Clair Huffaker (1926–1990)

"And then everybody, cowboys and cossacks, were grinning and talking and laughing all at once, and the whole feeling among us was warm and fine." (pg. 244)

While it doesn't reach the heights of Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove, a novel it is often compared to both in style and content, The Cowboy and the Cossack by Clair Huffaker is still a mighty fine bout of good old-fashioned storytelling. Like McMurtry's novel, Huffaker's follows interesting characters on an ambitious cattle drive and show more delivers a very charming sequence of events. Huffaker can write characters, turn pages and land dialogue. And although I thought the ending was too short to justify the build-up (the herd becomes almost an afterthought), Huffaker handles his key dramatic moments well and I was satisfied with how it was all wrapped up. The final lines are just one of many examples of how well-thought out this book was; on numerous occasions like this there are fitting callbacks to previous events and conversations.

There was not a moment I was wanting to be reading anything else – a rarity for me nowadays as I become more jaded and it becomes harder to find fresh storytelling – and my scepticism about 'cowboys in Russia' as a concept was overcome by the heart and goodwill Huffaker invests it with. It's more than a cut above your standard Western adventure and while it lacks that indefinable final spark to really transcend itself, it's quite a compliment when the worst thing you can say about a novel amounts to "well, it's not Lonesome Dove". I reckon I'll be chasing the high of Lonesome Dove all my reading life, a pursuit I know will likely prove futile, but The Cowboy and the Cossack was one where I really enjoyed the run. show less

A bit of internationalist wish fulfillment, as a group of American Cowboys go to work in Siberia, and discover that guys who mess around with cattle for a living have a good deal in common.

Nancy Pearl's Book Lust series on the Kindle delivers another winner; a wonderful Western/bildungsroman with a pitch-perfect tone and a very solid construction.

Fifteen Montana cowboys are hired to bring a herd of longhorns into the middle of Siberia, reluctanctly chaperoned by an equal number of cossack soldiers. Adventure, friendship, and perhaps even love will test them etc etc.

Okay, so it's got more cheese than French cellar, but damn it, it works. Huffaker's experience as screenwriter show more and novelist shows in the book's tight construction, likable characters, and the stirling voice of its protagonist.

Granted, these characters aren't exactly the most original people you're likely to meet, and the broad thrust of the narrative - if not exactly predictable - is unlikely to elicit gasps of surprise. But as a genre, the Western is often built from well-weathered cliche, and I felt The Cowboy and The Cossack essentially met its compact with the reader.

If you're not a fan of the Western, don't bother. If you're after high literature, keep riding stranger.

But. If you want a little derring in your do; like your shooters in servings of six, and don't mind sliding into a story worn and flexible as a pair of old chaps, this might be your ride. I unashamedly enjoyed it. show less

Reason read: American author challenge/Western. Clair Huffaker was American author. The Cowboy and the Cossack was published in 1973. The story has a bit of a twist in that this is about cowboys taking a herd of longhorns across Russia with the help of some Cossack. While I appreciated the story there is a lot of swearing in this one. I don't recall that to be the case in most Westerns. It is sparse storytelling with a bit of philosophy thrown in. It is a coming of age story of the narrator show more Levi. The characters are diverse and colorful. The book's themes are cultural understanding and human connection. The novel focuses on the cultural clash and eventual bond between two distinct groups of men during a perilous cattle drive across Siberia in the 1880s. Honor and courage is emphasized in the story. It also looks at masculinity, cowboy code and the Cossack , both embody universal masculine virtues of bravery, loyalty, and sacrifice. Females have very limited appearances in the book. This book fits in the sub-genre of "cattle drive". This book was out of print but brought back by Nancy Pearl Book Lust Rediscovery program. show less