DUTCHMAN'S FLAT -- Louis L'Amour

Bantam Books -- pb
Toronto -- ©1986 -- 241pp
ISBN: 0-553-26188-6
cover art: Frank McCarthy

A collection of short stories, each with a forward by the author.

"Dutchman's Flat"
"Keep Travelin', Rider"
"Trail to Pie Town"
"Mistakes Can Kill You"
"Big Medicine"
"Man From Battle Flat"
"West of the Tularosas"
"McQueen of the Tumbling K"
"The One for the Mohave Kid"
"The Lion Hunter and the Lady"
"A Gun for Kilkenny"

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The choice to read this book was based on the fact that I was heading out on vacation to the Badlands and Black Hills of South Dakota. It seemed appropriate, then, to read some western fiction, and of course when one thinks of westerns, one usually thinks of Louis L'Amour.

I've actually quite enjoyed the L'Amour books I've read in the past. I've described L'Amour as a very good story-teller. I still hold this to be true. Perhaps not a great writer, but he knows how to engage the reader in his particular genre.

The stories in this collection vary quite a bit. Most seem rather formulaic and all rely on a few favorable circumstances for the hero to succeed, rather than based on the hero's own good works.

Even so, the glimpses of good story-telling can be found in most of these stories. Still, I would recommend a Louis L'Amour novel before this collection of stories.

THE THIRD LIFE OF PER SMEVIK -- Ole Rolvaag

Harper & Row -- tpb
New York -- 1971 -- 136pp
ISBN: 0-06-097076-6
translated by Ella Valborg Tweet and Solveig Zempel

Just before the turn of the century, a Norwegian immigrant writes letters home to describe his experiences.

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This book, in the form of one-sided letters (all FROM Per Smevik) sets a nice tone for the Norwegian immigrant in the mid-to-late 1800's. His letters are written either to his father, or his brother.

Although one-sided, we get a good sense of what the family thinks of this man's journey to America; what they like and what they didn't like about his being here.

I expected this to be a bit dry, but found the style very conversational and easy to read. At only 136 pages, it moves quickly.

I recommend this as an interesting read for those who might enjoy history, Scandinavian literature, or just something a little different.

THE ELVEN WAYS, BOOK 1: THE WAYS OF MAGIC -- Scott Ciencin

AvonNova -- pb
New York -- ©1996 -- 278pp
ISBN: 0-380-77980-3
cover art: Darrell Sweet


Young Tom Keeper is an artist in a time and place when being an artist is not good. Tom meets up with an angel who promises to take Tom to apprentice with a famous artist. Tom learns much about the ways of the angels during his journey.

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I have really enjoyed the works of Scott Ciencin that I've come across before, and so was really looking forward to this particular work. At the beginning I was really enjoying it and looking forward to my time in the novel -- how often does one come across a book in which art and being an artist plays a major part of the plot? Weaving artistry and magic and fantasy together seemed like a blend written just for me.

But then the book took a turn.

In looking back on this work I fear that it is a jumbled mess of plots that don't quite weave together well. Plots, sub-plots, and characters all seem to be tossed aside as the book moves on, and new characters and plots are revealed, leaving us to wonder just what this book is about.

One thing that I did find quite interesting is that there is much here that would seem to be would allow a pretty good case against J.K.Rowling and her Harry Potter series ... the idea that Tom can't be killed by his enemy because there is a part of his enemy inside him. Of course there's more, and the Potter books are much more entertaining, but there are more than a few such similarities. I did check the copyright, and Ciencin's book is copyright and published in 1996, the first Harry Potter book was published in the U.S. in 1998 and in Great Britain in 1997.

There is much here that makes me want to read the second and even third books, but I am disappointed that this did not turn out to be the book that it seemed to be at the start.

Reluctantly, this is not recommended.

NIGHT OVER DAY OVER NIGHT -- Paul Watkins

Alfred A. Knopf -- hc
New York -- 1988 -- 294pp
ISBN: 0-394-57047-2

A German SS soldier is in a sacrificial unit bound for, and meant to hold off the Americans at the Battle of the Bulge.

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I have greatly enjoyed the works of Paul Watkins that I've come upon, and looked forward to reaching back and checking out this, his first novel -- the novel which brought him some acclaim.

Fortunately this was not my first venture into the works of Paul Watkins or I likely never would have read more.

In the previous books of Paul Watkins that I've come across, his protagonists are all of the same ilk, rather dry, melancholic sorts, but they've all had goals ... something to strive for or something to discover. Sebastian Westland here seems lost. In all aspects of his life, he is lost. But more than that, he doesn't even seem to mind being lost. I was tempted to think that he was searching for a way to stay alive, but I don't know that this would be true.

With a character who is lost and doesn't care, and a setting and character background that is so incredibly foreign, what then is there to hold the reader to the story?

My recommendation is to pass on this and try one of Watkins' other books.

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS -- J.K. Rowling

Scholastic, Inc -- hc
New York -- ©2007 -- 759pp
ISBN: 0545010225
illustrations by Mary Grandpre

The seventh, and last, book in the Harry Potter series, in which the battle between good and evil, Harry and Voldemort, must be settled, with one of them meeting the ultimate end.

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Although I was to read this book in any event, I read this earlier than planned simply because my wife and daughter had already read the book and were wanting to be able to talk about it.

I did enjoy this book more than the last couple that had come out. A richer plot, a strong conclusion, and characters that actually find ways to grow and mature made for a more enjoyable read. There were, however, times when this book could easily have been trimmed. The idea of Harry and friends stealing right under the noses of their enemy grew redundant. And their use of some seemingly basic spells and charms to pull off their thievery makes one wonder how and why these things aren't done more often.

A sequence in the Ministry of Magic seemed too easy, and a section in the most impenetrable bank seemed not only easy, but a bit dull.

A constant series of camping in the woods to avoid detection grew monotonous, and one wonders why the three friends continued to wear a cursed charm, even when they knew it was giving them such negativity ... and then when it mattered a lot, they simply took it off and kept it in a bag. Why hadn't they done it earlier?

It has been decidedly well known that there is death in this book, and even the death of characters familiar and popular with the readers. Without giving away any of the ending, I will say that none of the deaths surprised me, but there were two, maybe more, characters who did not die, which did surprise me.

Whether you like the Harry Potter series or not, it is undeniably the most spectacular series of books in recent publishing history. The expectations for this last book have easily made it the most anticipated book of the century. Anyone interested in the written word, publishing, fantasy, children's books, or even fads or modern culture, should take the time to check out this series of books.

This book was definitely one of the better in this series.