Tuesday, May 24, 2016

A fun read...

What is it about Westerns?  William W. Johnstone says, "The Western is one of the few true art forms that is one hundred percent American. I liken the Western as America's version of England's Arthurian legends, like the Knights of the Round Table, or Robin Hood and his Merry Men ... it has helped to shape the cultural landscape of America." Most importantly, "the Western is honest. In this great country, which is suffering under the yolk of political correctness, the Western harks back to an era when justice was sure and swift. Steal a man's horse, rustle his cattle, rob a bank, a stagecoach, or a train, you were hunted down and fitted with a hangman's noose. One size fits all."

What I like best about Westerns are the men. The men in Westerns are men of rugged individualism and character. They're strong, and decent, and not afraid to stand up for what's right. Despite their flaws and imperfections, they're heroes. And they sometimes make me wish more real men were like them.


In Those Jensen Boys! the heroes are Ace and Chance Jensen, twin brothers who are quick with a joke, quick with a gun, and even quicker to take up a cause. So when Brian Corcoran and his two lovely (and feisty!) daughters, Bess and Emily, need help against ruthless mine owner, Sam Eagleton, and his hired guns, Ace and Chance Jensen are quick to step into the fray. They may be outnumbered and outgunned, but they won't go down without a fight. This Western has everything a good Western should:  a saloon brawl, a poker game, an ambush, a stagecoach crash, several fist fights, and a final showdown with a hardened gunfighter. Ace and Chance even get to kiss the girls.

This is a fun read. It has action and humor. Bess and Emily are smart and tough and almost as good with a shotgun as Ace and Chance. And the good guys win. The two Jensen brothers reminded me a lot of Louis L'Amour's Sackett clan (though L'Amour does it a little better). I look forward to having more adventures with Those Jensen Boys! 

Happy Reading!



7 comments:

  1. Oh, I'm right there with you! Your sentence "What I like best about Westerns are the men" made me smile.

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  2. :) Sounds like fun, Lark! I remember my grandfather sitting in his recliner with a stack of Louis L'Amour paper backs on the table beside him.

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    1. L'Amour did Westerns well. I like his books, too.

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  3. I haven't read a western for a LONG time, which is kind of funny because as a kid, I loved books like Hopalong Cassidy. Might have to give this a try sometime...

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