All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy

Tales n Tunes Posted on by

All the Pretty Horses is a novel set in southern Texas and Mexico in the 1950s.   It is the story of John Grady, a 16 year old who has become disconnected from his ranch home and family.   He was raised by a Mexican family and he and his friend Lacey Rawlings decide to look for work as cowboys rather than move into town.    They ride south into Mexico.   The author tells the journey of the cowboy life in detail, slowly, with great craftsmanship and passion.     The boys get jobs on a large ranch because of John Grady’s ability to break and care for horses.    Their connection to horses is an important part of the novel and about half of the book follows their lives as cowboys.

In all of Cormac McCarthy’s novels, violence and anarchy is out there, and a wrong decision can lead to disaster.   John Grady falls in love with a girl and faced with an ultimatum, he follows his heart, resulting in a series of deadly consequences.

“He saw very clearly how all his life led only to this moment and all after led to nowhere at all. He felt something cold and soulless enter him like another being and he imagined that it smiled malignly and he had no reason to believe that it would ever leave.”

The book won the National Book Award (1992)and the National Book Critic’s Award.    It is the first book in a trilogy and it was made into a movie in the year 2000.  It is widely acclaimed, but it is not an easy read.    The language is plain and the story is simple, but it has an unsettling tone.    The peace and harmony of life on a horse on the plains is contrasted with the turmoil of communities, and the conflicts of class society, poverty, corruption, greed, power, anger, and betrayal.    The prose is simple, but elegant.   The story is rewarding, but dark.   Recommended – 4.6 stars of of 5.

Billy Summers by Stephen King

Tales n Tunes Posted on by

Billy Summers is a thriller-crime-noir story about a hit man who is asked to one final job, then he plans to retire.   Billy is a sniper who will only shoot “bad men”, but this leads to many moral dilemmas since he works for bad people and to not get caught, he has to undertake many questionable roles, leading a life of lies just to survive.   The first third of the novel follows the weeks of taking the job, going undercover in the set up, completing the hit, and engineering his own escape.   Then, the story changes when he meets Alice, a victim of sexual assault.

By the end of the novel there are really three stories and similar to most Stephen King books, there is deep and complex building of character, past lives, and a strong sense of place.    The story is a “slow burn,” but compelling and rich.   It is a tragedy with themes of revenge, integrity, and redemption.    We follow Billy and Alice on their journeys from damaged people to a path of restoration, finding their purpose in life, taking a stand, living with the consequences, accepting who they are.

As a long-term fan of Stephen King’s stories I read this one with anticipation.   I was caught up in the narrative right away, and I followed the tale with a close reading, savoring the rich storytelling.

A recommended book – [4.6/5]

Dr. Hook

Tales n Tunes Posted on by

I first heard Dr. Hook (once called Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show) on the radio in 1972 with the pop song Sylvia’s Mother and over the next decade, I enjoyed a series pop tunes and ballads, with songs like Only Sixteen, The Cover of the Rolling Stone, Baby Makes Her Blue Jeans Talk, Spending the Night Together, When You’re in Love with a Beautiful Woman, Sexy Eyes, Walk Right In, Little Bit More, Better Love Next Time, and other songs off their albums.   I was never a devoted fan, but over the years those songs become part of the soundtrack of my younger years and a few of the songs are still in my lifetime playlists.    Here is one of them:

Age of Iron by Angus Watson

Tales n Tunes Posted on by

Age of Iron is a historical action-adventure novel set in the Britain before the arrival of the Romans. We are introduced to Dug Sealskinner, an aging mercenary who is battle-scarred, roaming and fleeing from the death of his family. He is looking for work with the regional warlord (Zaidar) but gets caught in an invasion of a village and his plans are changed by a young girl and a warrioress named Lowa who is seeking vengeance on Zaidar.

Some of this book felt like the books of Bernard Cornwell, but Watson keeps it simple – lots of action, humor, and a straight-forward plot. Dug is an interesting character, likeable, with some good qualities, but he is also hard, tough and determined. There is lots of violent action, suspense, and a touch of magic. The storytelling is strong and I found myself caught up in the story.

One of the best features of this book is the historical portrait of life in the “Iron Age.” Some reviewers speak of historical accuracy, but since there were no written records for this time and place, we have to project from archaeological records to what life might have been like, so “accuracy” is really just speculation.

As speculative fiction, this is a fine “historical-fantasy tale.” It is an entertaining and enjoyable read, recommended for those with the ability to turn off the expectations for literature and just enjoy the story.

My rating – (4.2 / 5)

Another Kind of Eden by James Lee Burke

Tales n Tunes Posted on by

It is hard to fit Another Kind of Eden into a genre or to compare it to other novels.     It best fits into other works by James Lee Burke.   He has written over 40 novels, many of them Detective stories featuring Dave Robichaud, set in New Iberia, Louisiana.       This book fits into the Holland Family Saga and is set in Colorado in the 1960s.    It is the story of  Aaron Holland Broussard, an emerging novelist who is riding the rails, picking up seasonal agricultural work.   He settles in Trinidad, Colorado, working for a farming couple, making friends, and finding a love interest.    There is a darker side, though, and Aaron won’t back down in the face of evil.     Drugs have arrived in the area and hateful people target visitors, the newly arrived hippies, and anyone who chooses to stand up to them.    It turns out that Aaron is a Korean War veteran who suffers from PTSD.    At times he has memory lapses, personality shifts, and deeply buried traumatic memories.    The story is told by Aaron and most of the tale is told from his point of view, but there are times when the narrative is unreliable, and  the ending is at the same time disturbing and unreal.    It can be seen as an allegory or as a fever-dream, perhaps even a nightmare.     What actually happens is unclear.    There are deaths, resolutions, and  most of the main characters go their own way.    Aaron found the area, the people, the work, and his life a kind of Eden, but there is part of Hell in every paradise too.    As a reader, we are left to interpret the novel’s intent and wonder if this is not an allegory of life’s journeys.    This book will not work for everyone, but all of the author’s books feature some of the best writing we can find and enjoy.    As a fan of James Lee Burke, I read his books with anticipation, but sometimes with trepidation too.    This book brought both delight and dismay.    4.2/5 stars.

The Brand New Tennessee Waltz by Jesse Winchester

Tales n Tunes Posted on by

Jesse Winchester was an American – Canadian singer-songwriter.    He left the US to avoid the Vietnam War draft and lived in Canada until he was later granted amnesty, then moved back to the southern US in 2002.    While in Canada he wrote and recorded his first album, which was produced by Robbie Robertson (of The Band).  

He recorded a number of memorable songs and in 2007 he was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers.     He died in 2014.    His songs still live on in our playlists.     A number of his songs are in mine.   Shared here is one of them:

All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby

Tales n Tunes Posted on by

All the Sinners Bleed is a crime-thriller novel that uses a police procedural point of view.     The setting is in small rural town in the Southern states.   The protagonist (Titus Crown) is a black sheriff in a community where the divide between whites and blacks has a long, troubled history.     The strongest part of the book is the depiction of the cross-culture integration of working people, right-wing religious followers, the antebellum white class, racist extremists, equality advocates, and average citizens terrorized by a psycho-killer.    Bad things happen in Charon (as the name might suggest) and it is up to the police to stop a series of killings.   Crown has an FBI background so he doggedly follows sparse clues, but the killer is elusive.    As a character, the killer is unknown and formidable, leaving few clues, except for religious extremist messages and threats.      This is the weakest part of the story – a faceless killer that is hard to understand and we are left to decide if he is a believable character or not.    There is an action-packed climax and most of our questions are answered.    The epilogue seems fitting.

Titus Crown is a strong character, but the supporting characters are less well-developed and some seem stereotypical.    The story is full of gruesome killings and dark elements that seem a bit arbitrary.    A master mystery writer develops all the key characters and provides insights into motivations, opportunities, and means, but there is little of those writing crime story fundamentals in this book.

It can be read as a crime thriller with an interesting setting, but it can only be recommended with reservations.    [rating 4/5 stars]

Crazy Love by Van Morrison

Tales n Tunes Posted on by

The first songs I heard from Van Morrison were from the album Moondance in 1970.    From that album were a number of memorable songs like And it Stoned Me, Caravan, Into the Mystic,  and others.    I bought the vinyl album and played it many times, then bought more of his albums, probably 15 in all, and I have continued to listen to him even 50+ years later.   He has had many accolades over the years and there are many other fans.  

He has many memorable songs, any of which could be chosen, but one from Moondance is shared here:

Land of Wolves by Craig Johnson

Tales n Tunes Posted on by

Walt Longmire is one of the best characters in crime fiction.      Craig Johnson has published 21 Longmire books, all set in Wyoming.

Land of Wolves follows a murder and a wolf sighting nearby.      Walt ventures out into sheep herding country to investigate the crime, delving into the victim’s life, past history, and the people who knew him.    The landscape plays an important part of all of the books.    The rugged and wild country of Wyoming has rugged and tough people, many unwilling to cooperate or talk about their lives.

The author uses dialogue sparingly, but very effectively to portray the characters’ inner lives.    In all of the books, the recurring characters like Vic, Henry Standing Bear, Lucian, Cady, Ruby, Santiago, and even Dog seem to grow and become people we enjoy revisiting.

The wolf that Walt encounters is an older male alone on a hunt through the hills.    It is just a wildlife encounter for him, but there is a whole cultural fear of wolves that grips Absoroka County.   In the Longmire books, themes of ancient lore are woven into the story.   Henry Standing Bear tells Walt:

“In my culture, animals are celebrated as beautiful, mysterious, powerful, dangerous, and benevolent. There was a period, before we lost the ability to listen, when the animals took pity on us, protected and taught us to the point where they became human in times of need.”

Each book entertains with tight plots and action, but they also provide historical, cultural, and psychological elements.     I have read all of the books except for the most recent, but I am committed to reading all of the Longmire stories published and yet-to-be-written.

All of the books are highly recommended – 4.5/5

Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands by Bob Dylan

Tales n Tunes Posted on by

Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands was written by Bob Dylan and included on his album Blonde on Blonde in 1966.    It was a song about his wife Sara Lowndes whom he remarried in 1965.     It is an 11 minute song, a poetic tribute, full of personal, symbolic, and unknown references.    The song has great emotional depth and strong lyrics.    He has never performed it live.

Shared here is a cover by Joan Baez, a contemporary colleague, in a fine performance from her album Any Day Now.      This has been a favorite for 50 years.