Western Swing [Paperback]

Tim Sandlin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1997

From the acclaimed author of Sorrow Floats, Social Blunders, and Skipped Parts, comes a wickedly funny novel about love, marriage, and life. When Loren Paul spends too much time contemplating the meaning of life, his gorgeous, headstrong wife Lana Sue drives South to meet some cowboys. While Lana Sue drinks and flirts in country bars, Loren soul searches and starves in the Wyoming mountains. Loren and Lana Sue couldn't be on more different paths, but they're both steering toward the same surprising truth: maybe they deserve each other.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Loren Paul, a 35-year-old writer of westerns, sits on an isolated Wyoming mountaintop in a semi-delirious state from a long fast, waiting for divine guidance. He is literally waiting to hear from God, since he feels that God has a lot of explaining to do. Loren wants to know, for example, why his only child disappeared on a camping trip many years ago, a tragedy that led to the death of his first wife. And why has his second and current wife, Lana Sue, a sexy and free-spirited country-and-western singer, taken to the open road, forsaking their idyllic domestic nest? Despite the end-of-the-line sense of desperation evoked by this situation, this is a droll and high-spirited novel about the eccentric lives and loves of Loren and his footloose wife. For just as Loren sits on a mountaintop aerie reflecting on his life, Lana Sue, whose past seems the embodiment of the country-and-western songs she adores, is off on her own odyssey of self-discovery. Her route, however, is a little different: she seeks headlong solace in the sweet oblivion of one-night stands, although quickly gets herself entangled in a relationship that tests her plucky cowgirl mettle to its fullest. There is something of the loopy invention and drollery of Tom Robbins in Sandlin's voice. Particularly in the early parts of the book, Sandlin (Sex and Sunsets) overindulges his fondness for whimsy, but once the narrative gets underway he reveals solid storytelling talent and the ability to create two vividly sympathetic characters whose adventures have something of the grit and pathos of a funky country-and-western ballad.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

In the Tom Robbins-Rita Mae Brown tradition of humor comes this hilarious novel of Loren Paul, a Western writer who is currently atop a mountain seeking answers to cosmic questions, and his wife, Lana Sue, a much-married country-and-western singer. She leaves Loren, and they take turns telling their stories; so while Loren remembers his past and muses on the meaning of life, Lana Sue starts out on a series of one-night stands that eventually involve an almost suicide, murderous intentions, and lots of raunch. This is a Western in the most modern sense, and humor is definitely "black." The dialogue is snappy, the characters richly drawn, and the detail such that we know not only the kind of gum but how many sticks. Rosellen Brewer, Monterey Cty. Lib., Seaside, Cal.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Riverhead Trade (October 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1573226319
• ISBN-13: 978-1573226318
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.9 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,962,911 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars OoOOoOh..., February 8, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Western Swing (Paperback)

I couldn't frickin' believe anyone gave this book less than 4 stars! Well, the humor is a tad dry, but this has to be Sandlin's best. This book is like that girlfriend you love just because she's a basketcase, you know? You'll love all the characters.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sandin through and through!, May 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Western Swing (Paperback)

After reading the Gro Vont trilogy I needed another Sandlin fix. While not on par with Skipped Parts or Sorrow Floats, this book is still more entertaining and worthwhile than most. Its characters are idiosyncratic and at its best, this book creates scenes that rank with the best of Sandlin's tragically comic tales. Probably not the best book to be introduced to Sandlin with, but it is worth a read from those that are familiar with and enjoy his other work.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars what a great book!, October 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Western Swing (Paperback)

i have never felt so in touch with a book as i did with this one. i laughed & cried--especially when the end came and i had to put it down. there is so much depth in sandlin's characters, it's almost hard to see it if you aren't looking in the right place. i love this author, i have to go out & read his other stuff if it's as good as this!