--- In rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com, "jacquesdebierue"
<jacquesdebierue@...> wrote:
In my opinion, L'Amour has 3 worthwhile westerns that should be read
(Hondo, Sitka, Burning Hills). I gave up on his Sackett plot repeats
decades ago and probably didn't buy another of his until the C & Graf
Hills of Homicide came out, collecting most of the stories I had in
pulp form but hadn't yet read. There are still a few I haven't read;
they are so-so, readable but pretty much run-of-the-mill stories that
would normally be buried in the pulps never to be collected or
anthologized for a less well-welling author.
--My backbone western authors since I started reading in the 1950's
were and are Luke Short and Ernest Haycox(the short novels and
novelettes collected/published after their deaths should not be where
you start reading on them, as they are lesser works). I recommend
Robert MacLeod(4 of his novels, but not Muleskinner), all Don
Hamilton's westerns(esp. Big Valley, Man from Santa Clara(2-shoot
gun) ), and Loren Estleman's City of Widows and Stranglers. I have
trouble enjoying recent non-Murduck series Estleman westerns except
these 2. Ken
>
> Thanks. I'm curious about this and will try to grab it as soon as
> possible. I have always liked L'Amour's work. I know some people think
> of him as a hack, but I have a lot of respect for him. In any case,
> I've enjoyed everything I've read by him, including a few stories in
> anthologies. Do Raravians favor westerns? Years ago I consumed a large
> number of them, with no regrets or bad aftereffects... I reached a
> point at which I couldn't find very many new authors that I liked.
>
> Best,
>
> mrt
>
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