This is a Larry McMurtry book which was recommended to me by my husband. I have not historically been a McMurtry fan, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading this 1800s Western told from the point of view of a young female telegraph operator. She had run-ins and/or relationships with all the famous historical figures of the day: Wild Bill Hickock, Jesse James, even George Custer ("Georgie"). Overall very entertaining and a good read.

(Review from my blog: http://thenext100books.blogspot.com/) ( )

'Telegraph Days' is about a woman who allegedly worked for many years as personal secretary to Buffalo Bill. The woman is also the narrator. The author is not a woman and has never been a woman in his life, so far as I'm aware. His lack of experience in that regard is telling. 'Telegraph Days' is not quite a stinker, but it's closer to Eau de Boef than to Chanel No. 5. ( )

Larry McMurtry's book - Telegraph Days - has a wide sweep of western history, from approximately 1876 until 1920. The narrator is a woman who became a small western town's telegrapher and went on to adventures with Buffalo Bill, Jesse James and Wild Bill Hickok. McMurtry's skill as a writer is tested by a name-dropping plot with limited action but the context of western history in the last quarter of the 19th century is faithfully reproduced. ( )

One thing I will say for this book: it does a pretty good job of mirroring, in novel form, Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West shows. There's a little bit of everything, none of it quite fully polished. Among the cast of characters are Buffalo Bill, Jesse James, Doc Holliday, Wyatt Earp, General George Custer, all of whom are involved, at some point or another, in the requisite gun fights. And Nellie Courtright's narration of all of these characters, and events like the shootout at O.K. Corral, lend an air of tall tale to this novel. She may be completely unreliable as a narrator (can every man really be so much in love with her?), but she tells a fine story.

There's not a whole lot of plot, but there's plenty of showmanship. Nellie, the novel's narrator, is a "starchy" young woman with plenty of interest in "copulation" (her favorite word, it would seem). Everything good seems to happen to her and she achieves all sorts of fame and glory throughout the story, though she is never fully satisfied and admits to wanting more out of life than there is. While her uppity nature is rather refreshing -- no meek damsel in distress here! -- it seems somewhat at odds with her "susceptibilities" to men and her extreme willingness to hit the hay with any near-eligible suitor that comes along. I would have liked her to be just a bit more choosy.

Telegraph Days is, overall, a light and fluffy read without too much concern for plot or dialogue. It's a cute story and uplifting, and possibly a good entry point for readers new to the Westerns genre. A little more attention to the panorama of western American history might have given the book more substance, but as it stands it offers a nice glimpse of the transition from Wild West to Hollywood West.

When I read Larry McMurtry novels I am not looking for an action adventure or who-dun-it. You pretty well know what you will be reading and that is a slice of life novel with interesting characters. I have read Lonesome Dove, Pretty Boy Floyd and now this one. I really feel the way life was like in those days...the trouble times, the good times and those times that just don't go right. I laugh sometimes, cry others and drink in atmosphere always. I enjoyed the novel. ( )