Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Hondo (Louis L'Amour's Lost Treasures): A Novel

Hate Oaters? Try Hondo. You Will Never See A More Accurate, Picture Of The Old West.

Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2017

It's not Tolstoy, Joyce, Chekhov, or Dickens, to name some of my favorite authors, but what a great read Hondo was! It transported me to a remote time and place and not only entertained me but also educated me about the "Old West" that often cliched place seen in movies.

The relationship between Hondo and the young, six-year-old Johnny seemed so truthful - I was in tears in some sections - and Hondo's relationship with Angie was totally believable and unsentimental. The "fierce" Apaches" came off as, well, fierce but they had to be fierce to survive in such a hostile terrain, let alone dealing with white men gradually usurping their land and not honoring treaties.

I also fell in love with Sam, a fierce dog and Hondo's companion in survival.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not the snob you may think I am from my opening sentence because I also claim Barbara Pym, E. F. Benson, Patrick Dennis, P.D. James, and Raymond Chandler among my favorite authors.

I'm going to investigate Louis L'Amour further. I remember reading one of his books maybe thirty years ago and enjoying it. I guess I have to catch up now, after loving Hondo so; what a great story teller he is.

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Oh My Gosh!Top Contributor: Fantasy Books

Hondo was a great reread. I’ve read the story before

Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2017

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Hondo was a great reread. I’ve read the story before, back in the 80’s or 90’s. I used to read a lot of Louis L’Amour and Zane Grey. This year I’ve been buying audiobooks so I can listen to their stories while I’m driving.

The story is told third person past tense from multiple points of view, Hondo Lane, Mrs. Angie Lowe, Lt. Creyton C. Davis, Major Sherry, El Lowe, Sergeant Young, and even the dog’s, Sam’s, point of view. The only criticism I can think of is the way they fistfight in the story. If you’ve seen an old western you’ll know what I’m talking about. The good guy always drags the bad guy to his feet before punching him again. In the real world most people would stomp the crap out of anybody after knocking them down so they couldn’t get back up.

About half of the time I read everything from nonfiction to westerns. The other half of the time I read sci-fi and fantasy, when I’m not watching sci-fi and fantasy series.

Sci-fi and fantasy authors I like include Douglas Adams, Taylor Anderson, Isaac Asimov, Paolo Bacigalupi, Ray Bradbury, Jack Campbell, Orson Scott Card, Arthur C. Clarke, Earnest Cline, Suzanne Collins, Abe Evergreen, Diana Galbadon, William R. Forstchen, Joe Haldeman, Robert A. Heinlein, Frank Herbert, Hugh Howey, George Martin, Larry Niven, Andre Norton, George Orwell, Patrick Rothfuss, Brandon Sanderson, John Scalzi, John Steakley, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Andy Weir.

Starship Troopers (1959) (not like the movie) by Robert A. Heinlein is the book that got me started in sci-fi adventures, and has remained one of my top five favorite military science fiction adventure stories for decades. The Forever War (1974) by Joe Haldeman, Armor (1984) by John Steakley, Ender’s Game (1985) by Orson Scott Card, and Old Man’s War (2005) by John Scalzi, round out my top five military sci-fi adventure stories.

12 people found this helpful

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Jon Svenson

The Apex of the Louis L'Amour Western

Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2020

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I had a classic case of 'seen the movie, but never read the book' and wanted to correct that. I'm very happy that I did.

Because this book was written 80 or so years ago, some things work for modern readers and other don't, which is certainly to be expected. The descriptions are detailed and transport the reader to the location, and for me were the highlight of the book. I felt like I could hear the whispering willows, and burbling creek, and could feel the sun on my back as sweat ran down my house. The descriptions are fantastic, but never overly done. They truly are magical.

The action is tamed compared to modern day, as is the love story with Mrs. Lowe. I thought Ed Lowe was very well written, as was Hondo Lane, but Angie felt a bit cookie cutter, which likely has more to do with the way women are portrayed in the story. Angie is a homemaker with a backbone, yet still gets all the meals on the table and protects her son like any good mother should do.

Vittoro and the Apaches are written as honorable and intelligent men who know the country, with the exception of Silva.

Overall, I highly recommend this book. It's fantastic, both as a look back into 40's Western novels, and as fantastic book on its own. Very well done, and I'm glad I had the chance to read it.

5/5*

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ArtFan

Pretty good

Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2016

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I just finished reading Hondo. This is I think the only western novel I have ever read. I have to say: it's pretty good. It's not great literature, but it's still pretty well written and entertaining. And it's also very fair and matter-of-fact. There's no racial preference or "cowboys are better than savage Indians" or "indians are smart, white men are stupid" or any of that nonsense. All the characters get fair and equal treatment. Some Indians are good, others bad. Some white men are good, others bad. They're both intelligent and experienced with certain things, and lacking in knowledge in other areas. It paints an interesting and seems like an accurate picture of life in the Southwest a couple hundred years ago, near the modern -day Mexican border, although the main character is rather heavily stereotyped as a "bad-@ss" gunslinger. in any case, the writing style is interesting, rather simple on first reading, but does a good job of painting imagery that sticks in your head later. Strong plot line. A slice of life that takes place over a season or two in an era that is a turning point when white settlers were gaining foothold on conquering the West .

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Van T. Roberts

One of L'Amour's Classics!!!

Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2017

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Louis L'Amour's second book--since 'Westward the Tide" was officially his first novel--is an intelligent, slam-bang, cavalry versus the Apaches western. The eponymous character Hondo is a cavalry scout for General Crook who barely survives an Apache war party and winds up trudging into a small ranch where a wife Angie Lowe and her son live in the middle of nowhere. Eventually, Hondo learns that Angie's husband Ed Lowe has ridden off to round up stray cattle. Actually, Ed is a no-account cardsharp who prefers to spend his time elsewhere around men that he can cheat of their well-earned money. Hondo helps out around the Lowe ranch and takes a horse to replace the one that the Apaches killed during their clash in the desert. Hondo kisses Angie before he leaves, and she likes it, but she feels guilty about what she had done. Hondo discovers that Vittorio, an Apache war chief, has taken a shine to Angie's little boy. In fact, this courageous little fellow wounded one of Vittorio's warriors Silva with a poorly aimed shot from a cap and ball pistol. Silva becomes their life-long enemy, and only Vittoro had keep them alive. Hondo is the quintessential Louis L'Amour protagonist. He knows everything about everything when it comes to surviving in the desert, and L'Amour relates these useful tips for survival. The prose his muscular and Spartan as always and the characters are sharply drawn. Reportedly, L'Amour wrote this as a novelization for the classic John Wayne film.

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Amazon Customer

When you want to feel like more than you are!!

Reviewed in the United States on February 20, 2016

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What can I say, I enjoy the lone hero kicking ass and winning the girl, stories. Hondo Lane is a certified Badass, hard riding, calm, no nonsense Indian..like dude!

He has a dog that is not his pet, but a war companion! Hondo is like "He's his own dog, we travel together" HOW COOL IS THAT!!

So lets get down to the real deal. Yes this is a classic Louis L'Amour book, it has adventure, romance, redemption and some strong characters that makes you want to root for them, even if they are on different sides of a conflict. Hondo is the main character here(obviously) and his skills in the wilderness learned from his time living with the Apache Indians serves him well in the wild west.

I dont want to give too much away here, but I would get this little book and have a good time reading a little piece of the american frontier history.Is the greatest book you will ever read? No, but it is a nice little end of the day adventure away from your boring cubicle and mundane existence. I would also recommend this book for preteens who are into adventure stories filled with true facts.

So get it, enjoy it, pass it along, then go live your own adventure like Mr. L'Amour.

Cheers.

10 people found this helpful

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Anthony Mitchell

Treat Yourself to a Classic Western

Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2015

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This is one excellent Western. L'Amour's themes are ever present here of the loner cowboy who starts to rethink his ways when he meets a woman and a young son toughing the land out on their own. Hondo Lane is more reliable than most in a tough spot, but he is not one for hanging around to raise a family. However, on his journey it is evident the respect he commands from those who know him. And it is not hard to respect L'Amour's writing as he knows how to paint a picture of the landscape and make it a part of the story. He also builds his characters well, showing their outside actions but also getting their thoughts across. I feel like I know them all, Hondo being my favorite, followed by Vittoro. This is one excellent Western that can be read in a day. Definitely worth the time and easily worth the price. Enjoy!

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Kem White

Overall 3-Stars. But a Very Good 4-Star Western

Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2017

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A very fine oater. "Hondo" won't ever be called great literature, but it's more than passable reading when you have a long plane flight or time to spend on the beach. It's short; barely 200 pages. (And, evidently, based on the movie of the same name, which preceded it.) There are all the standard oater elements: taciturn good guy, stalwart woman, Apaches, US Cavalry, four flushers, and snakes in the grass. This is definitely a 4-star read if you're a fan of Westerns. If not, take to heart my 3-start rating; you'd probably be advised to steer clear.

3 people found this helpful

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SJ Wormer

Good Read, As Always

Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2016

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In many ways, you know what you're getting when you read a Louis L'Amour book. Tough, solid prose, a hero able to overcome adversity, and usually there's a love interest thrown in as a side-plot.

This book contains a lot of those elements, though in this case the love interest is integral to the plot, not merely an add-in. Hondo Lane falls for a woman discarded by a worthless husband and must work to save her from this worthless husband as well as marauding Apaches.

Keep it simple. It's good to read Louis L'Amour books because there is no existential dread (or if there is, the protagonist frigging deals with it), and we get to follow characters who mirror L'Amour's own well-traveled and rollicking life. These are good adventure stories pitting good and against evil. Finally, the prose is as tough and relentless as the desert landscape of the action. Good stuff.

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J. Robertson

MUCH better than the movie

Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2020

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This is the best Louis L'Amour novel I have read so far, and I've read a lot of them. It's an examination of the Old West from an interpersonal point of view. All the characters are well developed (of course) and their relationship with each other and the situations L'Amour creates for them is very revealing of the values and judgments that made the west as we know it. Read This Book!

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5 star		81%
4 star		12%
3 star		5%
2 star		1%
1 star		1%

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