Customer Reviews

Tall Stranger

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book was first released in 1957, while Louis L'Amour, though a selling author, was yet somewhat a writer in training. It is interesting to read some of these earlier works, they help to not only see his later growth in writing, but to get a glimpse of the younger writer working out those things important to him. Some of which would continue as content in his later writings.

This particular western has as its main subject the Oregon Trail, and it is peopled with the types of men and women heading west to build or rebuild their lives. The action centers in the western U.S. circa 1860, midtime or late in the western exodus. Bishop's valley, the main area of their settling, is found close to the Teton range in western Wyoming. Much of this area was then part of the Nebraska Territory. The Oregon Trail left Council Bluffs, Iowa, running parallel to the North Platte River, through this Nebraska Territory crossing the Green River branching off to eventually reach Oregon.

Along the way through treachery, Indian attack, fist fights, and gunfights, new lives will be built, while others will be broken.

All in all, this is an enjoyable read. While very smooth in most places, some ragged parts do exist. Remember, Louis is still putting his skills in order. One item I noticed, was at the ending, one of the main characters, Hardy Bishop has been seriously wounded, yet, unless I missed it, no final report is ever given as to his condition. We must therefore assume he fully recovered.

But for the few hours it takes to read this western, readers will be rewarded with enjoyment. Early L'Amour, still good reading.

Semper Fi.

This is one of the shorter Louis L'Amours. It is only a 126 pages. But in these few pages there is a lot of action. There are around a dozen fights, guns fights and fist fights.

This a fairly typical Louis L'Amour. The hero, Rock, is stronger, faster, and smarter than the bad guys. He is a good man.

The basic plot is the villian tricks some settlers into being foot soldiers for a war to try and take a valley from the man who settled the valley. Rock figured out the plan, but most of the settlers won't listen to Rock. He isn't a smooth talker, like the villian.

This is a fun book.

Not one of L'amours best books, but still good

I finished my first real Western. And it's a Louis L'Amour, the John Wayne of Western writers.

I knew where this book was going from page one. No doubt about it...it's a guy book, through and through. Fellow (His name is ROCK Banyon!) joins up with a wagon train headed west. The man who's guiding the wagon train is Mort Harper. Harper has persuaded the train to take a southern route, a route that Rock Banyon knows will lead straight to the Salt Lake Desert. Harper and Banyon both fall for the same girl and they squabble back and forth until they reach a tranquil valley owned by a rancher Banyon knows won't take kindly to having strangers move in. Banyon can't quite figure out what Harper's scheme is, but he lurks around on the fringes as the wagon train decides to appropriate some of the rancher's land.

There's some gun fights, some fist fights, a saloon, beautiful farm land, and a pretty girl. You feel pretty confident early on that the good guy's gonna win out. And, apparently, that's a Western.

I liked it.

The story of a loner and outcast leading a wagon train west is a familiar western plot but Louis L'Amour uses it here to good advantage. The hero is a man who appears to be a drifter, yet is tied to the land to which is being squatted on by settlers who are manipulated by an unscrupulous speculator. An Indian attack, a spark of romance, gun fights and a range war add up to a diverting tale of the old west as only L'Amour could write it. Colorful descriptions of the land also lend realism to this fast-paced novel.

INMO Louise L'Amour is the best Western writer. The Tall Stranger is the third book of his I've read. Its an easy read. Read it in a few hours. This is one of his earlier works.

We see a wagon train heading out to California having problems. Up comes this handsome, charming man in white hat on his horse and tells them there is another route further south. Harper is a lying bad person. He routes the wagon train to a beautiful valley. The bad Harper has deadly gunfighters with him. He plans to use the settlers to start a war with the big valley/ranch owner Bishop so he can take the ranch for himself.

Our hero the tall stranger tells them don't go that way as you will have to fight Indians and a big rancher named Bishop owns the land and there will be trouble. Big Indian fight. and the tall stranger falls in love with a women on the wagon train.

Lots of gunfighting, and a huge fist fight seen. Lots of action. Anyone loving the wild west will like this book.

I won't ruin it for you by saying too much more. Only thing I've noticed so far with the 3 books of Louise L'Amour I've read there seems to be several patterns. Why in each of the books does a horse have to be shot and killed ( 2 good guys' horses and 1 bad guy's horse)? Also all 3 endings are typical and basically the same. I gave Sackett and Silver Canyon 5 stars but this one seems not as strong a character development as the others. The scenery and Western Environment description was fantastic as usual. Can't go wrong reading a Louise L'Amour book so far. The Tall stranger added to our family library. 4 stars.

A "black" western as one can say of somber thrillers. The joyful passion by Louis L'Amour is like a little bereaved in this beautiful fierce story.