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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
One of the best books I have ever read. I didn't want it to end. It has traveled with me for about 6 months so I did't rush through it. I loved every character and how the town of Deadwood is as much a character as Charlie, Bill, or Jane. Right up there with my all time favorite Lonesome Dove.
The greatest Western below Blood Meridian, in this reader's mind.
Not really about Wild Bill or Calamity Jane, this work of somewhat historical fiction centered on Charlie Utter, Bill's friend, a character of very little consequence. I got bored after Bill got shot, the drunks, the whores and the mud got real old.
'I was the same as Bill, and I was different.' (270)
Upon a second reading, years after the first, I was surprised to find the "main" plot lasts just 150 pages and then come three full sections I'd completely forgotten.
In that regard, the way a very big character shuffles off the mortal coil earlier than anybody would have predicted, this story seems far less about Wild Bill specifically and far more about grief, universally.
*
It's intriguing that Deadwood was published in 1986, yet has been called "the best Western ever written."
More intriguing is the plot summary, which reads like a Law and Order treatment. It's even got the introductory "based on true events" epigram.
And, my god, what events they were. Gunsmiths, outlaws, frontiersmen, gambling, liquor, and grit. Hell of an opening line, too. The book is tight and cinematic. And while it's exciting, it's also somber and soaked in foreboding. You can't have very many twists or surprises with historical fiction, but it's still a page-turner that's easy to get swept away in. But the tale is so rich and quietly insightful that you can't rush. It's paced very well, steady and methodical like the fabled Old West heroes are supposed to have been. My only nitpicking is that some of the language, intended to build a setting through dialect I assume, felt very strained.
So, after much deliberation: 5 stars. Deadwood feels like a reinvention of a genre, and hooked me -- a non-Western fan -- into picking up more Western titles. But it isn't just a good Western, it's a good book, period. It's extremely well-crafted and the author's effort really pays off in a sometimes comic, always human, and engrossingly atmospheric way.
Upon a second reading, years after the first, I was surprised to find the "main" plot lasts just 150 pages and then come three full sections I'd completely forgotten.
In that regard, the way a very big character shuffles off the mortal coil earlier than anybody would have predicted, this story seems far less about Wild Bill specifically and far more about grief, universally.
*
It's intriguing that Deadwood was published in 1986, yet has been called "the best Western ever written."
More intriguing is the plot summary, which reads like a Law and Order treatment. It's even got the introductory "based on true events" epigram.
And, my god, what events they were. Gunsmiths, outlaws, frontiersmen, gambling, liquor, and grit. Hell of an opening line, too. The book is tight and cinematic. And while it's exciting, it's also somber and soaked in foreboding. You can't have very many twists or surprises with historical fiction, but it's still a page-turner that's easy to get swept away in. But the tale is so rich and quietly insightful that you can't rush. It's paced very well, steady and methodical like the fabled Old West heroes are supposed to have been. My only nitpicking is that some of the language, intended to build a setting through dialect I assume, felt very strained.
So, after much deliberation: 5 stars. Deadwood feels like a reinvention of a genre, and hooked me -- a non-Western fan -- into picking up more Western titles. But it isn't just a good Western, it's a good book, period. It's extremely well-crafted and the author's effort really pays off in a sometimes comic, always human, and engrossingly atmospheric way.
What a great book. The style was a wry humor that really captured the feeling of the story. I have seen (and loved) the HBO series and was expecting something similar. However, this book was written long before the series so preserved its own style. I really loved the way the author presented the characters in a way devoid of flowery description or motivation. These were real life people and he brought them to life perfectly.
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
funny
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
I enjoyed _Deadwood_. The book has its flaws, but it paints a suitably romantic picture of the wild west town and its colorful characters. I'd recommend the book if you're looking for a quick peek through the time portal at life in a lawless frontier town. The characters are well drawn out, and their language is suitably backwoods-archaic. I read this on the heels of a Cormac McCarthy novel, so it's possibly I'm judging it too harshly. This is a book that was easy to translate into a TV series. It's slightly less vulgar in some ways than HBO's interpretation, but just as gritty and brutal. My one particular peeve with the book is Dexter's ridiculous overuse of the word "peeder." It seems to appear on every other page. Overall, an entertaining read.
Every so often you come across a book unlike any other, with a powerful story and a style of writing that pulls you in. This is the book, and it weaves a spell. The language of the characters at first sounds off-key, but you realize that's how they talk, and it's perfect. Just love the way it's written. By being different, it makes you think- a very good thing. It's rough because that's the subject matter. A good read for a strange flavor you haven't tried.
3.5 stars. Off to a ripping good start (the writing, characters, and setting are all compelling), and then goes on rather overlong. Clever multi-part format pitches different characters as the protagonist, with one main character through-line, so that's something.