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Loading... Telegraph Days (2006)by Larry McMurtry
None.  Texas_Reaver | Mar 31, 2013 |  This not your usual western novel. First the story is told through the eyes of a women- an outgoing woman who manages to meet nearly every famous personage in Western myth and history. She must have been a very attractive woman for almost every man wishes to or manages to sleep with her. Only Buffalo Bill Cody refused to do so to her great disappointment. Secondly, there is a much humour and frequent satire of the American Western myth which makes this a short and pleasant read. (  ) lamour | Oct 19, 2011 | Delightful! Larry McMurtry can always be counted on to entertain and he is without peer in delineating life in the American West, whether modern day or in the Old West. "Telegraph Days" takes us back to the time of Buffalo Bill Cody, Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday & Wild Bill Hickock. Unlike most of McMurtry's tales of the Old West, this one is told through the eyes of a young woman. And a wise and lusty woman she is. Nellie Courtright gives this book its sizzle, for she far outshines all the big name historical characters who appear. A quick, fun read. (  ) thejazzmonger | Apr 12, 2011 | A very simply told tale of the West. Told from the perspective of young Marie-Antoinette Courtright, born in Virginia in a wealthy family, and taken west by her father "who had read too many brochures". When the story begins, her father has just hanged himself in the barn, and since the previous year has already brought 6 funerals, Nell and her brother are the only ones left. They move to the nearby town of Rita Bianca and their adventures begin. Billy the Kid, Buffolo Bill and the Wyatt brothers all make an appearance. The blurb says the book is "entertaining" - well, yes, I suppose, I finished it so it can't be too bad. But the writing is not only very matter of fact, but also very simplistic, with a kind of humour that should be dry but to me sounded very contrived, and there is not a single moment of introspection in the whole tale. I guess I would not have minded that too much if this was not a McMurtry book: I've loved so many of his works, that I probably expect far too much and this one was a disappointment.” ( ) mojacobs | Feb 15, 2011 | It started out ok but it got old towards the end. (  ) Poprockz | Jan 13, 2011 | no reviews | add a review
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Wikipedia in English
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It's a nice little picture of the old west through the eyes of Nellie Courtwright, a telegrapher and businesswoman. Along the way in her story, she meets just about all of the old west legends.
It's a little tongue-in-cheek, and a little dab into history at the same time. It has a dose of realism, showing how it wasn't all about blazing gunfights, but did show how those legends could evolve.
What I really found intriguing was her take on the events in Tombstone, including the shootout at the OK Corral. It's quite a contrasting take from the legends that build up Wyatt Earp.
And my favorite moment of the book had to be her interview with Doc Holliday. Priceless. (