“’...That panther piss will kill any germs you might have. Have you ever
thought about spending a little more and buying a bottle with a label on it?’
‘I don’t drink paper, and besides, I like my poison to be a surprise...’”
(p.12)
Louis Masterson’s “Bloody earth” is a very entertaining work. It tells the story of authorities trying to keep order amidst mass colonization in the state of Oklahoma, as well as a woman’s search for identity and some sort of emotional security. What is also fascinating about “Bloody earth” is the way in which the main protagonist, Morgan Kane, feel sympathy towards the original inhabitants of Oklahoma who is on the very verge of losing all they ever had.
The setting of the story in a boom town provides the natural backdrop for an almost perfect entertaining read. “Bloody earth” is loaded with action and tension, but perhaps most of all; it is funny and full of amazing punch lines in wonderful Western fashion.
“‘...the likes of him, I’d rather have him calling me cuss-words than calling me his friend.’”(p.42)
“I’ve heard plenty about you, and none of it good. Which means you may be the exact man I’m looking for, so long as I don’t turn my back on you”(p.52)
Yet, despite the work being really funny, the story seem to drift for a long time. It’s not easy to write in a way that every chapter is a page turner and it took a long time for things to ‘heat up’ in this work. Masterson compensates for all this by being really really funny and providing some of the most amazing lines. . .
“Whores screamed and cried, dashing from the wagons naked and bolting in all directions. Men followed them, hopping and skipping while trying to pull their pants up” (p.89)
“Sherman, you may know whoring, but I know about Cheyenne. You just leave that detail to me.” (p.94)
When taken into consideration the many shades there is to this work, it is truly amazing. In fact, one is almost ambivalent towards “Bloody earth” since, despite the fact that the story is not always very fast moving, and despite the fact that it is even a bit predictable at times, “Bloody earth” still succeeds in being entertaining and even fascinating. Morgan Kane is no typical lawman, and as a lead character, he is a huge success. He is an unusual man – not always giving you what you exactly expect.
What more is there to say? One begins to read works like “Bloody earth”, expecting one thing, and ending up receiving something else instead. The more I am confronted with these works, the more I am starting to believe that Westerns is not just simple Westerns. They are stories that are often underestimated. Despite having read in total only three Western novels now, of which “Bloody earth” is the second by Masterson, one can clearly start to see patterns in the work of Masterson that differs from DeRosso. But without any further ado, the verdict: “Bloody earth” is a good read and it is because of characters like Kane and works like “Bloody earth” that Western novels should not be overlooked, and least of all underestimated . . .
Louis Masterson’s “Bloody earth” is a very entertaining work. It tells the story of authorities trying to keep order amidst mass colonization in the state of Oklahoma, as well as a woman’s search for identity and some sort of emotional security. What is also fascinating about “Bloody earth” is the way in which the main protagonist, Morgan Kane, feel sympathy towards the original inhabitants of Oklahoma who is on the very verge of losing all they ever had.
The setting of the story in a boom town provides the natural backdrop for an almost perfect entertaining read. “Bloody earth” is loaded with action and tension, but perhaps most of all; it is funny and full of amazing punch lines in wonderful Western fashion.
“‘...the likes of him, I’d rather have him calling me cuss-words than calling me his friend.’”(p.42)
“I’ve heard plenty about you, and none of it good. Which means you may be the exact man I’m looking for, so long as I don’t turn my back on you”(p.52)
Yet, despite the work being really funny, the story seem to drift for a long time. It’s not easy to write in a way that every chapter is a page turner and it took a long time for things to ‘heat up’ in this work. Masterson compensates for all this by being really really funny and providing some of the most amazing lines. . .
“Whores screamed and cried, dashing from the wagons naked and bolting in all directions. Men followed them, hopping and skipping while trying to pull their pants up” (p.89)
“Sherman, you may know whoring, but I know about Cheyenne. You just leave that detail to me.” (p.94)
When taken into consideration the many shades there is to this work, it is truly amazing. In fact, one is almost ambivalent towards “Bloody earth” since, despite the fact that the story is not always very fast moving, and despite the fact that it is even a bit predictable at times, “Bloody earth” still succeeds in being entertaining and even fascinating. Morgan Kane is no typical lawman, and as a lead character, he is a huge success. He is an unusual man – not always giving you what you exactly expect.
What more is there to say? One begins to read works like “Bloody earth”, expecting one thing, and ending up receiving something else instead. The more I am confronted with these works, the more I am starting to believe that Westerns is not just simple Westerns. They are stories that are often underestimated. Despite having read in total only three Western novels now, of which “Bloody earth” is the second by Masterson, one can clearly start to see patterns in the work of Masterson that differs from DeRosso. But without any further ado, the verdict: “Bloody earth” is a good read and it is because of characters like Kane and works like “Bloody earth” that Western novels should not be overlooked, and least of all underestimated . . .
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