More titles to report on - well, one more title anyway. I finished The Unforgiven by Alan LeMay. He also wrote The Searchers, which most people remember as being the movie with John Wayne and Natalie Wood. Many years ago I saw the first movie version of it - with Burt Lancaster and Audrey Hepburn. I remember thinking the movie was great, so I tackled the book.
The story is pretty gripping - you want to find out what happens - but the book is more compelling because of the very vivid picture it paints of life on the prairies of the expanding West. We glamorize the settling of the West and the cattle drives and sod houses. But the truth is, life was very harsh. The more I read of "real" history, the more I realize that I truly would not want to have lived then!!
The characters are not quite as three-dimensional as I would like. But it's fairly simple to draw your own conclusions. The story and plot line are quite believable, but there is some "rushing through" some parts that is less than satisfactory.
The way the Indians are painted - pardon the pun - is probably accurate in several senses, but once again a one and two dimensional picture often emerges, rather than a truly historical painting.
It's a good story though - and a great summer read - or winter by the fire read too!
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