Doc in Retro Chapter Chicks

Jul 22, 2016 Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: own

He began to die when he was twenty-one, but tuberculosis is slow and sly and subtle. The disease took fifteen years to hollow out his lungs so completely they could no longer keep him alive. In all that time, he was allowed a single season of something like happiness.

This book is an historical fiction book. There are many things that are true historical facts wrapped around some great fiction by the author. There are a couple of mentions of Tombstone in the book, but this is mostly about Dr. Joh ...more

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Oct 09, 2018 Candi rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: westerns, historical-fiction

"To sell newspapers, the journalists of his day embellished slim fact with fat rumor and rank fiction; it was they who invented the iconic frontier gambler and gunman Doc Holliday. (Thin. Mustachioed. A cold and casual killer. Doomed, and always dressed in black, as though for his own funeral.)"

I have a lot of respect for an author that tries to set the facts straight, and that is exactly what Mary Doria Russell did here with this piece of interesting historical fiction. There are a myriad of wi "To sell newspapers, the journalists of his day embellished slim fact with fat rumor and rank fiction; it was they who invented the iconic frontier gambler and gunman Doc Holliday. (Thin. Mustachioed. A cold and casual killer. Doomed, and always dressed in black, as though for his own funeral.)"

I have a lot of respect for an author that tries to set the facts straight, and that is exactly what Mary Doria Russell did here with this piece of interesting historical fiction. There are a myriad of wild stories and legends surrounding Dr. John Henry Holliday, otherwise known as Doc Holliday. According to Russell in the author’s note: "Arriving at the end of historical fiction today, the modern reader is likely to wonder, ‘How much of that was real?’ In this case, the answer is: not all of it but a lot more than you might think." This book briefly introduces us to Doc as a young boy, the educated son of an affluent Georgia planter who later studies dentistry, a ‘respectable profession for a gentleman.’ The main focus of this novel, however, is the time Doc spent in Dodge City, Kansas, the years prior to those legendary events in Tombstone, Arizona. We also meet the famed Earp brothers as well as Mária Katarina Harony, simply called Kate, or Big Nose Kate (behind her back, of course.) Raised in the imperial court of Mexico and well-versed in several languages, Kate was forced to flee to the United States for political reasons. Her life then turned in a downward spiral, forcing her into the one profession that allowed her to remain standing on her own two feet – prostitution. In Dodge City, Doc will set up a dentistry practice by day and play cards by night. Much of his drinking, I learned, was attributed to his tuberculosis. Bourbon was a means of quieting a cough and dulling the pain. There is also a mystery surrounding the death of a mixed race boy named Johnnie Sanders. This intrigued me, but unfortunately seemed to get lost in the many other threads within this book, resurfacing only on occasion as a reminder that the case was still not solved.

I am a huge fan of Mary Doria Russell – I adored her science fiction novels, The Sparrow and Children of God. As a result, I had very high expectations for this book. While I did come away from this one feeling like I had learned a lot more and cleared up many of my pre-conceived notions of Doc, I did not find myself fully engaged. Why that is, I am not completely sure… I’m just going to ramble a bit about that as I think and write. I certainly enjoy an excellent western from time to time – maybe I set the bar too high when I think of my all-time favorite, Lonesome Dove. I know it’s not fair to compare with THAT western, but I admit that I can’t get it out of my head when reading in this genre. There were a lot of characters in this book, and Russell does a very good job of developing them, but I didn’t necessarily care too deeply about any of them. Nor did I dislike any of them. In reading a western, I typically get wrapped up in the grand, sweeping landscapes. Not so here. I think perhaps I spent too long inside the saloons and gambling rooms this time around. I’m not much of a card player, gambling does not interest me; therefore I was a bit bored during what should have felt like the more tense and exciting poker and faro scenes. I wanted to ride horses, shoot guns, and have even more run-ins with the law! Okay, I admit the ending was rather exciting and did leave me satisfied!

I am definitely an outlier here. So, please read more reviews and decide for yourself if this is a book for you or not! Personally, this one gets 3.5 ‘interesting but not hugely compelling’ stars. ...more

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Sep 17, 2018 Brina rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, action-adventure, western

See my review for Epitaph. I thoroughly enjoyed both and wrote a joint review. Both rank in my top books for 2018.

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Sep 09, 2012 Book Concierge rated it it was amazing

Shelves: concierge, library, audio, historical-fiction, 19th-century, texas, western, kansas

Audio book performed by Mark Bramhall

John Henry “Doc” Holliday was educated, a Southern gentleman, an accomplished pianist, a compassionate dentist, a gambler, and tubercular. Wyatt Earp and his brothers, Morgan and James, were the proof that sons raised by a bully will either follow in his footsteps or rebel by becoming champions of the downtrodden. These iconic figures of the American West are forever linked by the events of one afternoon in Tombstone Arizona. But this book introduces us to th ...more

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May 17, 2011 Tasha rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction

It started off a little slow for me but then once I got into the rhythm of the story, I really enjoyed it.

After a few years, I still think about this book so decided to up it from 3 to 4 stars. It's definitely deserving of the higher rating if it still pops up in my head from time to time. This one introduced me to the author and I've been wanting to read more of her stuff ever since as well. ...more

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Oct 24, 2024 Celia rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2024-kindle-counted, kindle-list, 2024-read, ten-year-challenge, historical-fiction-read, recommended, jaline, western, 52-2024

Doc Holliday is a well-known dentist, gambler, and gun fighter. He was born in Georgia. His mother died very young of consumption. Consumption (tuberculosis) eventually took Doc's life as well at the tender age of 37.

This book impressed me with its well researched description of Doc's life and personality. Most of the book takes place in Dodge City KS. Other notable residents: Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson.

I have a new vision of Doc and his compatriots. Also learned about his common law wife: Big ...more

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