Gunman's Rhapsody

Rating:
Summary: A Rhythmless Rhapsody
Review: In "Gunman's Rhapsody," Parker tries to tell the story of the Earp brothers and their time in Tombstone using his terse, sparse style. While this style of storytelling generally works fantastically for the Spenser mystery novels Parker pens, it fails here, as does Parker.

First and foremost, with a few differences, this is essentially Spenser and Susan, simply in Old West costumes. While I have no problem with Parker focusing in on Wyatt's relationship with Josie (and its possible repercussions), the language he uses to describe their feelings and reactions to each other are nearly verbatim from the Spenser novels. Parker defenders may try and claim he is merely using his distinctive style to communicate the love story; for me, it seemed territory Parker had tread many times before in a too similar fashion.

Secondly, the story of Tombstone is a complex one, with many factors and players. Parker is staggeringly inept at informing the reader of the environment (political, social and physical) which is crucial here -- far more crucial than with his Spenser novels, where, because they take place NOW, the reader can easily fill in the gaps, whereas with a story taking place well over a hundred years ago, the reader cannot. While I do understand Parker's main interest (as with most, if not all, of his works) is exploring or illustrating his brand of male-ness, the reader needs MORE explanation and understanding of Wyatt's world. Parker seems to write as if every reader is an expert in Earp-mania; readers unfamiliar with the facts and disputed events of Tombstone may very easily become confused and not understand the import and impact of people and situations. Parker utterly fails to flesh out the secondary characters; many are not even given brief physical descriptions, and he fails to supply something as basic as explanations for the colorful nicknames some of the characters have. (Where is Turkey Creek and why does Jack Johnson have that attached to his name?)

Parker's sparse style also fails him in getting the reader to identify with and experience Wyatt's feelings. At one point, while interrogating one of the cowboys, Wyatt actually yells and swears at the man -- and instead of feeling (or at least understanding why Wyatt feels that way) the anger along with Wyatt, I was merely surprised, not at all sympathetic. Up to the point, Wyatt had either been utterly flat emotionally or moon-eyed over Josie.

For me, Parker's biggest failure in the novel was to add utterly nothing to our understanding or thinking of Wyatt and Doc Holliday's friendship. I don't know how to true to history Parker's characterization of Holliday is, but he is presented (even through Wyatt's point of view) as a shrill, completely unlikeable psychopath. Parker himself, I have to assume from the book, seems to have no clue about why they were friends, as the two seem to have no chemistry or genuine mutual affection.

Another mortal sin Parker commits here is constant telling instead of showing. I get the feeling that Parker is fairly lost outside of the first-person narration used in his detective novels; in "Gunman's Rhapsody," we switch third-person point of view at whiplash pace, sometimes getting three POVs in a page, as well as declarative statements from the author about the character. If Parker had challenged himself to write fuller text, he could spent a bit more time SHOWING the reader things about the characters through their action and dialogue, rather than simply telling the reader how the character feels.

On the positive side, Parker does a fair job showing the strong bond between the Earp brothers. However, this is really simply another variation of Parker's "manly" motif that runs through his books, and is something he can do typing blindfolded and with one finger.

He also does not flinch from showing us Wyatt's selfish side as he abandons Mattie in favor of Josie, and that he beds Josie while she is sharing a house with another man.

If you are determined to read this, I would recommend waiting for the paperback or borrowing it from the libray. Those interested in getting insights into the Earps should look elsewhere.

Rating:
Summary: Hard To Put Down
Review: In 1879 thirty-one-year-old Wyatt Earp, his spouse Mattie, several of his brothers, and their wives leave Dodge City to relocate in Tombstone. Three days pass in their new town when Wyatt sees traveling actress Josie Marcus for the first time. He cannot help but compare the vibrant, beautiful woman to his own wife. He realizes that Mattie, who was fun as an alcoholic whore, is a pathetic domestic. Wyatt did not desire Mattie long before his eyes feasted on Josie.

Josie is not only beyond Wyatt's reach, he sees her with Johnny Behan. Worse to come is when Behan introduces Josie to Wyatt as his fiancee. Johnny tells Wyatt that Pina County will probably split in two. He wants to become sheriff of the newly formed Cochise County when it is formed. He needs Wyatt to resign his current position as under sheriff so that he can accept it as a stepping stone when the split happens. Regardless of Wyatt's decision the woman and the job forces a dangerous feud to form.

Mixing history with his legendary story telling abilities, Robert B. Parker effortlessly switches genres to provide readers with a powerful tale of the old west. The exciting story line centers on Wyatt, turning him into more than just a dime store character. The plot allows the cast to appear real and the rivalry to develop without slowing down the plot for even a moment. GUNMAN'S RHAPSODY shows that Mr. Parker has the talent to become a superstar in a second genre.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Robert B. Parker, Western-Style
Review: It was not Spenser in Earp's clothing. Parker gives a refreshing twist on character development. His work has unexpectedly sparked my interest in Westerns. I highly recommend this book to others.

Rating:
Summary: Parker moves to the OK Corral
Review: Modern detective novelists seem to have a fascination with the westerns. Elmore Leonard did westerns for a while, Bill Pronzini too, and Loren D. Estleman even did an O.K. Corral novel some years ago, and given that this book is on the same subject, apparently there's some fascination. Parker's take on things isn't that different from Estleman's, for instance, but the way it plays out does come out in a unique fashion.

In Parker's take on things, the emphasis is on family. This is a well-known theme of the Earps: they supposedly always stuck together, no matter what, and were clear that they were going to, no matter what. They even backed one another against their "wives", when the women got upset with the one or the other of them. In this retelling of the story, the whole plot revolves around the brothers Earp (James, Virgil, Wyatt, Morgan, and Warren, older to younger) and how they react to various things. One thing they react to is Wyatt falling in love with the woman currently seeing the sheriff, Johnnie Behan. The brothers basically fall in line behind him, though their women (especially Virgil's Allie) are very unhappy with Wyatt dumping his current "wife" Matty.

Wyatt's action triggers Behan's anger, and he begins to scheme. Rather than challenging Wyatt directly he sets various "cowboys" on the warpath, with the Earps as their targets. Things slide along quickly, developing towards the O.K. Corral, and further shootouts and killings after. The plot moves right along and you're soon at the end of the book.

If there's a flaw in the book, it's that there is little character development other than the Earp brothers, Josie (Wyatt's new girlfriend) and perhaps Behan. Curly Bill Brocious and Johnny Ringo, Doc Holliday, and the secondary supporting gunmen who followed Earp after the O.K. Corral get almost no space. Instead Earp is the main character, striding through this novel paying no attention to those things that aren't important, and focusing on those that are. It's an interesting character, well-drawn and worth reading about.

Rating:
Summary: Love Robert Parker but hate this book.
Review: Normally, I love Robert Parker books. However, Parker should stick to the gritty detective novels. The plotline is sketchy and at times hard to follow. It takes place in Tombstone, AZ and is the story or Wyatt Earp and the showdown at the OK Corral. Annoyingly, it does not even include the showdown, which is too bad because Parker is good at describing gunfight scenes.


Rating:
Summary: Parker Shoots and Misses
Review: Okay, maybe we have already been overexposed to the Earps, Clantons, Doc Holliday and the rest. But Parker just missfired in this "historical" retelling of the most famous story of the old west. The characters fail to develope. After awhile you just wish the shooting would get done. Where Parker's characters usually are multi-dimensional, here they are cartoonish.

As usual, Parker is an easy read. I did get through the book quickly. But there were no surprises.

Rating:
Summary: parker is always a good read
Review: One thing you can count on Robert Parker always delivers a solid-well plotted mystery. He's the closest writer out there to the master, Raymond Chandler. Other recommended reads "Bitterroot" by James Lee Burke and "Murder Doesn't Figure" by Fred Yorg.

Rating:
Summary: good, quick read
Review: Parker has left the mystery field to turn out a Western about Wyatt Earp, Tombstone, and the Gunfight at the OK Corral. You won't learn much new if you've read or seen any of the numerous books or movies on this subject, but Parker's spare, laconic style gives a savory flavor to this retelling of the tale. If Parker had gotten deeper into the story and characters, this would have been better, but then I suppose it wouldn't have been a Parker book.

Parker portrays the events in Tombstone as a struggle between northerners (Earps) and southerners, townspeople (Earps) and cowboys, people who come at you "straight" (Earps) and those who don't, and the rivalry for a woman (Josie Marcus) between Wyatt Earp and Sheriff Johnny Behan. Wyatt Earp and other admirable characters, notably Johnny Ringo, are adherents to an unshakeable code of loyalty to family and friends. There's no room for compromise with this code. Wyatt and Ringo admire each other but their ties of family and friends force them to take different sides of the quarrel. Wyatt's brothers support him unconditionally even though they disapprove of his affair with Josie.

In the vast Earp sub-genre of literature, "Gunman's Rhapsody" is minor, but suitable for a quick, satisfying read. For a different -- less historical but more appealing -- Wyatt Earp take a look at my all-time favorite: Henry Fonda in John Ford's movie, "My Darling Clementine."

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing performance for Parker
Review: Rhapsody is the story of Wyatt Earp in Tombstone, his love life, his brothers, and the shoot-out with the Clantons at the OK Corral. It's not the best version. I have the greatest respect for Parker. Looking for Rachel Wallace is a masterpiece of the modern mystery, the first mystery I ever read, and fifteen years later I'm writing them myself. I do whatever it takes to get a new Spenser novel, even though in the last ten years they've been longer on humor and shorter on action (with the exception of Thin Air). No matter. I could read a book with Spenser, Hawk and Susan doing nothing but sitting around a table, I'd be immensely entertained. But Rhapsody has none of the humor, none of the cleverness, none of the insight Parker is famous for. It's limp, boring, and dies on the page. It's a struggle to make it to the end. I love Parker, but there's no wit or humor here, no real plot twists, no life. Even the great ones put out the occasional dud. Sorry, Bob.

Rating:
Summary: A western with a difference.
Review: Robert B. Parker's "Gunman's Rhapsody" is more than a good read. After reading the book, you are educated to the people and events surrounding the gunfight at the OK corral. Most of the scenes in the book are based in fact. The author fills in the details and dialogue with an understanding of the real west.