Elmore Leonard really was the goat. He could do more with less than just about anybody.
Looking at the connections between his westerns and his crime fiction, some of the crime fiction were transplanted wholesale from the west. Look at City Primeval, or the Raylan Givens stories
Exactly. I'm guessing there were estate issues to settle. Now his stuff is back in print but the public doesn't know not care. Probably partially due to his work being masculine.
Three-Ten to Yuma has been one of my favorites for a while now, but more than that, 1967's Hombre with Paul Newman. The story almost made me not like anybody involved, except for Newman and Richard Boone's character along with Boone's hombre in the desert. I almost wanted Newman's character to say to hell with them and move on and I think Newman nearly did, or wanted to, at least. It's pretty awesome how he tightens up the tension like that and it definitely felt more real than many westerns. I'm sure this is a very cool bunch of stories. Thank you for sharing, Philly.
One of my all time favorite writers. Best ever dialogue.
He really was, and it influenced dialogue for all commercial fiction writers going forward.
Newsflash: it’s still hot af in Yuma.
Elmore Leonard really was the goat. He could do more with less than just about anybody.
Looking at the connections between his westerns and his crime fiction, some of the crime fiction were transplanted wholesale from the west. Look at City Primeval, or the Raylan Givens stories
Just ordered City Primeval off Book outlet as a matter of fact.
And one of my all-time favorites is The Hot Kid, which is Western flavored noir.
Nice article. Got that book plus an autographed copy of a book of his short stories. Always have loved ol' Elmore.
Nice write up. Leonard is one of my favorites.
I read this book a few years ago and it's a nice new side to the Leonard coin.
I’ve been making my way through it on Kindle. Ppl forget how good he was
After his peak in the 90s, I was surprised how the public so quickly forgot him. For a long time, not much was in print.
Which is nuts because he has a metric ton of movie adaptations too
Exactly. I'm guessing there were estate issues to settle. Now his stuff is back in print but the public doesn't know not care. Probably partially due to his work being masculine.
50/50 jealous and happy for you. Thanks for reading.
I came across that collection by chance on the library shelves a few years ago and did not regret reading it cover to cover.
His Raylan Givens books have the fingerprints of the Westerns all over them.
Three-Ten to Yuma has been one of my favorites for a while now, but more than that, 1967's Hombre with Paul Newman. The story almost made me not like anybody involved, except for Newman and Richard Boone's character along with Boone's hombre in the desert. I almost wanted Newman's character to say to hell with them and move on and I think Newman nearly did, or wanted to, at least. It's pretty awesome how he tightens up the tension like that and it definitely felt more real than many westerns. I'm sure this is a very cool bunch of stories. Thank you for sharing, Philly.
Good shout, the original 3:10 to Yuma is one of my fav westerns so I really should read the short story.