Pretty Boy Floyd

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining But Inexcusably Naive
Review: Although this was a generally entertaining book, it was disappointing on two counts. First, it really does read as though it was written by two different authors. The first half of the book lacks depth, while the second half of the book is much more well written. Second, the authors' give an often historically inaccurate and inexcusably sympathetic portayal of Floyd, who was one of the most notorious criminals of his day. The authors would have you believe that he was a fairly decent guy who only hurt others when he had to. On the contrary, Floyd was an extremely self-centered man who cheated regularly on his wife (he often lived with another lover, Beulah Baird, and was known to frequent brothels), and stole from, expoited, threatened, harassed, kidnapped, or killed many innocent victims, including many poor and middle class people. Today, Floyd would be diagnosed as an antisocial personality disorder and he was a sinister man whose criminal deeds, including numourous murders, reaped havoc on dozens, if not hundreds of people. This is the overriding impression that one should have of Floyd and how he should be remembered. McMurtry and Ossana were irresponsible for presenting him in a glorified manner, even though this is a novel. Readers who are uninformed about Floyd's devious nature will be swayed by this book to feel sorry for this egocentric gangster. Therefore, they would be better off reading other, more accurate accounts of Floyd's life, such as Jeffrey King's "The Life and Death of Pretty Boy Floyd."

Rating:
Summary: PRETTY BOY FLOYD (LARRY MCMURTRY AND DIANA OSSANA
Review: Charley Floyd, had a simple life and had a wife and son. That all changed after he robbed a armord car. Soon he got caught and spent 4 years in the pen. After getting out his wife left him. He then said he would never get caught again. This then sparked his long carrier as a small town bank robber. This novel takes you through the life of a loved gangster that the press named "Pretty boy Floyd" for his boyish lookes and his Manley kindness. All the people that Floyd robbed all said he was always kind and nice to them all. Soon after being put on the top ten most wanted list his life started to change dramaticlly. Then he was put on the number one spot and was being hunted like a wild wolf. Soon he had no freedom and his life that he loved was becoming a black hole.

Rating:
Summary: The Life of a Loved Gangster
Review: Charley Floyd, had a simple life and had a wife and son. That all changed after he robbed a armord car. Soon he got caught and spent 4 years in the pen. After getting out his wife left him. He then said he would never get caught again. This then sparked his long carrier as a small town bank robber. This novel takes you through the life of a loved gangster that the press named "Pretty boy Floyd" for his boyish lookes and his Manley kindness. All the people that Floyd robbed all said he was always kind and nice to them all. Soon after being put on the top ten most wanted list his life started to change dramaticlly. Then he was put on the number one spot and was being hunted like a wild wolf. Soon he had no freedom and his life that he loved was becoming a black hole.

Rating:
Summary: Like eating a Twinkie....delicious but nothing there.
Review: Fans of Larry McMurtry need not visit this book for any understanding of whom Charles Arthur Floyd was, what he did or why he ended up doing what he did. While it offers us an interesting and easy read, it offers nothing of the reality of life in depression era Oklahoma (as well as other states) that lead this sad person to become the criminal dubbed as "public enemy number one". While the writing is easy to follow and the characters are interesting (as are all of Mr. McMurtry's characters)we are lead to believe that someway, somehow this person was wrongly treated and that his robbery of uninsured banks and murder of people doing their jobs in that depressed economy were not only acceptable, but in some way were honorable actions. Fun fiction...the key word being fiction.

Rating:
Summary: An great adventure novel with dose of reality
Review: I really liked this book mainly for two reasons: 1) It is based on a true story 2) It was VERY fast-paced

Over the years, I read almost everything by Larry McMurtry and have not yet been disappointed. "Pretty Boy Floyd" is a very enjoyable romp. It approaches every character and situation with light-hearted attitude and excitement but does not allow too much time to pass by before reminding the readers that there are consequences for every action and a certain point after which you can never turn back and make ammends.

Charlie appears to be a larger-than-life character. He is kind and courtuous to everyone he meets, unless he takes immediate dislike to a person or that person is shooting at him, and although he has moments when he's blue or his temper flares up, he is hard not to like. The novel abounds with fun characters; from sensible but vulnerable Ruby, Charlie's wife, prescious Dempsey, Charlie's son, spunky Beluah, Charlie's girlfriend, smart and sassy Ma Ash, Charlie's mentor, George Birdwell, Charlie's partner in crime and a cowboy at heart, Bob Birdwell who is the most original character in the novel and etc. The only problem with the whole novel is that it has too many characters and not enough space devoted to each one. The authors take the time to describe Charlie's victims and random people who cross his path but they spend too little time on them for us to care about or too much time to let us know that they were real people and good too.

I don't think that this novel glorifies Charlie in any way. On the contrary, I think a more apt title for this novel is "Crime does not pay". For all the hoopla surrounding Charlie's life and career, the fact remains that he died at 30 and never could lead the life he truly wanted.

Rating:
Summary: An great adventure novel with dose of reality
Review: I really liked this book mainly for two reasons: 1) It is based on a true story 2) It was VERY fast-paced

Over the years, I read almost everything by Larry McMurtry and have not yet been disappointed. "Pretty Boy Floyd" is a very enjoyable romp. It approaches every character and situation with light-hearted attitude and excitement but does not allow too much time to pass by before reminding the readers that there are consequences for every action and a certain point after which you can never turn back and make ammends.

Charlie appears to be a larger-than-life character. He is kind and courtuous to everyone he meets, unless he takes immediate dislike to a person or that person is shooting at him, and although he has moments when he's blue or his temper flares up, he is hard not to like. The novel abounds with fun characters; from sensible but vulnerable Ruby, Charlie's wife, prescious Dempsey, Charlie's son, spunky Beluah, Charlie's girlfriend, smart and sassy Ma Ash, Charlie's mentor, George Birdwell, Charlie's partner in crime and a cowboy at heart, Bob Birdwell who is the most original character in the novel and etc. The only problem with the whole novel is that it has too many characters and not enough space devoted to each one. The authors take the time to describe Charlie's victims and random people who cross his path but they spend too little time on them for us to care about or too much time to let us know that they were real people and good too.

I don't think that this novel glorifies Charlie in any way. On the contrary, I think a more apt title for this novel is "Crime does not pay". For all the hoopla surrounding Charlie's life and career, the fact remains that he died at 30 and never could lead the life he truly wanted.

Rating:
Summary: Alright for bed-time!
Review: If you want to learn about the gangster/outlaw breed of Pretty Boy, Ma Barker, Baby Face, etc., & understand more about the forces that created them, forget about this book. Any story told in a pure narrative style, like this one, naturally lends itself to embellishments of the truth, wild assumptions & a good few gross exagerations. This one is no exception. The fact that certain characters' feelings & thoughts in their final moments of their death throws, are clinically & vividly described, says it all. Bottom line with Charley Floyd is that he thought himself too good to become a poor farmer & proved himself incapable of success at any other activity, legal or illegal. He was a thieving, violent, adulterous & under-achieving cry-baby, who, as we see from his choice of cranky, miserable & homicidal side-kicks (Birdwell excepted), was also an awful judge of character. The author however, paints him in such tender tones, that when Pretty Boy's tacky, unsuccessful life of crime comes to it's predictible violent close, I am half expecting to read in the book's Epilogue, of his elevation to sainthood. His great gifts were his good looks & his immense charm, especially with women. What a shame he didn't move West to take part in the then burgeoning Hollywood film industry, or even try his hand as a door-to-door saleman. He was an absolute natural for either. Be that as it may, the narrative style is racy & exciting. The chapters are short, making this a very undemanding, entertaining bed-time read. Sadly, the flimsyness of the content is likely to leave you real hungry in the morning!

Rating:
Summary: Alright for bed-time!
Review: If you want to learn about the gangster/outlaw breed of Pretty Boy, Ma Barker, Baby Face, etc., & understand more about the forces that created them, forget about this book. Any story told in a pure narrative style, like this one, naturally lends itself to embellishments of the truth, wild assumptions & a good few gross exagerations. This one is no exception. The fact that certain characters' feelings & thoughts in their final moments of their death throws, are clinically & vividly described, says it all. Bottom line with Charley Floyd is that he thought himself too good to become a poor farmer & proved himself incapable of success at any other activity, legal or illegal. He was a thieving, violent, adulterous & under-achieving cry-baby, who, as we see from his choice of cranky, miserable & homicidal side-kicks (Birdwell excepted), was also an awful judge of character. The author however, paints him in such tender tones, that when Pretty Boy's tacky, unsuccessful life of crime comes to it's predictible violent close, I am half expecting to read in the book's Epilogue, of his elevation to sainthood. His great gifts were his good looks & his immense charm, especially with women. What a shame he didn't move West to take part in the then burgeoning Hollywood film industry, or even try his hand as a door-to-door saleman. He was an absolute natural for either. Be that as it may, the narrative style is racy & exciting. The chapters are short, making this a very undemanding, entertaining bed-time read. Sadly, the flimsyness of the content is likely to leave you real hungry in the morning!

Rating:
Summary: MacMurtry follows his successful recipe
Review: Larry McMurtry delivers on his proven formula of rich and funny character development. His strength is the ability to bring alive trivial minor characters and make them unforgettable. Too many characters from inferior works appear to only serve as plot suppliers and do not fuel the continuing story. McMurtry makes his characters believable, solid and Pretty Boy Floyd is in the same light as Lonesome Dove, The Last Picture Show and Texasville. His simple, unpompous yet resonant writing style compares to Steinbeck's observations. Recommended.

Rating:
Summary: It made me laugh, cry, and want more.
Review: Larry McMurtry is NOT a man who would ask to rent a pig. Nor did he write anything less than a great book, in Pretty Boy Floyd. I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. Starting with a bungled armed car holdup in the fog, and ending with me actually holding back tears. Wow! If this helps others with a frame of refence, I loved Lonesome Dove, and Texasville, but didn't really care for Terms of Endearment or Cadilac Jack. If this book was a dead snake, I'd skin it and make it a belt. I liked it a lot.