Anything for Billy

Rating:
Summary: But why?
Review:

The book is written in a breathless late 19th Century dime novel style, that still manages to be dull. The plot is full of exciting incidents that don't hold your attention. The characters are a colorful cast of eccentrics that you can't care about them...

Rating:
Summary: another legend
Review: An extremely enjoyable read. McMurtry has successfully and most entertainingly added to the many and various legends of Billy The Kid. If you prefer McMurtry's more indepth novels, you may want to steer clear of this one. It is as has been stated before, a bit of an homage to the dime store novel tradition.

Rating:
Summary: VERY GOOD
Review: I BOUGHT THIS BOOK IN ST CROIX,IT WAS VERY GOOD.IT S ABOUT BILLY THE KID.

Rating:
Summary: Not His Best Work
Review: I don't know the publishing history of Anything For Billy, but it reads like a very early story. Rough and unpolished, darn it, it just doesn't make much sense. While there are some very quirky and interesting characters and incidents (the US Cavalry's experiments with the dromedary camel was a hoot), its just not McMurtry's best. The Arabian/African swordsman really reminded me of that line in The Third Man where the British Major is reading Holly Martens' dime novel and says `Interesting...I never knew there were snake charmers in Texas.' Don't be fooled by the jacket either...this has VERY little to do with Henry McCarty AKA Billy The Kid. Pick up Streets of Laredo or Lonesome Dove or Horseman, Pass By and leave this one on the shelf.

Rating:
Summary: History takes a back seat.
Review: In this imaginative novel featuring one of New Mexico's most beloved citizens. But where is Lew Wallace? What happened to Tunstel? The reader wonders if the main character is really based on Henry McCarty at all.

No matter, it's an engaging story complete with the droll characters we expect from Mr. McMurtry.

Rating:
Summary: Pulp western dramatic comedy - Loved it!
Review: It may be an ode to dime novels, the story is epic drama in the style of Sergio Leone, or possibly Bud Spencer and Terrence Hill, with a touch of distance and humour provided by the narrator, writing down the story in a dry voice. Mr. Benjamin Sippy from Philadelphia is a big fan of Western dime novels. When his supply slows down, he first starts cranking them out himself - then, when it stops completely, he jumps on the first train west and falls in with a young kid named Billy Bone. Along for the ride, he witnesses and documents Billy's short but wild career in fame, love and death. Many colourful characters complete the setting - Joe Lovelady, the cowboy; Katie Garza, the Mexican bandit; gunslingers, buffalo hunters and more. There may be little in the way of character development, but they all come to brilliant (if usually short) life. And there was certainly a development in the way I saw Billy. So put on that Ennio Morricone CD, grab a bottle of cheap bourbon and dig in.

Rating:
Summary: Great Western, unlike any other
Review: Read from the perspective of Mr. Sippy, (and he doesn't come from Mississippi). A dime novelist that leaves his family after his wife tosses his collection of Dime novels. His career as a train robber ends short, after he fails to rob a train, which Billy Bone never fails to note. Mr. Sippy soon forms friendship with Billy Bone and Joe Lovelady (my favorite character). Joe Lovelady kind hearts attracts you more to this particular character, but don't get too attached or you will find yourself disappointed, and anyone who has read this book knows why. The characters in the book is what assists your interest in this reading. Each character has their own unique personality. You find yourself becoming more like Mr. Sippy then any other character; he takes you through the angst, struggle, and hardships of the outlaw's life. His in-depth detail strings many emotions and feelings throughout the reading. You find yourself hating, loving and downright becoming Billy Bone. The chapter that truly captures Billy Bone's personality is "let me fall" after reading the book I found myself fingering the pages of this chapter again. The bad part is, this book contradicts historical accuracy making it slightly hokey. I was disappointed to see the tactics and base of the book get turned into a cheap love story. Katie Garza would have been better left out in this book. And Billy Bones death should have ended on a more nobler note, and I think he should of stuck to history when Pat Garret was the actual man who killed the infamous Billy the Kid. Then again the Book wasn't for historical references anyway. If you are a fan of William Booney or should I say Billy the Kidd, read this book. I also advise to watch the Billy the Kid movies.

Rating:
Summary: Boring!!!!
Review: This book was really dumb. I did not like it at all. It was just soo sooo boring. I thought it [stunk].

Rating:
Summary: Anything for Billy
Review: This book was so wonderful I doubt I can decribe it. It's about Billy the Kid, Benjamen Sippy and Joe Lovelady. Sippy and Joe are Billy's proctectors and companions. My favorite charictor is Katie Garza. Billy was a little rough for me, but, then again, he was a bit diffrent when he died. Billy's death shocked me, and not all deaths do. What shocked me was not that he died, as anyone who has read the book will know, but HOW he died. This is a great book, that no one should pass up.
-A McMurtry Fan

Rating:
Summary: Interesting read if you have been to some of the places
Review: This is my second McMurtry book (first was Picture Show). In this book, McMurtry details the life of the outlaw in the southwest, Billy Bone, from the eyes of a bored upper class journalist from the east coast. Though parts of it could be construed as the life of Billy the Kid (especially the other outlaws), this is a different Billy altogether. The parts of the book I really enjoyed had to do with when the outlaws were traveling in Texas, New Mexico (Las Cruces), and south o' the border into Mexico.

All in all, I think you'll enjoy this book, but it really is a quick read (and not a difficult read either).