Barbed Wire
by Elmer Kelton
List Price:
Our Price: $3.11
You Save: $2.88 (48%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: Elmer KeltonEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-04-03
ISBN: 0765348942
Number of pages: 224
Publisher: Forge Books
Book Reviews of Barbed Wire
Book Review: BARBED WIRE by Elmer Kelton
Summary: 4 Stars
BARBED WIRE is a Texas range war story that is told, essentially, from the perspective of a fence builder--although it is told from several view points. The land is split between ranchers and dirt farmers; it is open range country, and the largest rancher--Captain Rinehart--wants it to stay that way.
The story unfolds as the Captain battles against the coming fences that will lock away the water, and cut the land into tiny rectangles of farms and ranches. It is the future; this separation of land that will allow herds to be bred exclusively, crops to be secured against the roaming cattle, and the protection and hoarding of water in a dry country. It is a future that terrifies the Captain enough that he is willing to let himself be mislead into action by his foreman.
BARBED WIRE is an excellent western. It is only my second experience with the work of Elmer Kelton, the first was his novel BADGER BOY, and I wasn't disappointed. The plot is fairly generic, but its execution, characters and authenticity, mark it a few notches better than the norm. The prose is gritty and matches the western plot like a glove--
"It was a sorry way for a cowboy to make a living, Doug Monahan thought disgustedly. Bending his back over a rocky posthole, he plunged the heavy iron crowbar downward, hearing its angry ring and feeling the violent jar of it bruising the stubborn rock bottom. He rubbed sweat from his forehead into his sleeve and straightened his sore back, pausing to rest a moment and look around."
The plot is executed with a tight linear momentum that takes the expected and makes it fresh and somehow new. The characters are tough and realistic, the action is paced with an equitable easiness--a pace that is far from melodramatic, but is exciting and seemingly authentic.
-Gravetapping
Westerns Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Westerns Books
Showdown at Yellow Butteby Louis L'Amour
Random House Audio; Published: 2011-10-11; Audio CD; Book
Best price: $12.12
Price in other shops:
Hey, Cowgirl, Need a Ride?by Baxter Black
Three Rivers Press; Published: 2006-10-24; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.92
Price in other shops:
Range Warby Lee Floren
Barrie & Jenkins; Published: 1976-02; Hardcover; Book
Savage Gunby Dan Stewart
H Jenkins; Published: 1977-01-27; Hardcover; Book
Bandit Trailby Matt Winstan
H Jenkins; Published: 1974-05-09; Hardcover; Book
With These Handsby Louis L'Amour
Bantam; Published: 2002-04-30; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $0.82
Price in other shops:
With These Handsby Louis L'Amour
Bantam; Published: 2003-04-29; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.67
Price in other shops:
Blue Sage (Harlequin American Romance #213)by Anne Stuart
Harlequin; Published: 1987-08-01; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.75
These Is My Wordsby Nancy Turner
Hodder and Stoughten; Published: 1998; Paperback; Book
Fools Crow (Contemporary American Fiction)by James Welch
Penguin (Non-Classics); Published: 1987-11-03; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.99
Price in other shops:
Similar books summaries and other product reviews
Eyes of the Hawkby Elmer Kelton
Forge Books; Published: 2008-02-05; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.21
Price in other shops:
Bitter Trailby Elmer Kelton
Forge Books; Published: 1997-06-15; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.00
Price in other shops:
Cloudy in the Westby Elmer Kelton
Forge Books; Published: 1999-01-15; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.88
Price in other shops:
Joe Pepper (Tales of Texas)by Elmer Kelton
Forge Books; Published: 2002-05-19; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.00
Price in other shops:
Shadow of a Starby Elmer Kelton
Forge Books; Published: 2004-02-01; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.98
Price in other shops:
Six Bits a Day (Hewey Calloway)by Elmer Kelton
Forge Books; Published: 2006-10-03; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.78
Price in other shops:
Pecos Crossingby Elmer Kelton
Forge Books; Published: 2008-06-03; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.75
Price in other shops:
Hot Ironby Elmer Kelton
Forge Books; Published: 1998; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.61
Price in other shops:
Buffalo Wagonsby Elmer Kelton
Forge Books; Published: 1997-11-15; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.40
Price in other shops:
The Time It Never Rainedby Elmer Kelton
Forge Books; Published: 2008-04-01; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.94
Price in other shops: