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| The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford | 
 enlarge | Author: Ron Hansen
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Category: Book
List Price: $13.00
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Avg. Customer Rating:  (15 reviews)
Sales Rank: 44874
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 320
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.8
ISBN: 0060976993
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780060976996
ASIN: 0060976993
Publication Date: February 26, 1997
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
Absorbing and obscure August 22, 2007
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
A tapestry of fact and fiction, recounting the last years of James' life and the entirety of Ford's. The prose in this is amazing, dense-packed and grimly poetic, an unsentimental depiction of hard lives and moments of lyrical beauty. The experience of reading the text was so thoroughly absorbing, impossible to skim through, that it almost made me overlook the feeling I had afterwards of not really having much more insight into James and Ford as characters by book's end than I did at the start.
Hansen's James is a force of nature, beyond good or evil or human judgement, a tyrant and a child, cruel and kind. "Rooms seemed hotter when he was in them, rains fell straighter, clocks slowed, sounds were amplified: his enemies would not have been much surprised if he produced horned owls from beer bottles or made candles out of his fingers." A great character, yes, but it's hard to get at the heart of such a cipher. Hansen's Ford is even more obscure - although Ford is the other half to this story and a poignant lost-boy figure, the way he's presented here is almost a cliche, an overlooked child crying for attention in a society which seems to reward infamy. All of this, by the way, is clear from the first few chapters - Hansen doesn't seem to really move beyond these ideas, never reveals more about who *he* thinks these men were.
But, you know, I can forgive a lot when the man writes like this. "No one talked as Jesse moved - it was as if his acts were miracles of invention wondrous to behold. Martha stared at Jesse as she cooked, Ida was moonstruck as she set down another dish, Charley and Wilbur grinned gregariously whenever his eyes floated near." Beautiful.
 Wonderful Blend of History and Narrative August 2, 2005
16 out of 17 found this review helpful
Ron Hansen's book relies extensively on archival research of newspaper accounts, courtroom accounts, and memoirs, all of which contribute to this intelliegent, exceptionally well-written tale of the death of Jesse James. Focusing on the individuals involved, as opposed to the deeds of the James gang, although these are described as required by the narrative, this book develops an understanding of the personal dynamics at work in the undoing of the great Jesse James. A gripping and ultimately satisfying read, The Assassination of Jesse James is a must-read for anyone with interest in the old west.
One of the two best Western novels ever June 20, 2005
20 out of 22 found this review helpful
I agree with the reviewers who laud Mr. Hansen's superb novel and give it five stars. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is sprawling and precise, Shakespeare out of Camus crossed with Peckinpah. I don't think that the book is too detailed or slow, as one reader reports. I think that the detail helps make the book what it is: An absolutely convincing account of the men and the times, taut all the way, and not romanticized. In my opinion, there are two great novels of the American West that transcend the genre and become real literature:Elizabeth Fackler's "Billy The Kid: The Legend of El Chivato," and this novel about Jesse James and Bob Ford by Mr. Hansen.
Superb prose, but too much of a good thing? April 14, 2000
8 out of 9 found this review helpful
Hansen is an exemplary wordsmith and this is a wonderfully written book. Steeped in vivid detail and obviously painstaking research, it's enlightening and informative. If it fails at all its in its excesses. Can there be too much detail? Too deep an examination of the people and events surrounding the principal players? Unfortunately the answer is "yes," and those excesses make this book a tough, slow read. The fine quality of the writing, however, will certainly make up for some of the lapses in storytelling for many readers, especially those with higher literary standards.
 Creative and well-written, but just not "gripping" February 15, 2000
8 out of 17 found this review helpful
This book starts off with long descriptions of interesting facts that lost my interest after about 5. And the rest of the book followed that drawn-out precedent, with some entertaining action, dialog and humor mixed in. I enjoyed the interesting view on America it exemplified that you don't often find in contemporary novels. Jesse James was also portrayed in an astonishing light, but it got old and boring after a while. As soon as the shock wore off, I was just waiting for it to end to see exactly how Jesse was assassinated. I was not let down, but this book just had too much information and too many details without enough plot and dialog for my liking.
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