Blessed McGill

Peter Hermano McGill lives in post-Civil War Texas, where he navigates a chaotic frontier landscape as a gunfighter and occasional journalist. His story takes place against the backdrop of a rapidly changing American West, with its mix of outlaws, soldiers, settlers, and Native Americans. The narrative follows McGill through Texas and Mexico as he becomes entangled in various conflicts and relationships. McGill's perspective as both participant and observer provides a dual lens through which the period's violence, politics, and social upheaval come into focus. The book's structure draws from both historical documentation and personal accounts, presenting McGill's life through interconnected episodes and encounters. A mix of real historical figures and fictional characters populate the narrative. Shrake's novel examines questions of memory, truth-telling, and the myths of the American West. The story provides a complex view of violence and morality in a time when such distinctions were often blurred by necessity and circumstance.

Readers describe Blessed McGill as an unconventional Western that blends historical fiction with dark humor. The book maintains a 4.1/5 rating on Goodreads across 39 ratings. Readers appreciate: - The unique narrative voice and dark comedy - Raw, realistic portrayal of 1860s Texas - Complex characters who defy Western stereotypes - Vivid descriptions of frontier life Common criticisms: - Meandering plot structure - Abrupt tonal shifts between comedy and violence - Some find the protagonist unlikeable From reader reviews: "Like Lonesome Dove meets Fear and Loathing" - Goodreads reviewer "The dialogue rings true to the period without feeling forced" - Amazon review "Too much wandering from scene to scene without purpose" - Goodreads critique Amazon ratings: 4.3/5 (12 reviews) LibraryThing: 4.0/5 (8 reviews) Numerous readers compare it to works by Larry McMurtry and Cormac McCarthy, though note it's more comedic.

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The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt Two assassin brothers traverse the 1850s Oregon Territory in pursuit of a prospector while encountering the brutality and absurdity of the American West.

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🌟 Author Edwin "Bud" Shrake was a close friend of Texas Governor Ann Richards and wrote her biography "Grover Lewis: The Uncommon Journey of a Black Sheep" 🌟 The novel, published in 1968, is considered part of the "Literary Western" movement that challenged traditional Western genre conventions by incorporating darker themes and more complex characters 🌟 The book's protagonist, Peter Hermano McGill, is loosely based on real Texas frontier characters and incorporates elements of both Mexican and American culture in the post-Civil War era 🌟 Bud Shrake was part of the "Mad Dogs," a group of Texas writers and journalists in the 1960s that included Gary Cartwright and Dan Jenkins, known for their hard-living lifestyle and innovative journalism 🌟 The novel's narrative style, which switches between first-person diary entries and third-person narration, was revolutionary for Western literature at the time and influenced later works in the genre