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'Me-Smith'
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Following the publication of Owen Wister's The Virginian in 1902, Western novels became extremely popular, and several Montana women became successful genre writers. These writers, including Caroline Lockhart and Bertha Muzzy Sinclair Cowan (best known as B. M. Bower), drew inspiration from the life, land, and folklore of Montana. Their stories suggest the enduring place that Montana has in the imagined, symbolic West. They also reveal the role gender discrimination played in popular expectations about Westerns and their creators. Scholar Jane Tompkins has explored the power of the Western-both in novels and on film-in the American psyche. She argues, "The West functions as a symbol of freedom, and of the opportunity for conquest. It seems to offer escape from the condition of life in modern industrial society. . . . The creak of saddle leather and the sun beating down, the horses' energy and force-these things promise a translation of the self into something purer and more authentic, more intense, more real." This version of the West was decidedly masculine. And while largely mythic, it was an idea that was wildly popular-especially among the country's young men-from 1900 to 1975.
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Following the publication of Owen Wister's The Virginian in 1902, Western novels became extremely popular, and several Montana women became successful genre writers. These writers, including Caroline Lockhart and Bertha Muzzy Sinclair Cowan (best known as B. M. Bower), drew inspiration from the life, land, and folklore of Montana. Their stories suggest the enduring place that Montana has in the imagined, symbolic West. They also reveal the role gender discrimination played in popular expectations about Westerns and their creators. Scholar Jane Tompkins has explored the power of the Western-both in novels and on film-in the American psyche. She argues, "The West functions as a symbol of freedom, and of the opportunity for conquest. It seems to offer escape from the condition of life in modern industrial society. . . . The creak of saddle leather and the sun beating down, the horses' energy and force-these things promise a translation of the self into something purer and more authentic, more intense, more real." This version of the West was decidedly masculine. And while largely mythic, it was an idea that was wildly popular-especially among the country's young men-from 1900 to 1975.
What are you waiting for 'Me-Smith' is one click away, select the "Buy Now" button in the top right corner NOW!
130 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 22, 2018
I had this author on my lists from Gutenberg, specifically on the "Howdy,Pardner!" list for interesting-looking Westerns. When I discovered that I could use the book for two different challenge tasks this month (read a Western, and read a book with a person's name in the title) I figured it was the perfect time to finally have a peek at Lockhart's work.
Unfortunately, I did not care much for this book. I can appreciate the different viewpoint, with the main character being an absolutely despicable creature, a cold-blooded murderer, a conniving, deceitful lout who is only interested in what he can get from anyone he meets. Well, I can appreciate the idea of this viewpoint, the idea of giving a twist to the typical Western hero. But the reality of it was not as appealing.
The first chapter shows what a cad Smith is. He is lost out on the range and asks an Indian he meets for directions. Then promptly kills him. Shoots him so full of lead I was disgusted. Steals his blanket and is annoyed with himself for making a couple of bullet holes in it. Pulls a moccasin off the dead man's foot to confirm by the beading what tribe the man had belonged to. Then this as he left:
“I’m a killer, me—Smith,” he said, and grinned.
Well, dang.
So I was more than prepared for this Smith creature to be a man I would love to hate, and he was. I kept reading to see what kind of chaos he would create and if he would ever get caught, but I never did really enjoy the story and just skimmed for highlights after the halfway point.
What was wrong with this book for me, I wonder? I've read others with hateful characters, so it wasn't completely that. I did think the ending was superb and totally justified, even if it was a bit corny. Maybe that was the problem. The whole plot felt corny. One of the characters was a 'bug-hunter' which the author claimed is the name for any scientific type in the West. This one was hunting for fossils and turned out to be a very convenient person to the plot. But it all still felt corny.
This was Lockhart's first novel, so maybe her later work would seem different to me. There are four or five others at Gutenberg, but judging from my blah response to this one, I doubt if I will ever try any of them.....not me--Zapata.
Unfortunately, I did not care much for this book. I can appreciate the different viewpoint, with the main character being an absolutely despicable creature, a cold-blooded murderer, a conniving, deceitful lout who is only interested in what he can get from anyone he meets. Well, I can appreciate the idea of this viewpoint, the idea of giving a twist to the typical Western hero. But the reality of it was not as appealing.
The first chapter shows what a cad Smith is. He is lost out on the range and asks an Indian he meets for directions. Then promptly kills him. Shoots him so full of lead I was disgusted. Steals his blanket and is annoyed with himself for making a couple of bullet holes in it. Pulls a moccasin off the dead man's foot to confirm by the beading what tribe the man had belonged to. Then this as he left:
“I’m a killer, me—Smith,” he said, and grinned.
Well, dang.
So I was more than prepared for this Smith creature to be a man I would love to hate, and he was. I kept reading to see what kind of chaos he would create and if he would ever get caught, but I never did really enjoy the story and just skimmed for highlights after the halfway point.
What was wrong with this book for me, I wonder? I've read others with hateful characters, so it wasn't completely that. I did think the ending was superb and totally justified, even if it was a bit corny. Maybe that was the problem. The whole plot felt corny. One of the characters was a 'bug-hunter' which the author claimed is the name for any scientific type in the West. This one was hunting for fossils and turned out to be a very convenient person to the plot. But it all still felt corny.
This was Lockhart's first novel, so maybe her later work would seem different to me. There are four or five others at Gutenberg, but judging from my blah response to this one, I doubt if I will ever try any of them.....not me--Zapata.
Did Not Finish
June 25, 2019I've been on a classics spree, and 'Me:Smith' was recommended as a classic by Project Gutenberg. Why, I don't know.
I tried really hard and got to 38% of the book
I did not want to agree with the reviews I read on here. But goodness gracious, I couldn't get myself to care one bit about any of the characters. The lead character, Smith, is an insufferable twat with an overblown sense of self-importance. Susie is just annoying, and so is her mother, the Indian woman. Dora is the cliché woman that all men would like: cute giggle, earnest eyes, and all that mess. The only character I could have liked was MacArthur. He seemed the only intelligent one of the lot, and even he was terribly dull. I'm sorry, I really tried, but I can't read any further.
I hope it gets better farther along, but I won't be the one to find out 😂.
I tried really hard and got to 38% of the book
I did not want to agree with the reviews I read on here. But goodness gracious, I couldn't get myself to care one bit about any of the characters. The lead character, Smith, is an insufferable twat with an overblown sense of self-importance. Susie is just annoying, and so is her mother, the Indian woman. Dora is the cliché woman that all men would like: cute giggle, earnest eyes, and all that mess. The only character I could have liked was MacArthur. He seemed the only intelligent one of the lot, and even he was terribly dull. I'm sorry, I really tried, but I can't read any further.
I hope it gets better farther along, but I won't be the one to find out 😂.
March 20, 2012
Read my review at my blog.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews