Publication
New York : Simon & Schuster, 2015.
Collection
Call number
Fiction B
Physical description
435 p.; 25 cm
Status
Available
Call number
Description
"After a violent encounter that leaves four Mexican soldiers dead, Hackberry escapes the country in possession of a stolen artifact, earning the ire of a bloodthirsty Austrian arms dealer who then places Hack's son Ishmael squarely in the cross hairs of a plot to recapture his prize, believed to be the mythic cup of Christ. Along the way, we meet three extraordinary women: Ruby Dansen, the Danish immigrant who is Ishmael's mother and Hackberry's one true love; Beatrice DeMolay, a brothel madam descended from the crusader knight who brought the shroud of Turin back from the Holy Land; and Maggie Bassett, one-time lover of the Sundance Kid, whose wiles rival those of Lady Macbeth. In her own way, each woman will aid Hackberry in his quest to reconcile with Ishmael, to vanquish their enemies, and to return the Grail to its rightful place" --… (more)
Series
User reviews
LibraryThing member lostinalibrary
House of the Rising Sun by author James Lee Burke opens in 1916 in revolutionary Mexico. Former Texas Ranger Hackberry Holland is searching for his estranged son, Ishmael, a captain in the US army, who may have been captured by the Mexican army. Although he is unable to find his son, he kills
The novel is chock full of action, great dialogue, and memorable characters. Hackberry is an interesting and very likable if flawed hero – he is a bit of an anachronism, a man straddling two worlds, a product of the old west with its lawlessness and sense of individual justice, uncomfortable in the modernity characterizing the gilded age at the beginning of the 20th century. He drinks too much, acts impulsively and violently without considering possible consequences, and he makes terrible choices. Since the story is told in the third person active voice, we readers are privy to all these bad choices yet it is impossible not to root for him or sympathize even knowing the likely poor outcomes not only for Hackberry but for others including the son he has set out to find. Beckman makes a great villain, a robber baron with a penchant for fine living and sadistic acts, and Ishmael, honest, naïve to a fault, and loyal to the men he commands, is a true innocent, perhaps the only one in this tale, despite the horrors he has witnessed.
But there are also some very strong female characters here too, women determined to make their own way in a man’s world: Maggie, Hackberry’s legal wife, manipulative, self-serving, and ruthless, Ruby, Ishmael’s mother and a tough smart union organizer, and Beatrice DeMolay, brothel madam, intelligent, and always one step ahead who could teach Hackberry a thing or two about the benefits of a well-thought out plan if he only had the patience to listen.
House of the Rising Sun is a well-written novel, fast paced with plenty of suspense and tension. It has appeal for lovers of westerns as well as thrillers and is the kind of tale that sucks you in right at the beginning and doesn’t let up until the end.
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several Mexican soldiers and steals an important artifact that belongs to Arnold Beckman, a ruthless arms dealer. Fast forward to 1918 and Beckman is determined to get the artifact back and will do anything including kidnapping and torturing Ishmael who was wounded at the Second Battle of the Marne. The novel is chock full of action, great dialogue, and memorable characters. Hackberry is an interesting and very likable if flawed hero – he is a bit of an anachronism, a man straddling two worlds, a product of the old west with its lawlessness and sense of individual justice, uncomfortable in the modernity characterizing the gilded age at the beginning of the 20th century. He drinks too much, acts impulsively and violently without considering possible consequences, and he makes terrible choices. Since the story is told in the third person active voice, we readers are privy to all these bad choices yet it is impossible not to root for him or sympathize even knowing the likely poor outcomes not only for Hackberry but for others including the son he has set out to find. Beckman makes a great villain, a robber baron with a penchant for fine living and sadistic acts, and Ishmael, honest, naïve to a fault, and loyal to the men he commands, is a true innocent, perhaps the only one in this tale, despite the horrors he has witnessed.
But there are also some very strong female characters here too, women determined to make their own way in a man’s world: Maggie, Hackberry’s legal wife, manipulative, self-serving, and ruthless, Ruby, Ishmael’s mother and a tough smart union organizer, and Beatrice DeMolay, brothel madam, intelligent, and always one step ahead who could teach Hackberry a thing or two about the benefits of a well-thought out plan if he only had the patience to listen.
House of the Rising Sun is a well-written novel, fast paced with plenty of suspense and tension. It has appeal for lovers of westerns as well as thrillers and is the kind of tale that sucks you in right at the beginning and doesn’t let up until the end.
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LibraryThing member Beamis12
We are literally dropped into Mexico and a bordello of the title name. Hack is looking for his son Ishmael, a son he hasn't seen since he was a child, but had recently been the commander of a Negro troop in revolutionary Mexico. That visit to the bordello and his theft of an artifact from a cruel
Hack is a study in contradictions, a man who regrets actions he cannot change but who is unable to let an injustice go unpunished. He is at times a heavy drinker, in many ways his own worst enemy. At war with himself he attempts to mesh his innate goodness, with the violent acts he commits and cannot seem to escape. He has few friends and not many left who love him. Yet, finding his son is his main concern in an attempt to pay retribution for past neglect. I adore this crazy mixed up man.
Three woman, woman whose strength and fortitude are unusual in these times. None from easy beginnings or enviable pasts, they live life in their own way and take advantage of those that consider them the weaker sex. Love them or hate them, they are brilliant characters and each interact with Hack in different ways.
One funny moment finds Hack, with a black man who may or may not have been a voodoo priest in Haiti, trying to learn to drive a stick shift. It does not end particular well but is a brief interlude of fun in an otherwise quite violent story. Burke is brilliant, his characters replaceable and his story not for the faint of heart. He is in a word, amazing.
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arms dealer will change his life for the foreseeable future.Hack is a study in contradictions, a man who regrets actions he cannot change but who is unable to let an injustice go unpunished. He is at times a heavy drinker, in many ways his own worst enemy. At war with himself he attempts to mesh his innate goodness, with the violent acts he commits and cannot seem to escape. He has few friends and not many left who love him. Yet, finding his son is his main concern in an attempt to pay retribution for past neglect. I adore this crazy mixed up man.
Three woman, woman whose strength and fortitude are unusual in these times. None from easy beginnings or enviable pasts, they live life in their own way and take advantage of those that consider them the weaker sex. Love them or hate them, they are brilliant characters and each interact with Hack in different ways.
One funny moment finds Hack, with a black man who may or may not have been a voodoo priest in Haiti, trying to learn to drive a stick shift. It does not end particular well but is a brief interlude of fun in an otherwise quite violent story. Burke is brilliant, his characters replaceable and his story not for the faint of heart. He is in a word, amazing.
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LibraryThing member SamSattler
Hackberry Holland is a man within whom the forces of good and evil are constantly battling. On the one hand, Hack is a good man who always strives to do right by his fellow man. On the other, he is a man who, despite all his innate kindness, sometimes loses control in the heat of a moment and does
His friends (many of them ex-Texas Rangers like Hack) and family have all been tested at one time or another by Hack’s rash behavior. Some of them feel as if they have been trying to save Hack from himself forever – but they still come running, albeit reluctantly, when the man needs help. And right now Hack needs every bit of help he can round up because he has stirred the wrath of a man who will stop at absolutely nothing to retrieve the jeweled cup that Hack has taken from him.
Austrian Arnold Beckman is Hackberry Holland’s opposite. Hack is a well-intentioned man whose mistakes, when they cause injury to innocents, keep him from sleeping at night. Beckman is a man who not only does not worry about injuring those weaker than himself, he takes great delight in doing so in ways that will inflict the worst psychological damage and physical pain imaginable upon his victims. This may not a fight that he ever meant to pick, but after Beckman involves Hack’s estranged son in the battle to regain the lost cup, Hack knows it is one that will have to be fought all the way to its bloody conclusion – whatever that turns out to be.
House of the Rising Sun is a rousing adventure set during that period of Texas and U.S. history during which the ways of the Old West are being replaced by more “modern” ways of doing things. World War I is over and Americans are confident that the War to End All Wars has done exactly that. Never again will young men be sacrificed to save the world from itself. Unfortunately, everyone fails to account for the existence of men like Arnold Beckman. But there are, thankfully, still a few throwbacks around like Hackberry Holland who recognize Evil when they see it and are willing to fight it to the death.
The greatest strength of any James Lee Burke novel, and House of the Rising Sun is no exception, comes not from the first rate thriller that the man writes but from the emotional depth of the characters with which he populates those thrillers. Hackberry Holland is a man very much in the mold of Burke’s best-known character Dave Robicheaux. Like Robicheaux, Hack is filled with self-awareness and regrets; he is a man who will one day look back at his life and judge himself more harshly than even his meanest critics would ever dare. James Lee Burke understands human nature as well as anyone writing today, and he paints a setting as vividly as any artist ever painted one. He is a true master of his craft.
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some very bad things. His life is now filled with so much regret that Hack has come to believe that it is his personal failings that best define him. His friends (many of them ex-Texas Rangers like Hack) and family have all been tested at one time or another by Hack’s rash behavior. Some of them feel as if they have been trying to save Hack from himself forever – but they still come running, albeit reluctantly, when the man needs help. And right now Hack needs every bit of help he can round up because he has stirred the wrath of a man who will stop at absolutely nothing to retrieve the jeweled cup that Hack has taken from him.
Austrian Arnold Beckman is Hackberry Holland’s opposite. Hack is a well-intentioned man whose mistakes, when they cause injury to innocents, keep him from sleeping at night. Beckman is a man who not only does not worry about injuring those weaker than himself, he takes great delight in doing so in ways that will inflict the worst psychological damage and physical pain imaginable upon his victims. This may not a fight that he ever meant to pick, but after Beckman involves Hack’s estranged son in the battle to regain the lost cup, Hack knows it is one that will have to be fought all the way to its bloody conclusion – whatever that turns out to be.
House of the Rising Sun is a rousing adventure set during that period of Texas and U.S. history during which the ways of the Old West are being replaced by more “modern” ways of doing things. World War I is over and Americans are confident that the War to End All Wars has done exactly that. Never again will young men be sacrificed to save the world from itself. Unfortunately, everyone fails to account for the existence of men like Arnold Beckman. But there are, thankfully, still a few throwbacks around like Hackberry Holland who recognize Evil when they see it and are willing to fight it to the death.
The greatest strength of any James Lee Burke novel, and House of the Rising Sun is no exception, comes not from the first rate thriller that the man writes but from the emotional depth of the characters with which he populates those thrillers. Hackberry Holland is a man very much in the mold of Burke’s best-known character Dave Robicheaux. Like Robicheaux, Hack is filled with self-awareness and regrets; he is a man who will one day look back at his life and judge himself more harshly than even his meanest critics would ever dare. James Lee Burke understands human nature as well as anyone writing today, and he paints a setting as vividly as any artist ever painted one. He is a true master of his craft.
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LibraryThing member TexasBookLover
FICTION
James Lee Burke
House of the Rising Sun
Simon & Schuster
Hardcover, 978-1-5011-0710-8 (also available as an audio book, an ebook, and on Audible), 448 pgs., $27.99
December 1, 2015
It’s 1916, Pancho Villa is raiding across the border, and Texas Ranger Hackberry Holland is searching for his
House of the Rising Sun is an apocalyptic tale of addictions — alcohol, Morpheus, pain, love, power — which rob us of mercy, kindness, and human dignity. “I have nothing of value to impart,” Hackberry says. “My life has been dedicated to Pandemonium. That’s a place in hell John Milton wrote about. That also means I’m an authority on chaos and confusion and messing things up.”
While the action centers around Hackberry, the real stars of this tale are women: Maggie Basset, Hackberry’s wife, whose “decisions seemed made for her by someone else, perhaps a little girl who lived in a dark place inside her, a place where Maggie the adult would never go by herself”; Ruby Dansen, spirited union organizer, Ishmael’s mother, and Hackberry’s true love; and Beatrice DeMolay, the kind and cunning brothel owner who saves Hackberry’s life more than once.
House of the Rising Sun is drenched in gorgeous imagery. The Texas cottonwood leaves “trembled with the thinness of rice paper” and the lightning of an approaching storm “began as a flicker and then spread through thousands of miles of firmament in seconds and died inside an ocean of purple smoke.” Mexico is a place “where peasants wore depressions with their knees in the stone steps of seventeenth-century cathedrals, and where the light was harsher and brighter than it should have been and the colors were so vivid they jittered when you looked at them too long.”
As always, James Lee Burke’s dialogue is smart and sharp. “God sent you here to show us the fallacy of white superiority,” Hackberry says to his neighbor who has burned the cabins where his former slaves live. “Don’t hide your light under a basket. Many are called, but few are chosen.” The plot is simpler than it seems, allowing the characters and language to shine. The pace is even until, approaching the climax as the characters converge, Burke employs a very effective rapid-cycling technique between the narratives, conveying the urgency and speed of events as he rushes toward a resolution that is as satisfying as it is unexpected.
Disguised as crime novels and historical Westerns, Burke’s fiction is archetypal philosophy, combining classical Greek myth with the scope of biblical themes: the existence of evil, the will to violence and greed, the possibility of redemption, the impossibility of atonement, whether forgiveness can be earned or is a gift, and the nature of power. With its touches of magical realism, House of the Rising Sun will make you believe in portents.
Originally published in Lone Star Literary Life.
James Lee Burke
House of the Rising Sun
Simon & Schuster
Hardcover, 978-1-5011-0710-8 (also available as an audio book, an ebook, and on Audible), 448 pgs., $27.99
December 1, 2015
It’s 1916, Pancho Villa is raiding across the border, and Texas Ranger Hackberry Holland is searching for his
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long-lost son, Ishmael, a captain in the US Army, in Mexico, “a feral land, its energies as raw and ravenous as a giant predator that ingested the naïve and incautious.” Hackberry doesn’t find Ishmael this time, but he does run afoul of the Mexican Army and Arnold Beckman, an international arms dealer, escaping with a religious artifact that had been in Beckman’s possession, which may or may not be the Holy Grail.House of the Rising Sun is an apocalyptic tale of addictions — alcohol, Morpheus, pain, love, power — which rob us of mercy, kindness, and human dignity. “I have nothing of value to impart,” Hackberry says. “My life has been dedicated to Pandemonium. That’s a place in hell John Milton wrote about. That also means I’m an authority on chaos and confusion and messing things up.”
While the action centers around Hackberry, the real stars of this tale are women: Maggie Basset, Hackberry’s wife, whose “decisions seemed made for her by someone else, perhaps a little girl who lived in a dark place inside her, a place where Maggie the adult would never go by herself”; Ruby Dansen, spirited union organizer, Ishmael’s mother, and Hackberry’s true love; and Beatrice DeMolay, the kind and cunning brothel owner who saves Hackberry’s life more than once.
House of the Rising Sun is drenched in gorgeous imagery. The Texas cottonwood leaves “trembled with the thinness of rice paper” and the lightning of an approaching storm “began as a flicker and then spread through thousands of miles of firmament in seconds and died inside an ocean of purple smoke.” Mexico is a place “where peasants wore depressions with their knees in the stone steps of seventeenth-century cathedrals, and where the light was harsher and brighter than it should have been and the colors were so vivid they jittered when you looked at them too long.”
As always, James Lee Burke’s dialogue is smart and sharp. “God sent you here to show us the fallacy of white superiority,” Hackberry says to his neighbor who has burned the cabins where his former slaves live. “Don’t hide your light under a basket. Many are called, but few are chosen.” The plot is simpler than it seems, allowing the characters and language to shine. The pace is even until, approaching the climax as the characters converge, Burke employs a very effective rapid-cycling technique between the narratives, conveying the urgency and speed of events as he rushes toward a resolution that is as satisfying as it is unexpected.
Disguised as crime novels and historical Westerns, Burke’s fiction is archetypal philosophy, combining classical Greek myth with the scope of biblical themes: the existence of evil, the will to violence and greed, the possibility of redemption, the impossibility of atonement, whether forgiveness can be earned or is a gift, and the nature of power. With its touches of magical realism, House of the Rising Sun will make you believe in portents.
Originally published in Lone Star Literary Life.
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LibraryThing member Harley0326
It has been awhile since I have read a really good story that is chocked full of strong characters. House of the Rising Sun has so many great characters , that I liked them all. The author wrote them with such depth that they came alive on the pages. That's when I knew I was in for an adventure
A former Texas Ranger named Hackberry Holland is on a mission to find his missing son. It seems to stumble on roadblocks as he hunts for Ismael, his son. Could it be that Ismael being a captain in the U.S. Army may have caused someone to kidnap him? Hackberry suspects that the Mexican soldiers may know something about his missing son. After Hackberry kills several Mexican soldiers, he decides to steal a very important artifact . This artifact belongs to a ruthless arms dealer named Arnold Beckman. That probably was not one of Hackberry's greatest decisions. Has Hackberry just signed his own death warrant? Will his son play a part in the stolen artifact that puts him in danger?
I liked Hackberry because he has flaws that sometimes makes his decisions seem harsh or lack judgment. He has a tendency to like the liquor a bit to much and has knee jerk reactions to things. He acts impulsively without thinking which causes some friction with others in the story. I think of him as a hot head at times, which causes him to be violent .
House of The Rising Sun has action, tension, intrigue and a cast of characters you won't soon forget. It's a great story with many intense scenes and keeps you glued to the pages. The story is easy to follow and gives you a feel of the old west. This book will be liked by those looking for a great action packed good guys vs bad guys theme that will fight it out in an epic battle by superb writing and flawless scenes that jump off the pages.
I received a copy of this book from The Lone Star Lit Life Book Tour for an honest review
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that would grab me from the beginning and take off at full speed with twists and turns. A former Texas Ranger named Hackberry Holland is on a mission to find his missing son. It seems to stumble on roadblocks as he hunts for Ismael, his son. Could it be that Ismael being a captain in the U.S. Army may have caused someone to kidnap him? Hackberry suspects that the Mexican soldiers may know something about his missing son. After Hackberry kills several Mexican soldiers, he decides to steal a very important artifact . This artifact belongs to a ruthless arms dealer named Arnold Beckman. That probably was not one of Hackberry's greatest decisions. Has Hackberry just signed his own death warrant? Will his son play a part in the stolen artifact that puts him in danger?
I liked Hackberry because he has flaws that sometimes makes his decisions seem harsh or lack judgment. He has a tendency to like the liquor a bit to much and has knee jerk reactions to things. He acts impulsively without thinking which causes some friction with others in the story. I think of him as a hot head at times, which causes him to be violent .
House of The Rising Sun has action, tension, intrigue and a cast of characters you won't soon forget. It's a great story with many intense scenes and keeps you glued to the pages. The story is easy to follow and gives you a feel of the old west. This book will be liked by those looking for a great action packed good guys vs bad guys theme that will fight it out in an epic battle by superb writing and flawless scenes that jump off the pages.
I received a copy of this book from The Lone Star Lit Life Book Tour for an honest review
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LibraryThing member repb
I love Burke's storytelling ability and old fashioned descriptions using turn of the century language and phrases. But I found this story way too dark for my tastes and felt he lost his way several times. He seemed to have a hard time finishing the story as well and I did not like the way it ended
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when it did - finally. Hack was a great character - but a real pain in the ass. I'm surprised Burke let him live. I also had trouble sorting through all his wives and would-be wives. Too dark, too long and too confusing. But for the most part, I did enjoy it. Show Less
LibraryThing member buffalogr
Gifted story telling by James Lee Burke. Used turn of the 20th century language and that added to the flavor. Characters are down to earth and memorable--Hack is a great character, albeit a pain in the ass. The fate of women makes you wonder. Gorgeous imagery made the reader feel in the moment.
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Seemed to me that the story had a bit of a time ending well. Show Less
LibraryThing member Charrlygirl
The reason I decided to read this book was because of the narrator, Will Patton. I will happily listen to him narrate anything and this audiobook was available to download at my library. Unfortunately, I did NOT realize that it was the 4th book in a series at the time, but I don't think I missed
This is a western that takes place around the late 1800's up to around 1918. We move around from Mexico, to Texas and to San Antonio. Hackberry Holland is not the greatest of men, but somehow the reader comes to care for him and his twisted sense of morality. The women in this book just about stole the show. From Maggie, Hackberry's super-devious wife, to Ruby, (his mistress) and the mysterious Ms. DeMolay. (I'm not sure of the spelling of her name, as I listened instead of reading it in print.) The villain, evil Arnold Beckman, is an arms dealer, selling to both sides of conflicts all over the world. A better, more interesting set of characters would be hard to find.
I guess I'm starting to like westerns because this book was fun. After a slightly slow start when I thought for a little while that I might not finish this book, things picked up and the characters began to grow and change. Then I was hooked right up until the end.
Recommended for fans of westerns and DEFINITELY for fans of Will Patton's narration!
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out on much. However, I am hoping that Will Patton narrates the rest of the them and if so I will be downloading those as well!This is a western that takes place around the late 1800's up to around 1918. We move around from Mexico, to Texas and to San Antonio. Hackberry Holland is not the greatest of men, but somehow the reader comes to care for him and his twisted sense of morality. The women in this book just about stole the show. From Maggie, Hackberry's super-devious wife, to Ruby, (his mistress) and the mysterious Ms. DeMolay. (I'm not sure of the spelling of her name, as I listened instead of reading it in print.) The villain, evil Arnold Beckman, is an arms dealer, selling to both sides of conflicts all over the world. A better, more interesting set of characters would be hard to find.
I guess I'm starting to like westerns because this book was fun. After a slightly slow start when I thought for a little while that I might not finish this book, things picked up and the characters began to grow and change. Then I was hooked right up until the end.
Recommended for fans of westerns and DEFINITELY for fans of Will Patton's narration!
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LibraryThing member waldhaus1
This is the second James Lee Burke novel I have finished this year. I believe I read one of his books years ago, but had lost track of what he was doing. I’m glad to have rediscovered his work.
House of. the rising sun was a rock song of the 60s. I don’t know if I realized at the time that it
It is the story of a Texas ranger and his two women. One he is married to, the other who is the mother of his child. It is a turn of the century (19th to 20th) story of the Texas west and Mexico’s rrevolutions at the time.
The major issue’s hack faces are self control and the search for his son. He became separated from his son because of the struggle betwee his two women.
The book is well written, the characters real seeming although their adventures extradinorary.
House of. the rising sun was a rock song of the 60s. I don’t know if I realized at the time that it
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was about a famous New Orleans brothel. Actually the House of the Rising sun features only peripherally in the book.It is the story of a Texas ranger and his two women. One he is married to, the other who is the mother of his child. It is a turn of the century (19th to 20th) story of the Texas west and Mexico’s rrevolutions at the time.
The major issue’s hack faces are self control and the search for his son. He became separated from his son because of the struggle betwee his two women.
The book is well written, the characters real seeming although their adventures extradinorary.
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Awards
Publishers Weekly's Best Books of the Year (Mystery/Thriller — 2015)
Language
ISBN
9781501107108