West of Dodge

First of all I must say I really like his writing style.

Secondly I will balance that with a dislike of short stories in the 10-30 page range.

There are many short stories that I would have liked to have read in fleshed out form. I understand that Mr. L'Amour basically wrote short stories but after a while these stories had a certain ryhthm to them... gunfighter arrives in town, crosses someone or has a grudge or is old and tired and wants out of that life. The plots while interesting enough as he did vary them but the ending was usually predictable and ended the story with me, the reader, wanting to read more about the character.

I did not look closely at the book when I picked it up, I will read more L'Amour in the future but it will be show more complete novels if I can find any. show less

This is a collection of short stories that were written after the author's "pulp" days, and as he was transitioning into full length novel writing...and it shows. There's less "shoot-em-up" or fistfight action, more talk, deeper plots, and some of the stories have a twist in them, which I really liked.

My favorite was probably Let the Cards Decide, about a mail order bride, but they all were good reading. Recommended.

This is a collection of stories that L'Amour never published during his lifetime. His son, Beau discovered them when he was going through his father's papers. Some of the stories are typical L'Amour with the hero using his knowledge of survival skills to flee from pursuers. Winter and cold weather seems to be a theme in many of the stories as well as the love of a woman causing men to fight one another.

"Let the Cards Decide" is a story about a card game that turned ugly when a gambler put up his mail order bride as collateral on a bet. The twist in the narrative had the collateral enter the game with her card playing skills.The title story has Kilkenney, a character from other L'Amour novels and stories as the protagonist. The story show more "Home is the Hunter" does not have the typical violent shot out ending but rather that outcome is avoided by a judge backed by towns people who forces a cattle baron to rebuild a woman's ranch and return her livestock. show less

This is a collection of short stories discovered a few years after the death of Mr. L'Amour. The Introduction contains the detail of the find and the expected future publishing of two additional collections from this source.
The book title is taken from the third of fourteen stories set in the western United States. At eighteen pages it is the longest while "Riches Beyond Dreams" has only four. I would have named this short, short story "Where the Buckwheat Grows." Although very short, it is my favorite of this group.
If you appreciate Louis L'Amour's writings, you will enjoy these stories.

From Library Journal Originally written as magazine pieces, these 14 short stories by the beloved L'Amour have never been in book form.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. Product Description Where the real frontier begins... A young cowpuncher stakes a claim that can only be sealed with fists and a .44 Colt.... A gunfighter, tired of violence, finds himself pushed down a trail of bloody revenge.... From purple sage to gambler's gold, from a señorita's tempting smile to a splash of blood in the dust, here are stories with a distinctive L'Amour twist. A quiet farmer defends his honor in a moment of panic and luck...only to find true courage on the run from the dead man's brothers. A young drifter defends a lady's honor...and show more finds himself the quarry of a hanging posse. An aging marshal with a reputation as a crack shot faces a stranger who knows his secret. With relentless suspense and unforgettable drama, Louis L'Amour once again paints a vivid portrait of our western heritage that will live forever. show less

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