Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Wow!, September 5, 2005
I don't think I'd ever read a pure Western before I picked this up, and I only got it because Carter's "The Education of Little Tree" is probably the best book I've ever read.
But Josey Wales turned me on to the genre, and I now have a little collection of Western novels, although none of them capture the life of a western gunslinger as brilliantly as Josey Wales does.
The two novels are bound together, with a short afterword by Lawrence Clayton.
Carter captures the culture of the outlaw in a way that allows us to see the context of the factors that created them. Josey Wales is, at his core, the same kind of homesteader as Pa Ingalls or the Joads family (from Little House on the Prairie and The Grapes of Wrath, respectively). But when a terrible deed brings his life down around his ears, he becomes driven by vengeance, and seeks justice against a hopelessly overwhelming enemy.
We also get an intimate look at the details of rugged trail life. Even better, we get to see some of the legion factors that crafty Wales uses to his advantage in order to maintain an edge over his opponents in a gunfight. Too many authors explain their gunmen heroes as being "the quickest draw." Wales is quick, to be sure, but he also knows enough to keep his horse fed on grain, and to engage in shootouts while the sun is at his back.
Both of these novels bring the reader on a journey through the American west that feels utterly real. The characters that we meet all have a life of their own that demonstrates the diversity of people who populated the region-- it was far more than cowboys and indians, after all.
If you're a fan of Westerns, I think that this has to be at the top of your list. If you're not a fan of Westerns, but just of great fiction, this is also a must-read.
Highly recommended.
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63 of 77 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Half a Review..., September 10, 2003
To start off with, the author's real name is: Asa Earl Carter. Carter was known to be a racist. He was with George Wallace and left him when Wallace began to change his views. He wrote "Outlaw Josey Wales" (It's first title was: 'The Rebel Outlaw: Josey Wales,") and was printed by an obscure publisher in Alabama. He sent a copy to Clint Eastwood, hoping that he might be interested in securing the film rights. What happened was that producer Robert Daley got it instead and then one weekend, having nothing to read, he saw Carter's book and decided to read it. He read it in one sitting. Then Eastwood read it. They met Carter to negotiate the rights. Carter showed up to the meeting drunk.Despite Carter's myriad of character flaws, this can be certainly said: the man could write. "Outlaw Josey Wales" is one of the best westerns I've ever read. It's a fast moving tale, packed with action and incident. The movie follows the story quite faithfully (though the timeline is compressed) and Eastwood made at least my favorite of all of his westerns (yes, I think it's better than "Unforgiven). Back to the book. I can't speak for the politics of the book. Yes, if you're aren't a fan of big government, I suppose this book will speak to you. But if you've ever lost all that mattered to you, if you've been left with nothing, then this book will speak to you. That's where the book's genius truly lies. It struck a universal note, not just some political rambling. That's why I think Mr. Daley and Eastwood were so taken with it. When the book begins, Josey has nothing to live for and thus lives a life of vengeance; but as the book ends, he truly has something to live for, and he sees how hollow vengeance truly is. A great western. A great book. How the heck did Carter do it?
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23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Josey Wales: Two Westerns : Gone To Texas/the Vengence Trai, November 22, 1999
I have read and owned copies of one or the other, but not in the same volume. I found this medium an excellent way to continue reading about the characters. Forrest Carter does a splendid job of blending history with fiction. His historical research is top notch. I highly recommend this novel for the student of history, as well as the casual western reader.
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