Appaloosa (Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch Series #1)

Not a bad Western

Parker did a good job with this, a fast read,

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Seldom read westerns

As the headline suggest I rarely read westerns but liking Robert Parker I decided to give it a chance. I admit I was not disappointed and read it in one sitting. It has a noncomplicated theme so if you are lokking for a complex story you won't find it. The chaacters are interesting as is the story. If you have never read westerns or don't like them this one may change your mind.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Always A Joy

I am nearing the end of the list in my queat to read all of the books written by Robert B. Parker. As usual, this book doesn't disappoint. Mr. Parker is gifted at not only weaving a complex tale, but at making it amusing, thought provoking, and yet somehow light. The pervasing theme to all of his works remains that of enduring love and friendship, the ability of his characters to communicate with one another wordlessly, and accept these others for who they are. In this regard, the characters of Everett and Virgil mirror those of Spencer and Susan in his detective series. As lawmen / gunslingers they adhere to their own moral code, which guides when and how it is permissible to kill. A code difficult to disagree with, it also includes their views on treatment of women ahead of the time.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Unbelievable characters

The hero, Virgil Cole is an arrogant bully who is unbelievably capable. His sidekick, Everett Hitch, caters to his every whim. I prefer my characters a little more human.

GOOD but EXPENSIVE Read

Can't say I'm disappointed in the least with Parker's style or content. Definitely a good read. $7.99 for 173 e-pages is a bit steep.

You can get any number of greater length books from the likes of Nesbitt, Compton, Johnstone, L'Amour, Brandvold, Kelton, etc., for under $5.00.

Also don't understand why the ebook sells for more than the paperback. It's not even a "LEND ME" :(

Perhaps NookBooks will start to cost MORE just like online banking and payment services. They will start to attach "Convenience Fees"?

LOVE the characters, and would LOVE to read more in their adventures. Definiitely engrossing and typically enjoyable albeit costly. Probably wouldn't reccommend based on cost alone, and probably won't be reading subsequent Parker novels for the same reason.

Almost like the movie.

I had already read some of Parker's "Jesse Stone" books and enjoyed them. I recently rented "Appaloosa" so when I found out it was also a Parker book, I wanted to read it. I normally like to read the book before the movie, but in this case, the movie followed the book so closely that it didn't really matter. I liked both so much that I plan on reading the rest of the series very soon. One of the things that made this such an enjoyable read was the dialog between Cole and Hitch. The ending was a bit of a surprise but perfect. The fact that the movie followed the book so closely says a lot about the quality of Parker's writing.

A bit of fresh air for a typical western

I decided to check this book out, because the movie looked interesting. It's a typical good guys come into town to clean out the scum that is running things. I love how laid back and yet, tough guys that Virgil and Everett are. The story moves nicely and the plot is believable. I fell in love with these characters. I really enjoyed it. Keep in mind, I've only read one other western, Shane. This the first book in the Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch series. I have read all of them.

Great Read!

Was fun to read a good old western. Parker's style is easy to read and this book has an interesting plot. Our book club chose it as our western selection and all agreed it was a worthwhile read.

Another smooth read from Parker

Cole and Hitch are comfortable characters with interesting standards for their time.

True Western

The detail and clarity in this novel was first-rate. As one reviewer said,the author does put you in the saddle. He allowed the reader to be there and experience the old west. The story was very entertaining.

VERY GOOD

I saw the movie based on this novel and could not wait to read the book. I am a few pages away from the ending. I DON'T WANT IT TO END!!! I am going to savor those last few pages!!! I will probably not read the sequels due to not wanting to get caught up in the series, but this is a fast and entertaining read. The author puts the reader in the saddle. I could feel myself in the horse blanket taking in the wild smells, eating beef jerky, eating hardtack with bitter tasting coffee-all around the campfire. God I just loved it. One of the big shootout scenes had me on the edge of my seat. I actually felt the fear experienced by Virgil and Everett just before the fight!!! I was the third man helping them in that gunfight!!! That's how good the writing is--he puts us there with the characters. Can't say enough about this gem of a book. Just hate to see it end. BUY THIS BOOK!!!

This and Brimstone are great fun

Can't wait for his next one. Also am enjoying his Jesse Stone series

Appaloosa, a different sort of western.

I love the characters of Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch. They're outside your normal western characters. The story fluently moves and the ending isn't what you expect.

Effortless relaxation

The plot is predictable, the characters may be more real than many would guess, the flow is smooth and overall a good days light reading. Don't read to much into it, just let yourself go with the flow and enjoy. A lot like the old westerns i grew up watching on tv with the exception that the good guys are more realistic. The first western i've read in years, but i'll probably try another soon.

modern western

Good orignal story line on a worn out setting. Border patrol problems, who
would have guessed, but a well written story none the less.

Having just read the book and later the same week watched the movie both were exceptional for the subject matter.

Amazing Book (MUST GET)

GREAT book should get. good descrption amazing plot. must get.

if you like westerns then read this.

i got this from a friend and i loved it frome the first page. it has gun fights, whisky, and cat houses. like all westerns it has a noon shoot out and a love intrest.

Appaloosa Follows The Western Formula

A famous author once said, 'Write what you know.' Robert B. Parker, for the most part, has done just that in writing so many mysteries over the years. However, with this story, Parker has finally found success in a completely different genre. While his first attempt at a Western fell short of expectations, this one has definitely met them, and then some. Parker follows the formula for a true Western 'to a T'. It is the classic story of two lamen who come to clean up a town that is being run by the classic Western villian in Randall Bragg. The one downside to this story is the writing style. There is a lot of 'he said' 'She said' 'they said', etc., even when characters are asking questions. Perhaps this is Parker trying to mimic something from that era. Perhaps it is hiw own writing style. But that aside, he has stil written a piece that any purist fan of Westerns will thoroughly enjoy.

Why Bother

What a disappointing story. I found the book depressing, I had no empathy for ANY of the characters, and found myself not caring about anyone in the book. The book was lifeless. I was curious about one thing. Was the name of the bad guy, Randall Bragg, a play on the name of Stephen King's superb villain, Randall Flagg? Bragg can't touch Flagg as a villain.

No research and no knowledge

This book was a pain to read. The grammar and vocabulary used by the characters was something from 'Deadwood'. People did not speak like these 'heros' in the old west. A second generation West Point graduate would be unlikely to use, 'ain't' and other words, expressions and grammar more likely to come from the mouth of some uneducated hick. The author's knowledge about firearms was completely lacking. You don't open and close the cylinder of a single action Colt. A rifle fits in a scabbard, not a sheath. A 10 gage shotgun exists, but an 8 gage would have been impossible to find, even if you could invent the ammo. A badly researched book. Mr. Parker must have gotten his dialog and plot from some 'B' movie. Two thumbs down!

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.