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Conagher
2016 Bantam Books mass market paperback, 70th printing. Louis L'Amour (Bowdrie). As far as the eye could see was a vast, empty horizon. Evie Teale had finally accepted that her husband wouldn’t be coming home. Now she and the children were alone in an untamed country where the elements, Indians, and thieves made it far easier to die than to live. - Amazon
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First published January 1, 1969
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About the author
Louis L'Amour
997 books3,492 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 292 reviews
May 2, 2020
"I figure this Conagher's got a lot behind him. He ain't come to this all of a sudden. He's a man who's had years of it to put the steel in him. He's seen a-plenty and he just ain't about to be bothered by any tinhorn who comes along the pike. He's the kind you just don't push." -- stagecoach driver Charlie McCloud
I think the only complaint I have about this book is that it really should've been titled Conagher & Teale. Otherwise, this was one fine adventure / romance story set - like much of L'Amour's work - in the post-Civil War but pre-20th century era American West, and in this case central New Mexico.
Conn Conagher is a cowboy (and not just in a generic or loose sense of the term, but is actually employed on a ranch to herd livestock) who has made a steady living drifting to various frontier locales, a hard-working and quiet man who is as capable with a gun as he is with his fists. He lives by an unwritten code of conduct that is best described by the famous lines of dialogue from the John Wayne film The Shootist -- "I won't be wronged. I won't be insulted. I won't be laid a-hand on. I do these things to other people, and I require the same from them." However, Conagher is now well into his 30's, having worked for over 20+ years on the range, and he realizes that it may be time to soon end his itinerant lifestyle and settle down with a good woman. But where will he find such a person?
Enter Evie Teale. Also in her 30's but just recently married - more for convenience than true love, common to that time period - to an older widower with two young children, she and her new family have just recently moved to the area from Ohio. In the first chapter the husband dies in an accident, and Teale is suddenly left by herself to raise step-children Laban and Ruth at a crude cabin in the middle of nowhere. She makes a mostly successful go at it, but soon aches for the companionship of a romantic partner. She resorts to writing bits of prose and poetry which she ties to the passing tumbleweed. Any guesses as to who is charmed when he happens to find some of the writing?
It's not nearly as hokey or boring as I make it sound. (Also, I imagined Conagher's dialogue spoken in actor Sam Elliott's iconic and resonant voice, as he played the character in a TV-movie - unseen by me - about thirty years ago. That sounds like almost perfect casting.) It's a low-key drama about these two lonely people - but with the requisite amount of gunslinging moments and fight scenes to give it appropriate edge - that is otherwise very effective, and done just about to perfection.
I think the only complaint I have about this book is that it really should've been titled Conagher & Teale. Otherwise, this was one fine adventure / romance story set - like much of L'Amour's work - in the post-Civil War but pre-20th century era American West, and in this case central New Mexico.
Conn Conagher is a cowboy (and not just in a generic or loose sense of the term, but is actually employed on a ranch to herd livestock) who has made a steady living drifting to various frontier locales, a hard-working and quiet man who is as capable with a gun as he is with his fists. He lives by an unwritten code of conduct that is best described by the famous lines of dialogue from the John Wayne film The Shootist -- "I won't be wronged. I won't be insulted. I won't be laid a-hand on. I do these things to other people, and I require the same from them." However, Conagher is now well into his 30's, having worked for over 20+ years on the range, and he realizes that it may be time to soon end his itinerant lifestyle and settle down with a good woman. But where will he find such a person?
Enter Evie Teale. Also in her 30's but just recently married - more for convenience than true love, common to that time period - to an older widower with two young children, she and her new family have just recently moved to the area from Ohio. In the first chapter the husband dies in an accident, and Teale is suddenly left by herself to raise step-children Laban and Ruth at a crude cabin in the middle of nowhere. She makes a mostly successful go at it, but soon aches for the companionship of a romantic partner. She resorts to writing bits of prose and poetry which she ties to the passing tumbleweed. Any guesses as to who is charmed when he happens to find some of the writing?
It's not nearly as hokey or boring as I make it sound. (Also, I imagined Conagher's dialogue spoken in actor Sam Elliott's iconic and resonant voice, as he played the character in a TV-movie - unseen by me - about thirty years ago. That sounds like almost perfect casting.) It's a low-key drama about these two lonely people - but with the requisite amount of gunslinging moments and fight scenes to give it appropriate edge - that is otherwise very effective, and done just about to perfection.
October 5, 2021
Where once I avoided reading Westerns, I now enjoy them, thanks to Louis L’Amour. Here is another one of his tough-man/strong-woman romps, all set in the blistering heat of the old American southwest, where men drift like tumbleweed and women do not age like fine wine.
Conn Conagher is a loner dude. He works his way across the West, doing any job that’s needed, but he keeps to himself and has no emotional ties with anyone. When he signs up to work a range for an aging rancher, Conagher’s strong ethics soon make him the worst enemy of the local rustling outlaws, who have been stealing cattle from the old rancher for far too long. Conagher is going make sure they won’t get any more stolen steers. There is also a woman in this tale, one who didn’t imagine this type of life for herself when she was younger. When her father dies, she realizes she is alone without any support and must find a new life. When an older widow with two young children appears, she marries him, more for hope than for love. But as with most L’Amour characters, she is a woman of strength who will travel with her new husband out to a desolate corner of the West, come what may.
He died alone, as men in the West so often died, died trying to accomplish something, to build something, to go somewhere. Sometimes the sand buried those men’s bodies, sometimes the coyotes scattered their bones, leaving a few buttons, a sun-dried boot heel, a rusted pistol. Some of them were found and buried, but some dried up and turned to dust and the wind took the dust away.
The book begins with the death of a character and it is a lonesome death. It sets the tone for what will be happening, but it also imprints an image of how hard it was to live as an outsider in a land that endures drought almost every year. How do you feed your livestock? How do you stop Apache attacks? If you die, would anyone even care? Children must mature quicker and take on responsibilities before they should, but that is the best they can do. And when you’re lonely and there’s no other adult around, you may end up writing poetic messages on scraps of paper and attach them to the tumbleweed that rolls by your homestead in the forlorn hope that someone, somewhere, will know that you once existed.
The land was a living thing, breathing with the wind, weeping with the rain, growing somber with clouds or gay with sunlight. One had to learn to live with it, to belong to it, to fit into its seasons and find its ways.
L’Amour books are short and well structured. While the reader can anticipate what may happen, one never really knows, and the descriptions of the land are always spot-on. Louis L’Amour must have walked or ridden through the West to have that feel of how the wind blows or how the tumbleweeds sound when they gently roll past your feet. I live in the low desert and every year we await, “The Dying Season”. This is when tourists arrive in summer, usually Europeans, who believe they can hike a trail in 118° Fahrenheit. They don't take long to die, the first death notices hitting around mid-June. Others walk off into Joshua Tree and simply vanish, their bones sometimes found months or years later. Even those travellers who feel safe lounging by a pool do not understand the symptoms of heat stroke. We just had one Brit keel over after sitting in the sun for several hours, downing cocktails. He collapsed on the sidewalk, stone cold dead. We try to tell people, explain to them that they don’t see any of us sitting by the pools or walking hot trails. But humans don’t listen, because the West appears to them as some sort of adventure, a place of hope and possibilities, a land far away from their crowded streets and polluted air. I think L’Amour understood that also, which is why I enjoy reading his works.
Book Season = Summer (run for the shadows)
Conn Conagher is a loner dude. He works his way across the West, doing any job that’s needed, but he keeps to himself and has no emotional ties with anyone. When he signs up to work a range for an aging rancher, Conagher’s strong ethics soon make him the worst enemy of the local rustling outlaws, who have been stealing cattle from the old rancher for far too long. Conagher is going make sure they won’t get any more stolen steers. There is also a woman in this tale, one who didn’t imagine this type of life for herself when she was younger. When her father dies, she realizes she is alone without any support and must find a new life. When an older widow with two young children appears, she marries him, more for hope than for love. But as with most L’Amour characters, she is a woman of strength who will travel with her new husband out to a desolate corner of the West, come what may.
He died alone, as men in the West so often died, died trying to accomplish something, to build something, to go somewhere. Sometimes the sand buried those men’s bodies, sometimes the coyotes scattered their bones, leaving a few buttons, a sun-dried boot heel, a rusted pistol. Some of them were found and buried, but some dried up and turned to dust and the wind took the dust away.
The book begins with the death of a character and it is a lonesome death. It sets the tone for what will be happening, but it also imprints an image of how hard it was to live as an outsider in a land that endures drought almost every year. How do you feed your livestock? How do you stop Apache attacks? If you die, would anyone even care? Children must mature quicker and take on responsibilities before they should, but that is the best they can do. And when you’re lonely and there’s no other adult around, you may end up writing poetic messages on scraps of paper and attach them to the tumbleweed that rolls by your homestead in the forlorn hope that someone, somewhere, will know that you once existed.
The land was a living thing, breathing with the wind, weeping with the rain, growing somber with clouds or gay with sunlight. One had to learn to live with it, to belong to it, to fit into its seasons and find its ways.
L’Amour books are short and well structured. While the reader can anticipate what may happen, one never really knows, and the descriptions of the land are always spot-on. Louis L’Amour must have walked or ridden through the West to have that feel of how the wind blows or how the tumbleweeds sound when they gently roll past your feet. I live in the low desert and every year we await, “The Dying Season”. This is when tourists arrive in summer, usually Europeans, who believe they can hike a trail in 118° Fahrenheit. They don't take long to die, the first death notices hitting around mid-June. Others walk off into Joshua Tree and simply vanish, their bones sometimes found months or years later. Even those travellers who feel safe lounging by a pool do not understand the symptoms of heat stroke. We just had one Brit keel over after sitting in the sun for several hours, downing cocktails. He collapsed on the sidewalk, stone cold dead. We try to tell people, explain to them that they don’t see any of us sitting by the pools or walking hot trails. But humans don’t listen, because the West appears to them as some sort of adventure, a place of hope and possibilities, a land far away from their crowded streets and polluted air. I think L’Amour understood that also, which is why I enjoy reading his works.
Book Season = Summer (run for the shadows)
August 20, 2018
3.5 I enjoyed this one, my first book by this writer. I plan to read more. I wish this had been a little bit longer or that there had been a second book. I wanted to know more about what happened to the characters. Great, short summer read!
March 15, 2020
Not being much of a L'Amour fan I enjoyed this one.
"Conagher" is a great character.
This is kind of a rewrite of my favorite L'Amour's
.
But as usual, it has its squeamish, embarassing segments.
Here's a fabulous "stoic cowboy" segment that's older and cornier than Zane Grey:
"Conagher" is a great character.
This is kind of a rewrite of my favorite L'Amour's
.But as usual, it has its squeamish, embarassing segments.
Here's a fabulous "stoic cowboy" segment that's older and cornier than Zane Grey:
He was a loner - he had always been a loner. He was as covered with spines as any porcupine. He was cantankerous and edgy. Outwardly easy-going, he shied away from people, wary of the traps surrounding people that could lead to trouble. Yet once in trouble, he knew of no other way than to fight it out to a finish.
To be a man was to be responsible . It was as simple as that.
This novel has a sub-plot of sorts.
An overly romantic woman living alone with two children ties pages of poetry of her own making and her own observations on the land on which she's been abandoned and pining to the tumbleweeds that blow past her sad little cabin in the wilderness.
She and her two adolescent children -her husband's children from a previous marriage and abandoned along with her by her dim-witted husband, fight off renegade Apaches. By themselves.
Alone.
This sub-plot slows down the action but pays off in the end.
If you absolutely have to read a L'Amour Western novel, this will do.
Recommended to L'Amour newcomers.
I liked it despite myself.
March 19, 2009
My favorite quote from the book (assigned for my Georgics Class):
He was not, he told himself, gifted with much imagination. He simply did what had to be done, and his code of ethics was the code of his father, his family, and his time. It would be easy...to throw everything overboard and disclaim any responsibility. All he had to do was saddle up and ride out of the country. It sounded easy, but it was not that easy, even if a man could leave behind his sense of guilt at having deserted a cause. To be a man was to be responsible. It was as simple as that. To be a man was to build something, to try to make the world about him a bit easier to live in for himself and those who followed.
You could sneer at that, you could scoff, you could refuse to acknowledge it, but when it came right down to it, Conn decided it was the man who planted a tree, dug a well, or graded a road who mattered.
He was not, he told himself, gifted with much imagination. He simply did what had to be done, and his code of ethics was the code of his father, his family, and his time. It would be easy...to throw everything overboard and disclaim any responsibility. All he had to do was saddle up and ride out of the country. It sounded easy, but it was not that easy, even if a man could leave behind his sense of guilt at having deserted a cause. To be a man was to be responsible. It was as simple as that. To be a man was to build something, to try to make the world about him a bit easier to live in for himself and those who followed.
You could sneer at that, you could scoff, you could refuse to acknowledge it, but when it came right down to it, Conn decided it was the man who planted a tree, dug a well, or graded a road who mattered.
November 13, 2018
Definitely my favorite L'Amour! But that ending totally killed me and I'm still mad about it . . .
November 24, 2024
"I was so lonely. I had to talk... to write to somebody, and there was no one."
"There was. There was me."
Plot holes, stilted characterization, and some frankly ridiculous dialogue can't take away from the simple genius of the love story here. It really does go to show that emotional truth is the strongest of all truths, at least when it comes to storytelling. No, I do not care that those outlaws absolutely should have killed our hero several times over and didn't; I do not care that the villain was little more than a sock puppet; I want the lonely cowboy to find the lonely widow who wrote those ~mysterious notes~ scattered on the wind!!! I want connection to triumph over isolation and order restored to the cosmos!!! Surely this is not hard to understand!!!
there's also a line where homeboy is like, "you open your mouth again until I tell you to, and you'll have another black eye to match the first"... so that's great too
"There was. There was me."
Plot holes, stilted characterization, and some frankly ridiculous dialogue can't take away from the simple genius of the love story here. It really does go to show that emotional truth is the strongest of all truths, at least when it comes to storytelling. No, I do not care that those outlaws absolutely should have killed our hero several times over and didn't; I do not care that the villain was little more than a sock puppet; I want the lonely cowboy to find the lonely widow who wrote those ~mysterious notes~ scattered on the wind!!! I want connection to triumph over isolation and order restored to the cosmos!!! Surely this is not hard to understand!!!
there's also a line where homeboy is like, "you open your mouth again until I tell you to, and you'll have another black eye to match the first"... so that's great too
March 30, 2023
Ok, 3.5 stars, rounded up. I wasn’t fond of the “shark jump” moment with Parnell, but the rest was good. The violence wasn’t romanticized but the loneliness was spot on and that was romantic.
The location was written well and felt real and L’amour can write suspense like few others.
Poor Jacob Teale. Snake bit, through and through.
I’m not big on Westerns, but this one was quite good.
4 solid stars.
The location was written well and felt real and L’amour can write suspense like few others.
Poor Jacob Teale. Snake bit, through and through.
I’m not big on Westerns, but this one was quite good.
4 solid stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 12, 2019
Some might believe that a Louis L'Amour story is all gritty men, gunfighter action, and tough plots in well-drawn western or adventure setting. And, to an extent they would be right because those elements are very much present. But, sprinkled through his stories is romance to one degree or another. L'Amour wrote his women as courageous and capable as his men and once in a while he gives them a prominent role and a pioneer romance. Conagher is one of those stories.
Evie Teale comes west from Ohio with her husband and his children. She wasn't in favor of chucking their old life and the trappings of civilization, but this is their chance. She bites her tongue on criticizing the simple one-room cabin with the dirt floor sitting out on a wide-open dry land far from anyone. Instead, while Jacob goes to buy cattle, she and the children get busy making something of their new circumstances. Meanwhile, Jacob becomes one of the lone men claimed by the hard western prairie and his family doesn't know what has become of him. Evie worries over how they are going to survive as they adapt to living on the western frontier. From hostile Apaches, feeding the stagecoach passengers and staff, encountering a would-be gunfighter, harsh winter, rustlers, and one hard-bitten cowboy who makes her curious and not give up on the chance of love.
Conagher is a man who doesn't suffer fools, back down, and does a hard days work for a hard day's pay. He's never known home or family and has spent his life drifting from job to job and place to place. But, what gets him twitchy are the romantic and poetic notes tied to tumble weeds by some lonely woman to the north. He's no woman's idea of a knight in shining armor, but he sure wishes he could be.
The narration switches back and forth between Evie and Con. Both their sides of the story are exciting in their own way. Evie's is about survival and learning she's tougher than she thought she was as she faces everything thrown at her. Conagher's side has the fistfights, range battles, and lonely cowboy ponderings that keep leading him back to the Teale place and Evie. I liked both characters and it was easy to root for them to find their way to each other while beating the troubles that faced them separately.
The western setting and situation was well drawn and I enjoyed the colorful characters that peopled the story. A lot of the characters, but particularly those who did bad things weren't all one or the other. And, yes, there is some gritty 'shoot 'em up' action.
Jason Culp did the narration and I've enjoyed his work on previous L'Amour books. He does a great job though he gets a tad nasally and breathy with female voices. He narrates the quiet, sweeping moments and the intense fight scenes equally well and I'm happy to pick up more of his work.
All in all, I was well pleased to have a strong heroine to pair the hero and some great western setting and action.
My thanks to Penguin Random House Audio for the opportunity to listen to this book in exchange of an honest review.
COYER Summer Scavenger Hunt- HF/HR cover with authentic historical clothes 5pts
Evie Teale comes west from Ohio with her husband and his children. She wasn't in favor of chucking their old life and the trappings of civilization, but this is their chance. She bites her tongue on criticizing the simple one-room cabin with the dirt floor sitting out on a wide-open dry land far from anyone. Instead, while Jacob goes to buy cattle, she and the children get busy making something of their new circumstances. Meanwhile, Jacob becomes one of the lone men claimed by the hard western prairie and his family doesn't know what has become of him. Evie worries over how they are going to survive as they adapt to living on the western frontier. From hostile Apaches, feeding the stagecoach passengers and staff, encountering a would-be gunfighter, harsh winter, rustlers, and one hard-bitten cowboy who makes her curious and not give up on the chance of love.
Conagher is a man who doesn't suffer fools, back down, and does a hard days work for a hard day's pay. He's never known home or family and has spent his life drifting from job to job and place to place. But, what gets him twitchy are the romantic and poetic notes tied to tumble weeds by some lonely woman to the north. He's no woman's idea of a knight in shining armor, but he sure wishes he could be.
The narration switches back and forth between Evie and Con. Both their sides of the story are exciting in their own way. Evie's is about survival and learning she's tougher than she thought she was as she faces everything thrown at her. Conagher's side has the fistfights, range battles, and lonely cowboy ponderings that keep leading him back to the Teale place and Evie. I liked both characters and it was easy to root for them to find their way to each other while beating the troubles that faced them separately.
The western setting and situation was well drawn and I enjoyed the colorful characters that peopled the story. A lot of the characters, but particularly those who did bad things weren't all one or the other. And, yes, there is some gritty 'shoot 'em up' action.
Jason Culp did the narration and I've enjoyed his work on previous L'Amour books. He does a great job though he gets a tad nasally and breathy with female voices. He narrates the quiet, sweeping moments and the intense fight scenes equally well and I'm happy to pick up more of his work.
All in all, I was well pleased to have a strong heroine to pair the hero and some great western setting and action.
My thanks to Penguin Random House Audio for the opportunity to listen to this book in exchange of an honest review.
COYER Summer Scavenger Hunt- HF/HR cover with authentic historical clothes 5pts
May 29, 2016
My first Louis L'Amour book!
I personally think the title should be called, "Cullen Bohannon" for all of you Hell on Wheel's fans, you know who I mean. Yes, Cullen is hot.....and I am free to superimpose any face I want onto Connagher....so, I did.
Ok, on to the story....its a quick, easy, enjoyable Western novel. It has some indians, some cowboy's , and the wild, Wild West.
I will definitely check out more of Louis L'Amour's books in the future.
I personally think the title should be called, "Cullen Bohannon" for all of you Hell on Wheel's fans, you know who I mean. Yes, Cullen is hot.....and I am free to superimpose any face I want onto Connagher....so, I did.
Ok, on to the story....its a quick, easy, enjoyable Western novel. It has some indians, some cowboy's , and the wild, Wild West.
I will definitely check out more of Louis L'Amour's books in the future.
September 14, 2019
The romance/Western mashup of the kind that Zane Grey was always trying to write but always failing at (at least to my taste).
December 3, 2014
One could argue that if you've read one L'Amour book you've read all of them. But this one is a stand out. A romantic adventure with two very strong characters making due in a harsh corner of the West. Like Hemingway, L'Amour could say a lot with very little. And he knows his subject matter - the West and the people who tamed it - better than most.
October 26, 2025
Nobody captures the feel of 19th century wild places like L’Amour. This was such a good read; I especially enjoyed the descriptions of ranch life and wilderness survival. Conagher is a rough, lonely “saddle tramp” who’s worked hard his whole life without much to show for it materially; no ranch, no money in the bank, nobody and nothing but his horse and saddle. But he’s seen a lot of country and lived life according to his values: work hard, respect women, ride for the brand, and never quit. There’s dignity in his honesty, and he’s got nothing to be ashamed of. Even his enemies come to respect him, and it’s satisfying to see him get his happy ending. He deserves a place to belong, and a family to belong to.
As well as telling a great story, L’Amour reminds us to look beyond outward appearances to see the honor, toughness, and value in average-seeming people. A closer look often shows how extraordinary they truly are. Throughout history, good, strong people have done great things while going largely unnoticed. A good thing to keep in mind in modern times, as well as when looking at the past.
Thanks, Scott, for the great recommendation! I had a lot of fun reading this.
As well as telling a great story, L’Amour reminds us to look beyond outward appearances to see the honor, toughness, and value in average-seeming people. A closer look often shows how extraordinary they truly are. Throughout history, good, strong people have done great things while going largely unnoticed. A good thing to keep in mind in modern times, as well as when looking at the past.
Thanks, Scott, for the great recommendation! I had a lot of fun reading this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 11, 2018
In March I read L'Amour. Why? He was my dad's favorite author. So, in the month of my birthday and usually when I miss my dad the most for a variety of reasons, I read his favorite author in his memory.
I wish I had read him while my dad was alive so I could talk to him. L'Amour has a succinct way with words. Nothing flowery, kind of like the land which he describes in his books (a land that my dad LOVED.) He crafted stories well, and for a genre that I don't usually read, it's engaging and fresh.
This book had a bit more romance than others that I have read and I liked it. Nothing super sappy with stars in the eyes, however it was endearing and the twist at the end made me forget that I was almost done with the book! I kind of wanted more but it ended well. I like closure. :)
I wish I had read him while my dad was alive so I could talk to him. L'Amour has a succinct way with words. Nothing flowery, kind of like the land which he describes in his books (a land that my dad LOVED.) He crafted stories well, and for a genre that I don't usually read, it's engaging and fresh.
This book had a bit more romance than others that I have read and I liked it. Nothing super sappy with stars in the eyes, however it was endearing and the twist at the end made me forget that I was almost done with the book! I kind of wanted more but it ended well. I like closure. :)
January 21, 2010
This is an amazing Western book. I loved the rawness and clarity of the story. The descriptions weren't flowery -- instead they just perfectly described the harshness of the land, the people, and the situations. It was a short book but every part of it was important and a continuation of the story. Very well written and pure. I really enjoyed it!
March 9, 2021
3/8/21 * 4 stars
I've been meaning to read some of Louis L'Amour's books for quite some time and thought I'd start with his memoir, Education of a Wandering Man, but when my daughter read and loved Conagher and our library has the audio book on ODM, I thought this just might be the book to help me get out of my reading slump. And it was. I started listening to it on Sunday afternoon and finished it Monday morning. I've seen some reviews that didn't think this was his best but it ended up being a perfect introduction for me. Now I just have to decide which of his books to read next.
I've been meaning to read some of Louis L'Amour's books for quite some time and thought I'd start with his memoir, Education of a Wandering Man, but when my daughter read and loved Conagher and our library has the audio book on ODM, I thought this just might be the book to help me get out of my reading slump. And it was. I started listening to it on Sunday afternoon and finished it Monday morning. I've seen some reviews that didn't think this was his best but it ended up being a perfect introduction for me. Now I just have to decide which of his books to read next.
September 29, 2025
a quick read, with a sturdy story and likeable folks just surviving and questioning: what's it all for?
don't read the synopsis as the grand surprise of the novel lies in the first 10 pages.
don't read the synopsis as the grand surprise of the novel lies in the first 10 pages.
August 2, 2015
"Ο δρόμος τελειώνει στην κόλαση", εκδόσεις ΒΙΠΕΡ.
Ενδέκατο βιβλίο του συγγραφέα που διαβάζω και γι'ακόμη μια φορά δεν με απογοήτευσε, πέρασα πολύ καλά και ευχαριστήθηκα δράση και τοπία.
Από την μια έχουμε την Ήβη, που άρχισε να συνειδητοποιεί ότι ο άντρας της δεν θα γυρίσει πίσω, το πιθανότερο γιατί έπαθε κάτι σοβαρό. Έμεινε μόνη με δυο παιδιά, σ'ένα σπίτι στην μέση του πουθενά, ένα σπίτι που θέλει πολλή δουλειά για να θεωρηθεί της προκοπής. Από την άλλη έχουμε τον Κόναγκερ, έναν τίμιο και εργατικό καουμπόι που κάνει πολλές διαφορετικές δουλειές και που έχει ταξιδέψει σ'ένα κάρο μέρη. Είναι ένας περιπλανώμενος άνθρωπος που δεν έχει κάτι που να τον κρατήσει για πολύ καιρό σ'ένα μέρος, δεν ψάχνει φασαρίες, αλλά αν κάποιος τα βάλει μαζί του θα τα βρει σκούρα. Κάποια στιγμή οι δρόμοι των δυο θα συναντηθούν. Στο μεταξύ και οι δυο πρέπει να επιζήσουν των δυσκολιών που θα βρεθούν μπροστά τους, όπως για παράδειγμα κάποιοι επικίνδυνοι Ινδιάνοι και κάποιοι σκληροί παράνομοι που κλέβουν ζώα.
Ο Λ'Αμούρ ακολουθεί την πετυχημένη συνταγή που ο ίδιος έχει δημιουργήσει και προσφέρει μια ιστορία με δράση, δυναμικούς χαρακτήρες και ωραία τοπία. Η γραφή είναι, φυσικά, πολύ καλή και ευκολοδιάβαστη, με όμορφες περιγραφές τοπίων και ανθρώπων, γεμάτες ρεαλισμό, δίχως πολλές φιοριτούρες. Γενικά είναι ένα ακόμα καλό γουέστερν, στο επίπεδο που μας έχει συνηθίσει ο μεγάλος Λουίς Λ'Αμούρ. Ο ελληνικός τίτλος ακούγεται (και είναι) κάπως παλπ και λίγο άσχετος με την αίσθηση που αφήνει η ιστορία. Έχει γίνει και ταινία, με πρωταγωνιστή τον Sam Elliott.
Ενδέκατο βιβλίο του συγγραφέα που διαβάζω και γι'ακόμη μια φορά δεν με απογοήτευσε, πέρασα πολύ καλά και ευχαριστήθηκα δράση και τοπία.
Από την μια έχουμε την Ήβη, που άρχισε να συνειδητοποιεί ότι ο άντρας της δεν θα γυρίσει πίσω, το πιθανότερο γιατί έπαθε κάτι σοβαρό. Έμεινε μόνη με δυο παιδιά, σ'ένα σπίτι στην μέση του πουθενά, ένα σπίτι που θέλει πολλή δουλειά για να θεωρηθεί της προκοπής. Από την άλλη έχουμε τον Κόναγκερ, έναν τίμιο και εργατικό καουμπόι που κάνει πολλές διαφορετικές δουλειές και που έχει ταξιδέψει σ'ένα κάρο μέρη. Είναι ένας περιπλανώμενος άνθρωπος που δεν έχει κάτι που να τον κρατήσει για πολύ καιρό σ'ένα μέρος, δεν ψάχνει φασαρίες, αλλά αν κάποιος τα βάλει μαζί του θα τα βρει σκούρα. Κάποια στιγμή οι δρόμοι των δυο θα συναντηθούν. Στο μεταξύ και οι δυο πρέπει να επιζήσουν των δυσκολιών που θα βρεθούν μπροστά τους, όπως για παράδειγμα κάποιοι επικίνδυνοι Ινδιάνοι και κάποιοι σκληροί παράνομοι που κλέβουν ζώα.
Ο Λ'Αμούρ ακολουθεί την πετυχημένη συνταγή που ο ίδιος έχει δημιουργήσει και προσφέρει μια ιστορία με δράση, δυναμικούς χαρακτήρες και ωραία τοπία. Η γραφή είναι, φυσικά, πολύ καλή και ευκολοδιάβαστη, με όμορφες περιγραφές τοπίων και ανθρώπων, γεμάτες ρεαλισμό, δίχως πολλές φιοριτούρες. Γενικά είναι ένα ακόμα καλό γουέστερν, στο επίπεδο που μας έχει συνηθίσει ο μεγάλος Λουίς Λ'Αμούρ. Ο ελληνικός τίτλος ακούγεται (και είναι) κάπως παλπ και λίγο άσχετος με την αίσθηση που αφήνει η ιστορία. Έχει γίνει και ταινία, με πρωταγωνιστή τον Sam Elliott.
June 24, 2012
One of my favorite L'Amour books! But I love them all...mine have been re-read so many times they are dog-eared, & some are coming apart. Such a shame he had to die & leave us without new stories to read!
July 30, 2015
I couldn't help myself... I finished it in almost one sitting. Such an easy read. Love it.
March 24, 2021
3-1/2 stars
Who doesn't love a good western! Louis L'Amour, along with Zane Grey and Max Brand, were household names when I was growing up. My dad had piles of their paperbacks around the house. I wish I could chat with him about them now! I've only read a few westerns in my reading life, but not because I don't enjoy them. I think other favorite genres have just crowded them out.
Conagher is a man respected by others, even those who don't particularly like him. He believes in hard work, being loyal to your boss and not tolerating dumbheads! "Conagher had worked too hard too many times to like a thief or a vandal who would steal or destroy the efforts of other men." His life was rather uncomplicated, yet he "did have a few principles, and he had not thought much about them. They were few, they were simple, they were his. And he lived by them."
It's rather refreshing to read about a person who stands up for what's right, who has morals, and who doesn't care a fig about what others think! Maybe I ought to stay on the western circuit for awhile!
I enjoyed the story that revolved around Evie as well and the development of the relationship she had with Conagher. It was rather sweet how she wrote out notes of her thoughts and dreams and pinned them to tumbleweeds.
Who doesn't love a good western! Louis L'Amour, along with Zane Grey and Max Brand, were household names when I was growing up. My dad had piles of their paperbacks around the house. I wish I could chat with him about them now! I've only read a few westerns in my reading life, but not because I don't enjoy them. I think other favorite genres have just crowded them out.
Conagher is a man respected by others, even those who don't particularly like him. He believes in hard work, being loyal to your boss and not tolerating dumbheads! "Conagher had worked too hard too many times to like a thief or a vandal who would steal or destroy the efforts of other men." His life was rather uncomplicated, yet he "did have a few principles, and he had not thought much about them. They were few, they were simple, they were his. And he lived by them."
It's rather refreshing to read about a person who stands up for what's right, who has morals, and who doesn't care a fig about what others think! Maybe I ought to stay on the western circuit for awhile!
I enjoyed the story that revolved around Evie as well and the development of the relationship she had with Conagher. It was rather sweet how she wrote out notes of her thoughts and dreams and pinned them to tumbleweeds.
October 12, 2025
Macho man and cowboy propaganda! Is it a great book? No. Did I kind of want to be a cowboy as a kid? Maybe? Did I have fun reading it? Yes. It’s so stereotypical and so predictable it’s almost perfect. Almost.
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June 9, 2021What can I say? Classic Louis.
April 20, 2022
My 91 year-old father loved Louis L'Amour books. He read them over and over until his paperbacks were ratty and torn. When he passed away on March 7, I decided that it was past time that I take some of his books and give them a try, and this was the second one I read. I found this book poignant because of how it made me think of my dad, and because it was a solid, well-written story.
I hope you won't mind if I share something I wrote for my father's eulogy: "After reading a couple [of Louis L'Amour books], I kind of got what he liked about them. They celebrate the honest man, one who goes about doing good and doesn’t boast, one who honors the land and treats others with decency. In one of those books, the main character Conagher muses: “To be a man was to build something, to try to make the world about him a bit easier to live in, for himself, and those who followed. … it was the man who planted a tree, dug a well, or graded a road who mattered.” And I thought, this was my dad. He was a man who literally planted many trees, and who figuratively graded roads that made the world a bit easier for those who followed."
I hope you won't mind if I share something I wrote for my father's eulogy: "After reading a couple [of Louis L'Amour books], I kind of got what he liked about them. They celebrate the honest man, one who goes about doing good and doesn’t boast, one who honors the land and treats others with decency. In one of those books, the main character Conagher muses: “To be a man was to build something, to try to make the world about him a bit easier to live in, for himself, and those who followed. … it was the man who planted a tree, dug a well, or graded a road who mattered.” And I thought, this was my dad. He was a man who literally planted many trees, and who figuratively graded roads that made the world a bit easier for those who followed."
October 21, 2022
I enjoy Westerns sometimes. They remind me of home - a farm on the Great Plains. This is a particularly good story, one that focuses on the loneliness and risks of life out West. Reading it reminds me of Shane or The Virginian: A Horseman of the Plains. I haven't read this in a long time and was happy to stumble on it again. (There was a movie with Sam Elliott and Katherine Ross, which is good, too.)
May 24, 2009
I loved this book because it contained such strong archetypal characters who are honest, hardworking, and dreamers. Their dreams of someone to love do not involve grandeur or extreme wealth but the honest desire for another human to share ideas and common dreams. I also loved it because I like cowboys who can whip a man's butt instead of killing him to accomplish a change. It was a nice bonus that my husband liked it; we had several good chuckles about the situations that L'amour created for the cowboy and how he dealt with problems
September 16, 2011
Conagher is a great, short Western novel. Louis L'Amour makes Conagher the man an interesting, complex character instead of the standard tough cowboy archetype you might expect. There's bravery and grit in the man, but also an underlying sadness and loneliness. This ties perfectly into the sweet romance between Mrs. Teale and Conagher, as she herself is lonely and has sorrow in her bones.
Anyone looking for an entertaining, well written and quick Western ride, Conagher is the book for you.
Anyone looking for an entertaining, well written and quick Western ride, Conagher is the book for you.
August 24, 2011
Being a huge Sam Elliott fan, I tried to watch the movie a while back but found it a little confusing. Reading the book, I kept hearing Elliott's voice for Conn. I really liked this book--the bad guys still had some honor, and the good guys were genuinely good while still being competent fighters. I flew through this book in 2 days, and now am eager to try watching the movie again. My only complaint was the occasional slow part, but when the action picked up again it was a pleasure to read.
August 20, 2012
Western writers and readers should read CONAGHER for the depth of characterization and vocabulary words with which L'Amour packed all of his novels. Although the story does have some shoot-'em-up action, what's more notable is L'Amour's portrayal of iconic tropes: the lone cowboy with the Code of the West tattooed on his soul, the tough frontier widow who falls in love with a brutal land, outlaws with no friends and even fewer scruples.
January 9, 2018
One of the best westerns and novels in general that I have ever read. L'Amour even dropped a romance into the middle of this and it improved the story, rather than detract from it as usually happens in a tough-guy kind of book like this.
If you have never read a Louis L'Amour novel, this is the one you should begin with or give to someone who is unfamiliar with the genre.
Find it! Buy it! Read it!
If you have never read a Louis L'Amour novel, this is the one you should begin with or give to someone who is unfamiliar with the genre.
Find it! Buy it! Read it!
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