Customer Reviews

Incident at Twenty-Mile

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

On holiday in America I came across Trevanian's newest novel-this time a Western, of all things!-and I was delighted. Like several of my colleagues, I use Trevanian's books when trying to illustrate the concept of `style to classes in literary criticism, for there is no other writer capable of changing style, point of view, and even the experiential persona of the writer as he moves from one genre to another. Incident at Twenty-Mile is a mature example of his unique ability to wrap philosophical and social comment within the cloak of a popular genre, while always offering fast-moving action, fascinating characters, wit and humor, and brilliantly conceived and described settings, making his comments on contemporary America not only palatable, but delicious. Glancing through the readers comments I found a typical response to Trevanian's work: a majority of five-star praises diluted by a handful of angry, vitriolic criticisms, some from the culturally unsophisticated who don't `get' what Trevanian is up to but sense that they are not included in his elitist readership, and some from those sub-cultural elements of the American ragout he attacks and ridicules in his books. His principal targets in Incident at Twenty-Mile were anti-intellectual Fundamentalists and the xenophobic, sexually morbid madmen of the `Militia' movements, both of whom struck back from the cover of anonymity by giving low ratings to this book. Among the many benefits of the internet is the unfortunate disadvantage that it provides cover for the enraged, the stupid, the frustrated of this world.

Beautifully written by a wordsmith of the highest order, this dark, gritty, complex story pits youthful bravado against experienced evil in the Old West. The near-abandoned mining town of Twenty Mile Wyo. is the setting for a confrontation between the innocent townfolk, including: three prostitutes, a virgin, her family and Matthew Dubchuk a.k.a. the Ringo Kid versus three escaped prisoners led by Hamilton Leider, a deranged patriot who demands respect and controls through violence.

Trevanian captures the spirit of the Old West through this basic struggle between good and evil. The story is funny, sad and certainly thought-provoking. It is the type of story that will be long remembered and probably re-read merely for the pure enjoyment and pleasure of it.

I've been looking for anything by Trevanian for years....ever since the Summer of Katya and suddenly, unbeknownst to most of us, I suspect, this shows up in the bookstore...no fanfare on the net or in the papers..nothing!! Well most avid readers are missing a treat here, the best kept literary secret in town, a bizarro western. This is Hannibal Lecter at the Ponderosa Ranch..I found it interesting that the sadistic killer was named Leider(Lecter-Leider, get it??)The story moves very quickly, yet not at the expense of thorough character development...and there are plenty of characters to keep track of...the tension and horror which arises in this poor town when Leider arrives is so thick you can cut it with a knife and the pages fly by as the carnage worsens. The climax occurs in somewhat of a contrived wicked storm (which I could have done without), afterwhich the story ends abruptly, only to be salvaged to a small degree by Trevanian's postscript of the final travails of each of our main characters, supposedly rooted in some degree of reality..go figure. All in all a superior, rapid read, very satisfying and thought provoking days after you've finished.

This book has obviously provoked strong reactions among its readers (as you will see from reading the reviews below). Such is the power of Trevanian's writing that he is able to do that.

I suppose it's cliche, but you'll probably either enjoy this or hate it. I thought it was quite good. Trevanian is a gifted writer and one of the best authors in the thriller genre. It would seem a strange choice for him to write a western after so many years in hiding--but it works for him. This is an exciting, gripping story that holds you in its grasp and slowly squeezes. (I think those who read it as parody are off the mark.) You'll find yourself loathing the villains--as well you should--and hoping that someone will finally prevail over them.

One note of interest: Trevanian (aka Rodney Whittaker) portrays this book as a "true" story that he uncovered. Any thoughts on whether this is just an extension of the myth?

--Reviewed by David Montgomery, Mystery Ink

As a long-time Trevanian fan I felt this book to be as satisfying as any of his other works but with a much simpler story line. Don't let the western theme of the story discourage you from reading the book--I have no interest in novels of the old west yet this turned out to be one of the most satisfying, impactful books I have ever read. The story is simple, direct and fleshed as only Trevanian's--in his own word, "sesquipedalian" style--can. Particular attention to the epilogue and prologue is important to reap the rewards of this novel. It will be unlike any book you have ever read. As one flies through the pages the story itself holds your interest keenly but actually climaxes in the extremely satisfying epilogue. As is mentioned in other reviews, I too experienced a chill of satisfaction upon reading the final paragraph. This is a book that will stay with you for months after the reading. HINT: especially satisfying for those having an interest in the colorful history of Seattle, WA (although the story takes place in Wyoming).

Trevanian, that one-named author that dazzled us with The Eiger Sanction and Shibumi, has returned from a fifteen year hiatus with a powerful novel set in the American West. One can hardly call this a typical western, however. The protagonist is a youth with a lying tongue and a secret past. The villain is a psychotic serial killer with megalomaniacal tendencies. Neither plays with a full deck, and as both wander into the long decayed town of Twenty- Mile, you know it's not big enough for the both of them. Every townsman is warped in some way, or they would have left long before, and the air of menace in Trevanian's writing foreshadows the violence that finally explodes, leaving nobody unscathed. The ending is almost Shake- spearian in its slaughter. Yet, that eternal trickster, the writer who hides behind the moniker, Trevanian, still has a few tricks up his sleeve. Don't miss the epilogue to this story. A real page turner, deserving a pot of coffee, an all-nighter, and a call-in sick the next morning. What more do you want?

Incident at twenty mile is one hell of a pleasure to read, one of a kind. Breathtaking, riveting, and thrilling is a great way to define this book. "he had torn a strip off his blanket. One end tied to a bar and the other around his neck".Trevanians story tells about a deserted town a young, eager to please stranger carrying a homemade shotgun and a staggering secret. And a madman escaped from the Territorial Prison at Laramie, with two insane killers at his side. For the people at Twenty mile live in terror of the madmen. It is trilling in this way "the two men were pressed face to face, the landyard threaded through lieders strong fingers. He made a fist twisted until Tillman's eyes bulged". This story holds its ground and keeps you on your toes.Breathtaking, riveting, thrilling and much more is what this story is.

Having released but one short story (to Redbook, in 1984) since his chilling romance-horror The Summer of Katya in 1983, one could have concluded that the mysterious Trevanian was at peace with his compact but remarkable output of novels, which managed to be both highly erudite and massively popular. Incident at Twenty-Mile sees the pseudonymous author break his silence with mixed -- indeed, disturbing -- results. Not only has he issued a prattling press statement, full of hearty self-congratulation, but the actual product is woefully unimaginative. Add the blustering boy from The Unforgiven to a rural Dr. Lector from Silence of the Lambs, and you have the essential conficts of the novel. What fun there is to be had depends on one's interest in deconstructing the typical Whitaker...oops, Trevanian...method of fiction. Regardless of his writing "persona," Trevanian presents us with the same archetypes who form a sort of stock company of performers in his tales. Once again, we have a grotesque, a naif, the falsely hearty type, an amusing rustic, a woman in dire need of rescuing, another whose purpose is to serve as a sperm spittoon (a memorable sobriquet from The Eiger Sanction), and a couple of gays to round things off. The old crew reassembles here as though nothing had changed but their boss's striking decline in narrative inventiveness.

I love Trevanian -- he changed my life, and made me want to be a bright, assertive, principled writer too, instead of just some lonely, alienated kid -- but that doesn't oblige me to defend his weakest book. At least, I hope not. I do feel badly about trashing this book, which, to be fair is often prettily detailed, but I must.

I have read all the reviews submitted here, and I have to ask: am I the only one disappointed with "Twenty-Mile." I am a huge Trevanian fan - I laughed uproariously at The Eiger Sanction and Shibumi - has there ever been a funnier swatch of dialogue than: Hel: Where did you get that coat? Le Cagot: It was given to me. Hel: "What? As a consequence of losing a bet?" Or has there ever been a more thought-provoking put down of bad wine than: "It's hard to imagine that, with the benefit of just a few incantations, this swill could become the blood of Christ"? Or, finally, has there ever been a more scathing definition of sociology than the one Hel gave Hannah? Both books were both hilarious and thought-provoking, and Trevanian is the master of that type of fiction.

The Main and The Summer of Katya was novels so steeped in melancholy that the unresisting reader was slowly, inexorably drawn into the psychological morass of the protagonists. La Point was proactive in protecting his turf, the young doctor was reactive in struggling to maintain his relationship with Katya, but the undercurrent of inevitability slowly dragged both to their doom: La Pointe to his impending death, the doctor to a life a lonliness and dispair. Both novels were psychologically and emotionally draining, unlike the humerous novels mentioned above. Both were, in my opinion, classics.

Twenty-Mile left me a little flat. Maybe the western cliches were laid on a little too thick; maybe Trevanian was trying so nicely to parody the western that the parody became the driving force of the book - this book lacked the emotional rush of humor and the psychological attraction to melancholy - what one was left with was a very good book, often humerous and very entertaining, but just short of the mark of Trevanian's masterpieces.

It never occured to me that I might be blessed with another book by Trevanian. Wow, was I happy when I spotted it in a bookstore. And it is new, not an older book. I am half-way through it, wish I could read slower. This author knows how to please a reader. No cookie cutter fill in the blanks here! My hat is off to Trevanian. He is on the short list of people I would really like to have a cup of coffee with.