Customer Reviews

Pretty Boy Floyd

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I don't understand the review by the (supposed) professor...because I don't think he understood this is a work of FICTION. Though it's loosely based upon an historical outlaw, it is a story told by FICTION WRITERS. It was funny, sad, full of colorful, clever, original dialogue, that made me feel as if I knew these characters inside and out. Pretty Boy was considered a folk hero in the late twenties and thirties, professor sir. Read the novel in that context. I think that was the point of the authors--that this was a time and place they wanted to capture with their imaginations, to bring to life for those of us who weren't alive then (and to entertain those who were). It was a rough time, people were poor, hungry, the banks were the enemy because they put entire families out on the streets, with nothing. There was no welfare, no homeless shelters. It was a wild, rough time. I gave this book to my grandpa (a fine, upstanding man if there ever was one), who remembered Pretty Boy Floyd from his own childhood, and he LOVED it!!! If anything, this novel, by the end, shows us how a wrong turn in the road of life can change the course of our entire future...and how hard it is to ever go back...give it a chance, I don't think you'll be disappointed!!!!!

What a breath of fresh air. From the opening scene I was back in McMurtry country (language-wise) - an easy flowing style that is comforting and hypnotic.

Since Larry McMurtry was listed as one of the authors of this book, I picked it up and thought I would enjoy it. Boy, was I ever wrong. "Lonesome Dove" was a masterpiece, and so are the other McMurtry books I've read - but this, by comparison, is amateur night. The writing is stiff and reads like something McMurtry might have written when he was just starting out - and then threw in the trash.

Forgive me, Mr. McMurtry, but you're much better as a solo act, and I'm only sorry that you're not going to write any more novels about that wonderful pair, Gus McCrae and Woodrow Call.

Pretty Boy Floyd, is somewhat fictionalized account of the true life of Charles Arthur "Chock" Floyd, the son of Oklahoma farmer and notorious gangster. I listened to the audio version of this book and it was most impressed, despite having reservations about wanting to hear about gangsters. (Not my usual fare). I was, however, most impressed with this audiobook. McMurtry and Ossana do a great job of bringing Pretty Boy Floyd to life. Even the minor characters have great personalities, and McMurtry and Ossana really DO manage to get into Pretty Boy's head.

The Story: Charles, "Pretty Boy" is a small-town boy, with country charm, who is married to a young half-Native American woman named Ruby Hargove. They have a son named Jack Dempsey Floyd. When money becomes scarce, Charles headed north looking for work. After trying various jobs, Pretty Boy tries to make money the easy way- by robbing an armored car. What follows is the tale of Floyd's life. You see him get further and further embroiled into his life as a gangster, have affairs with his girlfriends, and watch as he tries to outwit the law.

Floyd is consistently portrayed as a charming loveable rogue... An'outlaw' with a good heart, a weakness for women, liquor, and a well-cooked meal. (While I doubt many of Floyd's victims found him quite as so charming) the story worked for me. The novel moved at a brisk pace and was overall, greatly entertaining. I would recommend this novel for those interested in Gangsters or the life of Pretty Boy Floyd.

Larry McMurtry uses his excellent characterization skills in portraying Pretty Boy Floyd (aka Charles Floyd), a bandit of the Dillinger variety who robbed banks in the early 30's. McMurtry and Ossana give Floyd a charismatic, misunderstood character, one who robbed banks with a touch of wit and charm. This is in stark contrast to some other accounts of him being a ruthless and vicious criminal.

The book starts off covering Floyd's first payroll heist. It also tells about his adventures in jail and his attempt at a normal life. However, being an ex-con, he wasn't trusted and had to return to crime. The book then follows his various heists, his jail escape, and his adventures with his partners, wife and son, girlfriends, and friends. The reader is also treated to an inside look at his home life with his wife and child and how the life of crime distanced him from them. Ultimately, Floyd's career ends and McMurtry paints a sad picture when Floyd is finally brought to justice by Hoover and the soon-to-be FBI.

This book started off very exciting. I was drawn into the short chapters and Floyd's exciting adventures. However, I found a pattern to the book, which made it difficult to remain interested in: Floyd robs something, Floyd visits his girlfriend(s), visits family and friends, law catches on, Floyd goes and robs something else and repeat. Also, I didn't find much sympathy in the character. McMurtry did color him as a good-hearted man with a wild streak, but I didn't buy into it. He was still a thief. However, his character is interesting and at times, Floyd's adventures are funny and poignant -- which save this book.

McMurtry and Ossana have written a novel that is wholly uninteresting. I'm given to believe that Pretty Boy Floyd is something of a legend, and this novel does very little to tell me why he attained that status. Most of the novel focuses on his exploits with various lovers, rather than on his bank-robbing, which would be fine if there were any more depth to the romantic entanglements than there is to the short-shrifted heists. Worst of all, Floyd himself is a blank. We don't understand why the people close to him remain devoted to him, and therefore I have no idea why I should care about him. All in all, this is a boring novel, and a big disappointment given that one of the authors is McMurtry, who is one of the better novelists America has ever produced.

The dialog is stilted, and the plot seems to repeat itself over and over...rob bank, spend time with wife/girlfriends, someone dies. Repeat. But, it was well written and there was some interest in the characters.

Larry McMurtry is NOT a man who would ask to rent a pig. Nor did he write anything less than a great book, in Pretty Boy Floyd. I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. Starting with a bungled armed car holdup in the fog, and ending with me actually holding back tears. Wow! If this helps others with a frame of refence, I loved Lonesome Dove, and Texasville, but didn't really care for Terms of Endearment or Cadilac Jack. If this book was a dead snake, I'd skin it and make it a belt. I liked it a lot.

Fans of Larry McMurtry need not visit this book for any understanding of whom Charles Arthur Floyd was, what he did or why he ended up doing what he did. While it offers us an interesting and easy read, it offers nothing of the reality of life in depression era Oklahoma (as well as other states) that lead this sad person to become the criminal dubbed as "public enemy number one". While the writing is easy to follow and the characters are interesting (as are all of Mr. McMurtry's characters)we are lead to believe that someway, somehow this person was wrongly treated and that his robbery of uninsured banks and murder of people doing their jobs in that depressed economy were not only acceptable, but in some way were honorable actions. Fun fiction...the key word being fiction.

This book i have not read all the way yet, but so far it has kept my eyes on it.This book also keeps me laughing at all the crazy things that the people do in this book its just histerical to me. Like when Charley had to hold his pants together so his "ass" wouldn't fall out!That was just so funny to me, and its also crazy how the judge has a wife but loves another woman. There is all sorts of crazy things that the characters do in this book which will keep you reading it, cause you never know what one of them is going to do next. This is the book you want to read if your wanting to laugh at what crazy hicks do and say,all the time! If you get this you will definatley be interested, cause i sure was! Hope you like how it turns out!