Friday, October 09, 2009

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

by Ron Hansen

It’s western #10 for 2009!

I cannot remember the last time I encountered fiction that read like nonfiction. For this novel, the technique works.

This is the story of Jesse James and his gang and the man who idolized James, Bob Ford. Bob is the younger brother of Charley Ford, one of Jesse’s partners in crime. Hansen takes us into the men’s homes and minds. It is interesting to watch the outlaws assume aliases, move from town to town, and never, at any point, fully comprehend the consequences of their actions/crimes.

And, yes, Ford is quite cowardly in his murder of James.

10/12/09

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