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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
An interesting take on the town of Deadwood. Dexter takes historical characters and really brings them to life in a unique way. The book does not really follow Hickock, but rather Dexter uses Charlie Utter's eyes to view the events. Over all quite a good book.
Apparently, David Milch hadn’t read Dexter’s Deadwood before penning the TV series. While readers of the novel have doubted the claim, I’m happy to take Milch at his word.* The story of Deadwood, an illegal town built on Lakota lands in South Dakota, is rich with story-telling potential, not least of which because it’s the place where Wild Bill Hickok was assassinated. Then there are the larger-than-life characters like Charlie Utter, Calamity Jane, Seth Bullock, his business partner Solomon Star, and, of course, Al Swearingen. That Dexter and Milch were independently drawn to the location should, therefore, come as no surprise.**
But where Milch focused on Bullock and the aptly named Swearingen, Dexter’s interest lies with the neat and meticulous Charlie Utter, Wild Bill’s best friend (the Charlie Utter of the TV series is the opposite, shabby and uncouth). He’s a noble, deeply flawed character aware of his many imperfections. His friendship with Hickok is as intimate as you can get without sex (but with bouts of “rassling”, they like throwing each other around). The impact of Hickok’s death has a profound effect on Charlie, one that fuels the novel’s second half (Utter wasn’t present when Bill was shot, a regret and guilt he can’t shrug).
Dexter’s prose captures the uncivil rawness of the Wild West. The language is not friendly to Chinese people or the disabled or, for that matter, women (most of whom are prostitutes). Nor does Dexter give a voice to Native Americans, kept off stage as a dark menace prone to killing innocent women and children. (The only time we see a Native American is their severed head). Dexter’s lack of interest in critiquing the views of the time may offend. Still, there’s a gritty authenticity to it all, an authenticity that sometimes tends toward parody, especially the many, many times Charlie or one of the other men refer to their peeders.
I loved this novel. I loved its rough edges. I loved its candid view of humanity. It’s a novel about friendship, regret and lust. It deserves to be as well known as the TV series that shares its name.
*Dexter’s novel was adapted not by Milch but by Walter Hill as the movie Wild Bill (which I have not seen).
** A shout-out to the musical Calamity Jane, also set in Deadwood.
But where Milch focused on Bullock and the aptly named Swearingen, Dexter’s interest lies with the neat and meticulous Charlie Utter, Wild Bill’s best friend (the Charlie Utter of the TV series is the opposite, shabby and uncouth). He’s a noble, deeply flawed character aware of his many imperfections. His friendship with Hickok is as intimate as you can get without sex (but with bouts of “rassling”, they like throwing each other around). The impact of Hickok’s death has a profound effect on Charlie, one that fuels the novel’s second half (Utter wasn’t present when Bill was shot, a regret and guilt he can’t shrug).
Dexter’s prose captures the uncivil rawness of the Wild West. The language is not friendly to Chinese people or the disabled or, for that matter, women (most of whom are prostitutes). Nor does Dexter give a voice to Native Americans, kept off stage as a dark menace prone to killing innocent women and children. (The only time we see a Native American is their severed head). Dexter’s lack of interest in critiquing the views of the time may offend. Still, there’s a gritty authenticity to it all, an authenticity that sometimes tends toward parody, especially the many, many times Charlie or one of the other men refer to their peeders.
I loved this novel. I loved its rough edges. I loved its candid view of humanity. It’s a novel about friendship, regret and lust. It deserves to be as well known as the TV series that shares its name.
*Dexter’s novel was adapted not by Milch but by Walter Hill as the movie Wild Bill (which I have not seen).
** A shout-out to the musical Calamity Jane, also set in Deadwood.
Lovely, crushing, low-key storm of a book. Outstanding.
adventurous
dark
sad
slow-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
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
Great book though it deviates a lot from the amazing HBO show. The star of the book is Charlie Utter. The first 2/3rds of the book is great, but I wasn't quite feeling the ending. I wish it stayed as grounded as it was at the start.
Deadwood A Novel by Peter Dexter and narrated by J. Rodney Turner was a very interesting audiobook. Let me start by saying J. Rodney Turner has an incredible voice and I would listen to him narrate the phone book. He did a great job of creating distinctive voices for the main characters.
Deadwood is historical fiction. Not being a historian, I cannot speak to how accurate it is. If you are looking for the characters of HBO's Deadwood series, they are here but not the same as in the series. Each, the HBO series and the novel by Peter Dexter, interpret the characters in different manners. The story still involves Deadwood being a very dangerous and evolving town. The main characters are well defined. The character that the book follows is Charlie Utter beyond the death of his friend, Wild Bill Hickok. The author does a great job setting the scenes so that the reader/listener can picture them.
Warning - the language of the book has profanities. It also has several offensive identifications toward individuals or groups. Both the profanities and the offensive terms are part of the language usage of the time.
A copy of Deadwood was provided by Tantor Media in exchange for an honest review.
Deadwood is historical fiction. Not being a historian, I cannot speak to how accurate it is. If you are looking for the characters of HBO's Deadwood series, they are here but not the same as in the series. Each, the HBO series and the novel by Peter Dexter, interpret the characters in different manners. The story still involves Deadwood being a very dangerous and evolving town. The main characters are well defined. The character that the book follows is Charlie Utter beyond the death of his friend, Wild Bill Hickok. The author does a great job setting the scenes so that the reader/listener can picture them.
Warning - the language of the book has profanities. It also has several offensive identifications toward individuals or groups. Both the profanities and the offensive terms are part of the language usage of the time.
A copy of Deadwood was provided by Tantor Media in exchange for an honest review.
There are certain lines in this book that I read over again because they were just so beautiful or poignant or funny. The writing is exceptional, but it is not an uplifting read. At all. I appreciated it more than I enjoyed it.