| Title | : | The Brave Cowboy: An Old Tale in a New Time |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0942688880 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780942688887 |
| Format Type | : | Kindle , Hardcover , Paperback , Audiobook & More |
| Number of Pages | : | - |
The Brave Cowboy: An Old Tale in a New Time Reviews
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5 stars because:
Because of the horse, and the sheriff.
Because of friendship.
Because this is a story I won't forget.
Because Jack Burns is a man I won't forget.
But mostly, because we will always need cowboys. -
Planes, trains and automobiles . . . Gas stations, supermarkets and parking meters. What’s a cowboy to do? Stay true to who he is and what he does, for starters. The year is 1949. The setting is Duke City, New Mexico. 29-year-old Jack Burns rides his ornery chestnut mare named Whisky into town and eventually across all four lanes of Route 85 (yes, on horseback, in 1949) to reach the home of his friend Paul Bondi. Jack has read that Paul was sentenced to two years in prison for refusing to register for the draft under the Selective Service Act of 1948, so he leaves his sheep herding job in the mountains some fifty miles away and comes to help his friend.
The byline of this book is perfect: “An Old Tale In A New Time.” Jet planes fly overhead. 40-ton 18-wheelers whiz down the highways. TVs blare and telephones ring. But Jack remains unchanged: black slouch hat, jingling spurs, a bedroll, saddle, rifle and guitar. Try as he might though, Jack can’t stop time. And despite his simple and good intentions, things get complicated in Duke City:
“For a moment he was troubled, not by fear, but by a sensation of utter desolation and rejection, as if he were alien not only to the cities of men but also to the rocks and trees and spirits of the wilderness.”
Two-thirds of this book were 5-star reading for me, the parts where Abbey’s vast knowledge and deep affection for the American Southwest and its people really shine. But Part II (“The Prisoner”) was tedious with dialogue, overly philosophical, and claustrophobic. I was itching to get back to the arroyos and canyons and rivers. That is where the magic happened for me. 4+ stars and the addition of ‘Desert Solitaire’ to my To-Read list. This Southern “city-girl” needs more of Abbey���s spectacular western landscape writing. And who knows? Maybe I’ll meet another cowboy like Jack. -
I'm stunned.
I have seen the movie at least a dozen times since I was 15 but I lived through this book.
There is a majestic poetry throughout this book.
The descriptions of the New Mexico landscape give the desert, the mountains, the rocks and sand a sanctity not afforded human beings.
Abbey has a reverence for the parts of America remote and untainted by the touch of man.
"The Cowboy" - John W. Burns or "Jack" to his friends - is too noble for this world. An anachronism, living life as a cowboy during a time when there are few ranches still owned by individuals as opposed to corporations.
The law and the square johns view "The Cowboy" as an anarchist. A commie. A "Red". A danger to the American society of the 1950s, when this book was written and first published.
When he comes down from the mountains where he's been working as a sheep-herder, because where else can a man find a ranch to cowboy in modern America? - it's to check on the welfare of the wife ("Jerry") and child ("Seth") of a long-time friend who's been imprisoned for refusing to sign up for the draft.
He discovers that his friend is being held in the county jail near his home before being transferred to a federal prison when there is available space. "The Cowboy's" friend, "Paul", is a professor and self-professed anarchist -in political thought only. He's a dreamy-eyed philosopher with lofty notions, physically incapable of committing one act of actual anarchy.
"The Cowboy" decides that he has to break into the jail in order to free his friend "Paul". So he goes to a bar, gets drunk, and gets into a brawl with a one-armed man.
To reveal much more would spoil the joys to be found in this fast paced, action-filled novel.
This was a haunting read for me.
Long a fan of the superb film based on this novel, much was lost in the adaptation.
This is one of the greatest novels I'll ever read.
Highest possible recommendation. -
I really like Edward Abbey, for both his environmental politics and his formidable writing on the American West, fiction and nonfiction alike. The Brave Cowboy is perhaps my favorite Abbey novel (The Monkey Wrench Gang is right up there and a few others are close). It’s the story, as its subtitle (“An Old Tale in a New Time”) suggests, of a cowboy’s (mis)adventures in the modern world, a world in which he is terribly out of place. Put more generally, it’s the novel of the clash between the Old West and the New West, of the West’s cultural imaginary of fierce independence and individualism versus the corporate greed and power that has transformed the region.
The hero of the novel is Jack Burns, an itinerant cowboy, who rides into the city to help an old friend, Paul Bondi, who has been jailed for refusing to register for the draft. Jack’s plan is to get himself arrested so he and Paul can then escape together. Things don’t go quite as planned, as once in jail Jack finds Paul resistant to following him; as they wrangle about the escape, they engage in an extensive dialogue on the nature of freedom, the authority of law, and the power of government to control lives. Some might find their discussions a bit tedious; I found them invigorating and challenging. A central matter of dispute emerges: which is more important, one’s ideals or one’s loved ones? Which deserves one's highest priority and commitment?
Once the escape goes awry (that’s all I’ll say about it), the novel becomes one of escape, with Jack and his horse pursued, and pursued with a vengeance, by a whole slew of authorities, including the military zooming in in helicopters armed with automatic weapons. It’s David vs. Goliath, the lone anarchist vs. the overwhelming powers of the State. It’s breathtakingly exciting.
Abbey’s prose, as always, is clean and crisp, and he’s particularly effective at capturing the stark beauty of the Western landscape as well as at invoking the psychological pull we all have felt toward pursuing less complex lives defined by easily recognized virtues, such as independence, honor, and loyalty. -
I knew after reading a little bit about the author that the descriptions of the landscape would be beautiful. Most of this book is heavy and serious but Abbey gives us a little breathing room with the introduction of the Sheriff. He gives us suspense where it’s hard for the reader to set the book aside. My first Abbey but I plan to read more of his works in the future.
Note:found this book when reading World, Chase me Down.
https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/b... -
Never doubt the universality of the basic premise here--there is inescapable tension between the needs of the individual and the requirements of living in relationship.
The plot elements are well-conceived; it's a great story. The setting is spectacular, colorful, rich, a character all its own, described in detail.
Unhappily, Abbey has a greater feel for the character of the place than he has for the character of the people. The story bogs down because the focus constantly shifts away from the human element, into the physical world or into the philosophic world.
These shortcomings were overcome and put in clear relief with the coming of a writer and film production team that understood the need for keeping the focus on people. Lonely Are the Brave is far the superior presentation of Abbey's ideas.
This having been said, if the reader can be patient, willing to skip ahead through wordy passage of description, this is a rewarding read. The power of the story and of its ending lingers long after the book is closed. -
truly classic shit, a lament for the death of wild west america and the rise of the superhighway
reading abbey is the next best thing to going outside -
The only reason I am not overcome by rage at the horrific ending of this near-marvelously- told tale is because I borrowed the book for free (Prime).
That’s no way to start a review. Let me try again.
Was this a good book worth reading? Yes – provided that the reader skips the Hinton trucker chapters (served no purpose whatsoever, in my mind) and – this is especially critical – provided that the reader does not read Chapter 20! Just stop at 19, and this will be one terrific cowboy story! Just don’t – whatever you do – venture past Chapter 19. Let it end there. I wish someone had given ME that advice. Oh, if I could only take back those awful, horrid moments when I read Chapter 20…dear, dear, dear me ~ whatever was Abbey thinking?
This was my first experience reading Edward Abbey. His descriptions of the mountains and terrain are exceptional in their detail, and his passionate love for the open wilderness is felt and deeply appreciated each step of the way.
And such a cowboy ~ Jack Burns. Loved this guy! Could not believe the harrowing “gunfight” battle at the end of the book! I came close to looking up the ending several times because I could barely stand the tension of it all. And that scene was done to perfection. It was so, so good. If only I had stopped there…sigh ~
Even the Sheriff was done well. No disappointments in there.
Admittedly, the stark contrast between the rough outdoors and the “civilized” areas confused me. It almost felt like a post-apocalyptic era. The special attention paid to counting out money gave the book a different feel as far as time periods go. I re-started the book a couple of times because it took a minute for me to grasp Abbey’s writing style. But then I was in! And his writing is heart-stirringly beautiful.
I kept thinking Hinton was going to unleash some catastrophic bomb or something. So much build-up regarding him only to have him fall flat in Chapter 20.
Can’t really classify this book as a western. In attempting to describe the hero cowboy, I would say that Jack Burns is what I would envision Jack Reacher looking like if he were in a cowboy hat and Stetson boots, sporting a six-shooter on his hip.
If you’re looking for a good western to read, be sure to add Jack Schaefer’s Shane to your list. It’s a short but powerful read. Schaefer captures the inner thoughts of his characters with a delicate honesty that endears each one of them to his readers. And the gunfighting scene in there is unbelievably good. I see why Schaefer’s book still ranks so highly on Western reading book lists.
Read Abbey’s tale but steer clear of Chapter 20! 😊 Consider yourself warned! -
You see a used book store as you drive home, pass it by, but something tells you to turn around. You walk in, greeted by a woman with a revolver at her side and books in her eyes. You tell her you don't know why you stopped by. You don't read paper books, and you don't know what you're doing there.
The armed woman sizes you up and tells you to wait. You wait, think she forgot about you, and decide to leave. She stops you on your way out and hands you a book. She spent 10 minutes looking for it because she knew, she just knew, this book was for you. You look at the old tattered western, pay her 2 dollars for it, and leave.
You open the book on an airplane, and you see through the eyes of Jack Burns, and now you understand what she knew.
A man and his horse, traveling without a plan. A man who sees apartments building as large graveyards. A man who prefers to walk on dirt over concrete. A man who relishes the taste of hunger. A man who struggles to understand what everyone else does. And a society that cannot fathom that one can deprogram themselves from the rest of the masses by choice.
Not for every reader, but great storytelling. -
I have always loved cowboys, this one the most.
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This novel takes place in the 1950s, when the threat of the Draft hung over the head of every male in the USA who was not in the military. The protagonist is a cowboy, who served in WWII, went to college briefly and went back to life on a horse which is how he grew up on his grandfather's ranch near Socorro NM. He discovers that his best friend, who both veterans served in WWII has been arrested and jailed for refusing to register for the draft (Selective Service Act of 1948) which was and still is required of every male between 18 and 26.
Both of them served their patriotic duty in WWII and won't constrict their freedom and register. His friend is an academic with a wife and child. She struggles financially as her husband sits in the Bernal (Bernalillo) County jail. Cowboy friend decides he will break into the jail and rescue his best friend, who is resolved to serve his two years in Leavenworth on principle and doesn't want to break out.
Cowboy breaks out on his own, along with 2 Navajos sentenced to 6 months in jail for talking to a White woman. Cowboy breaks out, gets on his horse and takes the Sheriff, Air Force and State Troopers on a wild chase through the Sandia mountains.
A peculiar thing I note about his novels is not directly saying the correct name of the location he writes about. In one book he calls Globe AZ "Glob," in this one he calls Albuquerque Duke City and Bernalillo County Bernal County. Not sure why, as his knowledge of the actual subject areas is accurate.
This is not a crusading book, just a good novel. This, like most of Abbey's writings show his deeply libertarian side. Some directly, such as the Monkey Wrench Gang show that "mind-your own business and keep the government of of mine" streak. Other of his books incorporate it into his nature observations of a more biographical nature. Much of his life was spent working on Forest Service lookout towers across the West, giving his writing a real geographic perspective.
I hope Abbey's writings are not forgotten, because they are great 20th Century literature and should be read by anyone with a love of nature and an independent spirit. This book is a keeper. If you like this one, try Desert Solitaire, or Abbey's Road and dig deeper into his interesting personality. Abbey is an American Treasure. -
This is a story about a draft-resisting-anarchist-outlaw-cowboy and his struggle against the established order and the powers that want to confine him. A sort of prequel to The Monkey Wrench Gang, as the lead protagonist mysteriously appears in that novel.
This must've been pretty pungent stuff for 1956, as resisting registering for Selective Service drives the story at its core. (I was unaware that WWII-era veterans had to register for the draft again in the 1950's.) How Edward Abbey didn't end up sitting before HUAC, or get blacklisted in some way, is a shock. How this was made into a movie, is even more of a surprise.
This book also helps me place Abbey in the pantheon of counterculture and Beat writers. This is definitely *not* a book meant for the mainstream.
Aside from the politics, Abbey flexes his muscles as a brilliantly gifted writer. He obviously had a deep knowledge of the flora, fauna, geography, and natural history of the Southwest, which he writes about lyrically, reverently, and poetically. It's writing like this that made me fall in love with the Southwest when I first read The Monkey Wrench Gang as an adolescent, even though it would be several years til I got there.
Pretty incredible novel. I liked the ending of the film better - and I wonder if that last scene with Matthau inspired Abbey to put Jack Burns in The Monkey Wrench Gang.
Great book. Recommended for rugged anarchic individualists, lovers of the West, and those who want to read an archetypal Outlaw story. -
I was graciously expecting a revised Wild West epic. One about an anarchist cowboy fighting a new kind of politically charged range war on his homestead over the encroachment of urban sprawl and a vanishing western frontier. I’m going to blame the blurb for the confusement. Jack Burns was not an anarchist. He was a recluse living his sovereign life on the fringes of society as a lonesome cowboy. No problem! The book is still fantastic. But I really wished it explored more about the concept around the “pavement of the west;” A quote I’ve taken from Isaac Brock (Modest Mouse) who wrote a conceptual album on the matter. Isaac Brock also conjured a fictional character named Cowboy Dan who couldn’t adapt to modern America and resorted to desolated behaviour...something else that I wish was explored more completely. I can’t help but compare, and it makes to wonder if he’s read this book and was inspired by Edward Abbey.
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Edward Abbey writes a fine story about the cowboy Edward Burns and his loathing of government and the restrictions that law places on man's free will. Taking place in the New Mexican desert, the tale follows Burns' purposeful arrest, his attempt to spring his companion from the clink, his own subsequent escape and the chase that the law gives him into the mountains, where he eventually evades his pursuers and...well, you're just going to have to read to find out. 4 stars because, even though I love all things Abbey, the ending really pissed me off (cue Cartman).
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Abbey wrote his MA thesis on the topic of justifications of violence in the anarchist movement. The philosophy department at University of New Mexico awarded him the MA in 1956. Abbey spent the rest of his life working on the theme of his thesis. The theme of independent men trying to live in a world being undermined by corporate greed and dim-witted governance appears in this novel no less than in "Fire on the Mountain" and "The Monkey Wrench Gang." As in all his writing, the vivid descriptions of New Mexican terrain make this novel as beautifully poetic as it is politically astute.
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The frontier myth persists, even in our modern world, because it touches on the values that define the American Dream, namely personal freedom, independence, and a love and respect for the natural world. Though few are able to live out these ideals with such conviction without being classified as “preppers” or “off the grid,” with self-sufficiency apparently having the implication of eccentricity not conducive to suburban conformity, it's a nice sentiment to fall back on when we want to glowingly reminisce on America's history.
With great aplomb, Abbey upends the classic Western novel by creating a modern cowboy figure who doesn't answer to society's demands because he exists on the fringes of that civilization; roaming through the mountains of New Mexico on a horse, he carries no ID, no credit card, is not registered for the Selective Service (this is set in the 1960s). The story revolves around a college friend who is sentenced to several years in prison as a conscientious objector; the cowboy hatches a plan to break him out, living as a fugitive. Abbey paints a picture of the Western landscape that is both bleak and hauntingly beautiful. I happen to have an affinity for the West myself, so I throughly enjoyed the multi-page descriptiveness of arroyos, canyons, sunsets, and people that populate the greater Albequerque area, but some people may lose patience with his tendency to get mired in the chaparral, distracting from the plot. Fear not, for the plot itself is action packed, at least in the latter half of the novel, and will leave you guessing as to the eventual outcome.
If Abbey was this critical of modern society's progress in the '60s, I can only imagine his abject horror if he was alive in 2021 to see the ravages of climate change firsthand. Ultimately, I think Abbey's intent was not to romanticize the West in this novel, but, rather, to warn us to the dangers of untempered expansion and infringement on our fragile environment. He was ahead of his time. Too bad no one listened. -
A cowboy who does not understand his professor friend. Cowboy versus modernity. A cowboy on the run with a horse versus police cars and helicopter. The conflict in this well-written, casually paced modern western story is between an individual who is essentially off the grid as a 19th Century cowboy and his place in New Mexico during the early part of the Cold War.
Abby's story structure provides four perspectives on the prison escape plot. This structure develops the personality of Jack Burns, the central character, and his personal code of ethics, and adds complexity to the story with engaging supporting characters.
Abby takes his time in telling the story. There is a leisurely pace to this story that speeds up and becomes more tense in the latter part when Jack is pursued by the police, FBI, and the military. I was surprised by the ending, but looking back on the story, Abby gave a hint to what will be the basis for the climax.
Abby's writing is very descriptive of the Southwest, and it gets more descriptive during the chase. The dialogue between characters is lively & interesting, and aids in moving the story along. -
Abbey really knows how to convey a strong sense of place. Truly a modern classic of the clash of the old and new west.
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Love the book and also the Kirk Douglas movie, Lonely are the Brave, which is based on the book.
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A beautiful homage to the "Cowboy Way" and all it represents. The Brave Cowboy presents a juxtaposition between the romantic past and the modern industrial present with Edward Abbey's intoxicating prose.
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Throughout the book, I was thinking I would award it two stars. But the ending, it broke my heart, and I changed it to three stars.
It's so dated: the best friend of the protagonist is in jail for draft dodging, and not for Vietnam. I think it's for Korea.
The thing I like most about this book was it's setting, which was Albuquerque New Mexico. I grew up in New Mexico, Las Cruces and Albuquerque, and when my parents moved back there to retire, I went back there every year until my older brother died from covid in 2020.
Because of covid I haven't been able to have his memorial yet, nor have I been able to return. This greatly saddens me.
Edward Abby does a lovely job of describing the flora of the beautiful desert and mountains around what he calls the Duke City. Many of the names are changed, for example he says Kirk Air Base, instead of kirtland Air Force base.
There's a parallel storyline running alongside of the cowboy's in this book. It's that of Hinton, a truck driver progressing from Missouri to New Mexico, carrying bathroom fixtures. He kills Jack Burns and his horse in the end. The whole book I was wondering what the f*** his story was doing in there.
He's a nasty character, witness this scene, where he's passing through Tulsa, Oklahoma:
"Hinton stopped for the red light and watched the Suburban traffic roll by. Sweat dripped down from his ribs; the air was hot in the cab when the truck was not in motion, despite the buzzing electric fan mounted on the dashboard. Around him the traffic clashed and roared, the smell of hot tar, rubber, oil and metal permeated the air and the blue smoke from the cars and the black smoke from the diesel trucks mounted toward the sky. He watched the women crossing the street - middle-aged domesticated cows, long legged School girls, fat pigs from the reservations - and found nothing worthy of his attention. He Puffed nervously and irritably on a cigarette, letting the ashes fall on his t-shirt."
He himself is an overweight, bald, 30 something man. But karma will get this character in the end because besides the guilt he'll feel from killing the cowboy and his horse, he probably has some kind of stomach cancer. He's always talking to himself about how he feels something is not right in his stomach, and how he promises himself he'll see a doctor after he delivers his load in Albuquerque. If he doesn't have stomach cancer, he'll probably get lung cancer; he's constantly smoking cigarettes. He has an ugly diet consisting of coffee, and cholesterol from animals: eggs, sausage, bacon.
The story is basically that Jack Burns, whose last job was sheep herding somewhere west of Albuquerque, comes on his horse to Albuquerque to spring his best friend, John Bundi, from jail. He rides his horse to the house of the draft-Dodger's wife and son, leaves his horse there and hoofs it to the county courthouse in Albuquerque where the jail is. On the way he stops at a bar and gets in a fight, and is picked up by sheriff deputies and taken to the jail. The next day he meets up with his best friend in the same cell block. He has two metal files hidden in his boots, and it being 1950 or something, they don't have metal detectors. He actually files away a bar in the cell block, and he and two Navajo Indians squeeze through the small space, and remove the screen from the window in the hallway, and using blankets tied together, jump down from the second story and escape. The navajos are unfortunately picked up, dressed as women, and one of them is shot, the other one is returned to jail. Jack Burns gets away for a while, and Edward Abby leads us to believe that he's actually going to make it to Mexico after an arduous climb up and through the Sandia mountains over to the other side. He is hit and killed on highway 40 by Hinton the truck driver. His back is broken, and his horse is hurt. Jack Burns expires, and a sheriff's deputy shoots the horse.
This conversation taking place in the jail cell block cracks me up, because here it is only 1950 something, right before I was born, and John Bondi is telling Jack why there's no hope for this country, despite Jack telling John how they could go anywhere they like - Canada, the Rockies, Sonora, Baja California. But John tells him:
" 'of course this is a nightmare; I loathe every minute of it. I'm sick to the heart of it - but I can't run away. I've got too many commitments to keep, too many weaknesses, too many hopeful ideas.' He paused; Burns was silent. 'Hopeful?' Bondi continued; 'well, not really. I don't see the world getting any better; like you I see it getting worse. I see Liberty being strangled like a dog everywhere I look, I see my own country overwhelmed by ugliness and mediocrity and overcrowding, the land smothered under airstrips and super highways, the natural wealth of a million years squandered on atomic bombs and tin automobiles and television sets and ballpoint fountain pens. It's a sorry sight indeed; I can't blame you for wanting no part of it. But I'm not yet ready to withdraw, despite the horror of it. Even if withdrawal is possible, which I doubt.' "
I feel like Edward Abby is turning over in his grave, seeing how things are in 2022, if he was so distressed at how things were mid-century the 1900s. He's lucky he's not around to witness this country turning to fascism, and taking so many countries with it. Climate change, climate refugees. cartel refugees being turned back with tear gas. I'm not going to be here too much longer myself, being born so very long ago. I guess I'll escape a lot of the bad stuff too, but I never should have brought two daughters into this world to suffer after I'm gone. Who knows what they'll have to struggle with to survive?
There's a character in the book, Sheriff Morey Johnson. At first I hate him, because he is a nasty man, but later I realize he has some humanity inside of him:
" 'Gutierrez,' Johnson said; 'gutierrez.. ' his mouth tightened after he rolled out the name. 'That muscle-bound half-wit,' he muttered; he spoke to the operator again, not looking at him. 'He notified the city police?'
'yes.'
'the state police and the military police and the reservation police and all the rest?'
'sure.'
'Okay...' Johnson masticated his wad of gum. He shoved a hand down inside the front of his sagging trousers and scratched his pubic hair. 'Two navajos and a white man, huh?' "
TMI! 😳🤢
Sheriff Johnson is Lent airfield personnel to help in the manhunt after Jack Burns escapes from jail. Because he's never even registered for the draft, authorities refer him to the fbi, and it becomes an overblown manhunt. A helicopter is sent from the air base, and when Jack shoots at the helicopter after they spotted him, it crashes upside down in the foothills of the Sandia mountains. One of the crew has a broken ankle, and his sergeant helps him down out of the foothills to where Johnson has his Jeep:
" . . .'here,' Johnson said, stepping toward him; 'let me help you.'
'we're in a hurry,' the sergeant said.
'That's all right,' Johnson said. 'You can wait for a few minutes; this fella looks like he could use some rest.' he helped the injured man to sit down, while the sergeant stood by frowning in glancing nervously around. 'let me see that ankle,' Johnson said, as the young man leaned back, shutting his eyes.
'It's all right,' the sergeant said; 'I put an elastic bandage on it.'
'that's good,' Johnson said; he lifted the pant leg of the man's overalls and began unwrapping the bandage, while the sergeant stood nearby and complained: he was bitter; the affair was supposed to have been a game, good sport, a real man-hunt. No one had suggested the possibility of their being shot down - and in what a jungle! Nothing but Rock and cactus; the sergeant was disgusted. And then, worst of all, the goddamn pilot taking off after the guy with his rifle, leaving him to carry a man with a game leg down several miles of cliffs and rock slides; - christ! Johnson inquired after the men he had dispatched to the scene of the wreck. 'Never saw em!' the sergeant said. 'Never saw em...' "
The thunder-voiced General of the Air Force, who earlier had so graciously lent his helicopter to The manhunt of this unpatriotic draft dodger, is infuriated by the loss of his helicopter when Jack shoots it down with his rifle, and in no uncertain terms lets the sheriff know.
"The two Air Force men were grinning openly, nudging each other. Johnson turned down the volume. The General stormed on:
'do you know how much my helicopters cost, sheriff? Do you? Do you have any notion at all?' another pause; again the anonymous, meditating voice said: 'over.'
Johnson tried to restrain his mounting anger and disgust. 'No I don't, general,' he said. 'Over.'
'$120,000!' the General howled. 'APiece! You hear that, sheriff? $120,000, that's what my 'copters cost! One hundred and twenty-'
Johnson switched off the speakers, frowning Bitterly. In the comparative silence that followed they could all hear the rasp and rattle of the earphones on the operator's lap, still vibrating with the thunder of the general's anger. But a mechanically reduced thunder, a strange and artificial diminution of what had been so overpowering a moment before. The effect was curious and contradictory - a bellowing in miniature, like the roar of an outraged insect.
Johnson felt a peculiar shame, not for himself but for his kind. The wind and dust assailed him, the sun pale beyond the yellow sky, but he stood motionless, his hand on the radio, his eyes fixed on the ground. He became aware, after a few minutes, of the two Air Force men still watching him. He looked at them and they grinned in a furtive, malicious way. The sergeant said: 'the General's real wigged out, huh man? Really flippin his lid, huh?' "
And in the end, Hinton, almost to albuquerque, 20 miles away, ready to cross the cut through the Sandia mountains, on highway 40:
"the cars kept flowing toward him with their glaring lights, hurtling past with the sound of whistling steel and hot hissing rubber.
Another broad curve in the highway: he saw the city. There it lay, Miles away beyond the Black Notch of the canyon, a soft shimmering bed of light surrounded by darkness. Relaxing again, Hinton thought of a fresh warm bed, of rest - he would sleep for days this time, if he felt like it. For days, by God - who would prevent him? His eyelids began to droop. To sleep, he thought, to sleep, sleep, dreaming of the girl..
red brake lights were flashing ahead of him, flashing, pulsating in the blackness. He jerked his head up, his eyes popping open and pulled at the wheel and roared around the red flashes on the left, on the inner lane. He was dazzled by the headlights of the approaching cars. dazzled - and then he thought he was dreaming: he saw a horse on the road directly in front of him, turning round and round, and a man or a devil on the creature's back, whipping it with his hat. Hinton's foot plunged for the brakes; at the same time he heaved at the wheel, swerving the truck further to the left and into the lane of the oncoming traffic. He heard a scream, violent and inhuman, and what seemed like a gentle thump on his right Fender - he could see nothing but the glare of the lights blossoming in the dark. he pulled the wheel and the truck to the right, back into his own lane, and saw a big automobile sideslipping on his right, plowing up dust and gravel on the shoulder of the road. He was going too fast, too fast; he pushed hard on the brake pedal, hearing his tires screech and shudder on the asphalt pavement. 40 tons, 70 miles an hour: he fought with the giant machine for a thousand feet before he could bring it to a full stop." -
Basis for the movie Lonely are the Brave. Jack Burns, the anachronism, travels to town to break his buddy out of jail. Unfortunately this is mid-20th century Albuquerque, and cowboys breaking their buddies out of jail just don't have much luck. His friend is in for helping illegal immigrants - not a typical cowboy crime. Jack remains true to the code that says you stick with your buddies and family to the end, tries breaking his friend out, fails, and then runs for the hills and Mexico beyond. That's where the truck load-full of toilets comes into the story.
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I'm thoroughly surprised I got through this book omg it's so monotonous which surprised me cuz it's Ed Abbey and it's about an anarchist cowboy?? And like I know I should take in account that it was published in 1956 but it was absurdly racist and the boring plot wouldn't let me overlook that so... I did like parts of it and still like Abbey as an author but it was overall disappointing and cheesy like.. Wow. Hard to get through.
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I read this in the cutest old western edition (thanks Steve!). And it's a cute old western. Except written by Edward Abbey, and so has a loveably heavy handed ending relating to the demise of the American west, and a certain kind of man. The characters are all fully told, which is refreshing in a chase novel.
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I read a large number of books, and this is among the best. The world is changing around Jack Burns, a good hearted cowboy that is out of step with the world. The Kirk Douglas movie Lonely Are the Brave follows the book fairly close. Warning though, it is not a feel good book.
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I loved this one. Kept it to read again. Abbey has a cool style.
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Eh, I've loved Abbey books, both fiction and non- but this one was lacking the gritty humor and brazen environmentalism I'm use to. Barely finished it, and the ending was tragic but predictable.
