Customer Reviews

Silver Canyon: A Novel

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

When I tell people that I love Louis L'Amour I get some pretty weird looks in return. To my friends I am known to read quite a bit of heavy history and biography and it seems odd to them that, given my normal reading diet, I could find anything good to say about such "light" reading as L'Amour. Still I find L'Amour's talesmithing abilities to be without peer.

L'Amour wrote with a distinctive style and filled his stories with action and intrigue. No, his works are not the extremely violent works that typify modern westerns like UNFORGIVEN or OPEN RANGE. But then L'Amour wrote in a time when such graphic action would not have been readily accepted.

With all this in mind, I loved SILVER CANYON, a tale of vengeance, lies and, as with virtually all of L'Amour's stories, of the good guy winning in the end. The tiny western hamlet of Hattan's Point is a sleepy town until the day that Matt Brennan seems to bring with him a heated, all out war that involves practically everyone in town. Matt makes friends and enemies with equal ease. He also finds the love of his life and is in hot pursuit despite her being the daughter of one of the main combatants in the feud.

Who will win out? Read SILVER CANYON.

THE HORSEMAN

I have read many Louis L'Amour books. But this one is my favorite! If you like really good gunfights, classic western scenery in canyon country, along with plenty of enemies and the odds against the hero, you will love this book. This is the story of Western drifter, Matt Brennan. One sunny day he drifts into the small Western town of Hattan's Point and catches sight of the girl of his dreams. Of course she thinks of him as an overconfident and cocky cow-puncher with no future involving her. But Matt plans to change that after he inherits the Two-Bar, a massive cattle ranch with plenty of valued water and the best graze around for miles. Of course every outlaw and cut-throat in the area also wants the ranch, and Matt has to defend it from the nasty outfits' hired hands with nobody but himself and his trusty firearms by his side. This was a great book with plenty of outdoor action in the desert canyon country of Utah along with enjoyable characters and a quality story.

Louis L'Amour wrote many, many westerns and in my opinion this is one of the best of them. The story line is very cohesive and involving. The characters are rich and well developed. As always L'Amour weaves a rich and very detailed landscape, with a lot of attention to details. The plot was intriguing and kept you guessing right up until the end. Just a very, very well written story!

When it comes to reading Louis L'Amour the modern western fan is faced with having to take things in context. Remember that L'Amour's works were primarily written in the fifties and sixties and, as a result, have a certain "dignity" about them that no longer applies with the westerns of today, especially those on the big screen.

Take SILVER CANYON for example. There is plenty of action here to be sure but it is painted much more subtly on L'Amour's canvass than, let's say, on those of Larry McMurtry or on Clint Eastwood's or Kevin Costner's movie screens. Frankly L'Amour or his readers would not have tolerated the graphic, raw, often harsh violence of today's western s offerings. It's still there he just expresses it in ways that are less bombastic. For example, instead of saying, "the bullet smashed into my elbow sending blood and bone flying everywhere..." L'Amour offers, "I felt a tug at at my sleeve..." even though it is apparent to the reader that the first version is still what happened.

L'Amour wrote with a clear sense of nostalgia and romance about the west. He was much for the kindred spirit of John Wayne and John Ford than of McMurtry, Eastwood or Costner.

I thoroughly enjoyed SILVER CANYON, a tale of revenge, deceit and, as is the case with all L'Amour tales, of ultimate white-hatted triumph and justice. Matt Brennan rides into the sleepy town of Hattan's Point and awakens the flames of a smoldering range war. He discovers friends, fiends and meets the girl of his dreams. Like all other L'Amour pieces reading SILVER CANYON in the correct mindset is absolutely essential. If you do you'll find another L'Amour western masterpiece.

Douglas McAllister

This is the first Louis L'Amour book I have read so I can not compare it to any of his other books. This story makes me want to read more L'Amour books. I like a book that can tell a good story in less that 200 pages, I don't want read books by the pound. It reminds me of the old term "pocket book" because they can fit in your back pocket and can be read and enjoyed in a short amount of time. The main characters are likeable and the villians are people that need killing, what more do you want in a Western.

This is a very well written book. I have always been a Louis LAmour fan but this is one of his best. It starts with a man named Matt Brennan who is a wanderer who goes from town to town. But one day while riding through a town he meets this girl. And that changes everything. To win her heart Brennan has to stay alive. He gets a ranch and watches a friend die in his arms this make Brennan mad a Brennan promises to never give up the ranch. Matt is pushed by the other ranchers to give up the ranch. The reason they want it is the is a Cotton Wood Wash and the other farmers want it for there cow to graze on. The others ranches send fighters in to kill Brennan. One of those ranches is the Box M. He gets in a fight with them and he gets in very bad shape. Will Brennan live? Well you have to read it to find out. I think the author could have made the book a little longer. There is a strong plot and good characters I suggest you read it.

I have read many Louis L'Amour books. But this one is my favorite! If you like really good gunfights, classic western scenery in canyon country, along with plenty of enemies and the odds against the hero, you will love this book. This is the story of Western drifter, Matt Brennan. One sunny day he drifts into the small Western town of Hattan's Point and catches sight of the girl of his dreams. Of course she thinks of him as an overconfident and cocky cow-puncher with no future involving her. But Matt plans to change that after he inherits the Two-Bar, a massive cattle ranch with plenty of valued water and the best graze around for miles. Of course every outlaw and cut-throat in the area also wants the ranch, and Matt has to defend it from the nasty outfits' hired hands with nobody but himself and his trusty firearms by his side. This was a great book with plenty of outdoor action in the desert canyon country of Utah along with enjoyable characters and a quality story.

Loved this book, told in the first person this is Matt Brennan who rides into town and into trouble - there are two ranchers who are fighting a smaller third holding who is between them, they want his land and water rights. Within minutes of getting to town both men tell him to join their crew - he refuses both and goes out to see Ball, on the third place - but not before he has fallen in love with the woman of his dreams.

If he is going to set up house he is going to need some assets behind him, he likes Ball, the old man caught between the two ambitious ranchers, and he makes a deal to be a fighting partner for the spread. Between the two of them they think they can make it work.

This is about much more than settling the problems of three men out for power - Brennan has to make peace with them all, but at the same time he has to sort out the huge man, Park, who is the current suitor for Moira (the woman Matt has fallen in love with) but there is also something sinister in Parks past - and in his current dealings. There is also something going on with a crooked lawyer called Booker who seems to be instigating trouble in the background.

Brennan resolves all so that peace can reign in the valley - and its really well done. This is a resolution that I didn't expect but like all of L'amour's books, there are some complex relationships based on loyalty and respect rather than black and white.

I am not known for reading. the other day i told a friend about the lamor book i was reading he chuckeled at the thaught that i was reading. but something about this book caught my fancey. a lot of action and a great plot. I think this book is a good choice.

Thank you, Matt

this book is good i could hardly put it down. i spent most of the night reading it.