The Collected Works of Billy the Kid (1970)

This is my favourite book in the world. This is the book I give copies of to people I adore. I read it for the first time as part of a university course in, I think, 1996, and it has only grown on me since.

Made it about half way through. The book just did not connect with me. I did not believe it, hard as I tried. However, I am a big fan of the legend of Billy the Kid, but this work left me disappointed and adrift. After looking now at two of his books, it is clear I am not an Ondaatje fan even if he is an anointed one. ( )

I also just finished reading [The Collected Works of Billy the Kid] by [[Michael Ondaatje]] the day before yesterday. I think the charm of the book is that it evokes a kind of feeling, somewhere between romance, smut and violence, around a character little is known about for fact. I think everyone has heard of Billy the Kid, but no-one knows much about him or his story, and very little is known from reliable sources. Much of what appears to be known is just conjecture or legend. The book seems to operate well on that edge of the poetic imagination.

I did not find [The Collected Works of Billy the Kid] representable of [[Ondaatje]]s work. In the afterword it is explained that this was his first work, and is based on his youth fascination with the Wild West. ( )

Mr. Bonney's poetic interior monologues are a bit too well formed for this to ring true, but a great book nonetheless. I would give it more "stars" but I was never enamored with the American West. ( )

a profoundly interesting book. I enjoyed the prose more than the poetry, but the way it all came together was quite nice. ( )