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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Violence
adventurous
dark
informative
medium-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Yup, there was a very successful HBO series by the same name. Other than the characters and the setting, there were few similarities that I could remember. If you weren't a fan of the series, don't let that stop you. If you were a fan, prepare to be entertained all over again. This book is great.
It's the characters stupid, it's the characters. From Wild Bill Hickok, the book's centerpiece, to Calamity Jane, who's looking for love in all the wrong places. From Charley Utter, Bill's best friend to Seth Bullock, the sheriff of Deadwood, the characters steal the show. This is what writing is about folks. And sorry, no zombies, or the collapse of the modern world as we know it in this one. This is just you, walking the muddy, rutted streets of Deadwood, South Dakota with Hickok and Utter, looking to expand their historical significance and wealth in the Badlands. But, these are the real characters, not the Saturday night, network TV variety. These Deadwood residents provide us with the thoughts, ambitions, greed and fears that must have been part of daily life in the cruel and uncivilized west. This is Mad Men in the 1870's.
It's the characters stupid, it's the characters. From Wild Bill Hickok, the book's centerpiece, to Calamity Jane, who's looking for love in all the wrong places. From Charley Utter, Bill's best friend to Seth Bullock, the sheriff of Deadwood, the characters steal the show. This is what writing is about folks. And sorry, no zombies, or the collapse of the modern world as we know it in this one. This is just you, walking the muddy, rutted streets of Deadwood, South Dakota with Hickok and Utter, looking to expand their historical significance and wealth in the Badlands. But, these are the real characters, not the Saturday night, network TV variety. These Deadwood residents provide us with the thoughts, ambitions, greed and fears that must have been part of daily life in the cruel and uncivilized west. This is Mad Men in the 1870's.
slow-paced
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.
3.5 rounded up.
The narrative is sometimes in depth and lovely. Other times we just jump from historical even to historical even (years apart.)
It's not a great narrative but it is a lovely depiction of real people and real events...if that makes sense.
The narrative is sometimes in depth and lovely. Other times we just jump from historical even to historical even (years apart.)
It's not a great narrative but it is a lovely depiction of real people and real events...if that makes sense.
I really tried with this one. And I mean, really tried. I must've put it down and then picked it back up again several times in an attempt to finish it. However, with 100 pages left, I just couldn't continue anymore.
On the surface, it seemed like a book that I would love - I'm really interested in the wild west period of American history, slow character development etc. Once I got to the real meat of the book, though, I quickly realized that it just wasn't for me.
The problems that I had with the book :
1. TOO MUCH TALK OF 'PEEDER' which, for those who aren't familiar with this term, is a reference to penises. Literally, it is all the characters think about, talk about, dream about. It's crazy - It's like the author literally couldn't get dick out of his mind ! I have seen other reviews saying how this is a really "gritty" novel - In my opinion, there's no real 'grit' to it other than penis talk. And even that became tiresome very quickly.
2. The writing style - I found the writing style really confusing at times. I wasn't sure which characters we were following or where we were in the story. I ended up feeling lost the majority of the time as the descriptions of the events were not clear. For instance, the deaths that took place were described in such an odd way, that I wasn't even aware that a death happened.
3. Character development - Was ok.
Overall, such a shame. Was really looking forward to this book considering it has been described by the Washington Post Book World as possibly being 'The best western ever written', as well as receiving the National Book Award. Maybe it's just me as I've seen many reviews raving about this book. For me however, Deadwood was as dead as wood.
On the surface, it seemed like a book that I would love - I'm really interested in the wild west period of American history, slow character development etc. Once I got to the real meat of the book, though, I quickly realized that it just wasn't for me.
The problems that I had with the book :
1. TOO MUCH TALK OF 'PEEDER' which, for those who aren't familiar with this term, is a reference to penises. Literally, it is all the characters think about, talk about, dream about. It's crazy - It's like the author literally couldn't get dick out of his mind ! I have seen other reviews saying how this is a really "gritty" novel - In my opinion, there's no real 'grit' to it other than penis talk. And even that became tiresome very quickly.
2. The writing style - I found the writing style really confusing at times. I wasn't sure which characters we were following or where we were in the story. I ended up feeling lost the majority of the time as the descriptions of the events were not clear. For instance, the deaths that took place were described in such an odd way, that I wasn't even aware that a death happened.
3. Character development - Was ok.
Overall, such a shame. Was really looking forward to this book considering it has been described by the Washington Post Book World as possibly being 'The best western ever written', as well as receiving the National Book Award. Maybe it's just me as I've seen many reviews raving about this book. For me however, Deadwood was as dead as wood.
This gritty western is dripping with gallows humor and larger-than-life characters. I docked it one star because I felt that it didn't really hold together as a novel. It feels more like a collection of novellas.
It took me so long because I read a little bit of it once in a while, every so often. I liked it and I recommend it to others who are interested in Wild Bill and/or Deadwood or those who really liked the television show.