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Texas
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Spanning four and a half centuries, James A. Michener’s monumental saga chronicles the epic history of Texas, from its Spanish roots in the age of the conquistadors to its current reputation as one of America’s most affluent, diverse, and provocative states. Among his finely drawn cast of characters, emotional and political alliances are made and broken, as the loyalties e
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Paperback, 1472 pages
Published
November 12th 2002
by Dial Press Trade Paperback
(first published January 1st 1985)
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Quite a long time ago, I lived in Texas for a while.
That is how I came to understand my distinctly European identity and education. For Texas was different. Very different. I walked to the supermarket with my baby in a stroller. You don't do that in Texas. You take a car. I bought food for a day or two. You don't do that either. You buy for months in advance, loading your giant truck full with groceries. I tried to explore the city centre of Dallas. Well, there is none - not in the European sens ...more
That is how I came to understand my distinctly European identity and education. For Texas was different. Very different. I walked to the supermarket with my baby in a stroller. You don't do that in Texas. You take a car. I bought food for a day or two. You don't do that either. You buy for months in advance, loading your giant truck full with groceries. I tried to explore the city centre of Dallas. Well, there is none - not in the European sens ...more
Too much blatant racism, KKK glorification, religion and noone nonwhite of value. Oil and longhorns excluded. Nevertheless, the stories around these topics are better written and told than not. Good thing since there are over 1100 pages. 6 of 10 stars
I believe this is one of the first behemoth books I ever read. It was certainly my first Michener book. I remember pretty vividly the anecdotes of the origins of Texas, the standoff at the Alamo, the struggles for independence and the capitulation with generous conditions to Washington. I read it before I moved to Texas back in 93 (I lived in Austin from '93-'95 and LOVED it) and it served as sort of a cultural guide. I know, hard to believe because one does not associate Texas with culture beyo
...more
Sep 07, 2010
Benjamin Thomas
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical-fiction
I have read most of Michener's work, and I rate Texas among the big three, not only in size but in quality. (The other two are Centennial and Chesapeake). I particularly like the way Michener presents the entire history of Texas, and yet focuses on the key aspects of change that make this region so interesting. We see how cotton, cattle, oil, barbed wire, football, etc have changed the very culture of the people of Texas. Each long chapter is another window from which we can see the evolution of
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As a lover of historical fiction, I knew I would love this book. And, I was not disappointed. I loved how Michener set up this story--a task force has been selected to research the curriculum that will be taught to schoolchildren regarding Texas history, and the history is told through the stories of their families (not the heroes--despite them being mentioned as well).
Michener's research in the affairs of Texas is astounding, and his writing was brilliant throughout. The earlier characters are ...more
Michener's research in the affairs of Texas is astounding, and his writing was brilliant throughout. The earlier characters are ...more
Texas, James A. Michener, 1985, 1096 pp. ISBN 0394541545
Fictionalized history of Texas, 1535 through 1984.
No likeable characters.
Michener writes with worshipful admiration of men who steal, defraud, and murder, in pursuit of their own freedom to do as they will, to others’ cost. (p. 276, 648–649)
Men who casually steal their neighbors’ cattle, then murder those neighbors who return the favor.
The heirs of wealth gained by theft, murder, fraud, and corruption are here at the end of the story. They ...more
Fictionalized history of Texas, 1535 through 1984.
No likeable characters.
Michener writes with worshipful admiration of men who steal, defraud, and murder, in pursuit of their own freedom to do as they will, to others’ cost. (p. 276, 648–649)
Men who casually steal their neighbors’ cattle, then murder those neighbors who return the favor.
The heirs of wealth gained by theft, murder, fraud, and corruption are here at the end of the story. They ...more
"Resistance is futile." This was a chore. Honestly. A book nearly as big as the state which, unless you already love it, is somewhat impenetrable and unknowable.
There's a meta-narrative within the book of a liberal family that moves to TX from Michigan and is "in, but not of" yet over a slow battle of attrition, eventually becomes so thoroughly Texan that they end up voting straight Republican while their now baton-twirling daughter marries a hulking Dallas Cowboys lineman and all is just about ...more
There's a meta-narrative within the book of a liberal family that moves to TX from Michigan and is "in, but not of" yet over a slow battle of attrition, eventually becomes so thoroughly Texan that they end up voting straight Republican while their now baton-twirling daughter marries a hulking Dallas Cowboys lineman and all is just about ...more
This is my favorite book by Mitchner. I read it right before we took our family to Texas to San Antonio to see the Bomans, to Austin to see Debby and Len, and to Houston to visit Doug and Diana. It affected me emotionally. Especially the accounts of the first settlers along the Red River, and how they survived on pecans the first winter after crop failure.
When I actually visited the Alamo and San Jacinto I got choked up and every time I saw one of those huge Lone Star flags, or saw the blue bel ...more
When I actually visited the Alamo and San Jacinto I got choked up and every time I saw one of those huge Lone Star flags, or saw the blue bel ...more
I finally finished it. Not quite history, not quite fiction, this book was... well, historical fiction. And it really taught me why I don't like historical fiction. Many of the made-up historical "facts" are pointless, the characters are one-dimensional, and everything about Texas has to make it into the plot, no matter how unrelated. Armadillos... football... hunting... Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders... chicken-fried steak.
That said, there were reasons I kept reading this 1096-page behemoth. Sinc ...more
That said, there were reasons I kept reading this 1096-page behemoth. Sinc ...more
Kind of hard to get through. Very dense stuff. There are some jewels in here, and the way he choose to structure the book is very interesting: the story within the story.
Well, after about 2 years I have finally managed to complete this one.
The first third was very hard to get through (remember that the entire book was over 1300 pages). The middle part was really pretty good and enjoyable. The last third was just OK. I read the final two thirds in 4 months. However, I only read it here and there ...more
Well, after about 2 years I have finally managed to complete this one.
The first third was very hard to get through (remember that the entire book was over 1300 pages). The middle part was really pretty good and enjoyable. The last third was just OK. I read the final two thirds in 4 months. However, I only read it here and there ...more
I first picked up Michener's Texas because I am a fan of Edward Rutherfurd. Both authors tell the story of a specified place through the interlocking stories of certain families through the ages, a method which I usually enjoy. This novel then, is meant to be a fictional narrative of Texan history. Michener examines important events like the battle at the Alamo and the Civil War and factors like religion, the immigration of various different ethnic groups, oil and American football and examines
...more
TEXAS
This book was so long I had to take notes so I would remember what happened. Below is a basic summary of the whole thing. It spans from the 1500s Mexico till just up after the 1984 election. Essentially there are a bunch of different things that make Texas what it is today: Mexico, cotton, shooting people, willful ignorance, oil and ranching money and the baby Jesus. According to the book everyone is basically super rich and successful unless they’re Mexican. And most of them are somewhat t ...more
This book was so long I had to take notes so I would remember what happened. Below is a basic summary of the whole thing. It spans from the 1500s Mexico till just up after the 1984 election. Essentially there are a bunch of different things that make Texas what it is today: Mexico, cotton, shooting people, willful ignorance, oil and ranching money and the baby Jesus. According to the book everyone is basically super rich and successful unless they’re Mexican. And most of them are somewhat t ...more
This book is the reason I’ve read so few others this year. At 1322 pages (and small type), it beats "Atlas Shrugged" as the longest novel I’ve ever read. It’s a sweeping epic of 850 years of Texas history that’s part "Lonesome Dove" and part "One Hundred Years of Solitude." It begins in 1535 with Coronado leading the first Europeans from Ciudad de México into what would become Texas on a quest to discover the Seven Lost Cities of Gold, and ends in the mid 1980s with a longhorn auction and the ar
...more
Michener, as always, is long on tooth, but in "Texas" he broke up the time periods very nicely, by reverting to a modern day committee formed to research Texas history and propose guidance for the teachings of Texas history. So, for the breaks in time, you come back to characters you know and which are still being developed. The interesting twist is that the committee members are decedents of those you read about in the historical fiction. The book covers 1540 AD through 1983 AD. Michener points
...more
FINALLY! It took me so long to read this book. I mean, it's a big one. Weighs five freakin' pounds. Anyway, I really loved this book up until they started talking about Texas football (more than halfway through). I skimmed over that part, most of the bits about Houston real estate, and some of the randomness toward the very end. The last section of the book didn't feel that cohesive to me, while the rest of the sections addressed very specific subjects like war, immigration, politics, slavery, f
...more
This is the book of the year for me so far. Such a well researched, entertaining historical fiction novel. I have been reading this book for a very long time. Indeed, it was the largest book I read this year. The history of Texas told by generations of fictional characters, from the 16th century to late 1900s. One can only imagine the scope of this juggernaut of a book. It felt like traveling back in time and coming back to 2021. You come across 100s of interesting characters. Among them, Native
...more
This is my 3rd Michener read, the others so long ago I forget except the titles. Texas is a big state with a big history that is amenable to whopper size telling too and JM is at it here as he traverses 4-plus centuries of border(s) type contrast and conflict which even now, maybe moreso than ever a reflection of shifting dynamics coursing for inexorable change.
Michener uses narrative characters past and present, lineage some factual some not, all aimed at the various Texas expansion from explo ...more
Michener uses narrative characters past and present, lineage some factual some not, all aimed at the various Texas expansion from explo ...more
After finishing Hawaii several months ago, I decided I would like to read more (maybe all?) of Michener’s books. But I have to tell you, to pick up and finish one of these is no small feat. But so worth the time! This time out I chose Texas, birthplace of my maternal grandfather. This, like other Michener books, is multigenerational. This one started in mid 1500’s with the conquistadors. It covered topics from prejudice, slavery, war, politics, Indian relocation, longhorn cattle, oil, football…a
...more
This was a LONG'un! Thankfully I chose the Kindle edition, so I wasn't carrying around 10lbs of book.
I enjoyed the majority of this book, but didn't particularly care for the Task Force interludes between chapters. Also, I felt that the last chapter ran a little long for me. I think I enjoyed reading Centennial a bit better than Texas, but this was still a great read regardless.
One really gets a good sense of Texas character after reading this book (assuming the representation is accurate) so ...more
I enjoyed the majority of this book, but didn't particularly care for the Task Force interludes between chapters. Also, I felt that the last chapter ran a little long for me. I think I enjoyed reading Centennial a bit better than Texas, but this was still a great read regardless.
One really gets a good sense of Texas character after reading this book (assuming the representation is accurate) so ...more
I think Michener did a good job of tackling the various ethnic groups as well as the entire historical and geographic scope of Texas. He covers armadillos, the immigration issues and Texas football as well as the Comanche, Texas Rangers and other more historic things I assumed he'd include.
...more
Jan 03, 2021
Dave Harmon
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
didnt-finish,
fiction
Eh, its not very good. not worth finishing. page 171
Whoo boy. The good parts are good and the bad parts are bad. I love history and great people stories and Texas history in particular. But this was far too taken up with elitism by the end of the book, and I was very much over the whole task force conceit about 150 pages before Michener was. Like reeeeeally didn't care about Rusk and his stupid museum and 'dillos.
Seeing the that the Michigan immigrant family converted to a particular kind of Texanism--complete with UT twirlers and Cowboys player ...more
Seeing the that the Michigan immigrant family converted to a particular kind of Texanism--complete with UT twirlers and Cowboys player ...more
Enjoyable read, but a heck of a slog. It is a loooooooooooooooooong book. I am assuming it was historically accurate, which makes it educational, interesting, surprising, awesome, as well a awful and appalling at times. Only the truly committed and hard men and women survived the early years, and then not even all of them. The characters were delightful, though even some of those with redeeming values certainly had qualities that that were less than admirable. The bias and prejudices displayed b
...more
Again a tale of men (mostly) at their most heroic, resilient, and innovative and also at their most ignoble, unreasonable, greedy and grasping and (brutally) intolerant as it provides a broad pageant of history of what is now Texas... The framing device of the task force is again Mr Michener at his most inspired and serves to create a viable lens for the stories of the Lone Star state down the ages - from the first Spanish settlements, the Americans' arrival, war and Independence, the Civil War,
...more
Published in 1985 in the aftermath of Reagan's decisive re-election victory over Mondale this demonstrates the ability of Michener, a loyal Democrat, to understand and to sympathetically report on the ideas and motivations of his Republican fellow citizens. Ransom Rusk, the main character of the latter chapters, is a hard working and patriotic Texas billionaire who evolves into a philanthropist. Rusk's grandparents are also major and heroic characters who throw light on the very troubled relatio
...more
I very much enjoyed the state of 'Hawaii' (beautiful beaches, parks, flowers, green hills everywhere) but didn't care much for the state of 'Texas' (the beaches don't really count as they are only gulf beaches, it's relatively flat and brown everywhere). And, as art does imitate life often, I felt the same about the books. (I know many people love the state of Texas, especially those born there, it's just that I like beautiful, turquoise water when I go to the beach, and I like lots of green eve
...more
Weaving the lives of families in Texas together over several centuries, Texas is an epic novel that sometimes reads as non-fiction. As with most books by Michener, it is exceedingly long, but that length is not a drawback in the least. Some storylines are more interesting than others, but they all constantly intersect in various ways. The biggest negative I could see was that it ends in 1985 (when it was published). I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Texas history with a lot of
...more
Apr 02, 2021
Tammy
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
historical fiction
Very long. This fourth time of reading this book, I chose to read in segments. Basically, it's the history of Texas told in the form of stories along several family lines. A keeper.
...more
4 stars because Mirabeau Lamar got a serious spit shine (gleaming glory-style); education in Texas (actually it's an impressive attribute of the state's citizenry) gets short shrift; and because the rich history of achievements and contributions by Texas blacks and women goes unrecognized. Overall, a most enjoyable read for someone who typically shuns historical fiction because of the unnecessary license taken with fact and fancy.
...more
Again, one of my favorite books by Michener. You can just tell by the way the characters develop how Texas got it character, charm, and stubbornness. Michener takes the reader through the entire gambit of the history of Texas, from dealing with the Apache and Comanche indians, to the Mexicans. This book has just about everything in it. A fun read!
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James Albert Michener is best known for his sweeping multi-generation historical fiction sagas, usually focusing on and titled after a particular geographical region. His first novel,
Tales of the South Pacific
, which inspired the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific, won the 1948 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
Toward the end of his life, he created the Journey Prize, awarded annually for ...more
Toward the end of his life, he created the Journey Prize, awarded annually for ...more
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