The Genre Explorers discussion

Since the poll for January's post-1960s Western ended a tie, both those books will be groupreads. This is the discussion thread for Doc by Mary Doria Russell which was written in 2011.

Short summary: The dying Doc Holliday travels to the West hoping the climate change will turn his health around. With his lover he goes to a dodge City where the murder of a young boy starts a friendship between himself and the part-time policeman Wyatt Earp. It is the story of the two men before the legendary gunfight at the O.K. Corral took place

Info on Doc Holliday: link
on Wyatt Earp: link
on O.K. Corral: link

I have several GR friends that have read DOC. I'm showing a 4.67 "friends rating" for it. That's encouraging!

That sounds really promising! I really like that it could teach me some actual history on the Wild West as I don't know much about history, especially American.

I finally got my hands on a copy of this, so once I've finished my current read I'll start it. Maybe this weekend.

I would like to read this one after my exams (I finish on the 20th), but I'm reluctant because I can't find it in my library. It seems that I'll have to buy it in amazon or such. :I

Does your country have some sort of interloan system? I'm able to get books from all the libraries in the country sent to my local one, can even get them from other countries. It's helped me a lot, although there are still a lot of books I can't get. This one was reserved till next month so had to buy it as an ebook as well.
I hope you'll be able to find a copy of this somehow :)

Yeah, my country has the interloan system; but I kinda wanted to read it in English so I can practice the language and that's impossible to find in the libraries I've checked... It's not really expensive (like $13), but it's just that I have a really limited budget for books and I don't know if I will later regret buying it instead of something that I know I like.

Oh well. No way to help it, and every book (even if I don't like it) will be worth. :)

I almost always read in English. Danish isn't the most interesting or exciting language in the world and the translations are often horrid. So even if it's not originally in English, I often end up reading the books in that anyway :) "Luckily" so many books never get translated into Danish that often they only have the English version of books originally written in that language.

I don't think I've ever regretted buying a book unless it was because it's because the translation I got a hold of is terrible. I also have a limited budget for books, so every month I'll be crossing my fingers I can get the groupreads from the library :)

Just started this yesterday. I liked the prologue, it felt interesting and kept me reading. Not too sure about where I'm at now.

The writing style is throwing me off a bit. It's as if she couldn't decide on either a historically accurate biography or a fictionalized account based on a few facts. Sometimes is reads most like a historical book, but then she suddenly makes up a lot of dialogue and emotions. I'm also missing some references - what is real and what is not.

I'm also wondering why she felt the need to have a well researched story of historical personages revolve around the fictional character of a boy being fictionally murdered. It's a bit strange to me. Unless the murder actually happened and only who the boy was and what he was to the people in the town is fictional in that plot? Who knows, since she doesn't tell you that.

It's not too bad though, so I'll keep on and see what happens :)

I've just finished it. I was like 25%, but today I finished my exams and just read for the rest of the day. I'm gonna write some quick lines, then go to sleep for 36 hours straight.

I have to confess it: I'm hopelessly in love with the Doc Holliday that it depicts. And what is not to love in the witty, philosophical, sardonic and gentle dentist? And not only him. I loved all the depictions of the characters: the cultured whore Kate, the laconic lawful Wyatt, the cheerful Morgan... I think that the author managed to represent succesfully an unique personality for each of them through their actions and their language.

Other thing that I had found remarkable is the deep sense of foreboding of this book. Despite having funny moments or distracting details of domestical West life, we're constantly reminded that most of the characters are doomed to die young, some of them violently, some of them terribly sick. Their life, their triumphs get damped with the feeling that it won't matter in the end, since they won't live to enjoy them.

In short, in my opinion the great achievement of this book (and its author) is that it made me sympathize with the characters, while constantly reminding me that it is a futile effort. During the chapter "Playing for Keeps", (view spoiler)[ when the first hemorrhage of Holliday took place, I suffered greatly, even knowing that he would die years later. Also, I got reaaally sad during the final chapters, once half of the Earps and the Doc had died and only Kate was left to remember them. (hide spoiler)]

Nevertheless, as Aleta has pointed out, it's difficult to differentiate between fiction and history. Not being from an US upbringing, I've felt like I've missed lots of historical references. Maybe the insight of somebody with some notions of US history will be able to throw more light into the story. :D

Congrats on finishing your exams! Imhope your hard work will be well rewarded :)

It's funny hiw different reading tastes can be; I'm not really finding much to make me care for the characters. Also it seems this genre really suits you, while it's definitely not for me haha. I'm glad you're enjoying the books!

I actually think most of the history in this book is history that not a whole lot will know, which is what the "new" that Russell is bringing to the table is. My concern was more about her writing. I wish she'd made footnotes or at least decided whether she wanted this to be a historical biograohy or fictionalized novel. To me her writing style seems to mix those two constantly which leaves me a bit confused and/or pulls me out of the narrative.

And now I don't have time to finish this. Books that will take me long to read that aren't ones I could use for college next fall have fallen very low on my list, as I suddenly don't have as much time to read!

I only made it about 20% and I felt so indifferent that I haven't been able to pick it back up again. At least reading (or trying to read lol!) Westerns this month have cured me of the curiosity that I had. I'm glad that you've been enjoying it though Elena! :)

From what I knew about the real Doc Holliday, I knew that I didn't want to read this book. I do love Mary Doria Russell's science fiction novels.

I knew absolutely nothing. At all. So that's probably why I was under the illusion of this being a book I would like.

Really? Recommend any one in particular? I've seen in reviews that many find this to be completely different from other ones, even in writing style.

Mary Doria Russell has written only two science fiction novels. They are a duology. The second is the sequel of the other. The first is Sparrow, The.

Ha okay, as easy as that - thank you!

One of the reviews mentiosn it relying heavily on foreshadowing which I found really interesting. It's also a technique heavily used in Doc and not one I really enjoyed. I find a bit like being ripped out of the world that's being created and reminded of the author. How did you find the narrative technique to be? It doesn't seem to be used that often and is rather risqué.

Aleta wrote: "Ha okay, as easy as that - thank you!

One of the reviews mentiosn it relying heavily on foreshadowing which I found really interesting. It's also a technique heavily used in Doc and not one I real..."

I hope you meant risky rather than risqué which means something quite different.

I know someone who also dislikes foreshadowing. She calls it "portents" and will not read authors who use it. I think that whether I like foreshadowing very much depends.

I like a bit of foreshadowing in a mystery. There needs to be some genuine clues, so that the reader has an opportunity to figure it out.

I think that Mary Doria Russell uses foreshadowing in The Sparrow so that the reader realizes that this is going to be a story involving terrible events. This gives the reader a chance to decide not to read it if they prefer their reading to be light.

Aleta wrote: "Ha okay, as easy as that - thank you!

One of the reviews mentiosn it relying heavily on foreshadowing which I found really interesting. It's also a technique heavily used in Doc and not one I real..."

In my case, I really appreciate when an author uses it. For me, it gives the text a suffocating atmosphere, and if it is well used it may succeed in making the reader really unsettled. I don't really "like" it, given that most of the time when it is used I'm freaked out or stressed while reading... But it's interesting to try it sometimes. :D

Ooops, yes that is indeed what I meant, Shomeret! In Danish the word "risikabelt" means risky and no similar word means risqué. Lesson in never assuming when using a foreign language!

I agree with you on the mysteries! Whenever a mystery contains no clues and then suddenly, at the end, draws out information previously withheld to the reader and combines it to solve the case, I get annoyed. No mystery that does it ever gets more than 3 stars from me. Hadn't thought about revealing clues being foreshadowing before you mentioned it :)


Elena, interesting! I usually just get a feeling of being exhausted ;)