49 of 50 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Michener's "Texas" is a Big as the State!, August 7, 2005
This review is from: Texas (Mass Market Paperback)
Author James A. Michener has conceived and written an epic novel about the state we now know as Texas. Using his characteristic writing style of starting at the very beginning (in this case, with Coronado looking for the 7 cities of Cibola) and then developing the story generation after generation through his many rich and interesting characters. Michener tells the complete story of Texas, from its beginnings to the present. The reader learns how Texas was first "settled" by Spanish priests who came to bring salvation to the natives, what animals first roamed its lands (He devotes part of a chapter to the amradillo and it is very interesting reading!), what the native "Indians" were like and how they survivied in this sometimes harsh environment, how the Americans took the land from Mexico in the Spanish-American war, the Alamo and what really happened there, how the discovery of oil changed the state from a huge open-range cattle pasture to an economic giant, and finally, it tells the story of the multi-ethnic people of Texas, and this perhaps is Michener's strength in story-telling.
Yes, the novel is a long one - over 1,000 pages, but it is still an absorbing page-turner. Each chapter is a mini-novel in itself and tells the story of a particular generation of people in Texas' development. Michener has a knack of creating and developing characters that are both interesting and believable and this is his greatest strength as a writer. The reader comes to care about these fictious charcters as though they are living breathing realities, and in a sense, the charcters are "real", as Michener's painstaking research enabled him to form his charcters based on historical personages.
"Texas" is a marvelous book, and for those that are into long sweeping novels, this is a book for you. It seems that Michener's writing style either fascinates or tries the patience of his readers. Michener goes into great detail in explaining the lives of his characters and some readers are impatient with his extensive prose and are apt to put his books down before finishing them. I happen to love his writing style and appreciate the detail, as it paints vivid word pictures in my mind. Michener is one of my favorite authors, for each of his books takes me to a particular place or culture, and it is as though I am actually viewing that culture, its people, and the land first-hand. I have learned a wealth of information about near and distant lands thanks to the writing of James A. Michener. These are places I may never visit in my life, but thanks to Michener, it is as though I have been there through his writing.
I most certainly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about the land and people of Texas, or any student of historical fiction. (the book makes compelling reading even if you have no interest in historical novels). Once you read Michener's "Texas", you will have a tremendous appreciation for the hardships that the first settlers endured to "tame" this great land. Like me, I believe you will always remember Michener's "Texas" for the rest of your life.
I highly recommend this book; it may be one of Michener's best novels.
Jim "Konedog" Koenig
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29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of Michener's best!, April 29, 2000
This review is from: Texas (Mass Market Paperback)
I have read most of Michener's work, and I rate Texas among the big three, not only in size but in quality. (The other two are Centennial and Chesapeake). I particularly like the way Michener presents the entire history of Texas, and yet focuses on the key aspects of change that make this region so interesting. We see how cotton, cattle, oil, barbed wire, football, etc have changed the very culture of the people of Texas. Each long chapter is another window from which we can see the evolution of the landscape and the people. We see the hearty characters that made Texas what it is today and examine the very heart of the issues which shape the modern day Texan. For all of this, it is a novel, with the sweeping epic qualities of Gone With the Wind or Michener's other great works. Don't let the size stop you. The novel is as big as the state itself, and worth every minute of the ride.
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
AS GREAT AS THE STATE, December 22, 2003
This review is from: Texas (Mass Market Paperback)
This has to be one of James Michener's greatest achievements. If this isn't his best book, it is one of his best. At 1322 pages you would think that would be enough, but with all of the topics JM touches I actually found myself wanting more.
Mercifully this one does not start with the formation of the earth's crust. Instead, JM jumps into the action and begins a saga that lasts almost 500 years. From the Indians, to the Spanish Friars, to the Alamo, gunslingers, frontiersmen, immigrants, cattleman, entrepreneurs, Texas Rangers, real estate barons, King Cotton, oil men, and football. This only scratches the surface.
JM follows the lives of several families from their immigration to Texas and the lives they cut out for themselves while there. Beyond fascinating. I highly recommend this book. Don't let the size of it scare you off because if is a fast read.
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