Hi everyone!

First post in this sub, and aside from McCarthy, I've never really seen lengthy discussion about Westerns here with the exception of a few old threads. I decided to read 52 books this year and while I didn't set out with the goal, most of them ended up being Westerns. I'll avoid spoilers as best I can, but wanted to start some discussion about some lesser known novels in the genre that I really enjoyed, and you might too.

1. Lonesome Dove - Larry McMurtry

This was my first book of the year, and it was probably one of my top 3. It's a very lengthy book (800+ pages depending on edition), and is an epic adventure from Texas all the way to Montana. It follows a few different main characters, mostly Gus and Call, who are two ex-rangers, driving cattle across the country. Like every other Western, there's lies, cattle thieving, gun fights with Indians, and an unrequited love story or three. This is one book/series I've seen discussed a lot on here, so I'll leave it at that, but if you aren't intimidated by long books, this would be my number one suggestion as an introduction to the genre, but be warned it's so good, every other Western might pale in comparison.

2. The Big Sky - A.B. Guthrie

This book is the only reason Lonesome Dove wasn't my #1 book of the year. Goodreads suggested this book to me, and I had the hardest time finding it anywhere, but eventually found it at a used book store. It's rated pretty well on GR (~4.0), but only has about 3,500 ratings, so probably isn't well known compared to others in the genre. The story, written in 1947, follows Boon Caudill as he runs away from home, and links up with Jim Deakins, as they join a riverboat travelling up the Missouri and meet Dick Summers, hunter and mountain man. Boon and Jim learn how to hunt, kill, and live like an Indian. There isn't much gun-slinging, or lawlessness, but got me hooked on Native American culture and history. The ending is perhaps the strongest part of the book, and carries immense weight. If you are a fan of the genre and haven't checked it out yet, you can pick up a copy for around $4 on eBay, and I highly recommend it.

3. Butcher's Crossing - John Williams

John Williams is probably better known for his other books, Stoner and Augustus, but this one is still a pretty good read. Others seem to like it a lot more than I did, but that's probably because I was used to more of an adventure style book, as opposed to the thriller/metaphorical book that is Butcher's Crossing. The story follows a Harvard drop-out moving West to find himself, as he witnesses the destruction of the American buffalo population. There isn't much shoot-em up action or epic adventures like the last two books mentioned, which makes sense considering Williams was a professor of literature, and the story is full of easy to follow metaphors and outstanding prose that'll keep you interested for most of the story. For more seasoned literary buffs, there's a lot more to be discovered with a close reading, and plenty to keep you interested in a historical perspective.

4. The Way West - A.B. Guthrie

This is the second book in the series, following The Big Sky. This story is without Boon and Jim from the first book, but instead centers around a trip west along the early Oregon trail led by Dick Summers, now an old man. The book won the Pulitzer in 1950, but still isn't very widely read. It was made into a movie with Kirk Douglas later on (The Big Sky was also made into a movie), and is pretty generously rated on GR (~4). I wasn't a big fan of this book compared to the first, but others seemed to like it more than I did. I never felt too attached to Dick, and the new characters felt dull to me, personally, but it's short enough to not be a slog. I recently read Grapes of Wrath, and the book reads very similarly, so if you liked Steinbeck's novel, this should be right up your alley. This is more of a journey/adventure type of book, and has little action, but uses symbols and themes much better than its predecessor to get its point across.

5. The Sisters Brothers - Patrick DeWitt

This book seemed much more akin to a comedy with John C. Reilly as the protagonist than a typical Western to me. And after a google search to refresh my memory about the book, it actually looks like a movie is being made with Jake Gyllenhaal, Joaquin Phoenix, and John C. Reilly as the three main characters. Anyway, the book was pretty humorous throughout, had some good action scenes, and follows the Sisters brothers, who are tasked with hunting down a prospector and killing him. If you like lighter books, this one's for you. There aren't any confusing metaphors, or any long-winded descriptions of the same blood-red sunrise that's been done thousands of times at this point. DeWitt, using his dim-witted narrator, dumbs things down for the reader, making it a nice, short, and sweet read.

6. Far as the Eye Can See - Robert Bausch

Far as the Eye Can See was another book that made up my top 3 Westerns I read this year. Bobby Hale, an army deserter and serial enlistee, serves as our protagonist. Hale is only concerned with one thing throughout most of the novel: saving his own skin. However, his character grows over the course of the novel, and while the novel reminded me of How I Met Your Mother with how the ending was the complete opposite of what I wanted to happen, I'm sure that's part of the charm of why I liked it so much. My favorite part of the story was probably Bausch's telling of the events of Custer's Last Stand, and how he juxtaposes the behavior and attitudes of those involved, and those who heard the story after the fact. It was a highly enjoyable read, and while it might not stack up to the Western giants like Lonesome Dove or the Border trilogy by McCarthy, I'd still recommend it to any Western fans, or Civil War/Indian era history buffs.

7. Road to Reckoning - Robert Lautner

While I feel bad saying it, this was probably my least favorite novel of the year. This book mostly follows a boy on a journey with his dad to sell Samuel Colt's newly invented revolvers. It's pretty hard not to spoil any details, but the boy meets a man who takes him in and protects him from bandits, a cannibal, and a host of other things in the wild west. They make quite a pair, and while I didn't enjoy the boy's character at all, I have to hand it to Lautner for writing one of the most believable children characters in a novel I've ever read. The book is pretty well received by GR standards (3.75), but has such a small sample size, I don't know if it's very accurate or not. Again, for the historically inclined, probably a good read if you can get over the bratty, snot-nosed, whiny kid. Others seem to like it a lot more than I do, so maybe I'm just a harsh judge. Who knows, read the back cover and see if it piques your interest. It's only 240 pages or so, so if you need a quick read, this might be for you.

8. The Son - Phillip Meyer

One of the more popular books recently published that dabbles in the Western genre, The Son was a pretty compelling read. It consists of three story-tellers from three different generations. Eli McCullough is the "first" generation, and joined a roaming band of Comanches as a kid, eventually re-joining society and becoming a rich, and ruthless, land owner in Texas. Peter, Eli's son, struggles with his father's legacy, society's demands, and the violence that seems to permeate life in the developing American West. Last, but not least, is JA, a great-great granddaughter, who constantly works to continue her family's legacy in light of the oil boom in Texas a few decades. The stories take turns being presented, so things are told out of order, but still in sequence, if that makes sense. I enjoyed the book, just wasn't as captivated by the Peter and JA sections, as opposed to the Eli ones. Regardless, I enjoyed it greatly, as it seems others did. It's pretty well-rated and garnered a lot of media and critical acclaim, so if anything mentioned interests you, I'd say take the leap.

9. Outlaw - Warren Keifer

After reading The Son, someone suggested Outlaw as a follow up, seeing as I liked the Indian and oil history parts the best. Outlaw is similar to The Son as it tells a multi-generational story that spans a century, except this time it only follows one character: Lee Garland. There is plenty of action to keep your attention, but this brings in A LOT more history into the narrative. The story follows Garland as he enlists in the army and storms San Juan Hill alongside Roosevelt, becomes a billionaire during the oil boom, and makes his last stand against the government trying to take his land. Many who read the book compare it to Forrest Gump, and I think the comparison is pretty apt. Anyone who enjoys the movie (read: everybody) should enjoy the book if they sit down and read it. Some journalists have called it the "best adventure book nobody has heard of," which if you haven't made up your mind yet, should make it up for you.

Anyway, hope you all thought this was halfway interesting. I feel like a lot of people dismiss Westerns, both books and movies, as not very good and write them off without ever really reading or watching them. I really like them for the history, Native American culture, and gun-slinging/arrow shooting/shoot 'em up/ride 'em down heroics. If there are any others you've liked, let me know and I'll try to pick up a copy as soon as I can!