Hondo (Louis L'Amour's Lost Treasures): A Novel

by Louis L'Amour

2019

Status

Available

Genres

All Topics

Fiction

Collection

Standard Shelves

Publication

Bantam (2019), 272 pages

Description

Fiction. Western. Thriller. Historical Fiction. He was etched by the desert's howling winds, a big, broad-shouldered man who knew the ways of the Apache and the ways of staying alive. She was a woman alone raising a young son on a remote Arizona ranch. And between Hondo Lane and Angie Lowe was the warrior Vittoro, whose people were preparing to rise against the white men. Now the pioneer woman, the gunman, and the Apache warrior are caught in a drama of love, war, and honor.

User reviews

LibraryThing member bookstorebill

The movie with the same name is good. But as you can guess I am going to say, the book is better. Louis L'amour writes with an understanding of the people in the west at this time. He understands both the Apache's side of the story and the people settling on their land. Hondo the main character,

has lived with both peoples and this enables the writer to bring the reader into the story in informative and exciting way. A really good read if you enjoy westerns.

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LibraryThing member readafew

I just listened to Hondo on CD. Hondo Lane is a rough, tough honest man, just trying to make his way in the world. A world which happens to be full of angry Apache Indians. As a scout he finds himself with his horse shot out from under his saddle in the middle of the desert. He comes across a

homestead with a woman and child abandoned to look after themselves. Its a bad time to be a white especially without a large army behind you.

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LibraryThing member usnmm2

This remains my favarite western novel. I first read it as a young boy, which is most likley why it impressed me so. But I still pick it up and reread it every year or so.

LibraryThing member kcslade

Good western story about Indians and survival.

LibraryThing member DrT

I LOVED this book! Hondo by Louis L'Amour is now one of my favorite books of all time! This short book is a little over 200 pages. Hondo, a white man, had a history of living with two Native tribes and he learned of the way of the Apache. He worked for the army and he knew the lay of the land and

how to track and not leave signs of his presence. He knew how to survive there. He was distant in his presentation but he was also respectful and he had virtues to share if people were willing to listen. He found a small farm owned by a man, a woman and their young son. This book was all about the classic man, virtuousness and dealings with cruel men, both Indian and White and dealings with the Indians and military. Hondo had the task of teaching the young boy, "Little Warrior," how to live like the Apache. This book was about a quiet strength of the man, love and respect for self and the land. Throughout the book they were in the midst of an Apache uprising against the White man. I thought L'Amour did a splendid job with description of the land, the way to raise a child and how to do things like obtain food in a difficult situation and some violence when needed. I can't say enough about this book. I highly recommend it. It warmed my heart and I can hardly wait for my oldest son to read it as soon as he’s old enough. I will go look for more books from him. I’ve only read Last of the Breed by him and I really enjoyed that book when I was young too. I forgot what a great author he was. As of now, I'd give this book 5 out of 5 stars!

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LibraryThing member LisaMaria_C

I'd long heard of Louis L'Amour as among the most famous writers of Westerns and his 1953 novel, Hondo was on a Western recommendation list I've been reading through. Well, I'd be tempted to call this a guy thing. All I can say ladies, that if any male sig other of yours sneers at your bodice

rippers, you need only brandish this novel as an example of the godawful things boys are way too fond of, because this reads like the male counterpart to reeking romance aisle. From the start, the prose sounded like the voice-over from an old-fashioned cheesy trailer. This is the second paragraph, describing Hondo Lane, gunman and hero of the tale:

He was a big man, wide-shouldered, with the lean, hard-boned face of the desert rider. There was no softness in him. His toughness was ingrained and deep, without cruelty, yet quick, hard, and dangerous. Whatever wells of gentleness might lie within him were guarded and deep.

Yet, I pressed on. Through dizzying point of view switches and the breaking of a horse that involves bucking and getting the poor thing into a lather. Until I hit the most painful grouping of gender cliches known to man, woman, or beast. See, "Marty-Stu" Hondo soon meets up with pretty rancher Angie Lowe. And phrases begin to pile up like: he "made her feel like a woman" and she's "a lot of woman" and "all woman" and he's doing a "man's job" she can't do since "she had her woman's work." That's the sound of me retching you're hearing.

Now, by the way, I'm not saying all this genre is crap or for men only. I enjoyed Kelton, was impressed by Little Big Man, The Ox-Bow Incident and True Grit. But I think Louis L'Amour is only for hardcore lovers of the genre who won't notice or care about clunky writing.

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LibraryThing member moonimal

Very western-y. Hard to imagine anything except a John Wayne western (though I've never seen one) when reading this. The book felt very tired and shallow, though it may have set the standard for the genre.

LibraryThing member DinadansFriend

A western about the difficulties of bending families. Made into one of the few likeable John Wayne films.

LibraryThing member jimocracy

This book was okay for what it was. The author didn't do a very good job of making me, the reader, care about one single character and the plot was pretty shallow. I don't think that this kind of writing really stands the test of time but it was mildly entertaining.

LibraryThing member belgrade18

I decided I would try reading a new genre, Westerns, and found this classic at random. The writing is good- beautiful descriptions of the landscape and of the personalities and actions of the characters. But, it's full of senseless violence, racial hatred and genocide, and emotionally stunted macho

men. Sorry, but this just isn't my thing.

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LibraryThing member fuzzi

Hondo is a loner, a dispatch rider for the Army, avoiding warring Apaches through his knowledge and wits. Angie is a woman living alone on her ranch, with only a young child to keep her company, deserted by her husband. When Hondo shows up one day without a horse but toting a saddle a friendship

between the two solitary people is begun.

I liked this much better than I'd recalled from a read of about 30 years ago. Lots of character development without all the self-reflection and angst that is found in some later L'Amour novels. The native tribes are presented as people too, not stereotypes. Good read, recommended.

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LibraryThing member kslade

Good western. I've read it twice. Not a bad John Wayne film too. This is L. L'Amour's first successful novel I think. Date is for the second reading.

LibraryThing member BookConcierge

Book on CD performed by David Straithairn
3.5***

An iconic work of American Western genre, featuring a strong, rather taciturn, loner who lives, and is willing to die, by his principles, and a vulnerable but equally strong woman determined to keep her family home and protect what she holds dear.

The

setting is practically a character: the southeast corner of Arizona, populated by rattlesnakes, gila monsters, coyotes, jackrabbits and pumas, not to mention the various Apache tribes fighting to regain their historic lands. Hondo Lane is at home in this unforgiving landscape, having lived with the native Apaches for some years and learned how to find water where this is none, how to track game (and men), and how to avoid being tracked. Angie Lowe is also at home here, having grown up on the ranch with her father who was on friendly terms with the local chief, Vitorro. They are, obviously, perfect for each other. Except … he’s a confirmed loner acting as a scout for the local military unit, and she is already married (though her good-for-nothing husband has been missing for a few months).

As tensions between the Native Americans and the military units increase, Hondo feels compelled to return to Angie Lowe’s side.

David Straithairn does a fabulous job of performing the audiobook. He brings these characters to life.

The text I had handy included a significant afterword by L’Amour’s son that gave more background into how the author came to write this work which launched his fame and career as a writer of Westerns. I’m glad I took the time to read it after listening to the audiobook.

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