Customer Reviews

Valdez is Coming

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

'Valdez is Coming' is classic Elmore Leonard, in more than one way. First, it was written in 1970, and was about the eighth novel (out of about three dozen) that he has written. Second, it is the blue print for many of his novels that follow.

Bob Valdez is a Mexican constable in a small Western town. He is generally respected by the populace. However, when a wealthy man named Tanner arranges an impromptu posse to flush a suspected murderer out of his home, things change. In an attempt to resolve the problem, Valdez tries to talk to the man and is forced to shoot him, less he be killed himself. Then he comes to find out the man was not who Tanner thought he was.

In attempt to make ammends, Valdez attempts to arrange for a payment to the deceased man's widow, an Indian, from the men responsible. For his trouble, Valdez gets shot at, verbally abused, and then finally crucified. Making Valdez mad was a huge mistake.

Valdez eventually hatches a plan that involves Tanner's common-law wife, Gay Erin. This finally gets Tanner's attention and the chase is on. Erin has her own issues, she killed her ex-husband after years of abuse, and now has decisions to make about her future.

Valdez both is and is not the typical hero that have come to represent Leonard novels. First of all, he is hispanic. Usually, ethnic characters are the sidekicks in Leonard's work. However, Valdez is the little guy trying to make a difference, whether it be personal or for the good of society, by taking on those that have more power than himself.

Fans of Leonard's will recognize the general style of his writing (excellent dialogue with little use of modifyers, common characters with a twist, a slightly unclosed ending, etc.). This was the first of the westerns by Leonard that I have read, and I was very pleased. I'd recommend this novel to those that like Westerns in general, those that like Leonard's work, and anyone that likes a little guy takes on the bad guys novel.

Elmore Leonard probably didn't become fashionable, or at least, a best seller until the last ten years. But I believe the novels he wrote in the 70's are his best. I think "Valdez is Coming" may have been the last western novel he wrote, circa 1970. It was made into a depressingly bad film starring Burt Lancaster who, at that time, was simply too old and tired to play the role. (Steve McQueen would have been far better; perhaps Clooney could work the role today. It requires someone who can convincingly portray a 40 year old man who on the surface seems like a bit of a loser, but who everyone soon realizes they drastically underestimated.) The film may have been responsible for the novel's lack of acclaim. Which is too bad, because "Valdez is Coming" is probably one of his five best. (I would say "Swag", "52 Pick-Up", "Hombre" and "Unknown Man # 89" are the other four.) A story of courage and redemption told with depth and sensitivity. The chapter where he discusses that a man can be two men; one man at a certain time and place and another man in another place is outstanding. And the action scenes - the gunfights, the confrontations, etc. - are the best Leonard's ever written. Simply great storytelling with little of the contemporary need to be hip or cool.

Whenever I'm about ready to start reading an Elmore Leonard novel, I feel like a kid anticipating Christmas morning! Leonard's books are always page-turning thrillers that can make me gasp over a surprising character/plot twist that I wasn't expecting. His novels are always fast-paced, fun, entertaining reads.

"Valdez is Coming" is no differant. Although it is a western,it's a page-turner written in the great Elmore Leonard style. This novel was written years ago, before Elmore Leonard began writing crime thrillers, but it still holds up and entertains.

There's a hero you love to love(Valdez), and there's a villian you love to hate. There's a damsel in distress, and the typical Elmore Leonard twists and turns that keep you quickly flipping the pages because you want to know what happens next!

I often tell people to turn off the damn tv and pick up an Elmore Leonard novel. Try this one, or many of his crime thrillers. You won't be disappointed. In fact, you'll find yourself having a pretty good time!

I started reading Elmore Leonard's crime novels and found them to be easy reading, fast-paced entertainment. Then I discovered that Leonard used to write westerns. While I enjoy his crime novels, his Westerns are even better. "Valdez is Coming" is the best one I've read so far. The characters are well developed and the action keeps one interested. I had seen the movie (Burt Lancaster as Valdez) when I was a teenager and considered it one of my favorite western movies. I wish Mr. Leonard would write a few more westerns because he is a master in this genre as well.

Elmore Leonard is largely known for his crime novels, but through the years, he's managed to squeeze in a few westerns. Valdez is Coming is one of these, and is an excellent adventure story.

Bob Valdez is a local part-time constable whom nobody really notices. When a shady character tricks him into killing an innocent man, he asks those responsible to share in the burden of supporting the dead man's wife. They refuse, beating and humiliating Valdez in the process. This pushes Valdez over the edge, and he kidnaps the bad guy's girlfriend and begins a killing spree against his gang of thugs.

As in all Leonard books, the dialogue here is great. The story is also very well-written. I enjoyed this book over the course of an evening; it's a very entertaining and quick 256 pages.

I'm new to the Western genre. I started with a few L'Amours, then a friend said that Leonard had written Westerns. I hadn't read Leonard yet, and knew only of his crime novels, by reputation, and I did see "Get Shorty" and thought it was great.

So I picked this one up first. It's very fine. The story details you see in the other reviews. This is a revenge tale, always a theme that appeals because it reflects our own various revenge fantasies, which if we are honest, we will acknowlege persist beyond adolescence! This is up there with other great revenge stories, from the Count of Monte Christo to the Demon Prince novels of the inimitably great Jack Vance, though of course it is not as monumental as those works.

Valdez is Coming has a very powerful and perfect ending. I read the last 2 or 3 pages several times.

Louis L'Amour is a solid 3-star writer; this is praise, not denigration. But as time is short, folks need to know there are many finer Western writers out there. Being introduced to Leonard by this book and by Hombre, I won't be going back to L'Amour until I've finished Leonard, and some others.

I've read a handful of other Leonard books and I've enjoyed them all. So far, this is his best. Yes, this is a western, but don't let that turn you away. It's just a good setting for a great story. Here, the law rests not with the police, but with a powerful, dislikable land owner, not with Valdez, the town's part-time constable. Valdez is tolerated, but laughed at, even bullied. When he and the landowner finally face off, Valdez proves himself tougher than anyone expected. Leonard has a gift for observing people and putting that observation to page. As always, he writes great bad guys, but here they are especially believable. You can understand their motivations. Leonard is a master at deadpan humor, and here its fully realized. You don't even know he's making a joke--until you start laughing. Read it and enjoy.

I have been on a Leonard spree, just finished Ride the Rap and Out of Sight. I have been wanting to watch Lancaster in Valdez is Coming, but thought I would read the book, since I haven't yet. As usual, it was a page turner.

Even though this came out originally in 1970, it's still a bit ahead of it's time. The lead character -- Robert Valdez is a low key peace officer and former Apache hunter. Leonard is brave enough to have the Mexican warrior-hero getting over on the everyone who wants to just push him off and ignore him. But he doesn't ignore so easy.

Valdez just wants justice for a man's widow but can't seem to find anyone willing to do the right thing on their own. So Valdez has to "convince" them in his own way.

The real value in this story is that Valdez' mores and individuality begin to rub off on the other characters. He earns the respect of the beautiful woman and his enemies who, in the end, find themselves siding more with Valdez than their boss, learn that there is more to respect in a man than his money -- and that there are some things worth fighting for.

In the end, even Valdez has trouble remembering what it was all about. He started off doing something selfless and that turned into finding some things about himself and possibly even a future he never envisioned. But all this did not deter him from enforcing his own code. And finally, it is the code that wins out, even in the face of money and guns.

The ending is more about honor than vengance and is a bit of a surprise. It is a different message than you might find in most pulp westerns. But you have to read the book, I'm not going to spill 'em for you.

Total pleasure. I hate Leonard's books because nothing gets done until you finish it.

Even though this was written in 1970, the setting is at the turn of the century. The book has a timeless quality. Leonard has a great knack of developing all of his characters.

I heard this on Cassette. The reader and production were a joy to listen to.

I'm a big fan of western fiction, Iv'e read all of Elmore Leonard's westerns, most of Larry McMurtry's and many of Lois Lamour's (but he's written so many I'll probably never get to them all.) I enjoyed this book so much I stayed up all night and finished it in one sitting. Like many of Elmore Leonard's books this one was a real page turner. Some of the characters are flat, but c'mon thats kinds of a hallmark of western fiction. Bob Valdez is a great character and the action is great. Valdez with his crazy sawn-off shotgun is an incredibly cool hero. Though this book is what could be called "fluff" it's still a lot of fun to read.