The Collected Short Stories of Louis L'Amour, Volume 5: Frontier Stories

The Collected Short Stories of Louis L'Amour #5

by Louis L'Amour

The stories of Louis L’Amour are built around the dramatic moments when men and women cast their fears, doubts, and pasts behind them and plunge into the unknown—into split-second decisions with life-and-death consequences. Nowhere is that more evident than in this quintessential collection of stories set on the American frontier. Here L’Amour takes us across a bold, beautifully rendered landscape where old scores haunt new lives, the wrong choice leaves unwitting victims, and strangers may come to trust—or kill—one another.
 
Fugitives, visionaries, fortune seekers, drifters, and young women trying to build homes on a lawless frontier, the characters in these pulse-pounding stories are vintage L’Amour. Together in this vivid, rollicking collection, they bring to life the spirit of adventure and confirm Louis L’Amour’s place in the pantheon of American writers.

Genres: Westerns, Short Stories, Fiction, Historical Fiction

448 pages, Hardcover

First published October 30, 2007

About the author

Louis 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".

Reviews

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

A large collection of L'Amour's lesser known short stories. There's a certain amount of sameness to many of them, and many are short and relatively underdeveloped. Definitely not L'Amour's best, but they are quick hitting and entertaining for all of that.

[hotsake (André Troesch) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another fun collection of short stories, this one featuring some reworkings of earlier stories and a collection of Cactus Kid stories.

[Oleta Blaylock · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really do enjoy these collection of short stories. This book has several about a man name Cactus Kid. He is a young man living in the Southwest, a ladies man and someone that can't stay out of a fight if an innocent has been harmed. I read this book in record time, probably because of the stay at home order. I love to read Louis L'Amour's book they are always entertaining and educational. I find words I have never seen before and descriptions of place that I live close to but have never seen. He is truly a wonderful storyteller and worth reading for the pure pleasure of a good story.

[Mrod · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hero meets girl, it's love at first sight, but before he can win her heart, he must prove his worthiness by pummeling a bad guy within inches of his life and killing several others in righteous shootouts. Victorious, he captures his girl's heart, and the story has a happily ever after ending. Repeat this pattern about thirty times, changing the names, mixing in rodeos, cattle and horse thieves, gold miners, and bank and stagecoach robbers, and you've got volume 5 of a remarkably prolific writer.

[John Bruni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great collection from a reliable author. Did he repeat himself often? You bet. But he's L'Amour, so he does it in an interesting way. I liked the Cactus Kid a lot. In my head, I envisioned him as Festus in Gunsmoke. Obviously not a good choice, as the Kid was handsome and clean, but still, that's the way I heard him in my head.

[Michael Reilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series continues to provide plentiful reading enjoyment with further exciting tales full of adventure, fisticuffs and gunfighting. Each story presented here is a good read due to L’Amour’s use of likeable characters, realistic drama and high-stakes tension, and his plots develop at a good pace, regardless of the story’s length. I’m looking forward to more of the same in the coming volumes.

[Barbara Lee Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

GREAT SHORT STORIES

As always great short stories by our great American Western Writer, Mr. Louis L'Amour.
The Catus Kid's adventures are great fast reading and enjoyable. I suggest everyone READ these collections of western adventures.

[Ron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now that I have just finished reading 188 books and short stories that all have the same GREAT theme, just with different names and places, I am hoping that there is going to be a volume six.

[Craig Schlossin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like them all.

[Johann Rossouw · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just a nice classic Louis L'Amour - short stories, relaxed reading, just as I anticipated.

[Jacqui H. Travis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for old Western tales, and Louis L'Amour is one of the classic storytellers. Really like the Cactus Kid shorts at the end of the book. Great any-time reading.

[Fuad · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is what he was known for. Western was his main strength of writing. The stories are between good and bad. No memorable one but average. Will try his other volumes of short stories.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

An solid collection, with some gems and a few of the more run-of-the-mill, serialized stories.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

These were fun, as usual. You can really get a sense of his creative process when you read so many stories together.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

The master!! Perfect length of stories for reading before bed.

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is hard to know where to rate these stories. They are pure expressions of every icon, character, plot device, stereotype, cliché and theme of the western story. L’Amour did not invent them, of course, but he might as well have. The stories are stripped to the bare essentials. The language seldom calls attention to itself. You can pop them into your brain like popcorn. Not very healthy, not very nutritious, but always tempting.

[A.L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read one story in this collection, which also happened to be the first Louis L'Amour story I'd ever read. I enjoyed it. I picked this up from the library because I was trying to write a western short story and wanted something to get my mind in the right creative place. I'll come back to this sometime.

[Mary L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found that many of these stories might have been later made into full books. Sometimes you get the feeling that you have read these stories before and I know that I had read at least 2 in the collection for sure. I like the Short Stories because I can read one in just a short time and not feel I need to hurry up and finish the book. Lots of action!

[Christos]

I love westerns. That's why I live in Illinois!
LOL!

[Skip · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read most of Louis L'Amour books , I love western, and like almost all of his books.
If you like Westerns you will love Louis L'Amour

[John Gorman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good quick read if you like westerns.

[Eva-Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Cactus Kid stories alone are worth four stars. LOVE.