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The Man Called Noon: A Novel
In one swift moment, a fall wiped away his memory. All he knew for certain was that someone wanted him dead—and that he had better learn why. But everywhere he turned there seemed to be more questions—or people too willing to hide the truth behind a smoke screen of lies. He had only the name he had been told was his own, his mysterious skill with a gun, and a link to a half million dollars’ worth of buried gold as evidence of his past life. Was the treasure his? Was he a thief? A killer? He didn’t have the answers, but he needed them soon. Because what he still didn’t know about himself, others did—and if he didn’t unlock the secret of his past, he wasn’t going to have much of a future.
240 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1969
401 people are currently reading
2435 people want to read
About the author
Louis L'Amour
1,008 books3,527 followersLouis Dearborn L'Amour was an American novelist and short story writer. His books consisted primarily of Western novels, though he called his work "frontier stories". His most widely known Western fiction works include Last of the Breed, Hondo, Shalako, and the Sackett series. L'Amour also wrote historical fiction (The Walking Drum), science fiction (The Haunted Mesa), non-fiction (Frontier), and poetry and short-story collections. Many of his stories were made into films. His books remain popular and most have gone through multiple printings. At the time of his death, almost all of his 105 existing works (89 novels, 14 short-story collections, and two full-length works of nonfiction) were still in print, and he was "one of the world's most popular writers".
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 241 reviews
November 11, 2019
One of my favorites. Loss of memory, is he good or bad, is he Ruble Noon, a damsel in distress and shootouts galore. He wakes up without any idea who he is but with gunfighter skills and a lot of people chasing him.
So easy to read as long as you take it all with a pinch of salt and do not over analyze the back story. Hidden rooms and dubious moralizing aside a great Western.
So easy to read as long as you take it all with a pinch of salt and do not over analyze the back story. Hidden rooms and dubious moralizing aside a great Western.
April 19, 2022
So, you are the baddest bad man in all the west or you’re the goodest good guy in all the west. But you don’t know which. Actually, you don’t know much of anything, not where you are, why your there, who you are or what you’ve been. But you do know that they are trying to kill you. And you know a name, not yours, but the name of the man who tried to kill you. How are you going to survive and save the fair maiden in distress?
It’s a fun story with lots of action and good luck. But then, I don’t read L’Amour for realism; I read it purely for the adventure. I don’t even mind the romance as it is kept properly in its place by all the gun fights and rhapsodizing over landscape. This one is no different, but it does have a touch of sober realism at the end. The hero reminds us quite simply and eloquently that evil must be stopped if not for our sakes for the sake of others. For that simple hard lessons, I think everyone should read books like this one.
There were a couple curse words through the book.
It’s a fun story with lots of action and good luck. But then, I don’t read L’Amour for realism; I read it purely for the adventure. I don’t even mind the romance as it is kept properly in its place by all the gun fights and rhapsodizing over landscape. This one is no different, but it does have a touch of sober realism at the end. The hero reminds us quite simply and eloquently that evil must be stopped if not for our sakes for the sake of others. For that simple hard lessons, I think everyone should read books like this one.
There were a couple curse words through the book.
February 21, 2011
A man finds himself bleeding from a head wound on a dark street. He only knows that someone is trying to kill him, but doesn't know who or why. L'Amour's book starts at that point and quickly moves into one of a man searching for his past and just trying to stay alive.
Full of the author's wonderful description of the west, and his great characters both good and bad (and sometimes a little of both). Throw in some hidden treasure, a lady in distress and the growing mystery of Noon's past, you get a short but solid read. That's what you expect from L'Amour and what made him a bestselling author.
Full of the author's wonderful description of the west, and his great characters both good and bad (and sometimes a little of both). Throw in some hidden treasure, a lady in distress and the growing mystery of Noon's past, you get a short but solid read. That's what you expect from L'Amour and what made him a bestselling author.
September 27, 2012
Read most of Louis Lamour's books when I was in my late teens and early twenties. They are important to me as they were some of the first books that got me into the reading habit. For that I shall be forever grateful
November 11, 2023
The action starts quickly in this Louis L’Amour oater, with a man regaining consciousness having fallen from a window in an Old West town. The problem is, he doesn’t know his own identity, let alone who tried to kill him. Is he a good guy? Is he a bad guy? No clue, as amnesia has wiped out his memories, but he needs to find out quickly or lose his life.
After escaping on a passing train, the lead character finds refuge on a ranch run by the daughter of the late owner. But she is virtually a prisoner, as the property has been taken over by a group of outlaws who don’t appreciate the presence of the new man. He begins to learn, through various clues, about a gunfighter feared by all others, which means that gunfighter has many enemies. And when people look at him in a certain way, his identity creates a new goal, mainly to save the girl and the ranch, while fighting off so-called leaders of society. This dude is not to be messed with, but some folks just don’t learn.
I have become attached to L’Amour Westerns and pick up occasional titles when I find them. As usual, the author does wonders in describing the Southwest, to the point where one can almost taste the dry, choking dust and smell the creosote. The book reads almost the way a mystery would read, as we also are trying to decipher good versus evil and not really trusting our anti-hero. Are we always who we are, or can we become something different? L’Amour also focuses on the pretense of evil, showing the trust citizens will place on societal pillars, even when that trust is not warranted. His passage on appeasement is still very relevant today.
You cannot submit to evil without allowing evil to grow. Each time the good are defeated, or each time they yield, they only cause the forces of evil to grow stronger. Greed feeds greed, and crime grows with success. Our giving up what is ours merely to escape trouble would only create greater trouble for someone else.
A big thumbs-up for this thoughtful actioner, another winner from Louis L’Amour.
Book Season = Summer (bare bones)
After escaping on a passing train, the lead character finds refuge on a ranch run by the daughter of the late owner. But she is virtually a prisoner, as the property has been taken over by a group of outlaws who don’t appreciate the presence of the new man. He begins to learn, through various clues, about a gunfighter feared by all others, which means that gunfighter has many enemies. And when people look at him in a certain way, his identity creates a new goal, mainly to save the girl and the ranch, while fighting off so-called leaders of society. This dude is not to be messed with, but some folks just don’t learn.
I have become attached to L’Amour Westerns and pick up occasional titles when I find them. As usual, the author does wonders in describing the Southwest, to the point where one can almost taste the dry, choking dust and smell the creosote. The book reads almost the way a mystery would read, as we also are trying to decipher good versus evil and not really trusting our anti-hero. Are we always who we are, or can we become something different? L’Amour also focuses on the pretense of evil, showing the trust citizens will place on societal pillars, even when that trust is not warranted. His passage on appeasement is still very relevant today.
You cannot submit to evil without allowing evil to grow. Each time the good are defeated, or each time they yield, they only cause the forces of evil to grow stronger. Greed feeds greed, and crime grows with success. Our giving up what is ours merely to escape trouble would only create greater trouble for someone else.
A big thumbs-up for this thoughtful actioner, another winner from Louis L’Amour.
Book Season = Summer (bare bones)
November 21, 2019
3 1/2 stars.
A man wakes up without knowing who he is, and goes on a journey to find out.
Has some good mystery elements and L'Amour touches on some interesting themes of free will and identity, but he doesn't delve deep enough into these ideas to make this good book a great one. This also loses some points for having some really terrible dialog in places (one of the villains actually says "You win this round!". Yeah...).
A man wakes up without knowing who he is, and goes on a journey to find out.
Has some good mystery elements and L'Amour touches on some interesting themes of free will and identity, but he doesn't delve deep enough into these ideas to make this good book a great one. This also loses some points for having some really terrible dialog in places (one of the villains actually says "You win this round!". Yeah...).
October 18, 2017
I have discovered I enjoy falling asleep listening to Louis L'Amour books. Will wonders never cease?
September 28, 2023
Lots of Action, plus a huge mystery involving a man’s identity and a whole lot of money and gold. And a woman’s beautiful ranch taken over by outlaws that won’t move out!
It’s the good guys, definitely verses the bad guys, but just who is who? It sure doesn’t help any with a head wound that’s results in amnesia and you have no idea of who you are, what you did, and why you are being hunted down to be killed!
Great story. Worthy read!
It’s the good guys, definitely verses the bad guys, but just who is who? It sure doesn’t help any with a head wound that’s results in amnesia and you have no idea of who you are, what you did, and why you are being hunted down to be killed!
Great story. Worthy read!
November 27, 2020
A man has his memory erased by a fall. All he knows is that someone wants him dead and he can't trust anyone in his present condition. All he possesses is a name that he is told is his and deadly skill with a gun. A thrilling tale by a master story teller.
September 18, 2022
This story of a man whose lost his memory adds a unique twist to a more traditional Western and an unexpected depth to the main character. I am officially hooked on L'Amour Westerns.
April 2, 2020
Note: I only read this book because the main character has amnesia.
Suggestion: If you read this book I don't recommend you constantly be comparing it to The Bourne Identity. (They have their similarities, which is why I read the book, but really, it's a western, not an action/thriller.)
I don't usually read westerns. I enjoy them enough, I suppose, but I've never just adored them.
I've only read one other book by Louis L'Amour (Utah Blaine, after watching the movie) and between the two I liked this one better. (Utah remembered everything about himself...XP)
The story overall was suspenseful. And definitely is an easy read. Not a ton of philosophizing going on, but more than I expected and probably more than you'd get in just any old western book. There were some underlying themes that I appreciated. Particularly the question of what makes you a bad man and do bad men think they're bad.
So overall, I would say that this book has helped me a little bit in my quest of understanding what it's like to lose your identity. (Which, if you ever do, please have someone write a book about you. XD)
Suggestion: If you read this book I don't recommend you constantly be comparing it to The Bourne Identity. (They have their similarities, which is why I read the book, but really, it's a western, not an action/thriller.)
I don't usually read westerns. I enjoy them enough, I suppose, but I've never just adored them.
I've only read one other book by Louis L'Amour (Utah Blaine, after watching the movie) and between the two I liked this one better. (Utah remembered everything about himself...XP)
The story overall was suspenseful. And definitely is an easy read. Not a ton of philosophizing going on, but more than I expected and probably more than you'd get in just any old western book. There were some underlying themes that I appreciated. Particularly the question of what makes you a bad man and do bad men think they're bad.
So overall, I would say that this book has helped me a little bit in my quest of understanding what it's like to lose your identity. (Which, if you ever do, please have someone write a book about you. XD)
December 22, 2019
A fantastic Saturday night read!!!
As L'Amour is known as one of the elite of the Western genre, naturally, I could not resist snagging a copy of this book when I was presented the opportunity. Needless to say, it did not disappoint.
Shootouts, bad guys, love interest, wide open country, the rails... Everything a good Western has to offer can be found in The Man Called Noon. I read it within a few hours, simply unable to put it down. The author definitely lives up to the hype, and, other than a few grammatical differences from the present day industry standard (seriously, if you're a grammar-nazi then this book may drive you mad) it was excellent.
I would not only recommend this title, but, due to his reputation, I would recommend any others from this author.
As L'Amour is known as one of the elite of the Western genre, naturally, I could not resist snagging a copy of this book when I was presented the opportunity. Needless to say, it did not disappoint.
Shootouts, bad guys, love interest, wide open country, the rails... Everything a good Western has to offer can be found in The Man Called Noon. I read it within a few hours, simply unable to put it down. The author definitely lives up to the hype, and, other than a few grammatical differences from the present day industry standard (seriously, if you're a grammar-nazi then this book may drive you mad) it was excellent.
I would not only recommend this title, but, due to his reputation, I would recommend any others from this author.
March 17, 2024
An excellent story about a man with amnesia who must figure out who he is and why men are hunting him. There is a girl he wants to help. He wants to help her get rid of some outlaws that are at her ranch. There is also a hidden fortune everyone is looking for.
Plenty of things going on here to hold a readers interest. A well told story that would make a good movie if it’s not one already. —I just discovered there is a 1973 movie based on this book starring Richard Crenna. This book first came out in 1970. Over 50 of his books were made into movies or TV shows. (L’Amour wrote over 100 novels.)
Plenty of things going on here to hold a readers interest. A well told story that would make a good movie if it’s not one already. —I just discovered there is a 1973 movie based on this book starring Richard Crenna. This book first came out in 1970. Over 50 of his books were made into movies or TV shows. (L’Amour wrote over 100 novels.)
February 25, 2026
For western sake, it was a good story…….Starts with a famous trope, from other genres. A man without a past memory long gone .
is he a deadly pistolero, or a good man with a conscience!
I give this three stars, great effort entertained I was.
is he a deadly pistolero, or a good man with a conscience!
I give this three stars, great effort entertained I was.
March 2, 2025
What happens when a man in the Wild West wakes up after a blow to the head and realizes he doesn’t know anything about who he is? Is he a good guy or a bad guy? Or both? I enjoyed L’Amour’s creativity on this one. It was a fun journey of dynamic character development.
April 6, 2025
You can’t beat a good cowboy story!
August 1, 2018
A grand adventure with a strong sense of place and taut, crisp writing. I haven't read much Louis L'Amour, perhaps I should delve in more. But I could have just been sucked in by the amnesia that the main character is suffering from, a plot line I have a curious affinity for.
July 12, 2023
The story of Ruble Noon has to be one of my favorites from LL. Of course, it’s your classic western full of everything you’d expect, but Louis approaches the story in a way that makes it feel more like a mystery novel, which made it a lot of fun towards the beginning.
It’s becoming more and more obvious to me that L’Amour knew exactly what he was doing as he published westerns with a textbook formula. His audience while he was living, working class men, ate this stuff up. They didn’t care for heart wrenching endings or quotable material, they wanted an escape from their adventure-less days, and they found that every time they entered L’Amour’s world (which is very historically accurate). They wanted the good guy to get the girl and the bad guy to lose the draw.
Ask any grandpa who Louis L’Amour is, they will know.
It’s becoming more and more obvious to me that L’Amour knew exactly what he was doing as he published westerns with a textbook formula. His audience while he was living, working class men, ate this stuff up. They didn’t care for heart wrenching endings or quotable material, they wanted an escape from their adventure-less days, and they found that every time they entered L’Amour’s world (which is very historically accurate). They wanted the good guy to get the girl and the bad guy to lose the draw.
Ask any grandpa who Louis L’Amour is, they will know.
September 13, 2022
A man awakens in the dark, on the ground between two buildings. He has a head wound and the only things he is aware of is someone tried to kill him. He has no recollection of what happened before he woke up, of who he is and why they are trying to kill him.
From here on in this man operates on instinct alone. Along the way he learns he is known as Ruble Noon a feared gunfighter for hire; he is helped by strangers along the way in evading his would be killers; meets Fan Davidge to whom he takes an instant liking to and decides to help; this in turn leads to who he really is, what he was hired to do and why they are after him - a fortune in gold etc.
A great read from start to finish.
From here on in this man operates on instinct alone. Along the way he learns he is known as Ruble Noon a feared gunfighter for hire; he is helped by strangers along the way in evading his would be killers; meets Fan Davidge to whom he takes an instant liking to and decides to help; this in turn leads to who he really is, what he was hired to do and why they are after him - a fortune in gold etc.
A great read from start to finish.
July 26, 2022
Ďalší vynikajúci western z pera majstra tohto žánru. Milujem všetku tú poctivosť, férovosť, úctu aj k nepriateľovi, schopnosť obetovať sa pre dobro, pre lepší život a iných ľudí…
March 26, 2024
Solid Western tale.
January 26, 2020
Different. A man suffers amnesia after being shot. He escapes his pursuers and seeks to find out his own identity. It is a journey and his memory never completely returns in the short span of the book. Amnesia is a strange thing, my wife once fell and hit her head and had a brief amnesia. It does exist and this is not a impossible story. The action is fast paced and yes he gets the girl in the end.
November 6, 2020
Liked the book, Louis Lamour always writes a lots of details into his characters into his stories. Always writes details in the setting and the background of events in his story lines so that you feel like you as a reader are seeing the scene as it unfolds the sounds and the action as it unfolds.
October 6, 2021
2021 Book Hoarders Bonus #6: An Audiobook
2021 52 Books Challenge # 4 Deceased Author
A gunfighter was hired to rid a rancher of the outlaws who were taking over his ranch. As he left the train depot, he was shot and left for dead. Taken in by the stationmaster, when he regains consciousness, he has no idea of who he is or what he was doing at the train station. As he continues his recovery and leaves, he slowly begins to remember bits and pieces He decides to finish the job he was sent to do.
2021 52 Books Challenge # 4 Deceased Author
A gunfighter was hired to rid a rancher of the outlaws who were taking over his ranch. As he left the train depot, he was shot and left for dead. Taken in by the stationmaster, when he regains consciousness, he has no idea of who he is or what he was doing at the train station. As he continues his recovery and leaves, he slowly begins to remember bits and pieces He decides to finish the job he was sent to do.
December 9, 2020
The Man Called Noon
The Man Called Noon is a novel written by Louis L’Amour during the mid to late 1900’s. The novel is inspired by the romanticized western frontier of the 1800’s where outlaws ran wild and nature could be found everywhere. This inspired many writers, such as Louis L’Amour to write stories based on heart racing action between two gunmen while also having subplots of romance and friendship threaded carefully in the reason for the fighting. This thrilling story is a great read for anyone who wants to get into western books or is already into western style books and wants a quick yet satisfying read.
The Man Called Noon is an adventure about a man who wakes up injured and afraid. He does not know who he is, where he is, or why he is there. He only knows that he must get away from those who are trying to kill him. This leads to many questions when the reader is introduced to new characters such as can these characters be trusted, did these characters know Noon previously, and what are the intentions of these characters. The mystery of not knowing adds tension when Noon goes into places that seem new to him. I personally appreciated this mystery element because I could guess events that would happen in the story and Noon’s identity.
The plot of The Man Called Noon is not the most original plot, but L’Amour fixes this by adding a new twist onto the typical western plot. L’Amour adds the element of mystery into the story which adds new depth to the plot. The plot goes away from a usual revenge plot or a usual fighting bad guys plot and goes into a plot that gives attention to the background of Noon. This makes the novel something special when compared to the usual western story due to the different subplots that all piggyback off of one another as they advance.
In summary, The Man Called Noon is a must read for anyone who enjoys a western novel or someone who wants something a little bit different from the generic western genre. This book will not bore people with meaningless details, but the novel will also not move at such a break-neck speed that readers cannot enjoy the gorgeous scenery of the 1800’s. I would heavily recommend this book to anyone who has a craving for reading, but not a huge amount of time to digest a gigantic narrative and personally rate the book four and a half stars out of five.
The Man Called Noon is a novel written by Louis L’Amour during the mid to late 1900’s. The novel is inspired by the romanticized western frontier of the 1800’s where outlaws ran wild and nature could be found everywhere. This inspired many writers, such as Louis L’Amour to write stories based on heart racing action between two gunmen while also having subplots of romance and friendship threaded carefully in the reason for the fighting. This thrilling story is a great read for anyone who wants to get into western books or is already into western style books and wants a quick yet satisfying read.
The Man Called Noon is an adventure about a man who wakes up injured and afraid. He does not know who he is, where he is, or why he is there. He only knows that he must get away from those who are trying to kill him. This leads to many questions when the reader is introduced to new characters such as can these characters be trusted, did these characters know Noon previously, and what are the intentions of these characters. The mystery of not knowing adds tension when Noon goes into places that seem new to him. I personally appreciated this mystery element because I could guess events that would happen in the story and Noon’s identity.
The plot of The Man Called Noon is not the most original plot, but L’Amour fixes this by adding a new twist onto the typical western plot. L’Amour adds the element of mystery into the story which adds new depth to the plot. The plot goes away from a usual revenge plot or a usual fighting bad guys plot and goes into a plot that gives attention to the background of Noon. This makes the novel something special when compared to the usual western story due to the different subplots that all piggyback off of one another as they advance.
In summary, The Man Called Noon is a must read for anyone who enjoys a western novel or someone who wants something a little bit different from the generic western genre. This book will not bore people with meaningless details, but the novel will also not move at such a break-neck speed that readers cannot enjoy the gorgeous scenery of the 1800’s. I would heavily recommend this book to anyone who has a craving for reading, but not a huge amount of time to digest a gigantic narrative and personally rate the book four and a half stars out of five.
October 22, 2017
Wild, rugged, the strong will survive. Jonas Mandarin (aka. Ruble Noon) is a mysterious man. The reader never does discover the mystery in Jonas' past just the current mystery of who he is and what he was hired to do. A bullet crease to the head takes Jonas' memories from him. He has gone by the alias Ruble Noon for years but when asked for his name by J. B. he gives Jonas because it feels right. He needs to find out why a group of people are trying to kill him and follows the clues as they unfold. In the process he recalls his memories and fulfills his promise of "four men and a women".
There are some thought provoking quotes that could be used for class discussion, essay or debate. Similar comments have been said by world leaders current and past. A few that stood out to me because they resonated with comments have heard in todays political climate are: Jonas on p. 174 "And this would not be an end, Fan. You cannot submit to evil without allowing evil to grow. Each time the good are defeated, or each time they yield they only cause the forces of evil to grow stronger. Greed feeds greed and crimes grows with success. Our giving up what is ours merely to escape trouble would only create trouble for someone else."And on p. 109 Jonas speaking: "If only evil men are willing to use force, what will happen to the good men?" Also on p. 109 "You think I could put the guns away? Why not? You were a newspaperman, then a businessman. You can put down your gun and take up your pen. It is as simple as that?" This is a discussion between Fan and Jonas.
A student may choose to explore the traveling that Jonas did in the story or the historical reference to the Spanish and their gold or the Cliff People. The story is rich with historical, geographical and cultural references. It is a bloody and gritty story.
There are some thought provoking quotes that could be used for class discussion, essay or debate. Similar comments have been said by world leaders current and past. A few that stood out to me because they resonated with comments have heard in todays political climate are: Jonas on p. 174 "And this would not be an end, Fan. You cannot submit to evil without allowing evil to grow. Each time the good are defeated, or each time they yield they only cause the forces of evil to grow stronger. Greed feeds greed and crimes grows with success. Our giving up what is ours merely to escape trouble would only create trouble for someone else."And on p. 109 Jonas speaking: "If only evil men are willing to use force, what will happen to the good men?" Also on p. 109 "You think I could put the guns away? Why not? You were a newspaperman, then a businessman. You can put down your gun and take up your pen. It is as simple as that?" This is a discussion between Fan and Jonas.
A student may choose to explore the traveling that Jonas did in the story or the historical reference to the Spanish and their gold or the Cliff People. The story is rich with historical, geographical and cultural references. It is a bloody and gritty story.
December 26, 2020
Some boys came over and wanted to borrow some Westerns. They took a few but happened to leave one behind. I picked it up and read it in a day. It was a Louis L’Amour novel, A Man Called Noon. Like most of L’Amour’s books, there was a hero, a girl, and a bunch of bad guys. But one question nags the reader and the main character for most of the book, who was he? He has been shot by a known bad man, Ben Janish. However the bullet just creased his skull, but it was enough to give him temporary amnesia. He doesn’t know who is after him or why. Initially he manages to elude the fellows trying to kill him, and he escapes by train with another fellow who helps him out.
There is a ranch, a girl, some hidden gold, and a bunch of outlaws who use the ranch as a base. One of them is Ben Janish. This complicates things, but when the hero gets to the ranch, Janish is not there. The hero gets some clues that he is a man known as Ruble Noon, but from out of nowhere he calls himself Jonas. So who is he, really? There are other complications, a double-dealing judge and a cold-hearted woman. They also know about the money somehow and connive to get it, generally using violent means and men.
This book is a page turner. I could not remember anything about the story even as I read through it, so it must have been quite a few years ago, maybe 35+ or so, that I had read it. I liked the story, lots of action coupled with the mystery of who the hero really was.
There is a ranch, a girl, some hidden gold, and a bunch of outlaws who use the ranch as a base. One of them is Ben Janish. This complicates things, but when the hero gets to the ranch, Janish is not there. The hero gets some clues that he is a man known as Ruble Noon, but from out of nowhere he calls himself Jonas. So who is he, really? There are other complications, a double-dealing judge and a cold-hearted woman. They also know about the money somehow and connive to get it, generally using violent means and men.
This book is a page turner. I could not remember anything about the story even as I read through it, so it must have been quite a few years ago, maybe 35+ or so, that I had read it. I liked the story, lots of action coupled with the mystery of who the hero really was.
October 4, 2015
"You cannot submit to evil without allowing evil to grow. Each time the good are defeated, or each time they yield, they only cause the forces of evil to grow stronger. Greed feeds greed, and crime grows with success. Our giving up what is ours merely to escape trouble would only create greater trouble for someone else."
This is Louis L'AMour's Bourne Identity character. A man awakens, not knowing who he is, bruises and a bullet scar on his head, and overhears men wondering if their target could've survived. Assuming himself to the be the target, he escapes and tries to discover why men would want him dead. He observes that his instincts are that of a killer, and he despises himself for it. Killing is something only to be done as a last resort. He must discover who he is, who those men were, and what sort of mess he's tangled in. A very strong opening, even for L'Amour, and a satisfying conclusion. The villains aren't as well developed as the usual cast of characters, but it's a swift, action packed read. The last two L'Amour books featured characters of Vader and Obi. This contains a character called Lebo and Finn, instantly bringing to mind The Empire Strikes Back and The Force Awakens. Perhaps, Lawrence Kasdan is fond of this one. I am quite eager to see this book's film adaptation.
This is Louis L'AMour's Bourne Identity character. A man awakens, not knowing who he is, bruises and a bullet scar on his head, and overhears men wondering if their target could've survived. Assuming himself to the be the target, he escapes and tries to discover why men would want him dead. He observes that his instincts are that of a killer, and he despises himself for it. Killing is something only to be done as a last resort. He must discover who he is, who those men were, and what sort of mess he's tangled in. A very strong opening, even for L'Amour, and a satisfying conclusion. The villains aren't as well developed as the usual cast of characters, but it's a swift, action packed read. The last two L'Amour books featured characters of Vader and Obi. This contains a character called Lebo and Finn, instantly bringing to mind The Empire Strikes Back and The Force Awakens. Perhaps, Lawrence Kasdan is fond of this one. I am quite eager to see this book's film adaptation.
November 13, 2018
Grading this on a L'Amour Curve, I can't give it more than three stars. This one is noticeably less polished than other titles I've read from the master storyteller. The prose feels like a first draft that never got a copyedit; the ending is abrupt even for L'Amour; nothing seems as fleshed out as it ought to be, including the amnesia element of the plot (which I was looking forward to; a Western Jason Bourne? what could be more entertaining?). And while I've learned to expect atrocious character names from this writer, Lyman Manly seems like a new low. I was left wondering if this was a long-lost draft discovered later in the author's career and never revised or edited.
I enjoyed the story because I have a hard time not enjoying a Western. But this is not one I'd start with if you're new to the genre or to the author.
I enjoyed the story because I have a hard time not enjoying a Western. But this is not one I'd start with if you're new to the genre or to the author.
November 19, 2019
“Seems as if they’ve got you lined up, boy. When they hit you once, they hit you again.”
Before Jason Bourne there was The Man Called Noon. You may think I’m mixing genres—but this western adventure—first published in 1970—could be a template for Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Identity. The story opens with a man awakening in an alleyway, a deep wound in his skull, and no memory of who he is and how he came to be there.
The only thing that’s certain is a lot of folks want him dead. Now he has to backtrack and piece together the fragments of his life.
Louis L’Amour’s The Man Called Noon is a heck of a lot of fun, and at 184 pages can be quickly be devoured in a couple of sittings. The story has plenty of twists, turns and double crosses. It flitters between being a traditional western and a high adventure tale. Short. Sweet. Great.
Before Jason Bourne there was The Man Called Noon. You may think I’m mixing genres—but this western adventure—first published in 1970—could be a template for Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Identity. The story opens with a man awakening in an alleyway, a deep wound in his skull, and no memory of who he is and how he came to be there.
The only thing that’s certain is a lot of folks want him dead. Now he has to backtrack and piece together the fragments of his life.
Louis L’Amour’s The Man Called Noon is a heck of a lot of fun, and at 184 pages can be quickly be devoured in a couple of sittings. The story has plenty of twists, turns and double crosses. It flitters between being a traditional western and a high adventure tale. Short. Sweet. Great.
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