birth bring out the latent good in him, and not just the evil? What if the deciding factor be a totally unexpected angle altogether?
When a feared gunman is shot and killed in ambush by a bounty hunter, his infant son, rendered motherless as well a few weeks ago, is picked up by a rich landowner. She makes a bet with her cynical no-good brother that with her training alone, the child would grow up to be a valuable asset to society, and erase the memory of his criminal father. Her brother believes that by the time he is twenty-one, he would either have killed his man, or been killed, most probably in a bar-room brawl.
As the day of reckoning approaches, Max Brand swings into his tempo, ratchetting up the suspense factor, helped by the said no-good brother, who has a lot riding on the outcome of his bet.
A great read, and given its publication date,1922, surprisingly contemporary with a twenty first century outlook.
When a feared gunman is shot and killed in ambush by a bounty hunter, his infant son, rendered motherless as well a few weeks ago, is picked up by a rich landowner. She makes a bet with her cynical no-good brother that with her training alone, the child would grow up to be a valuable asset to society, and erase the memory of his criminal father. Her brother believes that by the time he is twenty-one, he would either have killed his man, or been killed, most probably in a bar-room brawl.
As the day of reckoning approaches, Max Brand swings into his tempo, ratchetting up the suspense factor, helped by the said no-good brother, who has a lot riding on the outcome of his bet.
A great read, and given its publication date,1922, surprisingly contemporary with a twenty first century outlook.
July 6, 2025
This was my first Max Brand book; I enjoyed reading it, but I truly did not care at all for the abrupt ending to the story. Giving this book 3 stars is rather generous. It was entertaining, but it was only memorable for what it didn't have: a normal resolution and ending.
August 4, 2025
not very rewarding to read, the ending was so quick? it was super anticlimactic and the only really enjoyable parts were when terry shot the sherrif and robbed the bank. also misogynistic in like a weird way??
April 20, 2018
A Great Western Audio by Max Brand
July 14, 2018
A masterpiece!!!!
This is the first Max Brand book I have read. Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Had a happy ending. I highly enjoyed this book.
This is the first Max Brand book I have read. Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Had a happy ending. I highly enjoyed this book.
October 22, 2019
Review of 'Black Jack by Max Brand' by John Lietzke
I expected more violence in this book by Max Brand. I gave the book four stars. The book was a disappointment to me, but, maybe other readers will enjoy the book.
I expected more violence in this book by Max Brand. I gave the book four stars. The book was a disappointment to me, but, maybe other readers will enjoy the book.
March 20, 2024
Youtube
June 20, 2024
I loved the set up but honestly the women characters were such pushy moralizers I found myself rooting for the protagonist to go outlaw just to spite them.
February 16, 2017
I have to admit I had a lot of tension in reading this book, because the main character was very likable at first, winning me over right from the start, but then he started making some very poor decisions that really bothered me. Good Western saga. First published in 1922. I listened to this novel as a free download from LibriVox.org by an excellent reader.
January 23, 2013
Faust was an amazing author that wrote over 500 books back in the days of typewriters. Many of his books could have been listed at my favorites, not that I've read them all. It is estimated that Faust wrote approximately thirty million words in his lifetime, writing under nineteen different pen names. His stories were not just action plots, but dealt with deep themes of human character. Unfortunately he was killed in Italy as a war correspondent during World War II, otherwise I'm sure he would have written over 1,000 books. Throughout his life he suffered from chronic heart problems but that didn't become an excuse for him to stop writing. He is an inspiration to all writers.
February 6, 2015
Two stories in one
First there is a very fine Western about the son of a murdered bad guy who is raised as a fine gentleman. The story is about a bet between sister and brother whether genetics is stronger and the child will turn bad like his father or environment shall prove stronger and the child will become an outstanding citizen.
The second story leads two young Western men, thrown together by circumstances, to New York City where they encounter a crime boss and his minions while trying to rescue to damsels in distress.
Both are fine Western stories and worthy reading.
First there is a very fine Western about the son of a murdered bad guy who is raised as a fine gentleman. The story is about a bet between sister and brother whether genetics is stronger and the child will turn bad like his father or environment shall prove stronger and the child will become an outstanding citizen.
The second story leads two young Western men, thrown together by circumstances, to New York City where they encounter a crime boss and his minions while trying to rescue to damsels in distress.
Both are fine Western stories and worthy reading.
April 5, 2022
The villain seems to be winning. The hero is naive, manipulated behind the scenes. How can he possibly save himself?
For 25 years, Terry Colby has been sheltered, raised by hard-working spinster rancher Elizabeth Cornish to believe he is the last of the Colbys, a fine old Virginia family. But Terry is the son of outlaw Black Jack Hollis.
Seeing the laughing handsome Hollis murdered, Elizabeth bet her selfish brother Vance that she could raise Hollis's son to be an honest man, the environment and not the blood determined a character. Before the evening of Terry's 25th birthday, greedy Vance sets events in motion that endanger Elizabeth, her belief in Terry, Terry, and their future.
For 25 years, Terry Colby has been sheltered, raised by hard-working spinster rancher Elizabeth Cornish to believe he is the last of the Colbys, a fine old Virginia family. But Terry is the son of outlaw Black Jack Hollis.
Seeing the laughing handsome Hollis murdered, Elizabeth bet her selfish brother Vance that she could raise Hollis's son to be an honest man, the environment and not the blood determined a character. Before the evening of Terry's 25th birthday, greedy Vance sets events in motion that endanger Elizabeth, her belief in Terry, Terry, and their future.
November 4, 2021
An old book that is interesting to read.
This book is interesting in an old written way. The characters were well developed with good and bad growth in some of the characters. The description of the training in the RED HORSE and TERRY shows the development between a man and horse, that you can only understand if you have been there. It is something worth while. The only truly bad person was the uncle and people around him. The book also showed the narrow differences between the good and bad in that period of history.
This book is interesting in an old written way. The characters were well developed with good and bad growth in some of the characters. The description of the training in the RED HORSE and TERRY shows the development between a man and horse, that you can only understand if you have been there. It is something worth while. The only truly bad person was the uncle and people around him. The book also showed the narrow differences between the good and bad in that period of history.
February 27, 2019
An MB. Western/As Told By An Old Western Man
MB. has. penned a western biblical about a woman who looks at an outlaw and is immediately in love with him. She seeks and finds the man's son after he is murdered and raised him as her own. She writes her brother out of her will because he had done nothing but waste money as she has built up the ranch. He hired a gunman to challenge the boy and call him by his father's name. This is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS
MB. has. penned a western biblical about a woman who looks at an outlaw and is immediately in love with him. She seeks and finds the man's son after he is murdered and raised him as her own. She writes her brother out of her will because he had done nothing but waste money as she has built up the ranch. He hired a gunman to challenge the boy and call him by his father's name. This is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS
April 23, 2011
I read this because it was a freebie through the Gutenberg project. It is not great, but is a decent, lightweight read. The central question seems to be the age old nature vs nurture question. Several of the characters are thoroughly unlikable, but others are shades of grey. All in all, it was nice to read while the tv was on - not demanding and entertaining.
July 26, 2011
Good read. It kept me interested. It delved into "The sins of the Father" issue. I downloaded it from the Nook store. $2.99 for 50 classic western novels. Should keep me busy for the summe!
September 19, 2011
it was alright. the ending was pretty anticlimactic. i listened to this as an audiobook while working, it was good for that purpose.
November 9, 2014
I really liked the concept (kind of a Pygmalian in the Wild Wild West).
It kept me wanting to turn the page to see how things would turn out.
It kept me wanting to turn the page to see how things would turn out.
February 1, 2016
Nice Western
I grew up with my grandfather and my mom reading. They were into Zane Gray, Max Brand and a few others. I have read this book before but one can always read it again.
I grew up with my grandfather and my mom reading. They were into Zane Gray, Max Brand and a few others. I have read this book before but one can always read it again.
March 12, 2018
WESTERN
Jim read this on 5-19-16 and rated it 4.7 stars.
Jim read this on 5-19-16 and rated it 4.7 stars.
March 19, 2018
Now this is a Western, better than any western movie I ever saw, and this one is a good novel, right and tough, with feeling.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews