Sign in with FacebookMike (the Paladin)'s Reviews > Jubal Sackett
Jubal Sackett (The Sacketts)
by Louis L'Amour
by Louis L'Amour
I got this audio version of the book from the library recently to listen to when I was busy with mindless tasks...or just wanted something on when I was "relaxing". I read it many years ago and recalled it as I listened. On the whole I like Louis L'Amour and this is an early title(in the story's time line) of his most "iconic" fictional family the Sacketts.
I've read several reviews of the L'Amour books here and one thing I've seen criticized in them (though not "real" often) is his treatment of the Native Americans in his stories. I don't think it's an accurate (or fair) criticism. He does use the word "Indian" but it was a perfectly acceptable word in the time he wrote and has only recently begun to be considered "politically incorrect". The word was indeed based on an early misconception of where the European explorers were and I know that Native Americans today often prefer that the word not be used to refer to them. Still the novels were written decades ago now and the use of the word in itself was never meant to be derogatory at that time it was acceptable.
L'Amour in his treatment of his characters doesn't treat groups or races as "monolithic". In Non-Indian American (non-Native Americans bore in America), European, Spaniard, or Indian (Native American), etc. peoples each are made up of humans. Therefore in each "group" there are good and bad individuals. He tries to treat each group, each tribe etc. with respect and as equals. Whether he succeeds or not may be up to each reader, but I believe he tried.
This story is good absorbing and interesting with something for most readers of light fiction, there's action, adventure, a romance that tends to dominate the above, all pretty good. So, why the 3 star rating instead of say 4? Because there is an element he writes into this story that (for me) pushes the "over the top" boundary and comes close to being silly. I can go with the best in the suspension of belief and let the story have it's own reality plot device category...but this one has an element that for a frontier novel is just a bit much. It doesn't really hurt the story and only pops up now and again but just came so close to a head shake situation for me that I finally had to admit to myself that I found it a bit silly.
Of course to state it would constitute a spoiler, so I will only mention what below a spoiler warning.
Still, good book and if you're a fan of novels about frontier America, the Sacketts, or L'Amour himself, don't miss it over this one small point. It's not that big a deal, and the story is still good.
************************* Spoiler Below Line *************************
It was just the Buffalo.... If you've read the book you know that Jubal befriends a Buffalo that ends up following him around like a dog or something (this of course is Big Medicine with the Native Americans). It just got to be a bit much for me... A bison isn't a pet, a man was killed by one just a few months ago in a zoo when he got too close. In the book Jubal trains it to stay out of the corn field...come on.
I've read several reviews of the L'Amour books here and one thing I've seen criticized in them (though not "real" often) is his treatment of the Native Americans in his stories. I don't think it's an accurate (or fair) criticism. He does use the word "Indian" but it was a perfectly acceptable word in the time he wrote and has only recently begun to be considered "politically incorrect". The word was indeed based on an early misconception of where the European explorers were and I know that Native Americans today often prefer that the word not be used to refer to them. Still the novels were written decades ago now and the use of the word in itself was never meant to be derogatory at that time it was acceptable.
L'Amour in his treatment of his characters doesn't treat groups or races as "monolithic". In Non-Indian American (non-Native Americans bore in America), European, Spaniard, or Indian (Native American), etc. peoples each are made up of humans. Therefore in each "group" there are good and bad individuals. He tries to treat each group, each tribe etc. with respect and as equals. Whether he succeeds or not may be up to each reader, but I believe he tried.
This story is good absorbing and interesting with something for most readers of light fiction, there's action, adventure, a romance that tends to dominate the above, all pretty good. So, why the 3 star rating instead of say 4? Because there is an element he writes into this story that (for me) pushes the "over the top" boundary and comes close to being silly. I can go with the best in the suspension of belief and let the story have it's own reality plot device category...but this one has an element that for a frontier novel is just a bit much. It doesn't really hurt the story and only pops up now and again but just came so close to a head shake situation for me that I finally had to admit to myself that I found it a bit silly.
Of course to state it would constitute a spoiler, so I will only mention what below a spoiler warning.
Still, good book and if you're a fan of novels about frontier America, the Sacketts, or L'Amour himself, don't miss it over this one small point. It's not that big a deal, and the story is still good.
************************* Spoiler Below Line *************************
It was just the Buffalo.... If you've read the book you know that Jubal befriends a Buffalo that ends up following him around like a dog or something (this of course is Big Medicine with the Native Americans). It just got to be a bit much for me... A bison isn't a pet, a man was killed by one just a few months ago in a zoo when he got too close. In the book Jubal trains it to stay out of the corn field...come on.
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I grew up in the country, and know of kids who rode cows etc...but still, a buffalo (bison) as a saddle animal is sort of a stretch. I mean I like L'Amour, I just found that plot device a little on the "oh come on" side. It didn't ruin the book completely...it just made it a stretch.
You are, I must say, not just a spoiler, but ignorant of fiction! You really make me sick, as you take a superb story, I mean a very, very good classic fiction, and try to dissect it as a commentator for an article of non-fiction may do! You must enjoy talking for the sake to hear yourself talk!!!! Get Serious........and Mellow out!! Maybe it is just to difficult for you to relax with a good book, as you may be like those who's minds are going a hundred miles an hour, missing everything beautiful and magical,as they go by so fast!By, the way, the Animal Channel had a gent on there, who raised buffalos(bison), AND COULD ACTUALLY RIDE ONE, WHOM HE RAISED FROM A BABY!!!!!!!
Humm...I believe Mike (above) likes the book, of course I could be wrong. Apparently I know little about what others write. I would apologize, but unfortunately some things in this book just bugged me (I won't go over it all again). Of course, I like most of L'Amour's work. Maybe you can forgive me for not being overjoyed with this one??? If not, I'll try to "bear up" under the disappointment...
Oh, and cool down. You'll do yourself an injury or pop a blood vessel or something.
Oh...by the way, this is overall a positive review, and the spoiler is under a spoiler warning so I sort of fail to see what upset you.
Oh well.
Sorry I went on so long, maybe I just like to...hear myself talk.
I've seen bulls (male bovine cattle with all parts in-tact) trained as pets. It is conceivable that a buffalo may have had a friendly disposition. Don't believe me? Research Lyudmila Trut and her experiments with foxes in Siberia. Also, dogs are nothing more than wolves that have been selectively bred for thousands of years. There had to be some friendly wolves at some point, so why not bison?