Thursday, July 22, 2010

Old Friends

Number ONE Son sent me a box of (my) old westerns with the girls, which I was some glad to see. Most of the authors I read by people like MacDonald or Macmillan, Beevor or Tuchman, Gilbert or Massie, Diamond or Dyer, Blum or Chomsky are fairly heavy stuff.  Even the hard cover fiction I read, LeCarre or Mitchener, are not exactly relaxing.

For that I have always turned to western novels, of which I once had over 100.  They kept disappearing to turn up at either May-B's or #1 Son's.  Book thieves!!  Didn't break me as most were bought second hand for half the marked price.

My favourite western authors are Ernest Haycox, Louis L'Amour, Will Henry (though his books are pretty intense as well) and Dorothy Johnson's two books of short stories.  I've read many different authors and Haycox is by far and away the best.  He wrote wonderful short stories and his novels well researched and well written.

You can see from the picture below, these books are old and well worn, the pages yellow and brittle.  I've read most of them a dozen times or more.  The three Dells were 35 and 45 cents new.  Most of the others about $1.50.  There are a few recent ones in the $4 range.

Old friends.

7 comments:

  1. I love those. So much.

    PS, I just took my inheritance early.

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  2. Old books are like old friends. It is always good to see them. I am surrounded by the books I grew up with. Though I may not read them as often as I did, just having them around brings me comfort.

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  3. I've discovered a new author; mystery writer, but the fact that they're mysteries is almost secondary to the story. More like literature, extrememly well written. If WWI - partly, but more the years right after - is an era that interests you, I'll send a copy of the first in the series.

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  4. MB, that is likely all you'll get, if I can manage not to leave any debt.
    MRM, our home was filled with books, including the ones I had as a kid. My first REAL book was Black Beauty. I am hoping my kids have all the old kids books somewhere for their kids.
    CBF - sounds interesting. Are they mystery or spy? I love a good spy novel. If you like turn of the century to WWI stuff, get hold of John Buchan's novels: Greenmantle, Prester John, Thirty-Nine Steps etc.

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  5. If there's one you need, let me know and I'll hit the second hand book stores. I can NEVER read a book the second time. I MUST have an interest in what's next, and if I've already read it, I already know.

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  6. Thanks for the offer, Dana. I can't bear to part with a book once I have read it (unless it is a borrowed book). The only ones I have read more than once are the westerns. And maybe the odd history book when I was trying to sort out something.

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  7. I'm reminded of a conversation between two cowboys. The one invited his friend to come to the movie house that night because there was a good "eastern" movie showing.

    I understand your preference for "westerns" over "easterns" in books. Shows were you come from.

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